They Are Never Bald On Their Heads,
Although Never So Old, Which, I Believe, Proceeds From Their Heads
Being Always Uncover'd, And The Greasing Their Hair (So Often As They Do)
With Bears Fat, Which Is A Great Nourisher Of The Hair, And Causes It
To Grow Very Fast.
Amongst the Bears Oil (when they intend to be fine)
they mix a certain red Powder, that comes from a Scarlet Root which they get
in the hilly Country, near the Foot of the great Ridge of Mountains,
and it is no where else to be found.
They have this Scarlet Root
in great Esteem, and sell it for a very great Price, one to another.
The Reason of its Value is, because they not only go a long way for it,
but are in great Danger of the Sinnagars or Iroquois,
who are mortal Enemies to all our Indians, and very often
take them Captives, or kill them, before they return from this Voyage.
The Tuskeruros and other Indians have often brought this Seed
with them from the Mountains; but it would never grow in our Land.
With this and Bears Grease they anoint their Heads and Temples,
which is esteem'd as ornamental, as sweet Powder to our Hair.
Besides, this Root has the Virtue of killing Lice, and suffers none
to abide or breed in their Heads. For want of this Root,
they sometimes use Pecoon-Root, which is of a Crimson Colour,
but it is apt to die the Hair of an ugly Hue.
Their Eyes are commonly full and manly, and their Gate sedate and majestick.
They never walk backward and forward as we do, nor contemplate
on the Affairs of Loss and Gain; the things which daily perplex us.
They are dexterous and steady both as to their Hands and Feet, to Admiration.
They will walk over deep Brooks, and Creeks, on the smallest Poles,
and that without any Fear or Concern. Nay, an Indian will walk
on the Ridge of a Barn or House and look down the Gable-end,
and spit upon the Ground, as unconcern'd, as if he was walking
on Terra firma. In Running, Leaping, or any such other Exercise,
their Legs seldom miscarry, and give them a Fall; and as for letting
any thing fall out of their Hands, I never yet knew one Example.
They are no Inventers of any Arts or Trades worthy mention;
the Reason of which I take to be, that they are not possess'd
with that Care and Thoughtfulness, how to provide for the Necessaries of Life,
as the Europeans are; yet they will learn any thing very soon.
I have known an Indian stock Guns better than most of our Joiners,
although he never saw one stock'd before; and besides, his Working-Tool
was only a sorry Knife. I have also known several of them that were Slaves
to the English, learn Handicraft-Trades very well and speedily. {No Dwarf.}
I never saw a Dwarf amongst them, nor but one that was Hump-back'd.
Their Teeth are yellow with Smoaking Tobacco, which both Men and Women
are much addicted to. They tell us, that they had Tobacco amongst them,
before the Europeans made any Discovery of that Continent.
It differs in the Leaf from the sweet-scented, and Oroonoko,
which are the Plants we raise and cultivate in America. {Indian Tobacco.}
Theirs differs likewise much in the Smell, when green, from our Tobacco,
before cured. They do not use the same way to cure it as we do;
and therefore, the Difference must be very considerable in Taste;
for all Men (that know Tobacco) must allow, that it is the Ordering thereof
which gives a Hogoo to that Weed, rather than any Natural Relish it possesses,
when green. Although they are great Smokers, yet they never are seen
to take it in Snuff, or chew it.
They have no Hairs on their Faces (except some few) and those but little,
nor is there often found any Hair under their Arm-Pits.
They are continually plucking it away from their Faces, by the Roots.
As for their Privities, since they wore Tail-Clouts,
to cover their Nakedness, several of the Men have a deal of Hair thereon.
It is to be observ'd, that the Head of the Penis is cover'd
(throughout all the Nations of the Indians I ever saw)
both in Old and Young. Although we reckon these a very smooth People,
and free from Hair; yet I once saw a middle-aged Man, that was hairy
all down his Back; the Hairs being above an Inch long.
{Few Cripples.}
As there are found very few, or scarce any, Deformed, or Cripples,
amongst them, so neither did I ever see but one blind Man;
and then they would give me no Account how his Blindness came.
They had a Use for him, which was, to lead him with a Girl, Woman, or Boy,
by a String; so they put what Burdens they pleased upon his Back,
and made him very serviceable upon all such Occasions. {Indians good Eyes.}
No People have better Eyes, or see better in the Night or Day,
than the Indians. Some alledge, that the Smoke of the Pitch-Pine,
which they chiefly burn, does both preserve and strengthen the Eyes;
as, perhaps, it may do, because that Smoak never offends the Eyes,
though you hold your Face over a great Fire thereof. This is occasion'd
by the volatile Part of the Turpentine, which rises with the Smoke,
and is of a friendly, balsamick Nature; for the Ashes of the Pine-Tree
afford no fix'd Salt in them.
{Not pair their Nails.}
They let their Nails grow very long, which, they reckon,
is the Use Nails are design'd for, and laugh at the Europeans
for pairing theirs, which, they say, disarms them of that which Nature
design'd them for.
{Indians not robust.}
They are not of so robust and strong Bodies, as to lift great Burdens,
and endure Labour and slavish Work, as the Europeans are;
yet some that are Slaves, prove very good and laborious:
{No hard Workers.} But, of themselves, they never work as the English do,
taking care for no farther than what is absolutely necessary to support Life.
In Travelling and Hunting, they are very indefatigable;
because that carries a Pleasure along with the Profit.
I have known some of them very strong; and as for Running and Leaping,
they are extraordinary Fellows, and will dance for several Nights together,
with the greatest Briskness imaginable, their Wind never failing them.
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