and how could they form a great state? They had neither farming nor
cattle and could not find food for a large population nor had they any
means of transportation. The weapons of the savages in North America are
bows and arrows, and they shoot with the teeth of wild animals. They
recognize some of the principles of natural law and observe them even
with their enemies. They scalp usually only the dead,--then they cut it
off with a sharp weapon and keep it as a sign of victory. Sometimes the
victim comes to life,--some such are in Pennsylvania, for scalping is
not necessarily mortal. They fight on foot, for they have no horses. The
savages living in western Pennsylvania were called by the French
Iroquois. The English call them the Five Nations or the Confederate
Indians,--they are united and were so long before the English settled.
The Mohawks first united with another nation and others joined later.
Now there are seven altogether so united. They have their regular stated
meetings and their great council considers the general good. The members
are known only by their different languages. They are called subjects of
the King, but they are not subject to British laws, and pay no taxes,
but the Colonists give them a tribute of presents. Their number does not
increase. Those living near the Europeans steadily diminish in numbers
and strength. Their two sexes are of a cold nature,--the mothers live
alone at and after the birth of children and during the years they
suckle them,--often (owing to the absence of soft food) until their
young can eat meat. Small pox and rum have played sad havoc among them.
The English settlements in North America have grown much more slowly
than those in the West Indies, where they came about 1640, and in twenty
years had flourishing Colonies, such as Barbadoes. In North America the
Colonists came sixty years before, but at the end of the 17th Century
were small in number and in exports. This is due to the rich production
of the Sugar Islands, the absence of Indians, and the contraband trade
with Spain. The North American Colonies have in the 18th Century greatly
increased in population and wealth, far beyond the West India Islands.
Franklin in a book published in 1751 showed that the native born
foreigners double every 25 years, in addition is the steady emigration,
and some Colonies thus double their population in 18, some in 16, and
some in 14 years. This will go on as long as there is plenty o
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