Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/175

 n?ir abftinence from women during war. 163

ISTor would the mod inveterate enemy touch it in the woods for the very -fame reafon; which is agreeable to the religious -opinion and cuftoms of the Hebrews, reflecting the facrednefs of their ark, witnefs what befel Uzzah, for touching it, though with a religious view, and the Philiftincs for carry ing it away, fo that they foon thought proper to return it, with prefents.

The leader virtually acts the part of a prieft of war, pro lempore^ in imi tation of the Israelites fighting under the divine military banner. If they obtain the victory, and get fame of the enemies fcalps, they fanctify themfelve* when they make their triumphal entrance, in the manner they obferved before they fet off to war; but, if their expedition proves unfortunate, they only mourn over their lofs, afcribing it to the vicious conduct of fome of the followers of the beloved ark. What bluflies fhould this fa- vage virtue raife in the faces of nominal chriftians, who ridicule the un erring divine wifdorrt, for the effects of their own imprudent or vicious conduct. May they learn from the rude uncivilized Americans, that vice neceffarily brings evil and virtue, happinefs.

The Indians will not cohabit with women while they are out at war ; they religioufly abftain from every kind of intercourfe even with their own wives, for the fpace of three days and nights before -they go to war, and fo after they return home, becaufe they are to fanctify themfelves. This religious war cuftom, efpecially in fo favage a generation, feems to >e derived from the Hebrews, who thus fanctirkd themfelves, to gain the divine protection, and victory over their common enemies : as in the precept of Mofes to the war camp when he afcended Mount Sinai ; and in Jofliua's prohibition to the Ifraelites *; and in the cafe of Uriah. The warriors confider themfelves as devoted to God apart from the reft of the

.tradition, that when they left their own native land, they brought with them a fanttified rod by order of an oracle, which they fixed every night in the ground ; and were to remove from place to place on the continent towards the fim-rifmg, till it budded in one nights time ; that they obeyed the facred mandate, and the miracle took place after they arrived to this fide of the Miflifippi, on the prefent land they pofiefs. This, they fay, was the fole icaufe of their fettling here of fighting fo firmly for their reputed holy land and holy things and that they may be buried with their beloved fore-fathers. I have feen other Indians who pretend te-jthe like miraculous dire&ion, and I think it plainly to refer to Aaron's rod, which was a branch of an almond-tree, and that budded and bloflbmed in one night.

v/aflung their clothes, avoiding all impurities, and abltaining from matrimonial intercourfe.
 * Joflaua commanded the Ifraelites the night before they marched, tofanftify themfelves by

Y 2 people,

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