ed to communicate hers in return.
But her levity and love of play in a great measure defeated his efforts,
although every thing he did learn from her served to confirm what is here
advanced. It may be remarked, that when they attended at church with us
(which was a common practice) they always preserved profound silence and
decency, as if conscious that some religious ceremony on our side was
performing.

The question of, whether they believe in the immortality of the soul
will take up very little time to answer. They are universally fearful
of spirits.* They call a spirit 'mawn'. They often scruple to approach a
corpse, saying that the 'mawn' will seize them and that it fastens upon
them in the night when asleep.** When asked where their deceased friends
are they always point to the skies. To believe in after existence is to
confess the immortality of some part of being. To enquire whether they
assign a 'limited' period to such future state would be superfluous. This
is one of the subtleties of speculation which a savage may be supposed
not to have considered, without impeachment either of his sagacity or
happiness.

[* "It is remarkable," says Cicero, "that there is no nation, whether
barbarous or civilized, that does not believe in the existence of
spirits".]

[**As they often eat to satiety, even to produce sickness, may not this be
the effect of an overloaded stomach: the nightmare?]

Their manner of interring the dead has been amply described. It is certain
that instead of burying they sometimes burn the corpse; but the cause of
distinction we know not. A dead body, covered by a canoe, at whose side
a sword and shield were placed in state, was once discovered. All that we
could learn about this important personage was that he was a 'Gweeagal'
(one of the tribe of Gweea) and a celebrated warrior.

To appreciate their general powers of mind is difficult. Ignorance,
prejudice, the force of habit, continually interfere to prevent
dispassionate judgment. I have heard men so unreasonable as to exclaim at
the stupidity of these people for not comprehending what a small share
of reflection would have taught them they ought not to have expected. And
others again I have heard so sanguine in their admiration as to extol for
proofs of elevated genius what the commonest abilities were capable of
executing.

If they be considered as a nation whose general advancement and
acquisitions are to be weighed, they certainly