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368 distinct view of the military genius of this extraordinary people.—Assembling his little army, he addresses them in a rude eloquence that is not destitute of energy and force. It glows with the warmest and the boldest figures, well calculated to inflame all their fierce and unrelenting passions. He reminds them of the injuries of their enemies—the broken chain of treaties—the blood axe which has severed it—the unwashed bed of their slaughtered countrymen—their bones whitening on the hills that can never be gathered to their country burying place—the fires lighted up to torture their captive brothers. And when he perceives their passions kindling, when he hears their impatient shouts and sees their frantic gestures, he raises the song, and leads up the dance of war. This is the horrid prelude to their entering on their march. One precaution in selecting their troops deserves to be remarked, as it is an evidence t once of their prudence in forming their military plans, and their resolute and determined spirit in executing them. A young man is not permitted to take arms along with the host, in any hazardous expedition, who has not given decisive proofs of his courage, and address in hunting, and of his patience in enduring 369 fatigue and pain, lest his weakness, or unskilfulness should bring dishonor on his nation. In their march they observe nothing like the discipline that takes place in the armies of civilized nations. The chief enjoys no authority but what his reputation gives him. Confidence in his skill, and a sense of common interest and danger are the sole principles of union and order among them. He lays before his warriors his general plan, and the regulations he wishes to be observed in their advances towards the enemy. The rest is left to each man's judgement and discretion. Their weapons, before the introduction of fire arms by the Europeans, were bows, arrows, spears, and clubs. Their spears and arrows were headed with the hardest bones taken from animals which they had slain in hunting; or with stones, of a fine and hard grain, nicely ground to a point, by a tedious and laborious friction. Their clubs were formed out of a weighty species of wood, having a large knob at the end most distant from the hand, which, on one side, was fashioned to an edge resembling that of an axe. With this, they could either knock down an enemy, or cleave his skull. In place of these clubs, they would frequently em XX
