Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/6

 DEDICATION.

tiora and as often wifhed me to devote my kifurc hours to the drawing tip an Indian fyftem. You can witnds, that what I now fend into the world, was compofed more from a regard to jour requeft, than a forward defire of my own, The profpect of jour pa- tiojiage tflfptred me to write > and it is no final! plea- fure and honour to me, that fuch competent judges of the (everal particulars now presented to public view> exprdfed thcmfelves with fb much approbation of the contents*

You well know the uprightnefs of my intentions as

to the information here given, and that truth hath been

my grand ftaadard. I may have erred in the application

the ritcu and cuftoms of the Indians to their origia

and defccnt and may have drawn fome conclufions^,

-/reding the given evidence but candor will excufe the language of integrity : and when the genuine prin- uplca, cuftoms, &c. of the Indians are known, it will be caficr afterwards for perfons of folid learning, and free from fecular cares, to trace their origin, clear >ij) the remaining difficulties, and produce a more perfect. hiftory.

Should my performance be in the Icaft degree inftru- toprpmotc an accurate inveftigation and knowledge

of.

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