To facilitate the purfuit of an enemy who appeared to fly, a large body of pealants was employed to open a paffage through the woods, which the Irish had by every means endeavoured to render impaffable. As the King's army marched through all the difficulties of an encumbered road, perpetually impeded, and fometimes plunged into deep and dangerous moraffes, the enemy frequently affailed them with loud and barbarous ululations; caft their darts with foch force as no armour could with ftand, flaughtered their detached parties, retired, and advanced with aftonishing agility, fo as continually to annoy and harafs the English forces, though they could not be brought to a general engagement. Some of the Irish lords, lefs penetrating than their fubtile chieftain, and among thofe his uncle, were indeed terrified by the numbers of the King's forces, and with all the marks of humiliation fubmitted to Richard. They appeared before him with halters round their necks, fell at his feet, imploring peace and forgiveness, and were graciously received. Art. Mac Murchard was fummoned to make the like fubmiffions; and, to prevail upon him to accept of grace, and return to his allegiance, Richard was weak enough to promife large rewards, territories, and castles in Leinster. The Irishman, who well knew the difficulties to which the King's army was reduced, and the impoffibility of their fubfifting for any time in their prefent fituation, returned a haughty anfwer of defiance, and declared his refolution of oppofing the King of England to the utmost. Richard had the mortification to find that the diftrefs · of his foldiery, which had encou raged the adverfary to this infolence, could no longer be concealed, and every day grew more intolerable. Numbers of his men perifhed by famine; their horfes, from want and feverity, grew incapable of fervice; a general gloom fpread through his camp, and his bravest knights murmured at their fate, who were to perifi in a fervice attended with fo little honour, and fuch fevere diftrefs. A few fhips laden with provifions from Dublin having landed on a neighbouring coaft, the famished fol. diers plunged into the fea, feized and rifled them, fhedding each other's blood in a furious conteft for relief. The neceffity of decamping was too apparent, and too urgent to admit of the least delay. Richard, with his numerous forces, was compelled to retire before an inconfiderable band of ene mies whom he had defpifed, who purfued and inceffantly harraffed him in his retreat. Mac-Murchard, however, amidst all the exultation of a purfuing enemy, was not fo blinded by his prefent fuccefs, but that he dif cerned and confidered the real extent of his power. Senfible of the King's fuperiority, and that his prefent difficulties maft determine with his arrival at the capital, which, though he might retard by his incurfions, he could not prevent, he embraced the prefent mo ment to attempt an accommodation upon advantageous terms; and by meffage to the King defired a fafeconduct, that he might repair fecurely to his camp to offer his propofitions of peace; or elfe, that fome lords might be deputed to confer with him. By advice of the the council, Gloucester was commiffioned to meet him at a place appointed; and for this purpose marched out with a guard of two hundred launces, and one thousand archers. An eye-witness of their interview, defcribes the Irish chieftain tall of ftature, and formed for agility and strength, of an afpect fierce and fevere, mounted on a fwift and ftately horfe, without faddle, and darting rapidly from a mountain between two woods adjacent to the fea, attended by his train. At his command they halted at due diftance, while their leader, cafting the fpear from him, which he grafped in his right hand, rufhed forward to meet the English Lord. The parley was continued for a confiderable time. The Irish prince was reminded of his late engagements, his grievous infractions, his attack of the King's vicegerent, and the flaughter both of him and his forces. He proudly answered, by defending his conduct upon fuch pretences as he could devife; and, after much debate, at laft confented to fubmit, but abfolutely refufed to be bound to any special compofition or conditions. As fuch an over. ture was not admiffible, the conference was broken off; and Gloucester returned to the King, with the provoking intelligence of the refult of this interview, and the infolence of Mac-Murchard. The pride of Richard was fo feverely wounded, that he paffionately vow. ed never to depart from Ireland until he had poffeffed himself of this rebel alive or dead. Received November 12, 1772. Extracts of fome Letters from Sir William Johnson, Bart. to Ar [Read, Jan. 28, 1773-1 N all enquiries of this fort we should distinguish between the more remote tribes, and those Indians, who, from their having been next to our fettlements for several years, and relying folely on oral tradition