eldest Son: With a Derivation of the Whites from Japheth the youngest, and the Negroes from some of the Sons of Canaan, Descendant of Ham, Noah's second Son.
Chap. II.
Of the Government, Religion, Habit, Wars, Lives, Customs, &c. of the Indians of North America, and of Christanna.
As to the Government and Life of the Indians, they live in a kind of patriarchal Manner, variously diversify'd, not unlike the Tribes and Families mentioned in the Old Testament. Every small Town is a petty Kingdom govern'd by an absolute Monarch, assisted and advised by his great Men, selected out of the gravest, oldest, bravest, and richest; if I may allow their Dear-Skins, Peak and Roenoak (black and white Shells with Holes, which they wear on Strings about their Arms and Necks) to be Wealth.
Sometimes there are general Emperors, who have several petty Kingdoms in some Measure under their Protection and Power.
They dwell in Towns some twenty, some a hundred Miles, and some farther from one another, each Town having a particular Jargon and peculiar Customs; though for the most Part they agree in certain Signs, Expressions, and Manners.
They are frequently at War with all their Neighbours, or most of them, and treat their Captive Prisoners very barbarously; either by scalping them (which I have seen) by ripping off the Crown of the Head, which they wear on a Thong by their Side as a signal Trophee and Token of Victory and Bravery or sometimes they tie their Prisoners, and lead them bound to their Town, where with the most joyful Solemnity they kill them, often by thrusting in several Parts of their Bodies scewers of Light-wood which burn like Torches. The poor Victim all the while (which is sometimes two or three Days) not shewing the least Symptom of Grief, nor Sign of Pain, but bearing it with a scornful Sullenness.
In their Rejoicings and Wardances they with the most antick Gestures, in the most frightful Dress, with a hideous Noise, enumerate the Enemies, that they have murder'd, and such like Exploits.
They attack always by Surprize, and will never stand their Ground when discovered; but fly to Ambush, whither the Enemy may pursue with Peril of his Life.
They are made for running very swiftly, and are nicely dextrous at fishing, hunting, and fowling; whereby they support themselves and Families with Venison, Fish, wild Turkies, &c.
The Women do all the hard Labour, such as cutting down the Trees, planting Corn, &c. carrying Burthens and all their other Work; the Men only hunting, fishing and fowling, eating, drinking, dancing and sleeping.
The Boys still use Bows and Arrows for Exercise, with which they are very dextrous; but the Men always use Fire-Arms, which with Ammunition they buy of us with their Dear-Skins, going rarely out unarmed.
They are so wonderfully quick-sighted, that they will swiftly pursue by Eye the Track of any Thing among the Trees, in the Leaves and Grass, as an Hound does by the Scent, where we can't perceive the least Mark or Footstep.
They cohabit in some hundreds of Families, and fix upon the richest Ground to build their wooden Houses, which they place in a circular Form, meanly defended with Pales, and covered with Bark; the middle Area (or Forum) being for common Uses and publick Occasions. The Women in order to plant their Indian Corn and Tobacco (to clear the Ground of Trees) cut the Bark round; so that they die and don't shade the Ground, and decay in Time.
Wherever we meet with an old Indian Field, or Place where they have lived, we are sure of the best Ground. They all remove their Habitation for fear of their Enemies, or for the Sake of Game and Provision.
They have small Sweating Houses like Ovens; out of which when they are almost smothered with Heat, they run into a River, which they always contrive to build their Towns near.
This Practice in all Distempers often kills vast Numbers in Sicknesses, which are new to them.
They have no Notion of providing for Futurity; for they eat Night and Day whilst their Provision lasts, falling to as soon as they awake, and falling asleep again as soon as they are well crammed.
Their Fish, Flesh, and Fowl, they either barbacue on an high Gridiron, or broil on sharp Sticks before a Fire, which they always keep in the Middle of their Cabbin; and they lie upon Boards and Skins raised like Benches round about their Room.
Their Drink is Water, unless they can get Rum; with which they make themselves the greatest Beasts, never ceasing as long as they have Liquor to drink, and can keep awake.
I have known, when Cows have been given them, that they let them go dry for Laziness in neglecting to milk them, and die in the Winter for want of Fodder.
They commonly wear a Dear-Skin, putting their Arms thro' the Holes of the Shoulder, with a Flap ty'd before and behind to cover their Nakedness; though they buy often Matchcoats or Blankets now, to defend them from the Wet and Cold, and think themselves very fine in such Coats as our common Soldiers wear, or of any taudry Colours: Besides this, some pin Pieces of red or blue Cloth about their Legs, and make Moccasons or leather Purses for their Feet, with which they can travel in the Woods, without Danger of Thorns or Stumps. For all the Country is but one continued Forest, with Patches of some hundred Acres here and there cleared; either being formerly seated by Indians, or the Trees being burnt in Fire-Hunting, or cut down for Plantations.
Their Children almost as soon as born, are ty'd flat on their Backs to a Board; and so may be flung on the Ground, or put to lean against any Thing, or be slung over their Neck in Travelling, or hung upon a Bough, as Occasion requires.
This occasions them to be exactly strait; so that it is a Miracle to see a crooked or deformed Indian.
Their Hair is very black, coarse and long; and they are all over daubed frequently with Bear's Oil.
Each Nation has some distinguishing Mark, especially in the Cut or Tie of their Hair, in which they are very whimsical and comical.
They often wear Shells hanging upon their Breasts, with Feathers or a Deer's Tail in their bored Ears or Hair, with a Wolf or Fox-Skin for a Snapsack; with other odd Accoutrements.
In their Opinion, they are finest when dressed most ridiculously or terribly. Thus some have their Skins all over curiously wrought with blewish Lines and Figures, as if done with Gun-Powder and Needles, and all of them delight in being painted; so that when they are very fine, you may see some of them with their Hair cut off on one Side, and a long Lock on the other. The Crown being crested and bedaubed with red Lead and Oil; their Forehead being painted white, and it may be their Nose black, and a Circle of Blue round one Eye, with the Cheek red, and all the other Side of the Face yellow, or in some such fantastical Manner. These Colours they buy of us, being persuaded to despise their own, which are common and finer.
They are treacherous, suspicious and jealous, difficult to be persuaded or imposed upon, and very sharp, hard in Dealing, and ingenious in their Way, and in Things that they naturally know, or have been taught; though at first they are
