Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/38

 26 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews.

ofNiphon, or the Japanefe, are nearly the fame; which are diametrically oppofite to the religious tenets of the wild Americans.

The diviners among the Philiftines pretended to foretel things, by the flying, chirping, and feeding of wild fowls. The Greeks and Romans called fowls, Nuncii Deorum. And Calchas is faid to have foretold to Aga memnon, by the number of fparrows which flew before him, how many years the Trojan war mould laft. The Afiyrians worfhipped pigeons, and bore the figure of them on their ftandards, as the facred oracles fhew us, where the anger of the pigeon, and the fword of the pigeon, points at the deftroying fword of the Afiyrians. But, though the American woods fwarm with a furprizing variety of beautiful wild fowl, yet the natives do not make the lead pretenfion to auguries. They know it is by a certain gift or inftinct, inferior to human reafon, that the birds have a fufficient knowledge of the feafons of the year. I once indeed obferved them to be intimidated at the voice of a fmall uncommon bird, when it pitched, and chirped on a tree over their war camp. But that is the only trace of fuch fuperftition, as I can recollect among them. Inftead of calling birds the mefiengers of the gods, they call the great eagle, Oeole, which feems to be an imitation of Eloha. This may be accounted for, from the eagle being one of the che rubic emblems, denoting the air, or fpirit. They efteem pigeons only as they are falutary food, and they kill the turtle-dove, though they apply it as a proper name to their female children.

The Babylonians were much addicted to auguries : and they believed them to be unerring oracles, and able to direct them in doubtful and ar duous, things, Ezek. xxi. 21. Thofe auguries always directed their conduct, in every material thing they undertook ; fuch as the beginning and carrying on war, going a journey, marriage, and the like. But, as we mall foon fee, the Americans, when they go to war, prepare and fanctify themfelves, only by fading and ablutions, that they may not defile their fuppofed holy ark, and thereby incur the refentment of the Deity. And many of them firmly believe, that marriages are made above. If the Indian Ame ricans were defcended from any of the dates or people above mentioned, they could not well have forgotten, much lefs could they have fo efientially departed from their idolatrous worlhip. It is hence probable, they came here, 7 foon;

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