ians, Europeans, _and_ Negroes.

One main Cause, why the _Gospel_ is not propagated with better Success
among the _Infidels_, and why it is not more strictly followed by such
_Europeans_ as inhabit the _American Plantations_, is the little right
Knowledge that _Superintendants_ of the _Church_ have of them, from
imperfect Accounts and false Information; for before we can entertain
any tolerable Idea of the Tenents, and Inclinations of any People; it is
requisite we should know something of their Original, Temper, and
Government; for want of which much Cost and Labour have been in vain
expended, and many pious Designs and Projects frustrated.

And as the Progress of Religion, so for the same Causes, and in the same
Manner, is the Improvement of Arts, Sciences, and Trade, much retarded.

I shall therefore exhibit a short View of the present Inhabitants of
_Virginia_; which are _Indians_, _English_, and _Negroes_, with a
Description of the Country: After which their Morals and Manners may
more plainly and briefly be described; from whence may easily be
inferred an Account of _Maryland_ and _North Carolina_, nearly agreeing
with _Virginia_ in many Respects.

The _Indians_ may be term'd _Aborigines_; for to pretend to determine
their Pedigree exactly, with the Time and Manner of seating this unknown
World, to me seems as morally impossible, as it is naturally to account
for the Complexion of their Bodies, and the Temper of their Minds.

So that the best History of them till late Years is but meer Guess-work,
of which my Sentiments are these:

We know that all Nations of the World are the Descendants of _Noah_'s
three Sons, _Shem_, _Ham_, and _Japheth_: From the youngest (from some
promised Blessings) may we suppose the _Europeans_ and _Western
Asiaticks_ to be descended. From _Canaan_ the Son of the middlemost
issued the _Canaanites_, and from some of his Sons might spring the
_Egyptians_, _Moors_, _Negroes_, and other Inhabitants of _Africa_.

From _Shem_ sprung _Eber_, and from _Eber_'s eldest Son _Peleg_ sprung
the _Hebrews_, and from _Eber_'s younger Son _Joktan_ are derived the
_East_, and (I suppose) their Cousins the _West-Indians_ of _America_.
For in _Peleg_'s _Days the Earth was divided_, Gen. x. 25. and his
Brother _Jocktan's Dwelling was from_ Mesha, _as thou goest unto_
Sephar, _a Mount of the_ East, v. 30. _By these were the Nations divided
in the Earth after the Flood_, v. 32.

To me the _Indians_ of