Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/403

 the North American Indians.

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��tilT his fpirits recover, and he is capable of differing new tortures. Then the like cruelties are repeated till he falls down, and happily becomes in- fenfible of pain. Now they fcalp him, in the manner before defcribed : difmember, and carry off all the exterior branches of the body, (pudendis Bon exceptis) in (hameful, and favage triumph. This is the moft favour able treatment their devoted captives receive: it would be too ihocking to humanity either to give, or perufe, every particular of their conduct in fuch doleful tragedies nothing can equal thcfe fcene-s, but thofe of the merciful Romim inquifition.

Not a foul, of whatever age or fex, manifefts the lead pity during the prifoner's tortures : the women fing with religious joy, all the while they are torturing the devoted victim, and peals of laughter refound through the crowded theatre efpecially if he fears to die. But a warrior puts on a bold auflere countenance, and carries it through all his pains: as long, as he can, he whoops and out-braves the enemy, defcribing his'Own martiah deeds againft them, and thofe of his nation, who he threatens will force many of them to eat fire in revenge of his fate, as he himfelf had often i done to fome of their relations at their coft,.

Though the fame things operate alike upon the organs of the human body, and produce an uniformity of fenfations ; yet weaknefs,.or conftancyv of mind derived from habit, helps in a great mcafure, either to heighten,, or leffcn the fenfe of pain. By this, the afflicted party has learned to ftifle nature, and mew. an outward unconcern, under fuch flow- and- acute tor tures: and- the furprifing cruelty of their, women, is equally owing to- education and cuftom. Similar inftances verify this, as in Lifbon, and other places,, where tender-hearted ladies are transformed by their bloody priefts,, into fo many Medeas, through deluded religious principles-, and fit and fee with the higheft joy, the martyrs of God, drawn along in dia* bolical triumph to the fiery, flake, and fuffcring death with lingering tor-- tures.

I cannot forbear giving another inftance or two here of the conftaney, vifible unconcern, and prefence of mind, of the Indians, at the approach of death, in its moft alarming drefs and terrors,.

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