Part 9

Now of their worships: As it is naturall to all mortals to worship something, so doe these people, but exactly to describe to whom their worship is chiefly bent, is very difficult; they acknowledge especially two, _Ketan_ who is their good God, to whom they sacrifice (as the ancient Heathen did to _Ceres_) after their garners bee full with a good croppe: upon this God likewise they invocate for faire weather, for raine in time of drought, and for the recovery of their sick; but if they doe not heare them, then they verifie the old verse, _Flectere si nequeo Superos, Acharonta movebo_, their Pow-wows betaking themselves to their exorcismes and necromanticke charmes, by which they bring to passe strange things, if wee may beleeve the _Indians_, who report of one _Pissacannawa_, that hee can make the water burne, the rocks move, the trees dance, metamorphize himselfe into a flaming man. But it may be objected, this is but _deceptio visus_. Hee will therefore doe more, for in Winter, when there is no greene leaves to be got, he will burne an old one to ashes, and putting those into the water, produce a new greene leafe, which you shall not onely see, but substantially handle and carrie away; and make of a dead snakes skinne a living snake, both to be seene, felt, and heard; this I write but upon the report of the _Indians_, who confidently affirme stranger things. But to make manifest, that by Gods permission, thorough the Devils helpe, their charmes are of force to produce effects of wonderment; An honest Gentle-man related a storie to mee, being an eye-witness of the same: A Pow-wow having a patient with the stumpe of some small tree runne thorough his foote, being past the cure of his ordinary Surgery, betooke himselfe to his charmes, and being willing to shew his miracle before the _English_ stranger, hee wrapt a piece of cloth about the foote of the lame man; upon that wrapping a Beaver skinne, through which hee laying his mouth to the Beaver skinne, by his sucking charmes he brought out the stumpe, which he spat into a tray of water, returning the foote as whole as its fellow in a short time. The manner of their action in their conjuration is thus: The parties that are sick or lame being brought before them, the Pow-wow sitting downe, the rest of the _Indians_ giving attentive audience to his imprecations and invocations, and after the violent expression of many a hideous bellowing and groaning, he makes a stop, and then all the auditors with one voice utter a short _Canto_; which done, the Pow-wow still proceeds in his invocations, sometimes roaring like a Beare, other times groaning like a dying horse, foaming at the mouth like a chased bore, smiting on his naked brest and thighs with such violence, as if he were madde. Thus will hee continue sometimes halfe a day, spending his lungs, sweating out his fat, and tormenting his body in this diabolicall worship; sometimes the Devill for requitall of their worship, recovers the partie, to nuzzle them up in their divellish Religion. In former time hee was wont to carrie away their wives and children, because hee would drive them to these Martens, to fetch them again to confirme their beliefe of this his much desired authoritie over them: but since the _English_ frequented those parts, they daily fall from his colours, relinquishing their former fopperies, and acknowledge our God to be supreame. They acknowledge the power of the _English_-mans God, as they call, him, because they could never yet have power by their conjurations to damnifie the _English_ either in body or goods; and besides, they say hee is a good God that sends them so many good things, so much good corne, so many cattell, temperate raines, faire seasons, which they likewise are the better for since the arrivall of the _English_; the times and seasons being much altered in seaven or eight yeares, freer from lightning and thunder, long droughts, suddaine and tempestuous dashes of raine, and lamentable cold Winters.

CHAP. XIII.

