DEARSIR——ByourpostprecedingthatwhichbroughtyourletterofMay21，IhadrecievedonefromMr。Malcolmonthesamesubjectwithyours，andbythereturnoftheposthadstatedtothePresidentmyrecollectionsofhim。Butbothofyourletterswereprobablytoolate；astheappointmenthadbeenalreadymade，ifwemaycreditthenewspapers。
YouaskifthereisanybookthatpretendstogiveanyaccountofthetraditionsoftheIndians，orhowonecanacquireanideaofthem?Somescantyaccountsoftheirtraditions，butfulleroftheircustomsandcharactersaregivenusbymostoftheearlytravellersamongthem。TheseyouknowwerechieflyFrench。Lafitau，amongthem，andAdairanEnglishman，havewrittenonthissubject；theformertwovolumes，thelatterone，allin4to[quarto]。ButunluckilyLafitauhadinhisheadapreconcievedtheoryonthemythology，manners，institutionsandgovernmentoftheantientnationsofEurope，Asia，andAfrica，andseemstohaveenteredonthoseofAmericaonlytofitthemintothesameframe，andtodrawfromthemaconfirmationofhisgeneraltheory。Hekeepsupaperpetualparallel，inallthosearticles，betweentheIndiansofAmerica，andtheantientsoftheotherquartersoftheglobe。Heselectsthereforeallthefacts，andadoptsallthefalsehoodswhichfavorhistheory，andverygravelyretailssuchabsurditiesaszealforatheorycouldaloneswallow。Hewasamanofmuchclassicalandscripturalreading，andhasrenderedhisbooknotunentertaining。HeresidedfiveyearsamongtheNorthernIndians，asaMissionary，butcollectshismattermuchmorefromthewritingsofothers，thanfromhisownobservation。
Adairtoohadhiskink。HebelievedalltheIndiansofAmericantobedescendedfromtheJews：thesamelaws，usages；ritesandceremonies，thesamesacrifices，priests，prophets，fastsandfestivals，almostthesamereligion，andthattheyallspokeHebrew。
ForalthohewritesparticularlyoftheSouthernIndiansonly，theCatawbas，Creeks，Cherokees，ChickasawsandChoctaws，withwhomalonehewaspersonallyacquainted，yethegeneraliseswhateverhefoundamongthem，andbringshimselftobelievethatthehundredlanguagesofAmerica，differingfundamentallyeveryonefromeveryother，asmuchasGreekfromGothic，haveyetallonecommonprototype。Hewasatrader，amanoflearning，aself-taughtHebraist，astrongreligionist，andofassoundamindasDonQuixotinwhateverdidnottouchhisreligiouschivalry。Hisbookcontainsagreatdealofrealinstructiononit’ssubject，onlyrequiringthereadertobeconstantlyonhisguardagainstthewonderfulobliquitiesofhistheory。
Thescopeofyourenquirywouldscarcely，Isuppose，takeinthethreefoliovolumesofLatinbyDeBry。Inthesefactandfablearemingledtogether，withoutregardtoanyfavoritesystem。Theyarelesssuspiciousthereforeintheircomplexion，moreoriginalandauthentic，thanthoseofLafitauandAdair。Thisisaworkofgreatcuriosity，extremelyrare，soasnevertobeboughtinEurope，butonthebreakingup，andsellingsomeantientlibrary。Ononeoftheseoccasionsabooksellerprocuredmeacopy，which，unlessyouhaveone，isprobablytheonlyoneinAmerica。