be restored to the blessings of their fathers. It would seem, indeed, more likely that they are to be discovered in the central parts of Asia, than in the wilds of America, yet, when we consider that they have been hated and abused in all countries, that their national attachments and their religion would strongly incline them to continue distinct from every other people, and it being an unquestionable fact, that this continent was settled, in part at least, from the east of Asia, it seems no improbable opinion, that the aborigines of this country are of the tribes of Jacob. The abusive manner in which the American natives have been treated, by all European nations, looks like a fulfilment of the prophecies of Moses, respecting their sufferings in distant times.* But the outcasts of Israel are yet to be gathered from 'the utmost parts of heaven, and to be multiplied above their fathers.

This view of the American natives would be more effectually calculated, than any other consideration, to secure them good treatment from all christian people, and to animate the exertions to restore the blessing of salvation to the heirs of the promises.

The following extracts from the work of Dr. Boudinot give some interesting facts respecting the religion of certain tribes of the American Indians.

"Our wandering tribes of Indians have, in a most surprising manner, bordering on something rather supernatural, preserved so many essential parts of their original plan of divine worship, and so many of their primitive doctrines, although they have at present almost wholly forgotten their meaning and their end, as to leave little doubt of their great source.

"They are far from being idolaters, although many good men, from want of a knowledge of their language, and often having communion with the most worthless part of them, without making any allowance for their local situation and circumstances, have given terrific accounts of these children of nature.

"Their religious ceremonies are more after the Mosaic institution, than of pagan imitation. Adair assures us, that from the experience of forty years, he can say, that none of the various nations from Hudson's bay to the Mississippi, have ever been known by our trading people, to attempt the formation of any image of the great spirit whom they devoutly worship.They never pretend to divine from any thing but their dreams, which seems to proceed from a tradition, that their ancestors received knowledge of future events from heaven by dreamsvide Job xxxiii. 14. &c.

"The Indians also, agreeably to the theocracy of Israel,

*See the 28th and 29th chapters of Deuteronomy,

think the great spirit to be the immediate head of their state, and that God chose them out of all the rest of mankind, as his peculiar and beloved people.

"Mr. Locke, one of the ablest men Great-Britain ever produced, observes, "that the commonwealth of the Jews, differed from all others, being an absolute theocracy. The laws established there, concerning the worship of the one invisible deity, were the civil laws of that people, and a part of their political government, in which God himself was the legislator.

"In this, the Indians profess the same thing precisely. This is the exact form of their government, which seems unaccountable, were it not derived from the same original source, and is the only reason that can be assigned for so extraordinary a fact.

"The Indians have among them orders of men answering to the prophets and priests of Israel. A sachem of the Mingo tribe, being observed to look at the great comet which appeared the first day of October, one thousand six hundred and eighty, was asked, what he thought was the meaning of that prodigious appearance? answered gravely, "It signifies that we Indians shall melt away, and this country be inhabited by another pecple."

"Mr. Beatty gives much the same account of their prophets among the Delaware nations or tribes, above forty-five years ago. They consult the prophets upon any extraordinary occasion-as in great or uncommon sickness, or mortality, &c This, he says, seems to be in imitation of the Jews of old, inquiring of their prophets. Ishtoo Hoolo is the name of all their great beloved men, and the pontifical office descends by inheritance to the eldest.

"Their Feast of First Fruits and Passover.-Mr. Penn, who found them perfectly in a state of nature, and wholly a stranger to their manners and characters, and who could not have had any knowledge of them but from what he saw and heard for some months he remained with them, on his first visit to their country, informs his friends in England, in one of his first letters, in 1683," that he considered these poor people as under a dark night in things relating to religion; yet that they believed in a God, and immortality, without the help of metaphysics, for they informed him that there was a great king who made them, who dwelled in a glorious country to the southward of them; and that the souls of the good will go thither, where they shall live again. Their worship consists of two partssacrifice and cantico. The first is with their first fruits. The first and fattest buck they kill goeth to the fire, where he is all burnt with a doleful ditty of him who performs the ceremony,

but with such marvellous fervency and labour of body, that he will even sweat to a foam.

The other part is their cantico, performed by round dances --sometimes words-sometimes songs-then shouts--two are in the middle, who begin, and by singing and drumming on a board, direct the chorus. This is done with equal earnestness and labour, but with great appearance of joy. In the fall when the corn cometh in, they begin to feast one another. There have been two great festivals already, to which all come, who will. Mr. Penn was at one himself." Their entertainment was at a great seat by a spring, under some shady trees. It consisted of twenty bucks, with hot cakes made of new corn, with both wheat and beans, which they make up in a square form, in the leaves of the corn, and then bake them in the ashes-they then fall to dancing: But all who go to this feast must take a small present in their money, it might be but six pence, which is made of the bone of a fish. The black is with them as gold, and the white as silver-they call it wampum.' Afterwards speaking of their agreement in rites with the Hebrews, he says that "they reckon by moons--they offer their first fruits-they have a kind of Feast of Tabernacles-they are said to lay their altars upon twelve stones-they mourn a year--they have a separation of women; with many other things that do not now occur."

