(50)
qnxmity of electrical. ftuidr I , took my
Jta'iaa as Ur as pcffibls from any cover
ing;! chuling rarhtr to be expofed to the
pekiags of the ftorrri than to receive a fa
ta. Aroke. At this the In iims were much
fdrjjriziJ, anJ drew concluiions from
i: noc unfavourable to the opinion they
already entertained of my refolution,
Yet I acknowledge that I was never
m'irc affiled in my life; for nothing
fiercely could exceed the terrific fcene.
The peals of thunder were fo loud that,
theyjlhook the earth ; and the lightning
tl tihed along the ground in ftreams of
faipljur ; fo that the Indian chiefs them
fclres, although their courage ia war is
ufually iivincible, could not help trem
bling) at the horrid combuflion. Asfoon
as the ftorm was over, they flocked a
rouni me, and informed me that it was a
proof of the anger of the evil fpirits,
whom they were apprebenfive that they
had highly offended.
Wjhen we arrived at the great cave,
and the Indians had depofited the re
mains of their deceafed friends m the bu
rial place that (lands adjacentto it, they
held their great council, inta which I wai
admitted, and at the fame lime had the
t honour to be inftalled or'adopted a chief
cf their bands. On this occafion I made
the following fpeech, which I infert to
gve my readers a fpecimen of the lan
guage and manner in which it is necefla
tj to addrefsthe Indians, fo as to engage
their attention, arid to render the fpeak
er's expreffioris conformant to their ideas.
" My brothers, chiefs of the numerous
and powerful Naudfrweffies! I rejoice
that through my long abode with you, I
can now fpeak to you (though after an
imperfect mannei ) in your own tongxr
like one of yor ow children. I rejoice
alfothat I have had an opportunity fa
frequently to inform you of the glory and
power of the great king that reigns over
the Englifli and other nations ; who is
defcended from a very ancient race of fo
vercigns, as old as the earth anti waters,
whofe feet (land on two great IhJnds,
larger than any you have ever feci,
ami the ireateft wacers in the world ;
whofe head reaches to the fun, and whofe
arms encircle, the whole earth. The
number of whofe warriors are equal to
:!ic trcts in the vallies, the ftalks of rice
'. yonder marfhes, or the bWIes of grafs
n your great plains. Who has hun
!: eii. ofcanies of his own, of fuch amaz
: w4 hi r;-;i, that all tin waters in your
rur-rv vould not fitfice for one of them
t i i Vivu u : eu h of which have guns,
i .1 i'Tii.ili !'ke mine chch yo-.i fee before
v. ''!: f i magnitude, that a hun
c i . ' v ;:-'o ite.1 roung men would
with -liSi:'il:y be sole Li c.irry one.
MIS CELL ANT.
FOR THE GAZETTE.
Of -fa Jirfl peopling of Americ.
NUMBER III.
i
HAVING now fufficiently prepared
the reader's miad, 1 fliail with
great defference, and due fubmifllon, al
though tinder the impreffions of Elihu of
old, when he declared that " Great men
are not always wife, neither do the aged
underland judgment ; therefore' I now
fay as he formerly did, " hearken unto
me, I alfo will Ihew mine opinion".
Although we ' cannot afcertain with
any degree of exactnefs, the various ope
rations of nature, by which the prefent fi
gure of the earth was brought about, yet
we muft rieceflarily conclude, that it mud
have bcea an effect- refulting from an ex
treme deranged combination of elemen
tary canfes : this tremenduous ftruggle
of nature, would firft bring forth the inte
rior parts of continents, and extendedv
oceans : Iflands, ftraights and bays, &c ,
would be the product of her abated pangs.