_Of their Warres._

Of their Warres: Their old souldiers being swept away by the Plague, which was very rife amongst them about 14 yeares agoe, and resting themselves secure under the _English_ protection, they doe not now practice any thing in martiall feates worth observation, saving that they make themselves Forts to flie into, if the enemies should unexpectedly assaile them. These Forts some be fortie or fiftie foote square, erected of young timber trees, ten or twelve foote high, rammed into the ground, with undermining within, the earth being cast up for their shelter against the dischargements of their enemies, having loope-holes to send out their winged messingers, which often deliver their sharpe and bloody embassies in the tawnie sides of their naked assailants, who wanting butting Rammes and battering Ordinances to command at distance, lose their lives by their too neare approachments. These use no other weapons in warre than bowes and arrowes, saving that their Captaines have long speares, on which if they returne conquerours they carrie the heads of their chiefe enemies that they slay in the wars: it being the custome to cut off their heads, hands, and feete, to beare home to their wives and children, as true tokens of their renowned victorie. When they goe to their warres, it is their custome to paint their faces with diversitie of colours, some being all black as jet, some red, some halfe red and halfe blacke, some blacke and white, others spotted with divers kinds of colours, being all disguised to their enemies, to make them more terrible to their foes, putting on likewise their rich Iewels, pendents and Wampompeage, to put them in minde they fight not onely for their Children, Wives, and lives, but likewise for their goods, lands and liberties; Being thus armed with this warlike paint, the antique warriers make towards their enemies in a disordered manner, without any souldier like marching or warlike postures, being deafe to any word of command, ignorant of falling off, or falling on, of doubling rankes or files, but let fly their winged shaftments without eyther feare or wit; their Artillery being spent, he that hath no armes to fight, findes legges to run away.

CHAP. XIIII.

_Their games and sports of activitie._

Bvt to leave their warres, and to speake of their games in which they are more delighted and better experienced, spending halfe their dayes in gaming and lazing. They have two sorts of games, one called _Puim_, the other _Hubbub_, not much unlike Cards and Dice, being no other than Lotterie. _Puim_ is 50. or 60. small Bents of a foote long which they divide to the number of their gamesters, shuffling them first betweene the palmes of their hands; he that hath more than his fellow is so much the forwarder in his game: many other strange whimseyes be in this game; which would be too long to commit to paper; hee that is a noted gamster, hath a great hole in his eare wherein hee carries his _Puims_ in defiance of his antagonists. _Hubbub_ is five small Bones in a small smooth Tray, the bones bee like a Die, but something flatter, blacke on the one side and white on the other, which they place on the ground, against which violently thumping the platter, the bones mount changing colours with the windy whisking of their hands too and fro; which action in that sport they much use, smiting themselves on the breast, and thighs, crying out, _Hub, Hub, Hub_; they may be heard play at this game a quarter of a mile off. The bones being all blacke or white, make a double game; if three be of a colour and two of another, then they affoard but a single game; foure of a colour and one differing is nothing; so long as a man winns, he keepes the Tray: but if he loose, the next man takes it. They are so bewitched with these two games, that they will loose sometimes all they have, Beaver, Moose-skinnes, Kettles, Wampompeage, Mowhackies, Hatchets, Knives, all is confiscate by these two games. For their sports of activitie they have commonly but three or foure; as footeball, shooting, running and swimming: when they play country against country, there are rich Goales, all behung with Wampompeage, Mowhackies, Beaver skins, and blacke Otter skinnes. It would exceede the beleefe of many to relate the worth of one Goale, wherefore it shall be namelesse. Their Goales be a mile long placed on the sands, which are as even as a board; their ball is no bigger than a hand-ball, which sometimes they mount in the Aire with their naked feete, sometimes it is swayed by the multitude; sometimes also it is two dayes before they get a Goale, then they marke the ground they winne, and beginne there the next day. Before they come to this sport, they paint themselves, even as when they goe to warre, in pollicie to prevent future mischiefe, because no man should know him that moved his patience or accidentally hurt his person, taking away the occasion of studying revenge. Before they begin their armes be disordered, and hung upon some neighbouring tree, after which they make a long scrowle on the sand, over which they shake loving hands, and with laughing hearts scuffle for victorie. While the men play the boyes pipe, and the women dance and sing trophies of their husbands conquests; all being done a feast summons their departure. It is most delight to see them play, in smaller companies, when men may view their swift footemanship, their curious tossings of their Ball, their flouncing into the water, their lubberlike wrestling, having no cunning at all in that kind, one _English_ being able to beate ten _Indians_ at footeball. For their shooting they be most desperate marksmen for a point blancke object, and if it may bee possible _Cornicum oculos configere_ they will doe it: such is their celerity and dexterity in Artillerie, that they can smite the swift running Hinde and nimble winged Pigeon without a standing pause or left eyed blinking; they draw their Arrowes between the fore fingers and the thumbe; their bowes be quicke, but not very strong, not killing above six or seaven score. These men shoot at one another, but with swift conveighance shunne the Arrow; this they doe to make them expert against time of warre. It hath beene often admired how they can finde their Arrowes, be the weedes as high as themselves, yet they take such perfect notice of the flight and fall that they seldome loose any. They are trained up to their bowes even from their childhood; little boyes with Bowes made of little stickes and Arrowes of great bents, will smite downe a peece of Tobacco pipe every shoot a good way off: as these _Indians_ be good marksmen, so are they well experienced where the very life of every creature lyeth, and know where to smite him to make him dye presently. For their swimming it is almost naturall, but much perfected by continuall practise; their swimming is not after our _English_ fashion of spread armes and legges which they hold too tiresome, but like dogges their armes before them cutting through the liquids with their right shoulder; in this manner they swimme very swift and farre, either in rough or smooth waters, sometimes for their ease lying as still as a log; sometimes they will play the dive-doppers, and come up in unexpected places. Their children likewise be taught to swimme when they are very young. For their running it is with much celeritie and continuance, yet I suppose there be many _English_ men who being as lightly clad as they are, would outrun them for a spurt, though not able to continue it for a day or dayes, being they be very strong winded and rightly clad for a race.

