第80章

DEARSIR——ByourpostprecedingthatwhichbroughtyourletterofMay21，IhadrecievedonefromMr。Malcolmonthesamesubjectwithyours，andbythereturnoftheposthadstatedtothePresidentmyrecollectionsofhim。Butbothofyourletterswereprobablytoolate；astheappointmenthadbeenalreadymade，ifwemaycreditthenewspapers。

YouaskifthereisanybookthatpretendstogiveanyaccountofthetraditionsoftheIndians，orhowonecanacquireanideaofthem?Somescantyaccountsoftheirtraditions，butfulleroftheircustomsandcharactersaregivenusbymostoftheearlytravellersamongthem。TheseyouknowwerechieflyFrench。Lafitau，amongthem，andAdairanEnglishman，havewrittenonthissubject；theformertwovolumes，thelatterone，allin4to[quarto]。ButunluckilyLafitauhadinhisheadapreconcievedtheoryonthemythology，manners，institutionsandgovernmentoftheantientnationsofEurope，Asia，andAfrica，andseemstohaveenteredonthoseofAmericaonlytofitthemintothesameframe，andtodrawfromthemaconfirmationofhisgeneraltheory。Hekeepsupaperpetualparallel，inallthosearticles，betweentheIndiansofAmerica，andtheantientsoftheotherquartersoftheglobe。Heselectsthereforeallthefacts，andadoptsallthefalsehoodswhichfavorhistheory，andverygravelyretailssuchabsurditiesaszealforatheorycouldaloneswallow。Hewasamanofmuchclassicalandscripturalreading，andhasrenderedhisbooknotunentertaining。HeresidedfiveyearsamongtheNorthernIndians，asaMissionary，butcollectshismattermuchmorefromthewritingsofothers，thanfromhisownobservation。

Adairtoohadhiskink。HebelievedalltheIndiansofAmericantobedescendedfromtheJews：thesamelaws，usages；ritesandceremonies，thesamesacrifices，priests，prophets，fastsandfestivals，almostthesamereligion，andthattheyallspokeHebrew。

ForalthohewritesparticularlyoftheSouthernIndiansonly，theCatawbas，Creeks，Cherokees，ChickasawsandChoctaws，withwhomalonehewaspersonallyacquainted，yethegeneraliseswhateverhefoundamongthem，andbringshimselftobelievethatthehundredlanguagesofAmerica，differingfundamentallyeveryonefromeveryother，asmuchasGreekfromGothic，haveyetallonecommonprototype。Hewasatrader，amanoflearning，aself-taughtHebraist，astrongreligionist，andofassoundamindasDonQuixotinwhateverdidnottouchhisreligiouschivalry。Hisbookcontainsagreatdealofrealinstructiononit’ssubject，onlyrequiringthereadertobeconstantlyonhisguardagainstthewonderfulobliquitiesofhistheory。

Thescopeofyourenquirywouldscarcely，Isuppose，takeinthethreefoliovolumesofLatinbyDeBry。Inthesefactandfablearemingledtogether，withoutregardtoanyfavoritesystem。Theyarelesssuspiciousthereforeintheircomplexion，moreoriginalandauthentic，thanthoseofLafitauandAdair。Thisisaworkofgreatcuriosity，extremelyrare，soasnevertobeboughtinEurope，butonthebreakingup，andsellingsomeantientlibrary。Ononeoftheseoccasionsabooksellerprocuredmeacopy，which，unlessyouhaveone，isprobablytheonlyoneinAmerica。

Youaskfurther，iftheIndianshaveanyorderofpriesthoodamongthem，liketheDruids，BardsorMinstrelsoftheCelticnations?Adairalone，determinedtoseewhathewishedtoseeineveryobject，metamorphosestheirConjurersintoanorderofpriests，anddescribestheirsorceriesasiftheywerethegreatreligiousceremoniesofthenation。Lafitaucallsthembytheirpropernames，Jongleurs，Devins，Sortileges；DeBrypraestigiatores，AdairhimselfsometimesMagi，Archimagi，cunningmen，Seers，rainmakers，andthemodernIndianinterpreters，callthemConjurersandWitches。Theyarepersonspretendingtohavecommunicationswiththedevilandotherevilspirits，toforetelfutureevents，bringdownrain，findstolengoods，raisethedead，destroysome，andhealothersbyenchantment，layspellsetc。AndAdair，withoutdepartingfromhisparalleloftheJewsandIndians，mighthavefoundtheircounterpart，muchmoreaptly，amongtheSoothsayers，sorcerersandwizardsoftheJews，theirJannesandJambres，theirSimonMagus，witchofEndor，andtheyoungdamselwhosesorceriesdisturbedPaulsomuch；insteadofplacingtheminalinewiththeirHigh-priest，theirChiefpriests，andtheirmagnificenthierarchygenerally。InthesolemnceremoniesoftheIndians，thepersonswhodirectorofficiate，aretheirchiefs，eldersandwarriors，incivilceremoniesorinthoseofwar；itistheHeadoftheCabin，intheirprivateorparticularfeastsorceremonies；andsometimestheMatrons，asintheirCornfeasts。And，evenhere，Adairmighthavekeptuphisparallel，withennoblinghisConjurers。FortheantientPatriarchs，theNoahs，theAbrahams，IsaacsandJacobs，and，evenaftertheconsecrationofAaron，theSamuelsandElijahs，andwemaysayfurthereveryoneforhimself，offeredsacrificesonthealtars。Thetruelineofdistinctionseemstobe，thatsolemnceremonies，whetherpublicorprivate，addressedtotheGreatSpirit，areconductedbytheworthiesofthenation，Men，orMatrons，whileConjurersareresortedtoonlyfortheinvocationofevilspirits。ThepresentstateoftheseveralIndiantribes，withoutanypublicorderofpriests，isproofsufficientthattheyneverhadsuchanorder。Theirsteadyhabitspermitnoinnovations，noteventhosewhichtheprogressofscienceofferstoincreasethecomforts，enlargetheunderstanding，andimprovethemoralityofmankind。Indeedsolittleideahavetheyofaregularorderofpriests，thattheymistakeoursfortheirConjurers，andcallthembythatname。

Somuchinanswertoyourenquiriesconcernin