are meant to confirm. The brown or deep violet, called black by the Indians, always means fomething of fevere and doubtful import; but white is the colour of peace. Thus, if a string or belt of wampom is intended to confirm a warning against evil, or an earnest reproof, it is delivered in black. When a nation is called upon to go to war, or war declared against it, the belt is black, or marked with red, called by them the colour of blood, having in the middle the figure of an hatchet in white wampom. "The Indian women are very dextrous in weaving the strings of Wampom into belts, and marking them with different figures, perfectly agreeing with the different fubjects contained in the fpeech. Thefe figures are marked with white wampom upon the black, and with black upon the white belts. For example, in a belt of peare, they very dexterously represent in black wampom, two hands joined. The belt of peace is white, fathom long, and a hands breadth. To diftinguish one belt from another, each has its peculiar mark. No belt, except the war-belt, muft fhow any red colour. If they are obliged to use black wampom, for want of white, they daub it over with white clay; and, though the black may fhine through, its value and import is confidered as equal to white. These ftrings and belts of wampom are alfo documents, by which the Indians remember the chief articles of the treaties made, either between themselves, or with the white people. They refer to them, as to public record's, carefully preferving them in a cheft made for that purpose. At certain feasons they meet to ftudy their meaning, and to renew the ideas of which they were the emblem and confirmation. On fuch occafions they fit down around the cheft, take out one ftring or belt after the other, handing it about to every perfon prefent; and, that they may all comprehend its meaning, repeat the words pronounced on its delivery in their whole connexion. By thefe means they are enabled to remember the promises reciprocally made by the different parties. And, as it is their custom to admit even the young boys, who are related to the chiefs, to thefe affemblies, they become early acquainted with all the affairs of the ftate; and thus the contents of their documents are tranfmitted to pofterity, and cannot eafily be forgotten. "The following inftance may ferve to fhow how well this mode of communication anfwers the purpose of recalling fubjects to their memory a friend of mine, at Philadelphia, gave an Indian a ftring of wampom, adding, "I am your friend, and will ferve you to the utmost of my power." Forty years after the Indian returned the ftring, faying, "Brother, you gave me this ftring of wampom, faying, 1 am your friend, and will ferve you to the utmost of my power; I am now aged, infirm, and poor; do now as you promised." And he generoufly kept his word." Part I. Page 26. The reader will perceive that the tranflation is delivered in very good language, which feems to us to be uniformly maintained. The following inftance difplays, in a very pleasing manner, the irrefiftible effect of candour and confidence, even upon favages. The miffionary Rauch had been fo traduced to the Indians, that they were rendered fufpicious of him; he did not, however, relax his endeavours, trufting they would finally be crowned with fuccefs. In these confident hopes he was not difappointed. The Indians began to admire his perfeverance, courage, meek, and humble behaviour, and changed their minds. He frequently spent half a day in their cottages, ate and drank with them, and even lay down to fleep among them with the utmoft, compofare. This latter circumftance made a particular impreffion upon them, and efpecially upon Tichoop. Once, obferving the miffionary lying in his hut. fait afleep, he con- feffed that he was ftruck with the following thought; 66 this man ..cannot be a bad man; he fears no evil, not even from us who are fo favage, but fleeps comfortably, and places his life in our hands." Upon further confideration he was at length convinced that all the accounts fpread by the white people to his prejudice, proceeded merely from malice. He then endeavoured to convince his countrymen, and fucceeded fo well, that, in a fhort time, the former confidence and friendship between the Indians and the miffionary, was eftablished." Part II. Page 13. We find Count Zinzendorff in perfon among the Indians, in the year 1742, and meet with fome traits of his zeal and courage, in attempting to convert them. After making several regulations, and doing every thing in his power to pronote the ends of the miffion, he returned to Europe in 1743. In Auguft, 1760, the news of his death arrived in America, and was a fubject of great affliction to the miffionaries and "converted Indians. The general character of this hiftory. is confiderable minutenefs, feldom diftinguifhed by any ftriking events; but the impreffion conftantly made by it is admiration of the fincerity and fervent zeal of the brethren, both European and converted. They devote themfelves to death, ar d die, rejoicing in their fufferings with the fpirit of primitive chriftians: one remarkable inftance of which appears at Part II. p..166, and thofe that follow. The refult of their efforts is thus ftated at the clofe of the book. "The mission had now flood forty-five years. From a register of the congregation, dated in 1772, we learn, that from the beginning of