CHAP. XV.

_Of their huntings._

For their hunting, it is to be noted that they have no swift foote Grayhounds, to let slippe at the sight of the Deere, no deepe mouthed hounds, or senting beagles, to finde out their desired prey; themselves are all this, who in that time of the yeare, when the Deere comes downe, having certaine hunting houses, in such places where they know the Deere usually doth frequent, in which they keep their randevowes, their snares and all their accoutraments for that imployment: when they get sight of a Deere, Moose or Beare, they studie how to get the wind of him, and approaching within shot, stab their marke quite through, if the bones hinder not. The chiefe thing they hunt after is Deere, Mooses, and Beares, it greeves them more to see an _English_ man take one Deere, than a thousand Acres of land: they hunt likewise after Wolves, and wild Catts, Rackoones, Otters, Beavers, Musquashes, trading both their skinnes and flesh to the _English_. Besides their artillery, they have other devices to kill their game, as sometimes hedges a mile or two miles long, being a mile wide at one end, and made narrower and narrower by degrees, leaving onely a gap of sixe foote long, over against which, in the day time they lye lurking to shoot the Deere which come through that narrow gut; so many as come within the circumference of that hedge, seldome returne backe to leape over, unlesse they be forced by the chasing of some ravenous Wolfe, or sight of some accidentall passinger; in the night at the gut of this hedge, they set Deere traps, which are springes made of young trees, and smooth wrought coards; so strong as it will tosse a horse if hee be caught in it. An _English_ Mare being strayed from her owner, and growne wild by her long sojourning in the Woods ranging up and downe with the wilde crew, stumbled into one of these traps which stopt her speed, hanging her like _Mahomets_ tombe, betwixt earth, and heaven; the morning being come, the _Indians_ went to looke what good successe their Venison trappes brought them, but seeing such a long scutted Deere, praunce in their Merritotter, they bade her good morrow, crying out, what cheere what cheere _Englishmans squaw_ horse; having no better epithite than to call her a woman horse, but being loath to kill her, and as fearefull to approach neere the friscadoes of her Iron heeles, they posted to the _English_ to tell them how the case stood or hung with their _squaw_ horse, who unhorsed their Mare, and brought her to her former tamenesse, which since hath brought many a good foale, and performed much good service. In these traps Deeres, Mooses, Beares, Wolves, Catts, and Foxes, are often caught. For their Beavers and Otters, they have other kinde of trappes, so ponderous as is unsupportable for such creatures, the massie burthen whereof either takes them prisoners, or expells their breath from their squised bodyes. These kinde of creatures would gnaw the other kind of trappes asunder, with their sharpe teeth: these beasts are too cunning for the _English_, who seldome or never catch any of them, therefore we leave them to those skilfull hunters whose time is not so precious, whose experience bought-skill hath made them practicall and usefull in that particuler.

