stranger's house. Here they are placed while the old men go round from hut to hut, acquainting the inhabitants that strangers have arrived, who are probably hungry and weary; and every one sends them what they can spare of victuals,

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con

and skins to repose on. When the strangers are refreshed, pipes and tobacco are brought; and then not before versation begins, with inquiries who they are, whither bound, what news, &c.; and it usually ends with offers of service, if the strangers have occasion for guides, or any necessaries for continuing their journey; and nothing is exacted for the entertainment.

The same hospitality, esteemed among them as a. principal virtue, is practised by private persons, of which Conrad Weiser, our interpreter, gave me the following instance. He had been naturalized among the Six Nations, and spoke well the Mohawk language. In going through the Indian country, to carry a message from our governor to the council at Onondaga, he called at the habitation of Canasetego, an old acquaintance, who embraced him, spread furs for him to sit on, and placed before him some boiled beans and venison.

When he was well refreshed, and had lit his pipe, Canasetego began to converse with him; asked him how he had fared the many years since they had seen each other, whence he then came, what occasioned the journey, &c., &c. Conrad answered all his questions; and, when the discourse began to flag, the Indian, to continue it, said, "Conrad, you have lived long among the white people, and know something of their customs. I have been sometimes at Albany, and have observed that once in seven days they shut up their shops, and assemble all in the great house: tell me, what is it for?

66

They meet there," said Conrad, "to hear and learn good things." "I do not doubt," said the Indian," that they tell you so; they have told me the same; but I doubt the truth of what they say: I will tell you my reasons.

I

went lately to Albany to sell my skins, and buy blankets, knives, and powder.

"You know I used generally to deal with Hans Hanson; but I was a little inclined, this time, to try some other merchants: however, I called first upon Hans, and asked him what he would give for beaver. He said he would not give more than four shillings a pound; but,' said he, 'I cannot talk on business now; this is the day when we meet together to learn good things, and I am going to the meeting.'

6

"So I thought to myself, since we cannot do any business to-day, I may as well go to the meeting too; and I went with him. There stood up a man in black, and began to talk to the people very angrily. I did not understand what he said; but, perceiving that he looked much at me and at Hanson, I imagined he was angry at seeing me there: so I went out, sat down near the house, struck fire, and lit my pipe, waiting till the meeting broke up. I thought, too, that the man had mentioned something of beaver, and I suspected it might be the subject of their meeting.

"So, when they came out, I accosted my merchant. ‘Well, Hans,' said I, 'I hope you have agreed to give more than four shillings a pound.' 'No,' said he, 'I cannot give so much; I cannot give more than three shillings and sixpence.' I then spoke to several other dealers, but they all sung the same song three and sixpence three and sixpence.' This made it clear to me that my suspicion was right; and that, whatever they pretend of meeting to learn good things, the real purpose is, to consult how to cheat Indians in the price of beaver.

"Consider but a little, Conrad, and you must be of my opinion. If they meet so often to learn good things, they would certainly have learnt some before this time; but they are still ignorant. You know our practice: if a white man, in travelling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I treat you: we dry him if he is wet, we nr 184-237. d 169-171.

warm him if he is cold, we give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst and hunger, and spread soft furs for him to rest and sleep on. We demand nothing in return.

"But, if I go into a white man's house at Albany, and ask for victuals and drink, they say, 'Where is your money?' and, if I have none, they say, 'Get out, you Indian dog You see they have not yet learnt those little good things that we need no meetings to be instructed in, because our mothers taught them to us when we were children; and therefore it is impossible their meetings should be, as they say, for any such purpose, or have any such effect: they are only to contrive the cheating of Indians in the price of beaver."

FRANKLIN.

EXCESS; more than enough. INCOMMODE; disturb, annoy. HOSPITALITY; attention or kindness to strangers. Accost; speak to, address.

THE SEMINOLE'S REPLY.

AGAIN; ai like short e. ARM; sound rm. TEMPEST; est, not ist. LIGHTNING; n has its ringing sound before g. SCALPED; sound lpt. BENEATH; th has its flat sound. WARRIOR; war'yer.

I loathe ye with my bosom,

I scorn ye with mine eye;

And I'll taunt ye with my latest breath,
And fight ye till I die!

I ne'er will ask ye quarter,

And I ne'er will be your slave ;

But I'll swim the sea of slaughter,

Till I sink beneath the wave.

PATTEN.

SERRIED; close, crowded, pressed together. MAILED; covered with a mail or armor, armed defensively. BOOTY; spoil taken from an enemy in war, pillage. TRAILED; hunted by the track.

INDUSTRY AND GENIUS.

ONE OK; wun ôr; do not run the words together, as if written wănnur, or wunnih. POSSESSOR; půz, not pùs. CATHEDRAL; kă-the'drăl. STREAMS; strēmz; sound str. BRILLIANT; bril'yănt; ă, not ŭ. SPECIES; spe'shez. COTERIES; kō'te-rēz. WANTS; be careful to sound ntz.

INDUSTRY is a substitute for genius. Where one or more faculties exist in the highest state of development and activity, as the faculty of music in Mozart, invention in Fulton, ideality in Milton, we call their possessor a genius. But a genius is usually understood to be a creature of such rare facility of mind, that he can do any thing without labor.

According to the popular notion, he learns without study, and knows without learning. He is eloquent without preparation, exact without calculation, and profound without reflection. While ordinary men toil for knowledge by reading, by comparison, and by minute research, a genius is supposed to receive it as the mind receives dreams. His mind is like a vast cathedral, through whose colored windows the sunlight streams, painting the aisles with the varied colors of brilliant pictures. Such minds may exist.

So far as my observations have ascertained the species, they abound in academies, colleges, and Thespian societies; in village debating clubs; in coteries of young artists, and among young professional aspirants. They are to be known. by a reserved air, excessive sensitiveness, and utter indolence; by very long hair, and very open shirt collars; by the reading of much wretched poetry, and the writing of much yet more wretched; by being very conceited, very affected, very disagreeable, and very useless,- beings whom no man wants for friend, pupil, or companion.

The occupations of the great man, and of the common man, are necessarily, for the most part, the same; for the business of life is made up of minute affairs, requiring only