: "been here." Crantz, defcribing the inhabitants of Iceland before they were corrupted by commerce with ftrangers, fays, that they lived under the fame roof with their cattle; that every thing was.common among them except their wives and children; and that they were fimple in, their manners, having no appetite but for what nature requires. In the reign of Edwin King of Northumberland, a child, as hiftorians report, might have travelled with a purfe of gold, without hazard of robbery in our days of luxury, want is fo intolerable, that even fear of death is not fufficient to deter us. All travellers agree, that the native Canadians are perfectly difinterested, abhorring deceit and lying. The Californians are fond of iron, and fharp inftruments; and yet are fo strictly honest, that carpenter-tools left open during night, were fafe. The favages of North America had no locks for their goods: they probably have learned from Europeans to be more circumfpect. Procopius bears testimony (a), that the Sclavi, like the Huns, were innocent people, free of malice. Plan Carpin, the Pope's am (a) Hifloria Gothica, lib. 3. baffador baffador to the Cham of Tartary, an no 1246, fays, that the Tartars are not addicted to thieving; and that they leave their goods open without a lock. Nicholas Damafcenus reports the fame of the Celta. The original inhabitants of the island Borneo, expelled by the Mahometans from the fea-coaft to the center of the country, are honeft, induftrious, and kindly to each other: they have fome notion of property, but not fuch as to render them covetous. Pagans in Siberia are numerous; and, tho' grofsly ignorant especially in matters of religion, they are a good moral people. It is rare to hear among them of perjury, thieving, fraud, or drunkenness; if we except those who live among the Ruffian Chriftians, with whofe vices they are tainted. Strahlenberg (a) bears teftimony to their honesty. Having employ'd a number of them in a long navigation, he flept in the fame boat with men whofe names he knew not, whofe language he understood not, and yet loft not a particle of his baggage. Being obliged to remain a fortnight among the Oftiacs, upon the river Oby, his baggage . (a) Defcription of Ruffia, Siberia, &c. lay lay open in a hut inhabited by a large family, and yet nothing was purloined. The following incident, which he also mentions, is remarkable. A Ruffian of Tobolski, in the course of a long journey, lodged one night in an Oftiac's hut, and the next day on the road miffed his purse with a hundred rubles. His landlord's fon, hunting at fome distance from the hut, found the purse, but left it there. By his father's order, he covered it with branches, to fecure it in cafe an owner fhould be found. After three months, the Ruffian returning, lodged with the fame Oftiac; and mentioning occafionally the lofs of his purse, the Oftiac, who at first did not recollect his face, cry'd out with joy, "Art thou the man who loft that purse? my fon fhall go and fhow thee " where it lies, that thou may'st take it 66 up with thine own hand." The Hottentots (a) have not the least notion of theft: tho' immoderately fond of tobacco and brandy, they are employ'd by the Dutch for tending warehouses full of these commodities. Here is an inftance of probity above temptation, even among favages (a) Kolben. 66 in the first stage of focial life. Some individuals are more liberally endued than others with virtuous principles: may it not be thought, that in that refpect nature has been more kind to the Hottentots than to many other tribes? Spaniards, settled on the fea-coast of Chili, carry on a commerce with neighbouring favages, for bridles, fpurs, knives, and other manufactures of iron; and in return receive oxen, horses, and even children for flaves. A Spaniard carries his goods there; and after obtaining liberty to dispose of them, he moves about, and delivers his goods, without the leaft referve, to every one who bargains with him. When all is fold, he intimates his departure; and every purchaser hurries with his goods to him; and it is not known that any one Indian ever broke his engagement. They give him a guard to carry him safe out of their territory, with all the flaves, horses, and cattle he has purchased. The favages of Brazil are faithful to their promises, and to the treaties they make with the Portuguese. Upon fome occafions, they may be accused of error and wrong judge ment, ment, but never of injuftice nor of duplicity. While the earth was thinly peopled, plenty of food, procured by hunting and fishing, promoted population; but as population leffens the ftock of animal food, a favage nation, encreafing in numbers, muft fpread wider and wider for more game. Thus tribes, at firft widely feparated from each other, approach gradually till they become neighbours. Hence a new scene with respect to morality. Differences about their hunting-fields, about their game, about perfonal injuries, multiply between neighbours; and every quarrel is blown into a flame, by the averfion men naturally have to strangers. Anger, hatred, and revenge, now find vent, which formerly lay latent without an object diffocial paffions prevail without control, becaufe among favages morality is no match for them; and cruelty becomes predominant in the human race. Ancient history accordingly is full of enormous cruelties; witnefs the incurfions of the northern barbarians into the Roman empire; and the incurfions of Genhizcan and Tamerlane into the fer |