CHAP. XVI.

_Of their Fishings._

Of their fishing, in this trade they be very expert, being experienced in the knowledge of all baites, fitting sundry baites for severall fishes, and diverse seasons; being not ignorant likewise of the removall of fishes, knowing when to fish in rivers, and when at rockes, when in Baies, and when at Seas: since the _English_ came they be furnished with _English_ hookes and lines, before they made them of their owne hempe more curiously wrought, of stronger materials than ours, hooked with bone hookes: but lazinesse drives them to buy more than profit or commendations winnes them to make of their owne; they make likewise very strong Sturgeon nets with which they catch Sturgeons of 12. 14. and 16. some 18. foote long in the day time, in the night time they betake them to their Burtchen _Cannows_, in which they carry a forty fathome line, with a sharpe bearded dart, fastned at the end thereof; then lightning a blazing torch made of Burtchen rindes, they weave it too and againe by their _Cannow_ side, which the Sturgeon much delighted with, comes to them tumbling and playing, turning up his white belly, into which they thrust their launce, his backe being impenetrable; which done they haile to the shore their strugling prize. They have often recourse unto the rockes whereupon the sea beates, in warme weather to looke out for sleepie Seales, whose oyle they much esteeme, using it for divers things. In summer they seldome fish any where but in salt, in winter in the fresh water and ponds; in frostie weather they cut round holes in the yce, about which they wil sit like so many apes, on their naked breeches upon the congealed yce, catching of Pikes, Pearches, Breames, and other sorts of fresh water fish.

CHAP. XVII.

_Of their Arts and Manufactures._

Of their severall Arts and imployments, as first in dressing of all manner of skinnes, which they doe by scraping and rubbing, afterwards painting them with antique embroyderings in unchangeable colours, sometimes they take off the haire, especially if it bee not killed in season. Their bowes they make of a handsome shape, strung commonly with the sinnewes of Mooses; their arrowes are made of young Elderne, feathered with feathers of Eagles wings and tailes, headed with brasse in shape of a heart or triangle, fastned in a slender peece of wood sixe or 8 inches long, which is framed to put loose in the pithie Elderne, that is bound fast for riving: their arrowes be made in this manner because the arrow might shake from his head and be left behind for their finding, and the pile onely remaine to gaule the wounded beast. Their cordage is so even, soft, and smooth, that it lookes more like silke than hempe; their Sturgeon netts be not deepe, nor above 30. or 40. foote long, which in ebbing low waters they stake fast to the ground, where they are sure the Sturgeon will come, never looking more at it, till the next low water. Their _Cannows_ be made either of Pine-trees, which before they were acquainted with _English_ tooles, they burned hollow, scraping them smooth with Clam-shels and Oyster-shels, cutting their out-sides with stone-hatchets: These Boates be not above a foot and a halfe, or two feete wide, and twenty foote long. Their other _Cannows_ be made of thinne Birch-rines, close-ribbed on the in-side with broad thinne hoopes, like the hoopes of a Tub; these are made very light, a man may carry one of them a mile, being made purposely to carry from River to River, and Bay to Bay, to shorten Land-passages. In these cockling fly-boates, wherein an _English_ man can scarce sit without a fearefull tottering, they will venture to Sea, when an _English_ Shallope dare not beare a knot of sayle; scudding over the overgrowne waves as fast as a winde-driven Ship, being driven by their padles; being much like battle doores; if a crosse wave (as is seldome) turne her keele up-side downe, they by swimming free her, and scramble into her againe.

CHAP. XVIII.

