Part 7
The _Tarrenteenes_ saving that they eate not mans flesh, are little lesse salvage, and cruell than these Canniballs: our _Indians_ doe feare them as their deadly enemies; for so many of them as they meete they kill. About 2 yeares agoe, our _Indians_ being busie about their accustomed huntings, not suspecting them so neere their owne liberties, were on the suddaine surprized by them; some being slaine, the rest escaping to their _English Asylum_, whither they durst not pursue them; their _Sagamore_ was wounded by an arrow, but presently cured by _English_ Chirurgery. These _Indians_ are the more insolent, by reason they have guns which they dayly trade for with the _French_, (who will sell his eyes as they say, for beaver:) but these doe them more credit than service; for having guns they want powder, or if they have that, they want shot, something or other being alwayes wanting; so that they use them for little, but to salute coasting boates that come to trade, who no sooner can anchor in any harbour; but they present them with a vollie of shot, asking for sacke and strong liquors, which they so much love since the _English_ used to trade it with them, that they will scarse trade for any thing else, lashing out into excessive abuse, first taught by the example of some of our _English_ who to uncloathe them of their beaver coates, clad them with the infection of swearing and drinking, which was never in fashion with them before, it being contrary to their nature to guzell downe strong drinke, or use so much as to sippe of strong-waters, vntill our bestiall example and dishonest incitation brought them to it; from which I am sure hath sprung many evill consequents, as disorder, quarrels, wrongs, unconscionable and forcive wresting of Beaver and Wampompeage: and from over-flowing Cups there hath beene a proceeding to revenge, murther and over-flowing of blood. As witnesse Maister _Wayes_ Boate, which they sunke with stones after they had killed his son, with three more: buzzing the _English_ in the eares, that they see it bulged against the rockes, and the men drowned in the beating surges: but afterwards being betrayed, as many as were caught, were hanged. Another who was situated on _Richmonds_ Iland, living as he list amongst them, making his couetous corrupt will his law; after many abuses, was with his family one evening treacherously murthered, under a faire pretence of trade; so that these that lived beside the Law of God, and their King, and the light of Nature, dyed by their hands that car'd neither for God, King, nor Nature. Take these _Indians_ in their own trimme and naturall disposition, and they be reported to be wise, lofty-spirited, constant in friendship to one another; true in their promise, and more industrious than many others.
CHAP. III.
_Of the _Pequants_ and _Narragansets_, _Indians_ inhabiting Southward._
The _Pequants_ be a stately warlike people, of whom I never heard any misdemeanour; but that they were iust and equall in their dealings; not treacherous either to their Country-men, or _English_: Requiters of courtesies, affable towards the _English_. Their next neighbours the _Narragansets_, be at this present the most numerous people in those parts, the most rich also, and the most industrious; being the store-house of all such kind of wild Merchandize as is amongst them. These men are the most curious minters of their _Wampompeage_ and _Mowhakes_, which they forme out of the inmost wreaths of Periwinkle-shels. The Northerne, Easterne, and Westerne _Indians_ fetch all their Coyne from these Southerne Mint-masters. From hence they have most of their curious Pendants & Bracelets; from hence they have their great stone-pipes, which wil hold a quarter of an ounce of Tobacco, which they make with steele-drils and other instruments; such is their ingenuity & dexterity, that they can imitate the _English_ mold so accurately, that were it not for matter and colour it were hard to distinguish them; they make them of greene, & sometimes of blacke stone; they be much desired of our _English_ Tobaconists, for their rarity, strength, handsomnesse, and coolnesse. Hence likewise our _Indians_ had their pots wherein they used to seeth their victuals before they knew the use of Brasse. Since the _English_ came, they have employed most of their time in catching of Beavers, Otters, and Musquashes, which they bring downe into the Bay, returning backe loaded with _English_ commodities, of which they make a double profit, by selling them to more remote _Indians_, who are ignorant at what cheape rates they obtaine them, in comparison of what they make them pay, so making their neighbours ignorance their enrichment. Although these be populous, yet I never heard they were desirous to take in hand any martiall enterprize, or expose themselves to the uncertaine events of warre: wherefore the _Pequants_ call them Women-like men; but being uncapable of a jeare, they rest secure under the conceit of their popularitie, and seeke rather to grow rich by industrie, than famous by deeds of Chevalry. But to leave strangers, and come to declare what is experimentally knowne of the _Indians_, amongst whom we live: of whom in the next Chapter.
