Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/306

248 one I bought, but much against the inclination of its owner, for though he liked the price I offered, he hesitated much to send it up; yet, having taken the price, I insisted either on having that returned or the head given, but could not prevail until I enforced my threats by showing him a musket, on which he chose to part with the head rather than the price he had, which was a pair of old drawers of my white linen. The head appeared to have belonged to a person of about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and evidently showed, by the contusions on one side, that it had received many violent blows which had chipped off a part of the skull near the eye. From this, and many other circumstances, I am inclined to believe that these Indians give no quarter, or even take prisoners to eat upon a future occasion, as is said to have been practised by the Floridan Indians; for had they done so, this young creature, who could not make much resistance, would have been a very proper subject.

The state of war in which they live, constantly in danger of being surprised when least upon their guard, has taught them, not only to live together in towns, but to fortify those towns, which they do by a broad ditch, and a palisade within it of no despicable construction.

For these towns or forts, which they call Heppahs, they choose situations naturally strong, commonly islands or peninsulas, where the sea or steep cliffs defend the greater part of their works; and if there is any part weaker than the rest, a stage is erected over it of considerable height—eighteen or twenty feet—on the top of which the defenders range themselves, and fight with a great advantage, as they can throw down their darts and stones with much greater force than the assailants can throw them up. Within these forts the greater part of the tribe to whom they belong reside, and have large stocks of provisions: fern roots and dried fish, but no water; for that article, in all that I have seen, was only to be had from some distance without the lines. From this we concluded that sieges are not usual among them. Some, however, are generally out