Laftly, minor continents and remote
iflands would announce the approach of
peace unto the elementary world. How
long might have been ;this travail of na
ture, rational conjecture alone rauft de
termine: not only ages will be taken in,
but even yet her ftruggles are not eatire
ly over, j
The great continent, taking in all Afl
a, the contiguous parts of Europe, the
pacific and indian oceans are here firft
bom. Trje interior and fouthern parts
of Africa,; and weftern parts of Europe
the baltic and mediterranean fleas, with
their feveral dependencies, are her young
erchildreni America, with hernumerous
train of iflands, are younger ft ill, peihaps
by many: centuries. "Remote iflands,
which have been the fubje&s of recent dif
covery, are the product of the detached
remains of the grand, and primary de
rangement of the elements, which fre
quently iffaein earth-quakes, vulcanoes,
Sec. and whicn every fiicceeding age evi
dences to become mere and more lan-
.
guia
CaulVs and effects, are one cojt efpond
ing wHOi-f in all the unerring operati
ons of name: for where caufes are
mighty and progreffive, effects will follow
a the eftabiiflieddiHance, and in an order
eq ially uaeriing in i progreflire. The
fir it caufe creates the elements, the ele
ments, the! Jecondary caufe, gradually
brings forward and prepares the earth ;
the firft caiife brings forth the moft ne
criiarr furniture, fuch as the moft noble
cf ihi ar.i.nkl aad feathered creation, and
t . t ? Lt ''1 m .
lauiy. UI5 oeginning ui uic r-iuuiwi wria
as lord over all the reft. Here ends the
exertions f the firft caufe, as it regards
the firft plantation prepared by natur.,
and how the fphere of i'econdary caufes,
became infinitely extended, in the vepe
table, animal and rational world.' Thus
far I am fliielded by ouf infallible ftand
ard the writings of the moft eminent
of the inipired penmen. Thus far! we
have feenpart of the earth got into being,
arid the divine power difplayed in bring
ing forth the various parts ofj creation.
But whether its immediate exertions! be
came iiifpended as itrefpefls new ration
al, and. animal creation, as different and
remote parts of the earth were prepar
ed 2 this is the queftion which fets us
upon the very threfhold of all ; the diffi
culties which have hitherto baffled! the
conclufions of the inquifitive ' inquirer,
and to which I anfwer not.
The garden of Eden we find is the hap
py fpotj that is bleft with the origin f the
rational world, from v hich ftock, by fe
condary caufes, the earth as it would em
erge, ajid become prepared, fhould, whh
a correjTpohding progreflion, be fuinifncd
with inhabitants :: thus we find this pro
greffivei extenfion of this mighty firft
born continent, is anfwered by a corref
pohding increafe of inhabitants. This
fir ft exertion of a firft caufe in favour of
this firft part of the earth, conftitutes and
makes jap the whole of the Mofaic ac
count of the creation. That the infplrcd
oenman fhould have told us thai after
ages had paffed away, that new conti.
Heats and iflands wottld emerge, fevered
from the old bv an infinite ftretch cf the
T J -;
fea, and that it fhould be blefTed with in
habitants hi the fane manner in which
the pridr continent had ?1 fay, becaufe
he has not told us rhefe things (when,
verT nrobablv h rnew nntbinon nf it
J i" J & .
himfelf fhall we deny it, when the whole
ceconony of the natural and moral world
incontejlibly evinces it ? The primary
exertions of the infinite Architect, in this
firft ftage of the creation, will take in the
wnoie perioa contempiatea Dy tne inrai
lible penman ; and wheat he tells us that
by the children of Noah was the whole
earth overfpread, that is, that which had
tlien emerged, and to which his know
ledge extended. As this doclrinel may
alarm the clergy, and perhaps forae mi
nor philofophers, let us halt a moment
and reafon- upon the fubject, that the firft
may be jquieted and the latter convinced.
VVhoj among us fhall limit the Al
mighty jin the moft noble of his,miracu
Ious workI mean the creation of in
telligent beings ? when, for a fttff-'peck-ed
audi 1 nrateful people, He com
manded the iurring fea to ereel: liquid
walls for their flank guards ; and at tle