ral courage and
ferocity, and especially inspires them to fight desperately in battle,
so as to prefer death to a captivity, of which the consequences are, and
may be, so much more cruel to them. Another reason is also assignable
for their carrying things to these extremities: War is considered by
these people as something very sacred, and not lightly to be undertaken;
but when once so, to be pushed with the utmost rigor by way of terror,
joining its aid towards the putting the speediest end to it. The savage
nations imagine such examples necessary for deterring one another from
coming to ruptures, or invading one another upon slight motives,
especially as their habitations or villages used to be so slightly
fortified, that they might easily be surprised. They have lately indeed
learned to make stronger inclosures, or pallisadoes, but still not
sufficient entirely to invalidate this argument for their guarding
against sudden hostilities, by the idea of the most cruel revenge they
annex to the commission of them. It is not then, till after the maturest
deliberation, and the deepest debates, that they commonly come to a
resolution of _taking up the hatchet_, as they call declaring of war;
after which, there are no excesses to which their rage and ferocity do
not incite them. Even their feasting upon the dead bodies of their
enemies, after putting them to death with the most excruciating tortures
they can devise, is rather a point of revenge, than of relish for such a
banquet.

That midst all their savageness they have, however, some glimmering
perception of the _laws of nations_, is evident from the use to which
they put the _calumet_, the rights of which are kept inviolate, thro'
especially the whole northern continent of America. It answers nearest
the idea of the olive-branch amongst the ancients.

As to your question, Sir, about the English being in the right or wrong,
in their treatment of the _Acadians_, or descendants of the Europeans
first settled in Acadia, and in their scheme of dispersing them, the
point is so nice, that I own I dare not pronounce either way: but I will
candidly state to you certain facts and circumstances, which may enable
yourself to form a tolerably clear idea thereon.

But previously I shall give you a succinct description of these people:
They were a mixed breed, that is to say, most of them proceeded from
marriages, or concubinage of the savage women with the first settlers,
who were o