524 Anfier to Philofophical Questions in Auguft. Mag. fee the divine order for the diftribution of the nations put in execution. There is not now but one authentic account in the world, of the rife, propagation and fettlement of the nations defcended from the fous of Noah and this is to be found in the tenth chapter of Genefis. And they, who are favoured with the Divine revelation, may from this learn and underftand the places, where they fat down for the lands were called after the names of the firft settlers of them. But, as to the rest of the world, who are not acquainted with the fcriptural difcoveries, they are as ignorant as horfes and affes of their real defcent and original. : Now then, taking the tenth chap: ter of Genefis for our inftru&or and guide, we may note the following things, which have been illuftrated and proved by a number of very learned and judicious perfons. First then, the family of Shem had Afia, and all the Afiatic lands af. figned them for their share. Then, the pofterity of Japheth had all Europe, and all the islands around it for their portion; and it is highly probable, that this elder brother of the family, Japheth, had enlarge-, ment by America's falling to his poffeffion for the Americans feem to have originally defcended from Magog one of the fons of Japheth. And, in the laft place, we come to Ham. Now his fous were fettled in. Arabia, ufually called Cufh in the original from its first founder; and Egypt, or Mizraim as it is ufually' called in the Hebrew; and Africa called Phut; and Canaan, the place where the Ifraelites refided, after the expulfion of the Cannaanites.. It is recorded and well known, that Ham, by resion of his undutiful, difrefpectful and bafe behaviour towards his father in an unhappy fituation fell under his difpleafure: and it is thought by fome, that, as a mark of the divine difpleasure against him for his impiety to his parent, he was, by an immediate infiction from Heaven, made black for his punishment : and fo his pofterity, defcending from Phut in the way of natural generatiou, have received their blackness from him. And indeed we know of no other way but it. C to account for But then, as uthe other com plexions, ftatures,, &c. among mankind; thefe may more eafly be accounted for from the climates, where in they inhabit; or from the foods, which they ufe; or from their befmearing themselves with fat of va rious kinds; or from their mixtures with others of different complexions and fizes. It is not ealy, we must confels, to give reafons, that will be fatisfactory to every minute inquirer, for the various ftatures and complexions that obtain in the world. However it is not unlikely, but the genuine reaíon may be taken from one or other of the particulars above mentioned. And now, after mentioning these things,for giving fome amuling, if not fatisfactory thoughts to curious sad inquifitive perfons, it will be allowed to take leave of the readers, by recommending two paffages, that have occafionally come to view, to the at tentive notice and confideration of them all, and especially the more curious and inquifitive among them. The firft is, Nefcire velle, quæ Magifter maximus Te fcire non vult, erudita infcitia eft. Thus tranflated for the English reader, The things our greatest Master bas not taught, They, willing not to know, have learning got: 'Tis learned ignorance, to which they're brought. And the other paffage is, and it is a very important one, Difce mori mundo; vivere difce DEO. Thus in our tongue. Learn thou to quit the prefent world by death; And learn to live to God, while you have breath. all the curiofities of nature and art, that the world prefents before us. Adieu ! Bofton, Sept. 1734. An Elay on the Management of Bees: wherein is shewn, from long practice, the most eafy and profitable Method of treating thofe ufeful Infelts. TH Of the Queen Bee. HERE are three forts of Bees diftinguished in every hive; viz. The queen, or female bee; the drone, or male; and the common working bee. this is not always the confequence, as hath generally been believed when flocks accidentally unite themselves; or when they are kept in colonies, that is, raised boxes. In proof of this affertion, I will relate a circumftance that happened in my own apiary. In the winter of 1777, I had three single fraw-hives of bees, flanding feparately, in an inclofed fhed; thele happened to be blown down by a violent wind; the weather being frofty, and very cold, prevented the bees from flying much abroad, but from the pofition in which they fell, they all accidentally united themfelves into one hive, without even the lols of one bee that I could perceive. I had the curiofity to examine this hive afterwards, and faw the three queens living, to appearance, very amicably together. I immediately raifed them on a large flat topped hive, in order to give them room, thinking that the moft likely method to promote their friendship. This proceeding has anfwered beyond my moft fanguine ex The queen is very different from the reft both in fhape and colour; her body is longer than the drone, peater made, and tapers to a point. She has very short wings in proportion to her fize, and her belly and legs are of a brighter yellow,than the other bees. Like the common work-pectation; having continued to take ing bee, the is armed with a fting, but never makes ufe of it unless greatly irritated. Without a queen the bees can never profper, as he alone is the breeder; and there is feldom more than one of thefe in a bive, at the fame time, except in the breeding feafon. If two fwarms are purpofely united, one queen is always facrifced to the peace of the hive. But Some writers, on this fubject, affirm to the contrary; and fancy the working bees equally breeders. But thefe affertions are manifeftly abfurd, and contradictory to the obfervations of the beft naturalifts. When the queen bees are d ffected, there is always found in them an Ovaria replete with a multitude of eggs, Comewhat for number like the roe of a fish; but never any thing fim lar to an Ovaria was ever found in any other fort