for the fupport of their ancient ufages, have loft great part of them, and have blended fome with our customs, so as to render it extremely difficult, if not impoffible, to trace their customs to their origin. This The Indians did certainly live under more order and government formerly, than at prefent. may feem odd, but it is true; for their intercourfe being with the lower clafs of our traders, they learn little from us but our vices; and their long wars, together with the immoderate ufe of fpirituous liquors, have fo reduced them, as to render that order, which was first inftituted among them, unneceffary and impracticable. They do not at prefent ufe hier. oglyphics; their figures being. drawn to the utmost of their skill, to reprefent the thing intended. For instance, when they go to war, they paint fome trees with the figures of warriors, often the exact number of the party; and if they go by water, they delineate a ca. noe. When they gain a vidory, they mark the handle of their tomahawks with human figures, to fignify prifoners; and draw the bodies without heads, to expreis the fcalps they have taken. The G 3 figure 1773 , 1773 figures which they affix to deeds, have led fome to imagine, that they had alphabetical characters or cyphers. The fact is this: Every nation is divided into tribes, of which fome have three, as the turtle, bear and wolf; to which fome add the fnake, deer, &c. Each tribe forms a little community within the nation; and as the nation has its peculiar fymbol, fo has each tribe the particular badge from which it is denominated: and a Sachem of each tribe being a neceflary party to a fair conveyance, fuch Sachein affixes the mark of his tribe thereto, like the public feal of a corporation. With refpect to the deed of 1726, of which you fent me the fignatures, the tranfac. tion was in fome measure of a partial nature. All the nations of the confederacy did not fubicribe it; and thofe chiefs who did, neglected to pay due regard to their proper fymbols; but figned agreeably to fancy, of which I have feen other inftances. The manner I have mentioned is the most authentic, and conformable to their original practice. As to the information, which you obferve, I formerly tranfmitted to the governor of New-York, concerning the belt and fifteen bloody fticks fent by the Miffagees, the like is very common; and they ufe these sticks, as well to express the alliance of caftles, as the number of individuals in a party. The fticks are generally about fix inches in length, very flender, and paint ed red if the fubje&t be war. Their belts are mostly black wampum, painted red when they denote war. They defcribe cafties sometimes upon them, by fquare figures of white wampum: and in alliances, human figures holding a chain, which s their emblem of friendship, and each figure reprefents a nation. An axe is alfo fometimes described, and always imports war: the taking it up, being a declaration of war; and the burying it, a token of peace. With respect to your questions concerning the chief magiftrate, or Sachem, and, how he acquires his authority, &c. I am to acquaint you, that there is, in every nation, a Sachem or chief, who appears to have fome authority over the reft, and it is greatest amongst the most diftant nations. But in most of thole bordering on our fettlements, his authority is fcarcely difcernible, he feldom affuming any power before his people. And indeed this humility is judged the best policy; for wanting coercive power, their commands would perhaps occasion aflaffination, which fometimes happens. 1 The Sachems of each tribe are ufually chofen in a public affembly of the chiefs and warriors, whenever a vacancy happens by death, or otherwife; they are generally chofen for their fenfe and bravery from among the oldest warriors, and approved of by all the tribe; on which they are faluted Sachems, There are, however, feveral ex. ceptions; for fome families have a kind of inheritance in the office, and are called to this ftation in their infancy. The chief Sachem, by fome called the king, is fo either by inheritance, or by a kind of tacit confent, the confequence of his fuperior abilities and influence. The duration of his authority depends much on his own wisdom, the number and confequence of his rela tions, and the frength of his parnicular tribe. But even in thofe cafes where it defcends, fhould the fucceffor appear unequal to the tafk, fome other Sachem is fure to poffefs himself of the power and the duties of the office. I thould have ob. ferved, that military fervices are the chief recommendations to this rank. And it appears pretty clearly, that heretofore the chief of a nation had, in fome fmall degree, the authority of a fovereign. This is now the fact among the most remote Indians. But as, fince the introduction of fire-arms, they no longer fight in close bodies, but every man is his own general, I am in. clined to think this