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civility and good manners. "We have," fay they, as much curiofity as you, and when you come into our towns, we wish for opportunities of looking at you; but for this purpose we hide ourfelves behind bushes where you are to pafs, and never intrude ourselves into your company."

Their manner of entering one another's villages has likewife its rules. It is reckoned uncivil in -travelling ftrangers to enter a village abruptly, without giving notice of their approach. Therefore, as foon as they arrive within hearing, they ftop and hollow, remaining there till invited to enter. Two old men ufually come out to them, and lead them in. There is in every village a vacant dwelling, called the ftrangers' houfe. Here they are placed, while the old men go round from hut to hut, acquainting the inhabitants that strangers are arrived, who are probably hungry and weary; and every one fends them what he can fpare of victuals, and fkins to repofe on. When the ftrangers are refreshed, pipes and tobacco are brought; and then, but not before, converfation begins, with enquiries who they are, whither bound, what news, &c. and it ufually ends with offers of fervice;dif the ftrangers have occafion of guides, or any neceffaries for continuing their journey; and nothing is exacted for the entertainment.ab

The fame hofpitality, efteemed among them as a principal virtue, is practifed by private perfons; of which Conrad Weifer, our interpreter, gave me the following inftance. He had been naturalized among the Six Nations, and fpoke well the Mohock language. In going through the Indian country, to carry a mellage from our governor to the council at Onondaga, he called, at the habita

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tion of Canaffètego, an old acquaintance, who embraced him,fpread furs for him to fit on, placed before him fome boiled beans and venifon, and mixed fome rum and water for his drink. When he was well refreshed, and had lit his pipe, Canaffetego began to converfe with him, afked how he had fared the many years fince they had feen each other, whence he then came, what occafioned the journey, &c. Conrad answered all his questions; and when the difcourfe began to flag, the Indian, to continue it, faid, "Conrad, you have lived long among the white people, and know fomething of their customs; I have been fometimes at Albany, and have obferved, that once in feven days they shut up their shops, and affemble all in the great houfe; tell me what that is for! What do they do there?" "They meet there," fays Conrad, to hear and learn good things." "I do not doubt," fays the Indian," that they tell you fo; they have told me the fame: but I doubt the truth of what they fay, and I will tell you my reafons. I went lately to Albany, to fell my fkins, and buy blankets, knives, powder, rum, &c. You know I ufed generally to deal with Hans Hanfon; but I was a little inclined this time to try fome other merchants. However, I called firft upon Hans, and asked him what he would give for beaver. He faid he could not give more than four fhillings a pound; but, fays he, I cannot talk on bufinefs now; this is the day when we meet together to learn good things, and I am going to the meeting, So I thought to myfelf, fince I cannot do any bufinefs to-day, I may as well go to the meeting too, and I went with him. There ftood up a man in black, and began to talk to the people very angrily.

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I did not understand what he faid; but perceiving that he looked much at me, and at Hanfon, I imagined he was angry at feeing me there; fo I went out, fat down near the house, ftruck fire, and lit my pipe, waiting till the meeting should break up. I thought too that the man had mentioned fomething of beaver, and I fufpected it might be the fubject of their meeting. So when they came out I accofted my merchant. Well, Hans,' fays I, I hope you have agreed to give more than four 'fhillings a pound.'No' fays he, 'I cannot give fo much, I. cannot give more than three fhillings and fix-pence." Ithen fpoke to feveral other dealers, but they all fung the fame fong, three and fixpence, three and fix-pence. This made it clear.

to me that my fufpicion was right; and that whatever they pretended of meeting to learn good things, the purpose was to confult how to cheat Indians in the price of beaver. Confider but a little Conrad, and you muft be of my opinion. If they met for often to learn good things, they would certainly have learned fome before this time. But they are fillignorant. You know our practice. If a while man, in travelling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat hin as I do you; we dry him if he is wet, we warm him if he is cold, and give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst and hunger; and we fpread foft furs for him to reft and fleep on: we demand nothing in return*. But if 1 go into a white man's houfe at

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It is remarkable, that in all ages and countries, hofpitality has been allowed as the virtue of tho1, whom the civilized were pleafed to call Barbarians; the Greek ce lebrate the Sims for it. The Saracens p fed it eminently, and it is day the reigning virtue of the wild Arabs. St Paul too, in the tent of les voyand the wick on the illand of Melital fays. The barba eus propie di payet g Title Kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received in every one, heraufe of prefent win,, and because of the cold" This note is taken from a mail col Franklin', pipers, printed for Dilly,

Albany, and afk for victuals and drink, they fay, Where is your money? and if I have none, they fay, Get out, you Indian dog. You fee they have not yet learned thofe little good things that we need no meetings to be inftructed in, because our mothers taught them to us when we were children; and therefore it is impoffible their meetings fhould be, as they say, for any fuch purpose, or have any fuch effect; they are only to contrive the cheating of Indians in the price of beaver?',

TO M. DUBOURG,

Concerning the Diffentions between England and

,

America.

London, October 2, 1770.

SEE with pleasure that we think

pretty much alike on the fubjects of English America. We of the colonics, have never infifted that we ought to be exempt from contributing to the common expences neceffary to fupport the profperity of the empire. We only affert, that having parliaments of our own, and not having reprefentatives in that of Great Britain, our parliaments are the only judges of what we can and what we ought to contribute in this cafe; and that the English parliament has no right to take our money without our confent. In fact, the British empire is not a fingle ftate; it comprehends many; and though the parliament of Great Britain has arrogated to itself the power of taxing the colonies, it has no more right

to do fo, than it has to tax Hanover. We have the fame king, but not the fame legiflatures.

The difpute between the two countries has 'already coft England many millions fterling, which it has loft in its commerce, and America has in this refpect been a proportionable gainer. This commerce confifted principally of fuperfluities; objects of luxury and fathion, which we can well do with out; and the refolution we have formed of importing no more till our grievances are redreffed, has enabled many of our infant manufactures to take root; and it will not be eafy to make our people abandon them in future, even thould a connection more cordial than ever fucceed the prefent troubles. I have, indeed, no doubt that the parliament of England will finally abandon its prefent pretenfions, and leave to us the peaceable enjoyment of our rights and privileges.

B. FRANKLIN.

A Comparison of the Conduct of the ancient Jews, and of the ANTI FEDERALISTS in the United States of AMERICA.

A

ZEALOUS advocate for the proposed Federal Conftitution, in a certain public affembly, faid, that "the repugnance of a great part of man"kind to good government was fuch, that he be

lieved that if an angel from heaven was to bring "down a conftitution formed there for our ufe,

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