The Natives were very numerous att the Christians first sitting down here, tho' since, their number is much decreased, by reports from one hundred to one: ye small pox took many of them away lately, and they yet dayly decrease, some think by their takeing to drink rum, (a Liquor we have from Barbadoes, distilled off their sugar canes,) which they exceedingly covet; and will not be satisfyed till they are very drunk with it. As to their Religion, they are heathens; and thro' ignorance, are seduced to worship the Devil, who, as themselves report, often appears to them in a shape; they have some blind apprehensions of a superiour being whom they fear, because they think he is able to do them hurt. I could never observe any sett form of Worshipp amongst them, or any sett apart for Priests, tho' when they go to War, or fear some sudden destruction, they have their pouwaw, wch is more properly a conjuration, where many of them dance in a ring, singing, and some howling in Antic postures, while others invoke their Monetto, or God, praying him not to hurt or kill them. This is perform'd generally by their Capts and great Men; formerly, they sacrificed one another, which has been disused now some years. Their manner of habitt is ye Men naked except a small peece of Duffetts weh comes between their Legs, and is tyed with a string abt their loyns to cover their secret parts; the women have short pettycoats of duffetts to their knees; each have a blankett or a fatō length of duffetts abt their shoulders like a mantle; they have no more in ye coldest wheather; they anoynt their bodyes with bears greece to harden their skinn, that ye cold may less penetrate; they are generally healthy, lusty tall men and women, strong bodyed, rarely one crooked amongst them, and by what we can understand of them, (for they can neither read nor write,) some have lived 100 years; their women bring strong children, tho' not so many generally as Women in Europe; they are often deliver'd as they travel from one place to another; if they find their pains coming, they step aside under a Tree all alone, and sometimes in less than an hour, they follow their company with their newborn babe, lapp'd up in a corner of their blankett, having first washt that and themselves att ye next brooke of water they come att; their cheif food is Maiz, or Indian Corn, wch they plant; it is about ye bigness of a horse bean, is a very fruitfull grain; one corn planted often yielding 2000 fold; Venison dryed in ye sun without salt, clams and oysters, also dryed, is their SECOND SERIES, VOL. II. 17 usual food for travelling, tho' they generally eat ye flesh of what they kill by ye way, and till lately did also eat man's flesh, when they took any of their Enemys Prisoners. Their houseing where they reside are most Hutts or Wigwams as they call them, with long thin poles bent, and both ends stuck in ye ground arch manner, not unlike our Arbers in England, and these covered with bark, makeing their fire under it; in their travells they only cutt down a few boughs, sticking them in ye ground to windward, and makeing a good fire, lye down to sleep on ye bare earth, covering themselves with ye blanketts; they generally carry their utensills with them, ye Man with his gun, hatchet, and knife, ye woman a kettle, a small wooden dish, and their dryed provision and some maiz; to grind their corn they use only 2 stones to pound it, and then boyl it with water and so eat it; they are generally of good natural parts, strong memories and very apprehensive; they trouble themselves not about Religion; their languages are different each nation, as there are, I believe, 10 or 12; have their peculiar speech, tho' they have a Lingua Franca, (as I may call it,) by which they all understand one another. Their women are obliged to prepare their Land, and plant their corn; ye Men hunt and provide provisions, which ye women again must carry; they have a sort of Despotic Government among them by a Sacamaker, who is over their nation; his word is a law, tho' in cases of great consequence, all, both Men and Women, are often consulted; they are very cruel in their Warrs, tormenting and often burning their prisoners in cold blood; if any of them have lost a friend or Relation in ye Warrs, ye others offer their Prisoners to such, as if a Man has lost his Son, a Prisoner is offered to him. If he will accept ye Prisoner as his Son, ye loss is supposed to be made up, and ye person so taken is lookt upon in all respects as ye Relation lost, but if he refuses, ye Prisoner must immediately be burnt, and this sentence is irrevocable. They labour not much, but in absolute necessity, are generally lazy, affect not any Sports, but mostly employ themselves in hunting and fishing, in which they are very dexterous, and as good marksmen as most Christians; they have no occasion to preserve any food unless for their journeys, haveing always game enough in ye woods.-FINIS. |