Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/135

 *Their anointing. 123

The poet introduces two doves converting together ; one of which car ried a letter to Bathyllus, the anointed beau ; and the other wiflies her much joy, for her perfumed wings that diffufed fuch an agreeable fmell around. And the fame poet orders the painter to draw this Samian beau, with his hair wet with effence, to give him a fine appearance. Nitidas comas ejus facilto. Ode 29. Virgil defcrtbes Turnus, juft after the fame manner,

Vibratos calido ferro, myrrhaque madentes.

1. 12.

��Homer tells us, that Telemachus and Philiftratus anointed their whole bodies with eflences, afcer they had vifited the palace of Menelaus, and be fore they fat down at table. Odyfif. 1. 4,

The Jews reckoned it a fmgular piece of difrefpect to their gueft, if they offered him no oil. When any of them paid a friendly vifit, they had eflences prefented to anoint their heads, to which cuftom of civility the Saviour alludes in his reproof of the parfimonious Pharifee, at whofe houfc he dined. Luke vii. 46.

All the Indian Americans, efpecially the female fex, reckon their bear's oil or greafe, very valuable, and ufe it after the fame manner as the Afiatics did their fine eflences and fweet perfumes \ the young warriors and women are uneafy, unlefs their hair is always mining with it ; which is probably the reafon that none of their heads are bald. But enough is faid on this head, to mew that they feem to have derived this cuftom from the eaft.

��ARGUMENT XI.

The Indians have cuftoms confonant to the Mofaic LAWS OF UNCLEAN- NESS. They oblige their women in their lunar retreats^ to build fmall huts, at as confiderable a diftance from their dwelling-houfes, as they imagine may be out of the enemies reach ; where, during the fpace of that period, they are obliged to flay at the rifque of their lives. Should they be known to violate that ancient law, they imift anfwer for every misfortune that befalls

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