From Mr. Adair, the following account, or rather abstract, of his account of the feast and fast of what may be called their Passover, and Feast of First Fruits, is made.

"On the day appointed (which was among the Jews, generally in the spring, answering to our March and April, when their barley was ripe, being the first month of their ecclesiastical, and the seventh of their civil year, and among the Indians, as soon as their first spring produce comes in) while the sanctified new fruits are dressing, six old beloved women come to their temple, or sacred wigwam of worship, and dance the beloved dance with joyful hearts. They observe a solemn procession as they enter the holy ground, or beloved square, carrying in one hand a bundle of small branches of various green trees; when they are joined by the same number of beloved old men, who carry a cane in one hand, adorned with white feathers, having green boughs in the other hand. Their heads are dressed with white plumes, and the women in their finest clothes and anointed with bear's grease or oil, having also small tortoise shells and white pebbles fastened to a piece of white dressed deer skin, which is tied to each of their legs. The eldest of the beloved men, leads the sacred dance at the head of the innermost row, which of

course is next the holy fire. He begins the dance, after once going round the holy fire, in solemn and religious silence. He then in the next circle, invokes yah, after their usual manner, on a bass key and with a short accent. In another circle, he sings ho, ho, which is repeated by all the religious procession, till they finish that circle. Then in another round, they repeat he, he, in like manner, in regular notes, and keeping time in the dance. Another circle is continued in like manner, with repeating the word wah, wah, (making in the whole, the divine and holy name of yah, ho, he, wah.*) A little after this is finished, which takes considerable time, they begin again, going fresh rounds, singing hal-hal-le-le-lu-lu-yah-yah, in like manner; and frequently the whole train strike up hallelu, hallelu, halleluyah, halleluyah, with great earnestness, fervour and joy, while each strikes the ground with right and left feet alternately, very quick, but well timed. Then a kind of hollow sounding drum, joins the sacred choir, which excites the old female singers to chant forth their grateful hymns and praises to the divine spirit, and to redouble their quick, joyful steps, in imitation of the leader of the beloved men, at their head.

"This appears very similar to the dances of the Hebrews, and may we not reasonably suppose, that they formerly understood the psalms and divine hymns, at least those which begin or end with hallelujah; otherwise how comes it to pass, that all the inhabitants of the extensive regions of North and South America, have and retain these very expressive Hebrew words, and repeat them so distinctly, applying them after the manner of the Hebrews, in their religious acclammations.

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Among the Indians on the northwest side of the Ohio, the Feast of the First Fruits is thus described by the Rev. Dr. Charles Beatty, who was an eye witness of the ceremony: Before they make use of any of the first or spring fruits of the ground, twelve of their old men meet, when a deer and some of the first fruits are provided. The deer is divided into twelve parts, according to the number of the men, and the corn beaten in a mortar and prepared for use by boiling or baking into cakes under the ashes, and of course unleavened. This also is divided into twelve parts. Then these men hold up the venison and first fruits, and pray with their faces to the east, acknowledging, as he supposed, the goodness and bounty of heaven towards them. It is then eaten; after which they freely enjoy the fruits of the earth.

On the evening of the same day, they have another public

Jehovah.

feast, besides that of the First Fruits, which looks somewhat like the Passover; when a great quantity of venison is provided, with other things, dressed in the usual way, and distributed to all the guests; of which they eat freely that evening; but that which is left, is thrown into the fire and burned, as none of it must remain till sun-rise on the next day, nor must a bone of the venison be broken."

The necessary limits of this compilation prevent the continuance of extracts from this very valuable work. It may be observed, generally, that a cloud of mystery has always hung over the character of the Aborigines of America. Unlike all other people, in many important features of character, they have excited the profoundest reflections of inquisitive minds, from the days of Columbus to the present time. The researches that have yet been made, concerning their origin, the period of their residence on this continent, their views of civil society, their religion; though many important facts have been brought to light, have been unsatisfactory. With regard to these leading enquiries, great obscurity and difficulties still remain. They are certainly a very interesting people. Less degraded than the Asiatics, more intelligent than the Africans, immoveably attached to the habits of their forefathers, they seem reserved in the providence of God for some rich display of his wisdom and grace in future times. We can say, with safety, Blessed are they that do them good.

SECTION IX.

OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

The deities of Otaheite are nearly as numerous as the persons of the inhabitants. Every family has its tee, or guardian spirit, whom they set up, and worship at the morai: but they have a great god or gods of a superior order denominated Fwhanow Po, born of night.

The general name of deity, in all its ramifications, is Eatooa, Three are held supreme; standing in a height of celestial dignity that no others can approach unto: and what is more extraordinary, the names are personal appellations.

1. Tane, te Medooa, the Father.

2. Oromattow, Tooa tee te Myde, God in the Son. 3. Taroa, Mannoo te Hooa, the Bird, the Spirit.

To these, the dii majores, they only address their prayers in