CHAP. IV.
_Of the _Aberginians_ or _Indians_ Northward._
First of their Stature, most of them being betweene five or six foote high, straight bodied, strongly composed, smooth skinned, merry countenanced, of complexion something more swarthy than _Spaniards_, black hair'd, high foreheaded, blacke ey'd, out-nosed, broad shouldred, brawny arm'd, long and slender handed, out brested, small wasted, lanke bellied, well thighed, flat kneed, handsome growne leggs, and small feete: In a word, take them when the blood briskes in their veines, when the flesh is on their backs, and marrow in their bones, when they frolick in their antique deportments and _Indian_ postures; and they are more amiable to behold (though onely in _Adams_ livery) than many a compounded phantasticke in the newest fashion. It may puzzle beliefe, to conceive how such lustie bodies should have their rise and daily supportment from so slender a fostering; their houses being meane, their lodging as homely, commons scant, their drinke water, and Nature their best cloathing; in them the old proverbe may well be verified: (_Natura paucis contenta_) for though this be their daily portion, they still are healthfull and lusty. I have beene in many places, yet did I never see one that was borne either in redundance or defect a monster, or any that sickneffe had deformed, or casualitie made decrepit, saving one that had a bleared eye, and an other that had a wenne on his cheeke. The reason is rendred why they grow so proportionable, and continue so long in their vigour (most of them being 50 before a wrinkled brow or gray haire betray their age) is because they are not brought downe with suppressing labour, vexed with annoying cares, or drowned in the excessive abuse of overflowing plenty, which oftentimes kils them more than want, as may appeare in them. For when they change their bare _Indian_ commons for the plenty of _Englands_ fuller diet, it is so contrary to their stomacks, that death or a desperate sicknesse immediately accrews, which makes so few of them desirous to see _England_. Their swarthinesse is the Sun's livery, for they are borne faire. Their smooth skins proceede from the often anoynting of their bodies with the oyle of fishes, and the fat of Eagles, with the grease of Rackoones, which they hold in summer, the best antidote to keepe their skinne from blistering with the scorching Sunne; and it is their best armour against the Musketoes, the surest expeller of the hairy excrement, and stops the pores of their bodies against the nipping winters cold. Their black haire is naturall, yet it is brought to a more jetty colour by oyling, dying, and daily dressing. Sometimes they weare it very long, hanging down in a loose dishevel'd womanish manner; otherwhile tied up hard and short like a horse taile, bound close with a fillet, which they say makes it grow the faster: they are not a little phantasticall or custom-sick in this particular; their boyes being not permitted to weare their haire long till sixteene yeares of age, and then they must come to it by degrees; some being cut with a long foretop, a long locke on the crowne, one of each side of his head, the rest of his haire being cut even with the scalpe: the young men and souldiers weare their haire long on the one side, the other side being cut short like a screw; other cuts they have as their fancie befooles them, which would torture the wits of a curious Barber to imitate. But though they be thus wedded to the haire of their head, you cannot wooe them to weare it on their chinnes, where it no sooner growes, but it is stubbed up by the rootes, for they count it as an unuseful, cumbersome, and opprobrious excrement, insomuch as they call him an _English_ mans bastard that hath but the appearance of a beard, which some have growing in a staring fashion, like the beard of a cat, which makes them the more out of love with them, choosing rather to have no beards than such as should make them ridiculous.
CHAP. V.