of the bees which compofe the hive. If the common working bees bred equally with the queen, what ufe then san we fuppofe the queen to be of, or why should they not be able to exift without one? It is notorious that if the queen dies, unless replaced from them, every fummer fince, one or two hives, well filled; in fhort, it has more than doubled the profits, had they continued as they were. Had I not raifed this hive, I make no doubt but that two of the queens would have been killed, as foon as the weather became milder, and the breeding feafon commenced; but that not one of them was killed is evident from their great increase afterwards, and which one queen could not fupport, or any thing equal to their numbers. † It with another, the hive, or colony, is foon annihilated; the bees being fenfible, by an uncommon infting they poffefs, that without her their generation ceafes. Wafps, hornets, bumble-bees, are alfo bred from one mother, or queen; and they alone, amongft thefe laft, furvive the winter; and if one of them is killed in April or May, a whole neft is deftroyed. + Since the above was written, I have proved it beyond a doubt, that more It appears evident to me, that it is only for want of room, that the bees difpatch their fupernumerary queens. In lupport of this opinion, I obferve it often happens, that two queens, when they lead (warms from a hive,at the fame time, generally fettle together without the leaft commotion. Now it is well known that bees always provide themselves an habitation before they leave their old hive, and that it is only from the queen's being unable to fly far at a time, that they fo often alight on the branches of those trees that grow near them. It may reasonably be fuppofed, tuerefore, that as they fwarm together, without the leaft difturbance, and both of them very amicably alight on the fame branch, that they are both likewife deft ned to the fame place and that the place they have provided is fufficiently large. It is only then after they are hived, that, finding the habitation too small for the offspring of both queens, hoftilities commence, and one is facrificed to the welfare of the colony. The attachment of bees to their queen is very wonderful; be but poffeffed of her, and you may lead them where you pleafe. If by any accideat the dies; the others immediate ly ceafe to work, and only confume what flores they have, and perish. However, th's attachment is by no means conftant to any one particular queen; for if a hive, which has loft its own, can by any means be provided with another, the fame attachment to her will be obferved as to the former order and regularity will be immediately established, and they will refume their labours with all their former activity and deligence. It is remarkable that when you are poffeffed of the queen from any hive, the rest become more gentle, and feldom make ufe of their flings. The queen bee fcarce ever leaves a hive, unless when the leads a fwarm. more than one queen bee will live in the fame colony, or raised boxes, by the many experiments I have made, of dividing collateral boxes to increase their number. The ovaria of a queen bee containą fome thousands of eggs, fomewhat fimilar to the roe of a fish. The great naturalift, Swammerdam, relates that be difcovered in the ovaria of one queen, ready to lay, five thousand one hundred vifible eggs. It is commonly fuppofed that the lays nearly two hundred eggs every day, in the height of the breeding feafon. She fometimes begina laying fo early as the latter end of January, but this depends entirely on the forwardness of the feafon. The mo certain rule to know this is, that whenever the bees are observed to collect from the early flowers, it is then a fure indication of the queen's breeding, and beginning to lay her eggs. (To be continued.) * I have been assured by the most refpe&able authority, that Mr. W. having doubted whether all the young ones bred in a hive proceeded from the queen bee, made the following experiment. He caught a queen, and tied her by a thread fo that the could not wander but a few inches; he found, notwithstanding, eggs foon afterwards depoûted in cells to which the could not reach : this feemed decifive against the one mother bee. But a day or two after more narrowly obferving what paffed in the hive, he faw the working bees carrying the eggs from the faid mother, or queen bee, and depofiting them for her in the diftant cells. This curious fact is recommended to the notice of fuch bee-mafters, as have a facility in catching the queen at pleasure. thee likewife to have an eye of compaffion on that county. And for the reft of the counties thou mayeft deal with them as thou art pleased. Enable the bank to anfwer all their bills, and make all debtors good men. Give a profperous voyage to the Mermaid floop, which I have infured. And, thou haft faid that the days of the wicked are but fhort: I trust in thee, that thou will not forget thy promife, having purchased an eftate in reverfion of Sir J. P. a profligate young man. Keep our friends from Linking, and if it be thy will, let there be no finking funds. And keep my fon Caleb out of evil company, and gaming houses. And fanctify this aight to me, by preferving me from thieves and fire. And make my fervarts honeft and careful, whilft I, thy faithful fervant, lie down in thee, O Lord. Amen. Remarks concerning the Savages of North-America. SAVA [By Dr. Franklin.] AVAGES we call them, because their manners differ from ours, which we think the perfection of civility; they think the fame of theirs. Perhaps if we could examine the manners of different nations with impartiality, we should find no people fo rude as to be without any rules of politeness; nor any fo polite as not to have fome remains of rudeness. The Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors; when old, counsellors; for all their government is by the counfel or advice of the fages; there is no force, there are no prifons, no officers to compel obedience, or inflict punishment. Hence they generally fudy oratory; the beft (peaker having the most