Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/24

 j 2 On the origin and defcent of the Indians.

of creatures, wherewith it is fo.amply furnifhed. The works of a being, infinitely perfeft, muft entirely anfwer the defign of them : hence there could be no neceflity for a fecond creation, or God's creating many pairs of the human race differing from each other, and fitted for different cli mates : becaufe, that implies imperfeaion, in the grand fcheme, or a want of power, in the execution of it Had there been a prior, or later formation of any new clafs of creatures, they muft materially differ from thofe of the fix days work, for it is inconfiftent with divine wifdom to make a vain, or unneceflary repetition of the fame aft. But the American Indians nei-' ther vary from the reft of mankind, in their internal conitruftion, nor ex ternal appearance, except in colour; which, as hath been (hewn, is either entirely accidental, or artificial. As the Mofaic account declares a comple tion of the manifeftations of God's infinite wifdom and power in creation^ within that fpace of time-, it follows, that the Indians have lineally defcended from Adam, the firft, and the great parent of all the human fpecies. ,

Both the Chikkafah and Choktah Indians, call a deceitful peribn, Seente,. a fnake : and they frequently fay, they have not Seente Soolijh > the fnake's tongue, the meaning of which, is very analogous to n 9 a name the He brews gave to a deceitful perfon , which probably proceeded from a tra ditional knowledge of Eve's being beguiled by the tempter, in that fhape ; for the Indians never affix any bad idea to the prefent reptile fraternity, except that of poifonous teeth i and they never ufe any fuch metaphor, as that of a fnake's teeth.

Some have fuppofed the Americans to be defcended from the Cbinefe :: but neither their religion, laws, cuftoms, &c., agree in the leaft with thofe of the Chinefe : which fufficiently proves, they are not of that line. Befides, as our beft mips now are almoft half a year in failing to China, or from thence to Europe ; it is very unlikely they fhould attempt fuch dangerous difcoveries, in early time, with their (fuppofed) fmall veflels, againft rapid currents, and in dark and fickly monfoons ; efpecially, as it is very probable they were unacquainted with the ufe of the load-done to direct their courfe. China is above eight thoufand miles diftant from the American continent, which is twice as far as acrofs- the Atlantic ocean. And, we are not informed by any antient writer, of their maritime fkill, or fo much as any inclination that way, befides

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