_Of their Apparell, Ornaments, Paintings, and other artificiall deckings._
Now these naked bodies may seeme too weake to with-stand the assaulting heat of their parching Summers, and the piercing cold of the icie Winters, or it may be surmised that these earthly fabricks should be wasted to nothing by the tempestuous dashings of wind-driven raines, having neither that which may warme within, or shelter without; yet these things they looke not after, saving a paire of _Indian_ Breeches to cover that which modesty commands to be hid, which is but a peece of cloth a yard and a halfe long, put betweene their groinings, tied with a snakes skinne about their middles, one end hanging downe with a flap before, the other like a taile behinde. In the Winter time the more aged of them weare leather drawers, in forme like _Irish_ trouses, fastned under their girdle with buttons; they weare shooes likewise of their owne making cut out of a Mooses hide, many of them weare skinnes about them, in forme of an _Irish_ mantle, and of these some be Beares skinnes, Mooses skinnes, and Beaver skinnes sewed together, Otter skinnes, and Rackoone skinnes; most of them in the Winter having his deepe furr'd Cat skinne, like a long large muffe, which hee shifts to that arme which lieth most exposed to the winde; thus clad, hee busles better through a world of cold in a frost-paved wildernesse, than the furred Citizen in his warmer Stoave. If their fancie drive them to trade, they choose rather a good course blanket, thorough which they cannot see, interposing it betweene the sunne and them; or a piece of broade cloth, which they use for a double end, making it a coate by day, and a covering by night; they love not to be imprisoned in our _English_ fashion: they love their owne dogge fashion better (of shaking their eares, and being ready in a moment) than to spend time in dressing them, though they may as well spare it as any men I know, having little else to doe. But the chiefe reasons they render why they will not conforme to our _English_ apparell, are, because their women cannot wash them when they bee soyled, and their meanes will not reach to buy new when they have done with their old; and they confidently beleeve, the _English_ will not be so liberall as to furnish them upon gifture: therefore they had rather goe naked than be lousie, and bring their bodies out of their old tune, making them more tender by a new acquired habit, which poverty would constraine them to leave: although they be thus poore, yet is there in them the sparkes of naturall pride, which appeares in their longing desire after many kinde of ornaments, wearing pendants in their eares, as formes of birds, beasts, and fishes, carved out of bone, shels, and stone, with long bracelets of their curious wrought wampompeage and mowhackees, which they put about their necks and loynes; these they count a rare kinde of decking; many of the better sort bearing upon their cheekes certaine pourtraitures of beasts, as Beares, Deares, Mooses, Wolves, &c. some of fowls, as of Eagles, Hawkes, &c. which be not a superficiall painting, but a certaine incision, or else a raising of their skin by a small sharpe instrument, under which they conveigh a certain kind of black unchangeable inke, which makes the desired forme apparent and permanent. Others have certaine round Impressions downe the outside of their armes and brests, in forme of mullets or spur-rowels, which they imprint by searing irons: whether these be foiles to illustrate their unparalleld beauty (as they deeme it) or Armes to blazon their antique Gentilitie, I cannot easily determine: but a Sagamore with a Humberd in his eare for a pendant, a black hawke on his _occiput_ for his plume, Mowhackees for his gold chaine, good store of Wampompeage begirting his loynes, his bow in his hand, his quiver at his back with six naked _Indian_ spatterlashes at his heeles for his guard, thinkes himselfe little inferiour to the great _Cham_; hee will not stick to say, hee is all one with King _Charles_. He thinkes hee can blow downe Castles with his breath, and conquer kingdomes with his conceit. This _Pompey_ can endure no equall, till one dayes adverse lotterie at their game (called _Puimme_) metamorphize him into a _Codrus_, robbing him of his conceited wealth, leaving him in minde and riches equall with his naked attendants, till a new taxation furnish him with a fresh supplie.
CHAP. VI.
