I have seen many of the Indians in Canada, when in high dress, clothed in the finest English cloth, of which they are, I am told, excellent judges;certainly, however, in the way they wear it, the indian blanket, one made thick for the purpose, with a broad blue border, makes a more convenient and more becoming robe.The almost irresistable passion which these people have, for whatever they perceive esteemed precious by others, must have struck every one having had any intercourse with them; perhaps the following anecdote may be worth relating, as in some degree illustrative of it.Iwas once voyaging with a friend in a small canoe, when we chanced to keep company for two or three days with some Indians in another, one of whom a severe intermittant had reduced to a mere skeleton.One forenoon when we stopped for a little, they requested us to come close to them, and open a case we had, to let the sick man examine it.Having done as they desired, the invalid seemed sadly disappointed."I thought," he said, "when I saw it at a distance yesterday, that the inside was silver, and it seemed to me it would do me good to look at it, but it is only tin." The expression of his countenance and voice showed that he fancied the sight of so much silver, would have acted like a cordial, and so I dare say it would.It is to be observed that it is not the custom of Indians to make requests having an air of impertinence of strangers, or to express disappointment.
NOTE J.
A gentleman of my acquaintance, who had been long among the Indians, and ranked among them as a brother warrior, once travelled a great distance in the far interior to visit a chief.His friend received him in the spirit of hospitality natural to the red man.In proof of it, he declared he would feast him, as he had seen white men feasting their friends, -- for he too had been a traveller.Accordingly, his "womankind" not being adequate to the task, he set about cooking and serving dinner himself, and, considering all things, succeeded wonderfully.As imitators, however, will often copy rather defects than merits, so the relish of the repast would have been somewhat improved, by his memory having been a little less tenacious of a few, of what doubtless seemed to him the strange ceremonies of the white men.For example; he had seen at the houses of some of his white friends, their young men employed rubbing the dishes, off of which the guests ate, with a small square piece of cloth.Now, the only piece of cloth, like this, which he happened to have, formed an article of dress in use among the Indians, but unknown, and undescribable by modern Europeans, It seems, notwithstanding, to have been in use among their ancestors, being, if Imistake not, that very garment, of which Ulysses threatened to strip the unhappy Thersytes, the day he made him feel that he did not bear the sceptre in vain.
µ.
To divest himself of it, was no doubt an inconvenience, but this was not to be reckoned in the service of a guest.Accordingly, hanging it over his arm, he rubbed his visitor's platter with it very carefully, at every change.My friend had nothing for it but to honor the care of his host by eating gravely and abundantly.Had he done otherwise, the chief, who was himself the most polite of men, would have regarded it as an unpardonable grossiereté.
Note K.
Perhaps it may be said, that the strictness of the inductive method can only apply to the sciences treating of mere matter and its affections.
This were to declare the same thing to be, and not to be, a science of experiment, and is besides in opposition to the authority of the founder of the inductive philosophy.
"Etiam dubitabit quispiam petius quam objiciet; utrum nos de naturali tantum philosophia, an etiam de scientiis reliquis, logicis, ethicis, polidcis, secundum viam nostram perficiendis loquarnur.At nos certe de universis haec, qum dicta sunt, intelligimus: Atque quernadmodum vulgaris logica, qum regit res per syllogismum, non tantum ad Naturales, sed ad omnes scientias pertinet; ita et nostra, quae procedit per inductionera , omnia complectitur.
Tam enim historiam et tabulas inveniendi conficimus de ira , metu , et verecundia , et similibus: at etiam de exemplis rerum civillum;nec minus de motibus mentalibus memoriae , compositionis et divisionis , judicii , et reliquorum; quam de calido et frigido , aut luce , aut vegetatione , aut similibus." Nov.Org.Lib.I.c.cxxvii.
ERRATA.
Page 30, line 26 from top, for "members ' read numbers.
" 33, " 9 " for "more" read from.
" 111, " 98 " for "C" read c.
" 164, " 8 " for "divided" read directed.
" 369, " 11 " for "content" read constant.
" 354, " 3 " for"rapidity" read security.
In pages 349, 350, only part of Mr.Storch's opinions on the subject of Ireland are quoted.There ought to be asterisks to mark the omissions.
