nefs of mind which would do honour to the heroism and patriotifm of the greatest and most polished nations. Perhaps the following interefting anecdote cannot be paralleled in ancient or modern hiftory; it happened about twelve years ago in the neighbourhood of New Orleans, and may be confidered as authentic, being communicated by M. Boffu, an officer of distinction, who then enjoyed a confiderable command in that country.

"The tragical death of an Indian of the Collapiffa nation," fays this gentleman, "who facrificed himself for his country and fon, I have often admired as difplaying the greatest heroism, and placing human nature in the noblest point of view. A Chactaw Indian, having one day expreffed himself in the moft reproachful terms of the French, and called the Collapiffas their dogs and their flaves, one of this nation, exafperated at his injurious expreffions, laid him dead on the fpot. The Chactaws, the most numerous and the most warlike tribe on that continent, immediately flew to arms; they fent deputies to New Orleans to demand from the French governor the head of the savage who had fled to him for protection: the governor offered presents as an atonement, but they were rejected with difdain; they threatened to exterminate the whole tribe of the Collapiffas. To pacify this fierce nation, and prevent

prevent the effufion of blood, it was at length found neceffary to deliver up the unhappy Indian. The Sieur Ferrand, commander of the German pofts, on the right of the Miffiffipi, was charged with this melancholy commiffion; a rendezvous was in confequence appointed between the fettlement of the Collapiffas and the German pofts, where the mournful ceremony was conducted in the following manner;

"The Indian victim, whose name was Tichou Mingo (i. e. fervant to the Cacique or prince) was produced. He rose up, and agreeable to the cuftom of these people, harangued the affembly to the following purpose: I am a true man; that is to fay, I fear not death; but I lament the fate of my wife, and four infant children, whom I leave behind in a very tender age; I lament too my father and my mother, whom I have long maintained by hunting: them, however, I re.. commend to the French; fince, on their account, I now fall a facrifice,'

"Scarce had he finifhed this fhort and pathetic harangue, when the old father, ftruck with the filial affection of the fon, arofe, and thus addreffed himself to his audience-My fon is doomed to death; but he is young and vigorous, and more capable than me to support his mother, his wife and four infant children; it is necellary then

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then that he remain upon earth to protect and provide for them: as for me, who draw towards the end of my career, I have lived long enough; may my fon attain to my age, that he may bring up my tender infants: I am no longer good for any thing: a few years more or lefs, are to me of {mall moment: I have lived as a man ; I will die as a man :—I therefore take the place of my fon*.

"At these words, which expreffed his paternal love and greatness of foul in the most touching manner, his wife, his fon, his daughter-in-law, and the little infants, melted into tears around this brave, this generous old man: he embraced them for the laft time, exhorted them to be ever faithful to the French, and to die rather than betray them by any mean treachery unworthy of his blood. My death,' concluded he, I confider as neceflary for the fafety of my nation, and I glory in the facrifice.'-Having thus delivered himself he prefented his head to the kinfmen of the deceafed Chactaw; they accepted it; he then extended himself over the trunk of a tree, when, with a hatchet, they fevered his head from his body.

+ The Indian nations follow the law of retaliation: death they confider as an atonement for death; and it is fufficient that it be one of the fame nation, although even he should not be a kinsman; ---They except none but flaves.

"By this facrifice, all animofities were forgotten; but one part of the ceremony remained ftill to be performed: the young Indian was ob-. liged to deliver to the Chactaws the head of his father in taking it up he addreffed to it these few words: Pardon me your death, and remember me in the world of fpirits.'-The French who affifted at this tragedy could not contain their tears, whilft they admired the heroic conftancy of this venerable old man, whofe refolution bore a refemblance to that of the celebrated Roman orator, who, in the time of the triumvirate, was concealed by his fon: the young man was most cruelly tortured in order to force him to discover his father, who, not being able to endure the idea, that a fon fo virtuous and fo fhould thus fuffer on his account, generous, went and presented himself to the murderers and begged them to kill him and fave his fon; the fon conjured them to take his life and spare the age of his father; but the foldiers, more barbarous than the favages, butchered them both on the spot."

THE

THE CIT'S COUNTRY BOX, 1757.

Vos fapere & folos aio bene vivere, quorum,
Confpicitur nitidis fundata pecunia villis.

BY ROBERT LLOYD, A. M.

THE wealthy cit, grown old in trade,
Now wishes for the rural fhade,

And buckles to his one-horse chair,
Old Dobbin, or the founder'd mare;
While wedg'd in closely by his fide,
Sits Madam, his unwieldy bride,
With Jacky on a stool before 'em,
And out they jog in due decorum.
Scarce paft the turnpike half a mile,
How all the country feems to file!
And as they flowly jog together,
The cit commends the road and weather;
While madam doats upon the trees,
And longs for ev'ry house she fees,
Admires its views, its fituation,
And thus fhe opens her oration.

What fignify the loads of wealth,
Without that richest jewel, health?
Excufe the fondnefs of a wife,
Who doats upon your precious life;
Such ccafelefs toil, fuch conftant care,
Is more than human frength can bear,