_Of their dyet, cookery, meale-times, and hospitality at their Kettles._
Having done with their most needfull cloathings and ornamentall deckings; may it please you to feast your eyes with their belly-timbers, which I suppose would be but _stibium_ to weake stomacks as they cooke it, though never so good of it selfe. In Winter-time they have all manner of fowles of the water and of the land, & beasts of the land and water, pond-fish, with Catharres and other rootes, _Indian_ beanes and Clamms. In the Summer they have all manner of Sea-fish, with all sorts of Berries. For the ordering of their victuals, they boile or roast them, having large Kettles which they traded for with the _French_ long since, and doe still buy of the _English_ as their neede requires, before they had substantiall earthen pots of their owne making. Their spits are no other than cloven sticks sharped at one end to thrust into the ground; into these cloven sticks they thrust the flesh or fish they would have rosted, behemming a round fire with a dozen of spits at a time, turning them as they see occasion. Some of their scullerie having dressed these homely cates, presents it to his guests, dishing it up in a rude manner, placing it on the verdent carpet of the earth which Nature spreads them, without either trenchers, napkins, or knives, upon which their hunger-sawced stomacks impatient of delayes, fals aboard without scrupling at unwashed hands, without bread, salt, or beere: lolling on the Turkish fashion, not ceasing till their full bellies leave nothing but emptie platters: they seldome or never make bread of their _Indian_ corne, but seeth it whole like beanes, eating three or foure cornes with a mouthfull of fish or flesh, sometimes eating meate first, and cornes after, filling chinkes with their broth. In Summer, when their corne is spent, Isquoutersquashes is their best bread, a fruite like a young Pumpion. To say, and to speake paradoxically, they be great eaters, and yet little meate-men; when they visit our _English_, being invited to eate, they are very moderate, whether it be to shew their manners, or for shamefastnesse, I know not; but at home they will eate till their bellies stand south, ready to split with fulnesse; it being their fashion to eate all at some times, and sometimes nothing at all in two or three dayes, wise Providence being a stranger to their wilder wayes: they be right Infidels, neither caring for the morrow, or providing for their owne families; but as all are fellowes at foot-ball, so they all meete friends at the kettle, saving their Wives, that dance a Spaniell-like attendance at their backes for their bony fragments. If their imperious occasions cause them to travell, the best of their victuals for their journey is _Nocake_, (as they call it) which is nothing but _Indian_ Corne parched in the hot ashes; the ashes being sifted from it, it is afterward beaten to powder, and put into a long leatherne bag, trussed at their backe like a knapsacke; out of which they take thrice three spoonefulls a day, dividing it into three meales. If it be in Winter, and Snow be on the ground, they can eate when they please, stopping Snow after their dusty victuals, which otherwise would feed them little better than a Tiburne halter. In Summer they must stay till they meete with a Spring or Brooke, where they may have water to prevent the imminent danger of choaking. With this strange _viaticum_ they will travell foure or five daies together, with loads fitter for Elephants than men. But though they can fare so hardly abroad, at home their chaps must walke night and day as long as they have it. They keepe no set meales, their store being spent, they champe on the bit, till they meete with fresh supplies, either from their owne endeavours, or their wives industry, who trudge to the _Clam-bankes_ when all other meanes faile. Though they be sometimes scanted, yet are they as free as Emperours, both to their Country-men and _English_, be he stranger, or neare acquaintance; counting it a great discourtesie, not to eate of their high-conceited delicates, and sup of their un-oat-meal'd broth, made thicke with Fishes, Fowles, and Beasts boyled all together; some remaining raw, the rest converted by over-much seething to a loathed mash, not halfe so good as _Irish Boniclapper_.
CHAP. VII.
