Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/428

 General Observations on

are very fat in winter, by reafon of the great quantities of chefnuts, and various forts of acorns, that cover the boundlefs woods. Though moft .of the traders who go to the remote Indian countries, have tame ftock, ,as already defcribed, and are very expert at fire-arms and ranging the woods a hunting, yet every fervant that each of them fits out for the winter's hunt, brings home to his mafter a large heap of fat barbecued brifkets, rumps, and tongues of buffalo and deer, as well as plenty of bear-ribs, which are piled on large racks : thefe are laid up and ufed not for ne- ceffity, but for the fake of variety. The traders carry up alfo plenty of -chocolate, 'coffee, and fugar, which enables them with their numberlefs quantity of fowls-eggs, fruit, &c. to have puddings, pyes, parties, fritters, and many other articles of the like kind, in as great plenty, as in the En- glim fettlements. Several of the Indians produce fugar out of the fweet maple-tree, by making an incifion, draining the juice, and boiling it to a proper confidence.

Though in moft of the Indian nations, the water is good, becaufc of their high fituation, yet the traders very feldom drink any of it at home, for the women beat in mortars their flinty corn, till all the hufks are taken off, which having well fifted and fanned, they boil in large earthen pots j then {training off the thinneft part into a pot, they mix it with cold water, till it is fufEciently liquid for drinking : and when cold, it is both pleafant and very nouriming ; and is ^much liked even by the genteel ftrangers. The Indians always ufed mortars, inftead of mills, and they had them, with almoft every other convenience, when we firft opened a trade with them they cautioufly burned a large log, to a proper level and length, placed fire a-top, and wet mortar round it, in order to give the utenfil a proper form : and when the fire was extinguifhed, or occafion required, they chopped the infide with their ftone-inftruments, patiently continuing the flow procefs, till they finilhed the machine to the intended purpofe. I have the pleafure of writing this by the fide of a Chik- kafah female, as great a princefs as ever lived among the ancient Peruvi ans, or Mexicans, and me bids me be fure not to mark the paper wrong, after the manner of moft of the traders, otherwife, it will fpoil the making good bread, or hommony, and of courfe beget the ill-will of our white women.

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