has contributed to leffen the power of a chief. This chief of a whole nation has the cuftody of the belts of wampum, &c. which are as records of public tranf actions: he prompts the fpeakers at all treaties, and propofes affairs of confequence. The chief Sachems form the grand council; and those of each tribe often desberate apart on the affairs of their particular tribes. All their deliberations are conducted with extraordinary regularity and decorum. They never interrupt him who is speaking; nor ufe harsh language, whatever may be their thoughts. The chiefs affume moft authority in the field: but this must be done, even there, with great caution; as a head warrior thinks himself of most confequence in that place. The Indians believe in, and are much afraid of, witchcraft: thofe fufpected of it are therefore often punished with death. Several nations are equally fevere on those guilty of theft, (a crime indeed uncommon among them): but in cafes of murder, the relations are left to take what revenge they pleafe. In general, they are unwilling to inflict capital punishments, as thefe defeat their grand political object, which is, to increafe their numbers by all poffible means. On their hunts, as upon all other occafions, they are ftri&t obfervers of meum and tuum, and this from principle, holding theft in contempt; fo that they are rarely guilty of it, though tempted by articles of much value. Neither do the strong attempt to feize the prey of the weak; and I muft do them the juftice to fay, that, unless heat ed by liquor, or inflamed by revenge, their ideas of right and wrong, and their practices in confequence of them, would, if more known, do them much honour. It is true, that having been often deceived by us, in the purchase of lands, in trade, and other transactions, many of them begin now to act the fame part. But this reflects most on those who fet them the example. As to your remark on their apparent repugnance to civilization, I must obferve, that this is not owing to any vicioufnefs of their nature, or want of capacity; as they have a strong genius for arts, and uncommon patience. I believe they are put to the English schools too late, and fent back too foon to their people, whofe political maxim, Spartan-like, is to difcountenace all pursuits bat war, holding all other knowledge as unworthy the dignity of man, and tending to enervate and divert them from that warfare, on which they conceive their liberty and happiness depend. Thefe fentiments conftantly inftilled into the minds of youth, and G 4 illuftrated illuftrated by examples drawn from the contemptible ftate of the domefticated tribes, leave lafting im preffions; and can hardly be defeated by an ordinary school education. I wish my present leifure would allow me to give you as many fpecimens of their language as would fhew, that (though not very wordy) it is extremely emphatical; and their ftyle adorned with noble images, ftrong metaphors, and equal in allegory to any of the eaftern nations. The article is contained in the noun, by varying the termination; and the adjective is combined into one word. Thus of Echin, a man, and Gorana, great, is formed Echingowana, a great man. Cahyunghaw is a creek, Caghyhungha, a river, Caghyung aowana, a great river; Caghyungheeo, a fine river. Haga the inhabitants of any place, and Tierham the morning; fo, if they speak of eastern people, they fay, Tierbanf-aga, or people of the morning. Efo is expreffive of a great quantity, and Efogee is the fuperlative. The words Goronta and Golota, which you mention, are not of the fix nations, but a Southern language. It is curious to obferve, that they have various modes of fpeech and phrafes peculiar to each age and fex, which they ftrictly obferve. For inftance, a man fays, when he is hungry, Cadagcariar, which is expreffive both of his want and of the animal food he requires to fupply it; whilt a child fays, in the fame circumftances, Cautfore, that is, I require spoon-meat. There is fo remarkable a difference in the language of the fix nations from all others, as affords ground for enquiring into their diftinct origin. The nations north of the river St. Lawrence, those weft of the great lakes, with the few who inhabit the fea-coafts of New-England, and thofe again who live about the Ohio, notwithstanding the respective diftances between them, fpeak a language radically the fame, and can in general communicate their wants to one another; while the fix nations, who live in the midft of them, are incapable of conveying a fingle idea to their neighbours, nor can they pronounce a word of their language with correctness. The letters M and P, which occur frequently in the other languages, are not in theirs; nor can they pronounce them but with the utmost difficulty. There is indeed fome difference of dialect among the fix nations themfelves; but this is little more than what is found in all the European states. NATURAL |