ALGONQUINS, a savage people of North America, inhabiting a part of Lower Canada, and formerly occu eying the Whole of the country distinguished by that ,carte. They are originally the same people with the Kitlistinons, and probably also with the Chippe ways ; for their language has so close a resemblance to the Killistinon and Chippeway as to prove the iden tity ol the 'rations, at a period of time not very remote. (See a Vocal). of the Killistinon and Chip. Lang. in M`Kcnzie's VoyagT, p. 107, and one of the Algonquin and Chippeway in Lung's Travels, Append.) At pre sent, however, they must all he regarded as separate and independent tribes.
As the Algonquins, like the other uncivilized inhabi tants of America, have no records, by which the memory of past transactions is preserved, little of their early his tory is known. For a considerable time, they had no rivals in war, or in the chase. The Iroquois, or Indians of the Five Nations, whose country was separated from theirs by the river St Lawrence, were nominally their allies, but in reality their dependents and tributaries. They followed the Algonquins in their hunting expedi tions, and were employed in the menial offices of flaying the animals which were killed, preserving their flesh, and dressing their skins. But the Iroquois, having asso ciated fur the purpose of defending themselves against the tribes in their neighbourhood, began to feel their own strength, mud to perceive the advantages of the union which they had formed. They had marked also the causes of that superiority, which the Algonquins maintained over the other tribes, and had learned from them the art of conducting themselves with propriety in their warlike excursions: and what they saw and had learned, they quickly turned to the great object of esta blishing their independence. The jealousy of the Al gonquins arose : both nations were employed in hunting, and the Iroquois, whether by their activity or by good fortune, had killed a much greater number of elks than their associates, who, exasperated at their successes, fell upon their young men in the night, and put every one of them to death. This conduct naturally provoked the
anger of the Iroquois; but they dissembled their resent ment, and waited for a proper opportunity to retaliate, with all the patience and secrecy which distinguish the natives of America, in the execution of their plans of vengeance. They tried their strength upon the inferior tribes, and improved both in courage and in skill. In due time, their plans being mature, they attacked the Algonquins with invincible fury, and destroyed them with implacable resentment ; cutting off their hunting parties, surprising them in their re treats, and persevering so long in the ardour of revenge, as showed, that they were bent upon the extirpation of the inimical race. And such is the power of united strength, that they very nearly succeeded in the accom plishment of their design. But the French having in terfered, put a stop to their ravages. At present, the Algonquins are to be found in small tribes, and their numbers are annually diminishing; a remark which likewise applies to many other nations of the American continent.
The manners and customs of this savage people are nearly the same with those of the other Indians of North America. They live chiefly by hunting and fishing. and of consequence have no fixed place of abode, and are frequently assailed by famine. Their huts are temporary erections, meanly built, and poorly furnished, and nauseous beyond the sufferance of any cultivated people. See the articles CANADA and INDIANS. Sec also IIIcurs des Sauvagrs, par Lafitau, Passim. Mal thus on Popu/ation, vol. i. M'Kenzie's Truve/s,passim ; Long's Travels, passim. Adair's !list. of ?meric. In (h)