Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/183

 Their t aft e for ornaments. 17 1

deer's finew to the tying of their hair, their nofe, ears, and maccafeenes : but from the time we {applied them with our European ornaments, they have ufed brafs and filver ear-rings, and finger-rings ; the young warriors now frequently faften bell-buttons, or pieces of tinkling brafs to their maccafeenes, and to the outfide of their boots, inftead of the old turky-cock-fpurs which they formerly ufed. Both fexes efteem the above things, as very- great ornaments of drefs, and commonly load the parts with each fort, in proportion to their ability of purchafing them : it is a common trading rule with us, to judge of the value of an Indian's effects, by the weight of his fin gers, wrifts, ears, crown of his head, boots, and maccafeenes by the quantity of red paint daubed on his face, and by the Ihirt about the collar, fhoulders, and back, Ihould he have one.

Although the fame things are commonly alike ufed or dilufed, by males and females ; yet they diftinguim their fexes in as exact a manner 35 any civilized nation. The women bore fmall holes in the lobe of their ears for their rings, but the young heroes cut a hole round almoft the extre mity of both their ears, which till healed, they ftretch out with a large tuft of buffalo's wool mixt with bear's oil : then they twift as much fmall wire round as will keep them extended in that hideous form. This cuftom however is wearing off apace. They formerly wore nofe-rings, or jewels, both in thfc northern and fouthern regions of America, according to a fimilar cuftom of the Jews and eafterns ; and in fome places they flill obferve it. Ac prefent, they hang a piece of battered filver or pewter, or a large bead to the noftril, like the European method of treating fwine, to prevent them from rooting the earth, this, as well as the reft of their cuftoms, is a true pic* ture and good copy of their fuppofed early progenitors.

I have been among the Indians at a drinking match, when feveral of their beaus have been humbled as low as death, for the great lofs of their big ears. Being fo widely extended, it is as eafy for a perfon to take hold of, and pull them off, as to remove a couple of fmall hoops were they hung within reach, but if the ear after the pull, flick to their head by one end, when they get fober, they pare and few it together with a needle and deer's fmews, after fweating him in a ftove. Thus the difconfolate warrior recovers his former cheerfulnefs, and hath a lading cau tion of not putting his ears a fecond time -in danger with bad company :

Z 2 however,

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