_Of their dispositions and good qualifications, as friendship, constancy, truth, and affability._
To enter into a serious discourse concerning the naturall conditions of these _Indians_, might procure admiration from the people of any civilized Nations, in regard of their civility and good natures. If a Tree may be judged by his fruite, and dispositions calculated by exteriour actions; then may it be concluded, that these _Indians_ are of affable, courteous, and well disposed natures, ready to communicate the best of their wealth to the mutuall good of one another; and the lesse abundance they have, to manifest their entire friendship; so much the more perspicuous is their love, in that they are as willing to part with their Mite in poverty, as treasure in plenty. As he that kills a Deere, sends for his friends, and eates it merrily: So he that receives but a piece of bread from an _English_ hand, parts it equally betweene himselfe and his comerades, and eates it lovingly. In a word, a friend can command his friend, his house, and whatsoever is his, (saving his Wife) and have it freely: And as they are love-linked thus in common courtesie, so are they no way sooner dis-joynted than by ingratitude; accounting an ungratefull person a double robber of a man, not onely of his courtesie, but of his thankes which he might receive of another for the same proffered, or received kindnesse. Such is their love to one another, that they cannot endure to see their Countrey-men wronged, but will stand stiffely in their defence: plead strongly in their behalfe, and justifie one anothers integrities in any warrantable action. If it were possible to recount the courtesies they have shewed the _English_, since their first arrivall in those parts, it would not onely steddy beleefe, that they are a loving people, but also winne the love of those that never saw them, and wipe off that needelesse feare that is too deepely rooted in the conceits of many, who thinke them envious, and of such rankerous and inhumane dispositions, that they will one day make an end of their _English_ inmates. The worst indeede may be surmised, but the _English_ hitherto have had little cause to suspect them, but rather to be convinced of their trustinesse, seeing they have as yet beene the disclosers of all such treacheries as have bin practised by other _Indians_. And whereas once there was a proffer of an universall League amongst all the _Indians_ in those parts, to the intent that they might all joyne in one united force, to extirpate the _English_, our _Indians_ refused the motion, replying, they had rather be servants to the _English_, of whom they were confident to receive no harme, and from whom they had received so many favours, and assured good testimonies of their love, than equals with them, who would cut their throates upon the least offence, and make them the shambles of their cruelty. Furthermore, if any roaving ships be upon the coasts, and chance to harbour either East-ward, North-ward, or South-ward in any unusuall Port, they will giue us certaine intelligence of her burthen and forces, describing their men either by language or features; which is a great priviledge and no small advantage. Many wayes hath their advice and endeavour beene advantagious unto us; they being our first instructers for the planting of their _Indian_ Corne, by teaching us to cull out the finest seede, to observe the fittest season, to keepe distance for holes, and fit measure for hills, to worme it, and weede it; to prune it, and dresse it as occasion shall require.
These _Indians_ be very hospitable, insomuch that when the _English_ have trauelled forty, fifty, or threescore miles into the Countrey, they have entertained them into their houses, quartered them by themselves in the best roomes, providing the best victuals they could, expressing their welcome in as good termes as could be expected from their slender breeding; shewing more love than complement, not grumbling for a fortnights or three weekes tarrying; but rather caring to provide accommodation correspondent to their _English_ custome. The doubtfull traveller hath oftentimes beene much beholding to them for their guidance thorow the unbeaten Wildernesse: my selfe in this particular can doe no lesse in the due acknowledgment of their love, than speake their commendations, who with two more of my associates bending our course to new _Plimouth_, lost our way, being deluded by a misleading path which we still followed, being as we thought too broad for an _Indian_ path (which seldome is broader than a Cart's rutte) but that the dayly concourse of _Indians_ from the _Narragansets_ who traded for shooes, wearing them homewards had made this _Indian_ tract like an _English_ walke, and had rear'd up great stickes against the trees, and marked the rest with their hatchets in the _English_ fashion, which begat in us a security of our wrong way to be right, when indeed there was nothing lesse: The day being gloomy and our compasses at home, we travelled hard till night to lesse purpose than if we had sat still, not gaining an inch of our journey for a dayes travell: but happily wee arrived at an _Indian Wigwamme_, where we were informed of our misprision, and invited to a homely lodging, feasted with the haunch of a fat Deere, and the ensuing morning the son of my naked hoast, for a peece of Tobacco, and a foure penny whittle, tooke the clew of his traveling experience, conducting us through the strange labyrinth of unbeaten bushy wayes in the woody wildernesse twentie miles to our desired harbour.