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t H E NbrmCaroltna Chronicle ; 6vy Favetfeville f . r ' . G azeite. ' NO. 26, of Vol. II. MONDAY, .J'ir 7 ,79Jl RTotal N. 7 I IS HISTORT CARVER'S TRAVELS. v I (Continued.) lining indifference, however, idoes not proceed from anentirefup ncilon of.' the natural' afFeclions ; for r,n:withftanding they are efteemed fava gss, I never faw among any other pea pie greater proofs of parental or filial leitrnef ; ond although they meet theirtwive after a long abfence with the ftoical, indifference julk mentioned, they i:c.nct in general void of conjugal affec- Another peculiarity is obfervable in their manner of paying their vifits. :If an .Ipdian goes to vifit a particular per- ( inn in a family, he mentions to whom his .vifit is intended, and the reft of the ! company immediately ! retiring to the 1 ether end of the hut or tent, are- careful ! tot to interrupt them during the whole :f trie conversation: The fame method Ik putfaed. if & man goes to pay his ref jefrs to one of the other fex ; but then he null take care not to let love be the iub jevt jof hisdifcoaife wHilft the day -light remains. ?r'T''T' The Indians difcorer an amazing fa parity, and acquire with the grcareft readinefs anything that depends j upon, the attention of the mind. By experi ence and acute obfervation, they attain many pcifections to which Europeans are hrargers. For inftance, thpyl will crofs. a foreft or a plain, which k two hundred miles in breadth, and reach with great cxa&ncfs the point at which they intend td arrive, Ice-ping during the whole of that fpace in a direct line, without any xnateril deviations ; and this they will do Tvidi the fame eafe, whether the weather be fair or cloudy. With equal acutenefs they will point to that part of the heavens the fun is in,, ihcJugh it be intercepted by clouds or fogs, Befides this, they are able to pur fue with incredible facility the traces of man or bead, either on leaves or grafs ; and on thisaccontit is with great ditfi ijuitv a flying enemy clcapcs diicc.very. They arc indebted for thefe talents not only to nature, but to an extraordi nary command of the intelle&ual facul ties, which can only ' be acquired by an unremitted antantion, and by long ex perience. They are in general very happy in a retentive memory; they cm recapi.u late every particular that has been treated of in council, and remember the eract time whrn chef were held Th-ir b?lts of wampum puferve the fub'taace oi :he treaties jhey ha-e-concluded' with the neighbouring tribes for ages back, to which they will appeal, and refer with as much perfpicuity aid readinefs as Eu ropeons can to their wikten records. Every nation pays great rei'peft to old age. The advice of a father will feldom mee-e with an extraordinary attention from the young Indians, probably they receive it nly with a bare alfent ; but they will tremble before a grandfather, andfubmit to his injunctions with the ut moft alacrity. The words of the ancient part of the community are ' efteemed by the young as oracles. If they take during their hunting parties any game that is reck med by them uacommonly delicio'is, it is im Tie. '.lately prefented to the olJe.t of ih:ir relations. Tney n-ver f uiF r themfetves to be overburdened with care, but live in a Rate '-..of .perfect trrjij.iili:y and contentment. Being na-ir-ally indolent, if provifiort juft fuiticiirr. f3r their fubiiftence can be j procured with little trouble, and near at: hand, they will not go far, nor take any I extraordinary pains for it, though by fo jd-. in- they mi h- obtain greater plenty f and f a more ellimable kind. Having much leifure time, they indulge this indolence to which they are fa prone, by eating, drinking, i or jleeping,. and rambling about in their towns or camps Rue when uecedity obliges them to take j the field,veither to oppose ah-enemy, or to procure themfrlves food, they ( are alert andUndefarijjable. Many Faftan- res ct tneir actmrv on i:i;ic ucta fions will be given when I treat of their wars. ' The infatuating fpirit of gaming is not confined to Eurppi ; the Indiaas alfo feel the bewitching inipulfe, and'ofteii loie their arms, their apai el. and every thing they are poiFctfed of. in this cafe, how ever, they do nit follow the example of more rerined j gamefters, lor they neither murmur ne-r repine ; notafretiul word efcapes. them, out they bear the frowns of fortude with a philolopnic compofure- The greatcft blimifh in their characler "is that lavage jdifpofition which impels them to treat their' enemies with a feve lity every btheij natron Ikudders at. But it they are thus barbarous to thofe with whom they are at;War, they are frendly, hofpitable and1 humane, to thofe wiih whom they are) ad J peace. It may with truth be. kid pf them, that they are the word enemies,! and the beft friends cf any people in the 1'he ladians : in to the paffions f whole world. general are (tranters jealoufy, and brand a man with folly) that is diltruftful dt his wife. Amongjfbme bands the veryt idea is not known, as jthe moft abandoned t;f the yoang men very rarely atfem-st the , virtue of married women, r.or do ithefe put themfelves inj the way oi folicita'ion. Ye the Indian jwpmen are of an antn .ur- ous temperature in general, and beto:e they are married are- not the lefV ef teemed for the indulgence cf their paffions- ! WhilftTwas among the NaudovtfiTes Tobferved that they paid uncommon uf pect to one of) their, women, and fbui.d on enquiry that fre was entitled to it c-n account of a trarsfaiftrtm that in Europe would have rend)ered.her jnfan;ous- They told ire that v.herr Hie was a young voma', fpr at the time T law her flie was far advanced in life, fhe had given what they had termed a lice feaft. Ac cording to an antiefit, but almoin obfolete. cuft&m, (which,; a Hrimlet fays v ould have been more IhonouTed in the breach than the obfervahce)lhe invited forty of the piiRcipal warriors to her tent, where having featted tl)em with rice and e:i- fop,' (he hv4turris regaled each of tlin vmh a private Ndderrtehind acrtn,
North-Carolina Chronicle; or Fayetteville Gazette (Fayetteville, N.C.)
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March 7, 1791, edition 1
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