than the others, because they have more vowels, and supply the places of harsh letters by liquids.

Nature has made the savages all orators; but all are not equally so, as it was with Greece and Rome, some excel. Method is the great organ of their oratorical strength; by the means of this they accustom themselves so to arrange whatever speech or address they hear and expect to answer, with such nice accuracy and order, as to be able to repeat the whole the next day. When they speak, either by the way of address or reply, they articulate with surprising force and emphasis, as well as with great ease and propriety of gesture. The fierce countenance of the speaker, his flowing blanket, elevated tone of voice, his naked arm, and erect position, in the centre of a half circle of auditors, all seated on the ground, are all calculated to impress upon the mind strong ideas of that force of eloquence, by the power of which Demosthenes ruled Greece. Whenever the orator wishes to enforce any particular part of his speech or address, he makes a pause, and gives a belt of wampum, with some emphatic expression, as this, or this belt, keeps, or preserves my words, &c.

The religion of these Indians consists not in rites, or modes and forms of worship; but the great outlines of the moral law are written upon their hearts, and enforced upon their lives, by custom and habit. They believe in two supreme Deities, the one good, and the other evil; and they often invoke them according to time, place, and circumstances. They have clear notions that their God regards favourably all their virtues, and frowns upon their vices, and they attribute many, if not all their calamities to the influence of the evil Deity, and perhaps their notions of a special Overruling Providence are as clear and correct as those of the mass of civilized man. All their notions of God are material, and they suppose him to be concealed in some inaccessible mountain, swamp, &c. and

as such they often worship him, and some tribes of the natives sacrifice to him; but idolatry and sacrifice have not been discovered amongst the Five Nations. Strong and fierce as is the savage mind, it is susceptible of tender impressions, and like the human mind at large, delights most in that which pleases it best, and is most for its interest; but the savage has no negative passions, they are all positive, strong, and powerful; could he be led to believe that christianity would be most for his interest and happiness, he would become a zealous christian; and could he be once impressed with the influence of that Divine Spirit, whose inspiration is the christian's life and love, joy and hope, he would become an enthusiast, and his feelings and passions would glow with that warmth and strength, which they now express in those scenes where the dim light of nature guides. For man to change the savage heart, and habits, without the immediate agency of God, is more than man has a right to expect; but that man should offer himself as an instrument, and look to God for his blessing on the means, is what God has a right to expect, and what man cannot with impunity deny. The command is, "Go preach the Gospel to every creature; whether they will hear or whether they will forbear." "Freely ye have received, freely give." God has promised to his Son "the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession," and he will assuredly accomplish his promise. The following extract from a note in Smith's History of New-York, will confirm my remarks.

"All the Scotch missionaries are among the heathen, and their success has been sufficient to encourage any future attempts. There is a regular society of Indian converts in New-Jersey; and it is worthy of remark, that not one of them has apostatised into heathenism. Some of them have made such proficiencies in practical religion, as

ought to shame many of us, who boast the illuminating aids of our native christianity. Not one of these Indians has been concerned in those barbarous irruptions, which have lately deluged the frontiers of the southwestern provinces, with the blood of several hundred innocents, of every age At the commencement of these ravages, and sex. they flew into the settlements, and put themselves under the protection of the government. These Indians no sooner became christians, than they openly professed their loyalty to King George; and therefore to contribute to their conversion, was as truly politic, as nobly christian. Those colonies which have done most for this charitable design, have escaped best from the late distressing calamities. Of all the missionaries, Mr. David Brainerd, who recovered these Indians from the darkness of paganism, was most successful." [See the Life of Brainerd.]

The several expeditions from Canada against the Five Nations have been noticed, particularly the disgraceful enterprise of De la Barre and De Nonville. We will now pursue their history in connection with the history of NewYork.

CHAPTER XVI.

NEW-YORK CONTINUED.-RISE AND PROGRESS OF NEW-YORK, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE FRENCH WAR OF 1690, TO THE DEATH OF THE EARL OF BELOMONT, 1701.

In our history of New-England, in the first volume, we have had occasion to notice the particular influence, the wars in Europe produced upon the American colonies, and the intrigues the French were in the habit of practising amongst the Indians, to engage them in their service, for the purpose of ravaging the frontiers, and checking the growth and prosperity of the rising colonies. We have already witnessed the sufferings of New-England; we shall now have occasion to witness more particularly the influence of these wars upon the Colony of NewYork.

When De Nonville, Governor of Canada, returned to France, he carried out with him the disgrace of his arms against the Five Nations, and the distresses which he had brought upon Montreal, by the ravages of the Five Nations, to revenge the expeditions of De La Barre and De Nonville. These calamities, added to the loss of that powerful armada France had fitted out at the same time, to reduce the colonies of New-York and New-England to her dominion, gave not only relief, but strength and confidence to the American colonies; and defeat, disgrace and depression to France. To recover these misfortunes, France entered with zeal and spirit into the war with England, and at the same time sent out Count Frontenac, a man 68 years of age, full of experience, and exactly fitted to serve the best interest of the king his master, (then Lewis XIV.) De Nonville had taken out with him to France, several Indian warriors of the Five Nations,

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who were introduced at court, and taught to admire the splendour of that monarch, whose interest it had become to persuade them that he was the richest and most powerful monarch in the world. Full of the ideas of the riches, splendour, and power of the grand monarch, these warriors returned to Canada with the new governor, and were dispatched by him into their own country, to blaze abroad the mighty wonders they had seen, and assemble a grand council to make peace with the French. Count Frontenac had great confidence in this measure, and the Indians were true to their mission. A grand council was assembled at Onondaga, on the 22d day of January, 1690, consisting of eighty sachems, and the chief of the Onondagas opened the council with a speech that breathed nothing but the strongest disposition for peace with the French: this disposition, supported by the influence of a French Jesuit, gave such alarm to the English, that it became necessary to exert all their influence with their friends, amongst the Five Nations, to defeat the treaty. To give new force to the French influence in this council, Count Frontenac attempted to recover the disgrace that De Nonville had brought upon Canada, by giving some eclat to his arms, as well as to depress the English interest. To effect these objects he let loose the savages of Canada upon the defenceless frontiers of New-England, as has been noticed, and at the same time commenced an attack with another force of French and Indians upon Albany, and the northern parts of the Colony of New-York. This, like the grand armada, was a bold and extensive plan, and promised great success. The expedition against New-York, consisted of about 200 French, and a party of Caghnuaga Indians, who being proselytes from the Mohawks, were well acquainted with the country. Albany was the object of this expediton ; but the Indians turned aside and suprised Schenectady,