Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/196

 184 O/z the dtfient of the American Indians from tie Jew^

Separately, with the hieoglyphical figures of the family on each of the old- fhaped arks : they reckon it irreligious to mix the bones of a relation with thofe of a ftranger, as bone of bone, and flefh of the fame flefh, mould be always joined together, and much lefs will they thruft the body of their beloved kinfman into the abominable tomb of a hafeful enemy. I oblerved a ladder fixed in the ground, oppofite to the middle of the broad- fide of each of thofe dormitories of the dead, which was made out of a broad board, and flood confiderably bent over the facred repofitory, with the fteps on the infide. On the top was the carved image of a dove, with its wings ftretched out, and its head inclining down, as if ear- neftly viewing or watching over the bones of the dead : and from the top of the ladder to almoft the furface of the earth, there hung a chain of grape-vines twifted together, in circular links, and the fame likewife at their domeftic tombs. Now the dove after the deluge, became the emblem of R&wah^ the holy fpirit, and in procefs of time was deified by the heathen world, inftead of the divine perfon it typified rH^ vine was like wife a fymbol of fruitfulnefs, both in the amnm. a > orld-

To perpetuate the memory of any remarkable warriors killed in the woods, I muft here obferve, that every Indian traveller as he pafies that way throws a ftone on the place, according as he likes or diflikes the occafion, or manner of the death of the deceafed.

In the woods we often fee innumerable heaps of fmall ftones in thofe places, where according to tradition fome of their diftinguifhed people were cither killed, or buried, till the bones could be gathered : there they add Pelion to Offa, dill increafing each heap, as a lading monument, and ho nour to them, and an incentive to great actions.

Mercury was a favourite god with the heathens, and had various em ployments, one of which was to be god of the roads, to direct travel lers aright from which the ancient Romans derived their Dii Compitaks, or Dei Viahs, which they likewife placed at the meeting of roads, and in the high ways, and efteemed them the patrons and protectors of travel lers. The early heathens placed great heaps of ftones at the dividing of 3 the

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