Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/168

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156 On the defcent of the American Indians f ram the

fettled between the Ooe-Afa and Koofah-towns> told us, that their people to the northward had devoted the Enghfh to death for the fpace of fix years ; but when that time was expired and not before, they would live in friend- fhip as formerly. If the Englifh had at that time executed their owa law againft them,, and demanded equal blood from die Cheerake, and ftopt all trade with, them before they dipt themfelves too deep in blood, they would foon have had a firm peace with, all the Indian nations. This is the only way of treating them now, for when they have not the fear of offending, they will fhed innocent blood, and proceed in the endl to lay all reftraint afide..

The late conduct of the Chikkafah war-council, in condemning two pre tended friends to death, who came with a view of medding blood ;. ihews. their knowledge of that equal law of divine appointment to the Jews, " he lhall be dealt with exactly as he intended, to do to his neighbour."

It ought to be remarked, that they are careful of their youtfi, and fail not to punilh them when they tranfgrefs. Anno 1766, I faw an old head man, called the Dog-King (from the nature of his office) correct, feveral young perfons fome for fuppofed faults, and others by way of prevention. He began with a lufty young fellow, who was charged with being more effeminate than became a warrior , and with acting contrary to their old religious rites and cuftoms, particularly, becaufe he lived nearer than any of the reft to an opulent and helplefs German, by whom they fuppofed- he might have been corrupted. He baftinadoed the young finner feverely, with a thick whip, about a fopt and a half long, compofed of plaited filk grafs, and the fibres of the button fnake-root ftalks, tapering, to the point, which was fecured with a knot. He reafoned with him, as he corrected him : he told him that he was Chehakfe Kaneba-He, literally, " you are as one who is wicked, and almoft loft *." The grey-hair'd corrector faid, he treated him in that manner according to ancient, cuftom, through, an efFecl: of love, to induce him to fhun vice, and to imitate, the virtues of

  • As Cbin-Kanebab fignifies. "you. have loft," and Cbe*Kanebah, "you are loft," it

feems to point at the method the Hebrews ufed in correding their criminals in Canaan, and' to imply a fimilarity of manners. The word they ufe to exprefs " forget fulnefs," looks the very fame way, IJh Al Kanehab, " you forger," meaning that IJh. and Canaan are forgotten, by Alt*

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