As Soon As Finish'd, They Place
Some One Of Their Chiefest Men To Dwell Therein, Charging Him
With The Diligent Preservation Thereof, As A Prince Commits
The Charge And Government Of A Fort Or Castle, To Some Subject
He Thinks Worthy Of That Trust.
In these State-Houses is transacted
all Publick and Private Business, relating to the Affairs of the Government,
as the Audience of Foreign Ambassadors from other Indian Rulers,
Consultation of waging and making War, Proposals of their Trade
with neighbouring Indians, or the English, who happen to come
amongst them.
In this Theater, the most Aged and Wisest meet,
determining what to Act, and what may be most convenient to Omit,
Old Age being held in as great Veneration amongst these Heathens,
as amongst any People you shall meet withal in any Part of the World.
Whensoever an Aged Man is speaking, none ever interrupts him,
(the contrary Practice the English, and other Europeans, too much use)
the Company yielding a great deal of Attention to his Tale,
with a continued Silence, and an exact Demeanour, during the Oration.
Indeed, the Indians are a People that never interrupt one another
in their Discourse; no Man so much as offering to open his Mouth,
till the Speaker has utter'd his Intent: When an English-Man
comes amongst them, perhaps every one is acquainted with him,
yet, first, the King bids him Welcome, after him the War-Captain,
so on gradually from High to Low; not one of all these speaking
to the White Guest, till his Superiour has ended his Salutation.
Amongst Women, it seems impossible to find a Scold; if they are provok'd,
or affronted, by their Husbands, or some other, they resent
the Indignity offer'd them in silent Tears, or by refusing their Meat.
Would some of our European Daughters of Thunder set these Indians
for a Pattern, there might be more quiet Families found amongst them,
occasion'd by that unruly Member, the Tongue.
Festination proceeds from the Devil, (says a Learned Doctor)
a Passion the Indians seem wholly free from; they determining
no Business of Moment, without a great deal of Deliberation and Wariness.
None of their Affairs appear to be attended with Impetuosity, or Haste,
being more content with the common Accidents incident to humane Nature,
(as Losses, contrary Winds, bad Weather, and Poverty)
than those of more civilized Countries.
Now, to return to our State-House, whither we were invited by the Grandees:
As soon as we came into it, they plac'd our Englishmen near the King;
it being my Fortune to sit next him, having his great General,
or War-Captain, on my other Hand. The House is as dark as a Dungeon,
and as hot as one of the Dutch-Stoves in Holland. They had made
a circular Fire of split Canes in the middle of the House.
It was one Man's Employment to add more split Reeds to the one end
as it consum'd at the other, there being a small Vacancy left
to supply it with Fewel.
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