out in a state of misfortune and
restless discontent. For their religious ceremonies, a priesthood
existed, and those who composed this were devoted to it from their
childhood. The howling dervishes of Turkey and the pagan priests of
the South Sea Islands, may be compared with the pow-wows of the North
American Indians.

It is impossible to estimate the number of this aboriginal
population. Doubtless the popular impression is an exaggerated one.
It would be safe to say that, all told, there were never at any one
period, more than half a million of these people, occupying the
present territory of the United States from ocean to ocean. They were
widely scattered, so that there were great stretches of forest and
prairie lying between the different tribes.

There were many groups, distinct in their languages, which yet bore a
general resemblance to each other in construction, so that the
several tribes could at least easily learn to understand each other.
I think that the weight of authority is, that they belong to one
family of nations, and are derived from one stock, while they display
considerable diversities in language and customs.

The motive of the early settlers of New England, which took
precedence over all others--as they declared--was "_a desire to
advance the gospel in these remote parts of the world, even if they
should be but stepping-stones to those who were to follow them_."
Finding these barbarous tribes here, the Pilgrim Fathers bartered
with them for peaceable possession, which they did not always secure.
As civilization encroached upon barbarism, the colonists kept their
homes often only by the defences of war. But peace was in the hearts
and purposes of the early settlers.

As early as 1643, the Rev. John Eliot, who had been educated at the
University of Cambridge, England, and who had come to Boston,
Massachusetts, in 1630, wrote that he had "been through varieties of
intercourse with the Indians, and had many solemn discourses with all
sorts of nations of them." It was his theory that they were the
descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. He acquired their language.
It was an arduous undertaking, but he said "Prayer and pains through
faith in Christ Jesus will do anything."

In 1660, he had visited all the Indians in the Massachusetts and
Plymouth Colonies, and preached the gospel to them, and the first
Indian church was then formed.

In 1661, he had translated the New Testament into the Indi