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Show OF JUDAH STATE PRESENT THE have suffered so much, and se _.4ghink a people who long, by your means, would be entitied to your first anc mission- back the two send therefore We LCi ile was Here ries.” ) wh “mc , a . de ‘ i- F ( an tT ry ; of ag reasoning well worthy ees ; ORM %% ¢ | | am ee 4 Ds leo attention to religious rites, they have greatly a white +t pot tance witith the | teyt since theirsa oeacquain ernnar devenerated tutetamany having as He speaks of them feel 0 inin one believe . Sa Seay same time believe But% they afthe yy gods. inthe all others, conta allowing r ct l me God who ( governs supre ‘ ana influence ove : ble power sidera le ferior gods considerab et ps ee . e3 , es r= § g facts appear, ae various authors the followin to one God ; hold [ndians that the better informed ‘The bad. and as made, good and to spirits that he rest. the ali worse than bad have a leaderibesover them rs have com e to call ; opea Vv ae the tribes, 1t appears, ‘on buta tradition ch seem (whi onsite in Some of 4; spirits these subordinate ary notion of angels) gods; ‘tha yreat ban Oplrhile vet.)the = e e yet whil oe ‘This Creator, ’ and is overall. e x savages. Even among TTarg were is a most natural event among savages. C ITP “~ ’ rit is tne - eg a } ’ | © ‘ ain 3 i¢ : the ancient Hebrews, both angeis and Civ ‘ — like Li vods. dq lates Pq each lad at the age of 241i on several customs, W hich oe 5 * ir rhic POPE having a Hebrew origin. Ke th ‘i twelve en > ee years, Sas ear re ort Gfteen a mus for thirty aasiie nds carrying Him, :ough a! susi en to just able food, peedays; his frie or: fortyoe able , e just food alat j iatapie time, a kind of <a unpa myvathen 1 this s wi : mm he ite as {His 21 4 jah’ We recollect no such t life. into! y; logs? thoMee but the scriptures of israel ’ fast of forty These solemn days. i y yee > | ; yys | "WH 1, of . L, wT te! informs. observe oe an Indians, Mr. Hermane imniorm:d each Wa! fasts when going to. oe which has his religious symbol, An we respects 14] swers well to Israel’s ancient ark of the covenant; and essentially the same use is made of it, as of the ark in the other tribes of Indians described. It is a sack, con- or skins of some rare bird, or smaii animal. den the These contents the owner imagines possess-some kind of hid- scendants of Abraham, and even of Solomon! : ee a | egal My. Herman, in his residence in the western re t, giving. an accountLy in ofws the ee of our continen ins twtr : i oS ey Snail; informs that in point of numbers, 7 ISRAEL. taining a few aromatic plants, or rou’s, and the feathers we aries. with many thanks; promising that to freedom among you restored people among» oe blac see thethe black missiona your receive gladly and happiness, we will a AND aii- virtue,-which renders owner invulnerable, Major Long, speaking of the Gmawhaws, far up the Missouri, says, they believe in one God, “the Creator and preserver of all things, the fountain of mystic medi- cine ;—meaning, the healer of their evils. “This tribe of Chippeways, (Mr. Herman informs.) call their sacred sack, their ** medicine bag.”? The contents ap- pear to be essentially the same, and for the same end, with the contents of the sacred ark in other tribes — Mr. Hermzn when go- the symbol of the presence of the Great Spirit. Hence informs that the chief captain, ing to war, harrangues his warriors, and exhorts them to reflect on the long fast performed in their youth; and adds ; “ Moreover, young men, ii behoves you al] to take special care of your medicine bags; for their contents ought of all things to be most precious to you, especially during such an expedition as the one on which you now embark. Should the medicine bag of any one be placed on the ground, and any one inadvertently seat himself upon it, the first person who perceives him in that situation, ought instantly to spring up, and push the other flat on his back. This violent ? act will prevent any ill consequences from the unintended offence.” Here it is evident their medicine bag, 80 called, is a religious symbol, as is the holy ark of the other tribes. And essentially the same care must be taken not to offend the Great Spirit by any improper use of it. The lapse of ages among illiterate savages scatte red in unknown distant tribes, would naturally produce as great a variation among dillerent tribes, in relation to this ancient venerable symbol—the ark of the covenant—as is this difference between these wés- tern more savage tribes, and tribes fo the south. But they unite in the less savace farther essential points, oth are sacred symbols borne to their wars. Both — |