_Of their Language._

Of their Language which is onely peculiar to themselves, not inclining to any of the refined tongues. Some have thought they might be of the dispersed _Iewes_, because some of their words be neare unto the _Hebrew_; but by the same rule they may conclude them to be some of the gleanings of all Nations, because they have words which sound after the _Greeke_, _Latine_, _French_, and other tongues: Their Language is hard to learne; few of the _English_ being able to speake any of it, or capable of the right pronunciation, which is the chiefe grace of their tongue. They pronounce much after the Diphthongs, excluding _L_ and _R_, which in our _English_ Tongue they pronounce with as much difficulty, as most of the _Dutch_ doe _T_ and _H_, calling a Lobster a _Nobstann_. Every Countrey doth something differ in their Speech, even as our Northerne people doe from the Southerne, and Westerne from them; especially the _Tarrenteens_, whose Tongues runne so much upon _R_, that they wharle much in pronunciation. When any ships come neare the shore, they demand whether they be King _Charles_ his _Torries_, with such a rumbling sound, as if one were beating an unbrac't Drumme. In serious discourse our Southerne _Indians_ use seldome any short _Colloquiums_, but speake their minds at large, without any interjected interruptions from any: The rest giving diligent audience to his utterance; which done, some or other returnes him as long an answere, they love not to speake _multa sed multum_, seldome are their words, and their deeds strangers. According to the matter in discourse, so are their acting gestures in their expressions. One of the _English_ Preachers in a speciall good intent of doing good to their soules, hath spent much time in attaining to their Language, wherein he is so good a proficient, that he can speake to their understanding, and they to his; much loving and respecting him for his love and counsell. It is hoped that he may be an instrument of good amongst them. They love any man that can utter his minde in their words, yet are they not a little proud that they can speake the _English_ tongue, using it as much as their owne, when they meete with such as can understand it, puzling stranger _Indians_, which sometimes visite them from more remote places, with an unheard language.

CHAP. XIX.

_Of their deaths, burials, and mourning._

Although the _Indians_ be of lusty and healthfull bodies, not experimentally knowing the Catalogue of those health-wasting diseases which are incident to other Countries, as Feavers, Pleurisies, Callentures, Agues, Obstructions, Consumptions, Subfumigations, Convulsions, Apoplexies, Dropsies, Gouts, Stones, Tooth-aches, Pox, Measels, or the like; but spinne out the thread of their dayes to a faire length, numbering three-score, foure-score, some a hundred yeares, before the worlds universall summoner cite them to the craving Grave: But the date of their life expired, and Deaths arestment seazing upon them, all hope of recovery being past, then to behold and heare their throbbing sobs and deepe-fetcht sighes, their griefe-wrung hands, and teare-bedewed cheekes, their dolefull cries, would draw teares from Adamantine eyes, that be but spectators of their mournefull Obsequies. The glut of their griefe being past, they commit the corpes of their diceased friends to the ground, over whose grave is for a long time spent many a briny teare, deepe groane, and _Irish_-like howlings, continuing annuall mournings with a blacke stiffe paint on their faces: These are the Mourners without hope, yet doe they hold the immortality of the never-dying soule, that it shall passe to the South-west _Elysium_, concerning which their _Indian_ faith jumps much with the _Turkish Alchoran_, holding it to be a kinde of Paradise, wherein they shall everlastingly abide, solacing themselves in odoriferous Gardens, fruitfull Corne-fields, greene Medows, bathing their tawny hides in the coole streames of pleasant Rivers, and shelter themselves from heate and cold in the sumptuous Pallaces framed by the skill of Natures curious contrivement; concluding that neither care nor paine shall molest them, but that Natures bounty will administer all things with a voluntary contribution from the overflowing store-house of their _Elyzian_ Hospitall, at the portall whereof they say, lies a great Dogge, whose churlish snarlings deny a _Pax intrantibus_, to unworthy intruders: Wherefore it is their custome, to bury with them their Bows and Arrows, and good store of their _Wampompeage_ and _Mowhackies_; the one to affright that affronting _Cerberus_, the other to purchase more immense prerogatiues in their Paradise. For their enemies and loose livers, whom they account unworthy of this imaginary happines, they say, that they passe to the infernall dwellings of _Abamocho_, to be tortured according to the fictions of the ancient Heathen.

CHAP. XIX.

_Of their women, their dispositions, employments, usage by their husbands, their apparell, and modesty._