THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL. NUMEROUS and conflicting opinions and conjectures have been formed by the learned respecting the fate of the Ten Tribes of Israel. Not the least probable conjecture on this subject is the one which is so ingeniously supported by the author of a rare and curious work respecting the American Indians. We do not profess to give implicit credence to all the opinions of this author, but as many of the facts which he relates are curious, and some of them not generally known, we present the most remarkable of them, and leave the reader to draw his own inferences.

It is distinctly and clearly foretold in many passages in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament, that the people of God, who once enjoyed special tokens of his favour, and lost them, as foretold by their great prophet and lawgiver, in consequence of disobedience, will be restored to his favour, and regain the distinction they once enjoyed. If any confirmation of this sacred truth were requisite, it may be obtained from the actual state of the Jews, the descendants of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who are still living in a state of separation from all the nations among whom they dwell, and adhering strictly to the worship of their one and only God. They are dwelling amongst us, waiting for their redemption; and it is the firm belief of every Christian who has carefully considered

the subject, that their day of salvation draweth near, and then shall they be united with us in the worship of our common Father and God. But why should this expectation be limited to the two tribes alone, and not embrace the other ten, who are all included in the general charter, and spoken of in the Scriptures in the plainest terms, and even called by their names? Are they not also to be recovered and restored, together with the just? Not the scattered and dispersed alone, but the outcast also shall return to the favour of the Almighty, and to their own land. For, as Paul assures us, "All Israel shall be saved."

These tribes must therefore have an existence somewhere far from their brethren, who are ignorant of them, and now acknowledge them not. One of their own prophets has told us the way in which they departed from the land of their captivity. In the book of Esdras, their journey can be traced into a land where no man dwelt. And although, during the lapse of two thousand five hundred years, they have not been inquired after, they have not on this account perished from the earth. In the direction which the prophetic historian points out, as a way of a year and a half's journey, there is a passage to a wide land wherein they might wander undisturbed from sea to sea. In that land, an immense population has been discovered, whose usages and customs are unlike those of any of the tribes and nations existing in Europe or Asia. These people live in tribes, with heads of tribes; they have pe

culiar and striking features, and have all a family likeness, though covering thousands of leagues of land; and have a tradition prevailing universally that they came into that country at the north-west corner. They are a very religious people, and yet have entirely escaped the idolatry of the Old World. They acknowledge one God, the Great Spirit, who created all things, seen and unseen. The name by which this being is known to them is Ale, the old Hebrew name of God. He is also called Yehowah, sometimes Yah, and also Abba. For this great being they profess a great reverence, calling him the head of their community, and themselves his favourite people. They believe that he was more favourable to them in old times than he is now, that their fathers were in covenant with him, that he talked with them, and gave them laws. They are distinctly heard to sing, with their religious dances, Hallelujah, or Praise to Jah. Other re

markable sounds are uttered by them, as shiln-yo, shiln-he, Ale-yo, he-wah, Yohewah; but they profess not to know the meaning of these words, only that they learned to use them upon sacred occasions. They acknowledge the government of a Providence overruling all things, and express a willing submission to whatever takes place; they keep annual feasts, which resemble those of the Mosaic ritual-a feast of first fruits, which they do not permit themselves to taste until they have made an offering of them to God; also an evening festival, in which no bone of the animal that is

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eaten may be broken; and if one family be not large enough to consume the whole of it, a neighbouring family is called in to assist. The whole of it is to be consumed, and the relics, if there be any, are burned before the rising of the next day's sun. There is one part of the animal which they never eat-the hollow part of the thigh; they eat bitter vegetables, and observe seven fasts, for the purpose of purifying themselves from sin; they have also a feast of harvest, when their fruits are gathered in, a daily sacrifice, and a feast of love. Their forefathers practised circumcision, but, not knowing why so strange a custom was practised, they discontinued it. There is a sort of jubilee kept by some of them. They have cities of refuge, to which a guilty man, and even a murderer, may flee and be safe; for these beloved or sacred towns. are never defiled by the shedding of blood. In their temples is a holy place, into which none may enter but the priest, and even he only on particular occasions. There he makes a yearly atonement for sin, dressed in a fantastic garb, which is an humble imitation of the high priest's robes, with a breastplate and other ornaments. He addresses the people in the old divine speech, and calls them the beloved and holy people. They have a succession of priests, who are inducted into office by purification and anointing. They had once a holy book, which, while they kept, things went well with them; they lost it, and in consequence of the loss, fell under the displeasure of the Great Spirit;

but they believe they shall, at a future period, regain it, and they are looking for and expecting some one to come and teach them the right way. Their forefathers had the power of foretelling future events, and working miracles. They have an ark or chest, in which they keep their holy things, and which they carry with them to war. A person is appointed to carry it, called the priest for the war, who is especially purified by fasting, and taking a bitter drink; he has a sagan or helper. No other than these two dare to touch the ark, not even an enemy. It must not be placed on the ground, through fear of defilement, but upon a heap of stones piled up, or on a wooden stool provided for the purpose. All the males appear in their temples three times a-year, at the appointed feasts, on which occasions the women and children do not form any part of the devotional body. Their temples are high places. Among the more civilised there were huge heaps of earth used as places of burial, as well as for temples, altars, and religious worship; to these they resorted when driven by an enemy, and there no quarter was either given or received. They say that God made the first man of clay, and breathed on him, and so gave him life. They have a tradition respecting a flood, in which all the inhabitants of the earth were drowned, except one family, which was saved in a large vessel, together with various animals; that a large bird and a small one were sent out from it--that the small one returned with a branch in his mouth, but