Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/156

 144 n ^e defcent of the American Indians from the

terer, where each of them provides a fmall hoop-pole, tapering to the pointy with knobs half an inch long, ('allowed by ancient cuftom) with which they correct the finners; for as their law in this cafe doth, not allow partiality if they punifhed one of them, and either excvifed or let the other efcape fromjuftice, like the Illinois, they would become liable to fuch punifhr ment as they had inflicted upon, either of the parties.

They commonly begin with the adulterer, becaufe of the two, he is the more capable of making, his efcape : they, generally attack him at night, by furprife, left he mould make a defperate refiftance, and blood be med to cry for blood. They fall on eager and mercilefs, whooping their re vengeful noife, and thrafhing their captive, with'- their long-knobbed hoop- flails-, fome over his head and face-, others on his moulders and back*. His belly, fides, legs, and arms, are gamed all over, and at laft, he hap-r pily feems to be infenfible of pain:, then. they cut. off his ears*..

They obferve, however, a gradation of punifhment, according to the criminality of the adulterefs. For the firft breach of the marriage faith, they crop her ears and hair, if the hufband is fpiteful : either, of thofe badges proclaim her to be a whore, or Hakfe Kaneba^ " fuch as were evil in Car naan," for the hair of their head is their ornament : when loofe it com monly reaches below- their back;: and when tied, it ftands below the crown of [the head,, about four inches long,, and two broad. As the

this law, and their fuborning falfe. witnefles, or admitting foolim children as legal evidence; but generally either the tender-hearted females or friends, give them timely notice of their dan ger. Then they fall to the rum-keg, and as foon as they find the purfuers approaching, they (land to arms in a threatning parade. Formerly, the traders like fo many Britifh tars, kept them, in proper awe, and.confequen.tly prevented them, from attempting any mifchief. Bat fince the patenteed race of Daublers fet foot in their land, they have gradually become worfe every year, murdering valuable innocent Britifh fubje&s at pleafure : and when they go down, they receive prefents as a tribute of fear, for which thefe Indians upbraid, and threaten us. The Mufkohge lately dipt off the ears of two white men for fuppofed adultery.. One had been a difciple of Slack Beardi the pirate ; and the other, at the time of going un der the hands of thofe Jewifh clippers, was deputed by the whimfical war-governor of Georgia, to awe the traders into an. obedience of his defpotic power. His fucce/Tor loft his life on the Chikkafah war-path, twenty miles above the Koofah, or uppermoft weftern town of the Mufkohge, in an attempt to arreft the traders ; which Ihould not by any be. undertaken in the Indian country,
 * Among thefe Indians,, the trading people's ears are often in danger, by the fliarpnefs of

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