Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/271

 An Account of the Muikohge Nation. 259

tiering fome of their own people, for the fake of their fcalps. We can not expect that they will obferve better faith towards us therefore com mon fenfe and felf-love ought to direct us to chufe the leaft of two una voidable evils ; ever to keep the wolf from our own doors, by engaging him with his wolfifh neighbours : at leaft, the officious hand of folly mould not part them, when they are earneftly engaged in their favourite element againft each other.

All the other Indian nations we have any acquaintance with, are vifibly and faft declining, on account of their continual mercilefs wars, the im moderate ufe of fpiritnous liquors, and the infectious ravaging nature of the fmall pox : but the Mufkohge have few enemies, and the traders with them have taught them to prevent the lad contagion from fpreading among their towns, by cutting off all communication with thofe who are infected, till the danger is over. Befides, as the men rarely go to war till they have helped the women to plant a fufficient plenty of provifions, contrary to the ufual method of warring favages, it is fo great a help to propagation, that by this means alfo, and their artful policy of inviting decayed tribes to in corporate with them, I am allured by a gentleman of diftinguifhed character, who fpeaks their language as well as their beft orators, they have in- creafed double in number within the fpace of thirty years pall, notwithftand- ing their widows are confined to a ftrict ftate of celibacy, for the full fpace of four years after the death of their hufbands. When we confider that two or three will go feveral hundred miles, to way-lay an enemy the contiguous fituation of fuch a prodigious number of corrupt, haughty, and mifchievous favages to our valuable colonies, ought to draw our atten tion upon them. Thofe of us who have gained a fufficient knowledge of Indian affairs, by long experience and obfervation, are firmly perfuaded that the feeds of war are deeply implanted in their hearts againft us ; and that the allowing them, in our ufual tame manner, to infult, plunder, and mur der peaceable Britifh fubjects, only tempts them to engage deeper in therr diabolical fcenes of blood, till they commence a dangerous open war againft us : the only probable means to preferve peace, is either to fet them and their rivals on one another, or by prudent management, influence them to employ themfelves in raifing filk, or any other ftaple commodity that would beft fuit their own temper and climate. Prudence points out this, but the tafk is too arduous for ftrangers ever to be able to cjffect, or they care not about it.

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