Page:Eventful life, and curious adventures of Peter Williamson.pdf/14

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The Life of Peter Williamson.

describe their dress and manner of living may not be altogether unacceptable to some of toy readers; but as the size of this book will not permit me to be so particular as I might otherwise be, I shall just observe ; They in general wear a white blanket, which, in war time, they paint with various tigures; but particularly the leaves of trees, in order to deceive their enemies when in the woods. Their mogganes are made of deer-skins, and the best sort have them bound round the edges with little beads and ribbands. On their legs they wear pieces of blue cloth for stockings, something like our soldiers spatter dashes ; they reach higher than their knees, but not lower than their ancles ; they esteem them easy to run in. Breeches they riever wear, but instead thereof two pieces of linen, one before and another behind. The better sort have shirts of the finest linen they can get, and to these some wear ruifles; but these they never put on till they have painted them of various colours, which they get from the Pecone root, and bark of trees, and never pull them off to wash, but wear them till they fall to pieces. They are very proud, and take great delight in wearing trinkets; such as silver plates round their wrists and necks with several strings of wampum (which is made of cotton, interwoven with pebbles, cockle-shells &c.) down to

their breasts; and from their ears and noses they have rings anti beads which hang dangling an inch or two. The men have no beards, to prevent which, they use certain instrumcats and tricks as soon as it begins to grow. The hair of their heads is managed differently, some pluck out and destroy all, except a lock hanging from the crown of the head, which they interweave with wampum and feathers of various colours. The women wear it very long, twisted down their backs with beads feathers and wampum; and on their heads most of them wear little coronets of brass or copper ; round their middle they w-ear a blanket instead of a petticoat. The females are very chaste, and constant to their husbands; and if any young maiden should happen to have a child before marriage, she is never esteemed afterwards. As for their food they get it chiefly by hunting and shooting, and boil, broil, or roast all the S meat they eat. Their standing dish consists of Indian corn soaked, then bruised and boiled over a gentle fire, for ten or twelve hours. 'Their bread is likewise made of wild oats, or sun-flower seeds. Set meals. they never regard, but cat when they are hungry. Their gun, tomahawk, scalping knife, powder and shot, are all they have to carry with them in tun* of war; bows and arrows being seldom used by them. They generally in war decline open engagements; bush-fighting or