Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/48

 36 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jew.

epiftle addrefled to the Hebrews, fpeaks of it as their general opinion, that " Angels are miniftring fpirits to the good and righteous on earth." And that it was the femiment of thofe Jews who embraced chriftianity, is evident from Afts xii. where an angel is faid to deliver Peter from his imprifonment, and when the maid reported that Peter flood at the gate knocking, his friends doubting, laid, " It is his angel." Women alfo are ordered to have their heads covered in religious affemblies, becaufe of the prefence of the angels, and to obferve filence, the modeft cuftom of the eaftern countries. The Indian fentiments and traditions are the fame. They believe the higher regions to be inhabited by good fpirits, whom they call Hottuk I/hpohoollo, and Nana JJhtohoollc^ " holy people," and " relations to the great, holy One." The Hottuk ookproofe, or Nana ookproofe, " accurfed people," or " accurfed beings," they fay, poflefs the dark regions of the weft ; the for mer attend, and favour the virtuous j and the latter, in like manner, accom pany and have power over the vicious : on which account, when any of their relations die, they immediately fire off feveral guns, by one, two, and three at a time, for fear of being plagued with the laft troublefome neighbours : all the adjacent towns alfo on the occafion, whoop and halloo at night ; for they reckon, this offenfive noife fends off the ghofts to their proper fixed place, till they return at fome certain time, to repofiefs their beloved tra<5l of land, and enjoy their terreftrial paradife. As they believe in God, fo they firmly believe that there is a clafs of higher beings than men, and a future ftate and exiftence..

There are not greater bigots in Europe;, nor perfons more fuperftitions, than the Indians, (efpecially the women) concerning the power of witches,, wizards, and evil .fpirits. It is the chief fubjefl of their idle winter night's chat : and both they, and feveral of our traders, report very incredible and {hocking ftories. They will affirm that they have feen, and diftindlly, mofi: furprizing apparitions, and heard horrid fhrieking noifes. They pretend, it was impofiible for all their fenfes to be deluded at the fame time ; efpecially at Okmulge, the old waftc town, belonging to the Mujkohge^ 150 miles S. W. of Augufta in Georgia, which the South-Carolinians deftroyed about the year 1715. They (trenuouQy aver, that when neceflity forces them to en camp there, they always hear, at the dawn of the morning, the ufual noife of Indians finging their joyful religious notes, and dancing, as if going down to the river to purify themfelves, and then returning to the old town- houfe : with a great deal more to the fame effecT:. Whenever I have been

there,,

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