mile; being about the twentieth part of our
present population in the same territory, and the
hundreth of that of the British Islands. The
numbers of some of them are stated as they
were in the year 1669, when an attempt was
made by the Assembly to enumerate them.
Probably the enumeration is imperfect, and in
some measure conjectural, and that a further
search into the records would furnish many more
particulars. What would be the melancholy
sequel of their hsitory, may, however, be
augured from the census of 1669, by which we
discover that the tribes therein mentioned and
enumerated, were, in the space of 62 years re-
duced to about one-third of their former number.
Spirituous liquors, the small pox, war, and an
abridgment of territory, to a people who lived
principally on the spontaneous productions of
nature, had committed great havoc among them.
That the lands of this country (Virginia

,) were
taken from them by conquest, is not so general
a truth as is supposed. We find in our histo-
ries and records, repeated proofs of purchase
which cover a considerable part of the lower
country, and many more would doubtless be
found on further search. The upper country,
we know, has been acquired altogether by pur-
chases made in the most unexceptionable form,
westward of all these tribes, beyond the moun-
tains, and extending to the great lakes on the
Massawomics, a most powerful confederacy, who