the miffion to that year, feven hundred and twenty Indians had been added to the church of Chrift, by holy baptifm, moft of whom departed this life, rejoicing in God their Saviour. I would willingly add the number of thofe converted to the Lord fince that period; but, as the church-books, and other writings of the niffionaries were burnt, when they were taken prifoners on the Muskingum in 1781, I cannot fpeak with certainty. Suppofing even, that from 1772 to 1787,, the number of new converts were the fame, yet, con fidering the long ftanding of the miffion, and the great pains and fufferings of the miffionaries, the flock collected was very fmall. The reafon of this may be found partly in the peculiar character of the Indian nations, but chiefly in this, that the iniffionaries did not fo much eu deavour deavour to gather a large number of baptized hea ken, as to lead fouls to Chrift, who fhould truly believe in him. This fmall flock is, however, large enough to be a light of the Lord, fhining unto many heathen nations, for the eternal falvation of their immortal fouls." Part III. P. 226. Such is this hiftory, in which, if the fingularities of a peculiar fect occafionally appear, they are not fuch as are in any way reprehenfible, and are accompanied always by the fervour of a truly christian zeal. A picture well worthy to be confidered at a period like the present. ART. XIII. Effays, Tales, and Poems, by T. S. Norgate. 8vo. 247 PP. 4s. March, Norwich; Rivingtons, London. 1795. MUCH UCH liberal entertainment is exhibited in this volume, and if the reader fhall meet with no profound or fubtle difquifition, the refult of extenfive obfervation or great experience, he will certainly find abundance of ingenious remark, elegant writing, and warm imagination. The effay on emi❤gration feems to have been written under the impreffion, that it was likely to become more and more frequent, and the author's political prejudices have inclined him to regard it as in many inftances wife, in itself, and alike beneficial to the country and the individual. The truth is, that it is becoming lefs frequent; though if only reforted to by thofe who inveigh against our constitution, and think the burdens it impofes grievous and hard to be endured, we cannot help withing it were more fo. The fecond paper argues the probability of a future ftate of existence to animals and vegetables. Some parts of this are fanciful in the extreme, particularly where Mr. Norgate talks of the enjoyment of vegetalles, but there is much ingenuity throughout. The tales are lively, and well told, though the features of that called Eugenius will be found too nearly to resemble the adventure of Gil Blas in the cavern of the robbers. The cbfervations on the reign and character of Elizabeth fhow extenfive reading, and an accurate knowledge of the history of our country. Of the author's poetical abie lities, the following ode exhibits no contemptible fpecimen ; "ODE TO A SPIDER. "Tenant of the haunted tow'r! An humbler task be left to me→ "Say "Say-wilt thou weave thy trembling woof Or doft thou fear left fome nefarious elf Ah, no! I'll watch thee with a tender care, And drink the tear from Mis'ry's eye; "Then live with me-nor fhalt thou fear To fright thee with their midnight sport; I'll light my little fire to keep thee warm ; Often my lov'd Eliza too Shall come and afk you how you do ; Thus we'll fpin the hours along, Thou thy web, and I my fong." P. 217. * Has Mr. N. difcovered that fpiders can live without killing flies? ART. ART. XIV. The Cabinet. By a Society of Gentlemen. Vol. II. 8vo. 318 pp. 5s. March, Norwich; Jordan, London; 1795. OUR account of the first volume of this work may be seen in p. 389. Vol. V. of our Review. The writers have at least the virtue of consistency, and purfue without deviation, the plan they originally chalked out. This plan is distinguished by an unrelenting animofity against the prefent minifters; a partiality in favour of the French administration, which becomes puerile by its undifcriminating warmth of praife; and a leaning towards Democratic principles, very thinly difguifed beneath an affumed veil of candour and benevolence. Indeed, the prejudices of this publication are fo violent and fo ftrong, urged with fo much enthufiafm, and repeated with so much zeal, that we could not help being reminded of the country juftice, who defired to hear but one of the parties in a controverfy, leaft his faculties fhould be perplexed, and his judgment difturbed. A very large portion of this volume is occupied by a hiftory of the war; of which we may fay that it is not ill written, but in which so much is recorded of French, and so little of British gallantry; fuch encomiums are found on the French, and fuch cenfures on British meafures, that fome of our readers will be inclined to think it fabricated in the offices of Tallien, and fent here to be tranflated and difperfed. There are but few papers of a mifcellaneous kind; but of thefe it may be faid, without fcruple, that they are by many degrees the best. There is, however, fome exquifite poetry, from which we have great pleasure in making the following extracts. σε MARTILMASSE DAYE*. "We can tell what we have feene While the hedge fweete-breere was greene; Who did hide i' th' barley-mow, Waitinge for her love I trowe; Said to be taken from a MS. found in repairing the old Prince's Head in Norwich. Whofe |