Knowledge in those Arts, though above 2000 Years have passed since
the finishing of some of them. Yet all those stupendious Buildings
which the Spanish Authors describe, standing at the time of their
conquering the City and Territory of Mexico, should be so totally
destroyed that an Hundred Years after its Conquest there should
remain not the least Fragment of Art or Magnificence in any of their
Buildings; Hard Fate!
For my own Part I cannot help my Incredulity, suspecting much the
Truth of the above-mentioned Relations, which (agreeable to the
Humour of that Nation) seems calculated to aggrandize their Atchievements
in conquering a formidable People, who in reality were only a numerous
Herd of defenceless Indians, and still continue as perfect Barbarians
as any of their Neighbours.
Of the
Indians of Carolina and Florida.
Mr. Lawson, in his Account of Carolina, printed Anno 1714, has
given a curious Sketch of the natural Dispositions, Customs, &c.
of these Savages. As I had the same Opportunities of attesting that
Author's Account as he had in writing it, I shall take the Liberty
to select from him what is most material, which otherwise I could
not have omitted from my own Observation. I cannot but here lament
the hard Fate of this inquisitive Traveller, who, though partial
in his favourable Opinion of these Barbarians, died by their bloody
Hands, for they roasted him alive in revenge for Injuries thye pretended
to have received from him.
Their Persons.
The Indians of Carolina are generally tall, and well shap'd, with
well-proportioned Limbs, though their Wrists are small, their Fingers
long and slender; their Faces are rather broad, yet have good Features
and manly Aspects; their Noses are not flat, nor their Lips too
thick; their Eyes are black, and placed wide from one another; their
Hair is black, lank, and very course, approaching to the Substance
of Horsehair; the Colour of their Skin is tawny, yet would not be
so dark did they not daub themselves over with Bears Oyl continually
from their infancy, mixing therewith some vegetable Juices, particularly
that of the Sanguinaria, figur'd in Hort. Elt. P. 334. Vol. II.
The Women before Marriage are generally finely shaped, and many
of them have pretty Features. No People have stronger Eyes, or see
better in the Night or Day than Indians, though in their Houses
they live in perpetual Smoke; their Beards are naturally very thin
of Hair, which they are continually plucking away by the Roots;
they never pare their Nails, but laugh at the Europeans for paring
theirs, which they say disarms them of that which Nature designed
them for; they have generally good Teeth and a sweet Breath. There
are few amongst these Americans so robust, and of so athletick a
Form as is amongst Europeans, nor are they so capable of lifting
great Burthens, and enduring so hard Labour ; but in Hunting they
are indefatigable, and will travel further, and endure more Fatigue
than a European is capable of. In this Employment their Women serve
instead of Pack-Horses, carrying the Skins of the Deer they kill,
which by much Practice they perform with incredible Labour and Patience.
I have often traveled with them 15 and 20 Miles a Day for many Days
successively, each Woman carrying at least 60, and some above 80
Weight at their Back.
Their Habits.
Running and Leaping these Savages perform with surpassing Agility.
They are naturally a very sweet People, their Bodies emitting nothing
of that Rankness that is so remarkable in Negres, and as in traveling
I have been sometimes necessitated to sleep with them, I never perceived
any ill smell; and though their Cabbins are never paved nor swept,
and kept with the utmost Neglect and Slovenliness, yet are void
of those Stinks or unsavory Smells that we meet with in the Dwellings
of our Poor and Indolent.
Indians wear no Covering on their Heads, their Hair being very
long is twisted and rolled up in various manners, sometimes in a
Bunch on each Ear, sometimes on one Ear only, the Hair on the other
Side hanging at Length, or cut off. Others having their Hair growing
on one side of their Head at full Length, while the Hair of the
other Side is cut within an Inch or two of the Roots, standing upright.
Some of the Modish wear a large Bunch of downy Feathers thrust
through a Hole made in one and sometimes both Ears, others strow
their Heads usually with the Down of Swans.
In Summer they go naked, except a Piece of Cloth between their
Legs, that is tack'd into a Belt, and hangs in a Flap before and
behind. Their ordinary Winter-Dress is a loose open Waistcoat without
Sleeves, which is usually made of a Deer-skin, wearing the hairy
Side inwards or outwards in proportion of the Cold or Warmth of
the Seaon; in the coldest Weather they cloath themselves with the
Skins of Bears, Beavers, Rackoons, &c. besides warm and very pretty
Garments made of Feathers. They wear leather Buskins on their Legs,
which they tie below the Knee; their Mockasins, or Shoes, are made
of Bear or Buck-Skins,
viii

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