infuence. The Indian women till the ground, drefs the food, nurfe and bring up the children, and preferve and hand down to pofterity the me mory of public tranfa&ions. Thefe employments of men and women are accounted natural and honourable. Having few artificial wants, they have XXX abundance of leifure for improvement by conversation. Our laborious manner of life compared with theirs, they efteem flavish and base; and the learning on which we value ourfelves, they regard as frivolous and ufelefs. An inftance of this occured at the treaty of Lancaster in Pennfilvania, anno 1744, between the Government of Virginia and the fix Nations. After the principal bufinefs was fettled, the commiffioners from Virginia aquainted the Indians by a speech, that there was at Williamburg a college with a fund, for educating Indian youth; and that if the chiefs of the fix nations would fend down half a dozen of their fons to that college, the government would take care that they fhould be well provided for, and inftru&ed im all the learning of the white people. It is one of the Indian rules of politenefs not to answer a public propofition the fame day that it is made; they light matter; and that they fhew it think it would be treating it as a refpect by taking time to confider it, as of a matter important. They therefore deferred their answer tilt the day following; when their speaker began, by expreffing their deep fenfe of the kindness of the Virginia government, in making them that offer; "for we know,"fays he, that "you highly efteem the kind of learn"ing taught in thofe colleges, and "that the maintenance of our young "men, while with you, would be ve"ry expensive to you. We are con"vinced, therefore, that you mean to "do us good by your proposal, and "we thank you heartily. But you "who are wife muft know, that dif"ferent nations have different con"ceptions of things; and you will "therefore not take it amifs, if our "ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the fame with yours. "We have had fome experience of it: "Several of our young people were "formerly brought up at the colleg "es of the northern provinces: They "were infructed in all your sciences; "but when they came back to us, "they were bad runners; ignorant "of every means of living in the "woods; unable to bear either cold " or 528 Remarks concerning the Savages of North America. "or hunger; knew neither how to "build a cabin, take a deer, or kill "aneneray; fpoke our language m"perfectly; were therefore neither fit for hunters, warriors, or counfeilors; they were totally good for "nothing. We are however not the lefs obliged by your kind offer, "though we decline accepting it: "And to how our grateful tenfe of "it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will "fend us a dozen of their fons, we will take great care of their educa"tion, inftrud then a all we know, and make men of them," Having frequent occafions to hold public councils, they have acquired great order and decency in conduft ng them. The old men fit in the foremost ranks, the warriors in the next, and the women and children in the hindmoit. The bufiefs of the women is to take exact notice of what pafles, imprint it in their memor es, for they have no writing, and communicare it to their children. They are the records of the council, and they preferve tradition of the ftipulations in treaties a hundred years back; which, when we compare wirh our writings, we always find (xact. He that would peak, rifes. The real obferve a profound litence. When he his finifhed and fits down they leave him five or fix minutes to recollet, that if he has omitted any thing Le intended to fly, or has any thing to add, he may nfe again, and deliver it. To interrupt another, even in common converfa.on..s reckoneti highly indecent. How difront this is from the conduct of a polite Brt in one of coramous, where carce a day pafies without fome coafufion, that makes the foeaker hofe in calling to order; and how different from the mode of converfation in many polite companies of Europe, where it you go nct deliver your fentence with great rapidity, you are cut off in the addle of it by theimparent lequitity of thofe you converfe with, and never fuffered to En. it. The politeness of thefe favages ic converfation, is indeed, carried to excefs; fince it does not permit them to contradict, or deny the truth of what is afferted in their prefence. By this means they indeed avoid diputes; but then it becomes difficult to know their minds, or what impi effion you make upon them. When any of them come into cur towns, our people are apt to croud round them, gaze upon them, and incommode them where they cele tole private; this they esteem great rude. nefs, and the effect of the want of luftruction in the rules of civil y and good manners. We have, lay "They, as much curiolity as you, "and when you come into our towaf, "we with for opportunities of look"ing at you; but for this purpose we it hide ourieives behind bushes where you are to pafs, and never intrade ❝ourfelves into your company.” Their manner of enter ng one adothers villages has likewife its rules. It is reckoned uncivil in travelling ftrangers to enter a village abruptif, without giving notice of their approach. Therefore, as foon as they arrive with bearing, they Alop and hotlow, remaining there till invited to enter. Two old men ufually come out to them, and lead them in. There is in every v tlage a vacant dwelling, called the frangers houfe. Hre they are placed, while the old mea go round from hut to hut, acquainting the inabutan's that trangers are arrived, who are probably hungry and weary; and every one fends. them what he can (pare of victuals and kms to repofe oa. When the frangers are retrethed, pipes and tobicco are brought; and then, but not before, conversation -begns, with enquiries who they are, whither bound, what news, &c. and it ufually ends with offers of fervice; if the strangers have occasion of guides, or any neceffaries for cuatinuing their journey; and nothing is exacted for the entertainment. (To be Continued) Poetical |