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  • Nov. 1, 1796
  • Page 35
  • CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF THE CHARACTERS, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS, OF THE SAVAGES OF CAPE BRETON.
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Nov. 1, 1796: Page 35

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    Article CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF THE CHARACTERS, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS, OF THE SAVAGES OF CAPE BRETON. ← Page 3 of 4 →
Page 35

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Curious Account Of The Characters, Customs, And Manners, Of The Savages Of Cape Breton.

fleet , project , and determine ; while they are excited and encouraged by the women . The result of this council is to send and declare war against those people , to whom they have already done so much mischief , ad who are therefore to consider it as duly and properly declared . They send off two different sorts of heralds . They cany along with th in their bow and quiverwith their arrows and stone hatchets . Thus

, accoutred , they set out for the chief habitation of the enemy , and take care not to apprize any bod } ' upon the road of their intention , or even to open their mouth .. Then they halt within ' a . certain distance of the village , and strike the ground several times with their hatchets . In consequence of this signal , the enemy know that their lands have been ravaged , and that they are henceforward to be upon their guard

for the safety of their persons , hi the mean-time , the heralds , after shooting two of their best arrows against the village , return very quickly , to give an account of their errand ; and in order to prove their having been at the place appointed , they bring along with them such marks as put it beyond all manner of doubt . One day I asked a Savage , for what reason they did not declare war before they committed hostilities ; and how they came to trouble themselves afterwards with so useless a ceremony ? ' What , ' answered he , ' would you have us be such fools as to g ive our enemy time to

fill their magazines , and to deprive ourselves of the means of drawing provisions from their territory ? Is it not sufficient to warn them to defend their persons ? A declaration of war , so necessary for mutual preservation , should not be a foolish civility , such as the custom of European nations has made it . ' I leave you to judge , Sir , whether the good sense contained in this argument ought to supersede , or give way to the established laws of civilized nations ! But I foresee that

this question will be some time or other determined by abler masters . In the mean time the Savages , being apprized , by word and deed , of the intention of the enemy , think , on both sides , either of maintaining their ground , or of removing themselves to a better spot , or of meeting one another in the field . In order to detetmine which of these three to embrace , they hold both long and frequent debates .

These councils , however , are extremely entertaining , being a matter of curiosity and importance . As the Savages are directed by reason only , and have no other view than the public good , being no way biassed , either by ambition or' private interest ; he who is most skilled in the military art , and most capable of directing an enterprize , presides on those occasions . If the person who has hitherto possessed the confidence of the nation , perceives that another is more deseiving of it than himself , he resigns his authority to him , without the least reluctance .

In regard to their military stratagems , they ate so plain and simple , that one would think they could -hardly meet with success ; yet so careful are they in adapting them to circumstances and persons , that they seldom miscarry . Sometimes they pretend to give over all thoughts of attacking , and retire into the woods . There they lay

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1796-11-01, Page 35” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 25 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01111796/page/35/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
LONDON: Article 2
TO READERS, CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 3
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE, AND CABINET OF UNIVERSAL LITERATURE, Article 4
ON THE CABALISTICAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE JEWS. Article 5
THE LAND OF NINEVEH, A FRAGMENT. Article 6
ON PHILOSOPHY. Article 7
ON TRUTH. Article 9
CEREMONY OF OPENING WEARMOUTH BRIDGE; Article 10
THE CASE OF A DISTRESSED CITIZEN. Article 12
ON PUBLIC INGRATITUDE TO GREAT CHARACTERS. Article 14
ORIGINAL LETTER OF THE ASTRONOMER GALILEO. Article 19
CURIOUS FACTS RELATIVE TO THE LATE CHARLES STUART, THE PRETENDER . Article 21
ON THE MUSIC OF THE ANCIENTS. Article 23
SKETCHES OF CELEBRATED CHARACTERS. Article 26
ANECDOTE FROM THE FRENCH. Article 32
REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF AN UNFATHOMABLE LAKE DISAPPEARING. Article 33
CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF THE CHARACTERS, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS, OF THE SAVAGES OF CAPE BRETON. Article 33
REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF AN UNFATHOMABLE LAKE DISAPPEARING. Article 37
CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF THE CHARACTERS, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS , OF THE SAVAGES OF CAPE BRETON. Article 37
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Article 42
LITERATURE. Article 49
LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Article 49
POETRY. Article 50
HYMN, Article 51
SONNET. Article 51
THE COUNTRY CURATE. Article 52
SONNET. Article 53
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 54
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 55
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Article 56
HOUSE OF COMMONS. Article 56
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 62
INTELLIGENCE OF IMPORTANCE FROM THE LONDON GAZETTES. Article 68
LORD MALMESBURY's EMBASSY. Article 71
OBITUARY. Article 73
LIST OF BANKRUPTS. Article 77
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Page 35

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Curious Account Of The Characters, Customs, And Manners, Of The Savages Of Cape Breton.

fleet , project , and determine ; while they are excited and encouraged by the women . The result of this council is to send and declare war against those people , to whom they have already done so much mischief , ad who are therefore to consider it as duly and properly declared . They send off two different sorts of heralds . They cany along with th in their bow and quiverwith their arrows and stone hatchets . Thus

, accoutred , they set out for the chief habitation of the enemy , and take care not to apprize any bod } ' upon the road of their intention , or even to open their mouth .. Then they halt within ' a . certain distance of the village , and strike the ground several times with their hatchets . In consequence of this signal , the enemy know that their lands have been ravaged , and that they are henceforward to be upon their guard

for the safety of their persons , hi the mean-time , the heralds , after shooting two of their best arrows against the village , return very quickly , to give an account of their errand ; and in order to prove their having been at the place appointed , they bring along with them such marks as put it beyond all manner of doubt . One day I asked a Savage , for what reason they did not declare war before they committed hostilities ; and how they came to trouble themselves afterwards with so useless a ceremony ? ' What , ' answered he , ' would you have us be such fools as to g ive our enemy time to

fill their magazines , and to deprive ourselves of the means of drawing provisions from their territory ? Is it not sufficient to warn them to defend their persons ? A declaration of war , so necessary for mutual preservation , should not be a foolish civility , such as the custom of European nations has made it . ' I leave you to judge , Sir , whether the good sense contained in this argument ought to supersede , or give way to the established laws of civilized nations ! But I foresee that

this question will be some time or other determined by abler masters . In the mean time the Savages , being apprized , by word and deed , of the intention of the enemy , think , on both sides , either of maintaining their ground , or of removing themselves to a better spot , or of meeting one another in the field . In order to detetmine which of these three to embrace , they hold both long and frequent debates .

These councils , however , are extremely entertaining , being a matter of curiosity and importance . As the Savages are directed by reason only , and have no other view than the public good , being no way biassed , either by ambition or' private interest ; he who is most skilled in the military art , and most capable of directing an enterprize , presides on those occasions . If the person who has hitherto possessed the confidence of the nation , perceives that another is more deseiving of it than himself , he resigns his authority to him , without the least reluctance .

In regard to their military stratagems , they ate so plain and simple , that one would think they could -hardly meet with success ; yet so careful are they in adapting them to circumstances and persons , that they seldom miscarry . Sometimes they pretend to give over all thoughts of attacking , and retire into the woods . There they lay

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