{Indians Not Robust.}
They Are Not Of So Robust And Strong Bodies, As To Lift Great Burdens,
And Endure Labour
And slavish Work, as the Europeans are;
yet some that are Slaves, prove very good and laborious:
{No hard Workers.
} But, of themselves, they never work as the English do,
taking care for no farther than what is absolutely necessary to support Life.
In Travelling and Hunting, they are very indefatigable;
because that carries a Pleasure along with the Profit.
I have known some of them very strong; and as for Running and Leaping,
they are extraordinary Fellows, and will dance for several Nights together,
with the greatest Briskness imaginable, their Wind never failing them.
{Indians Dance of War. On what Account they make War.}
Their Dances are of different Natures; and for every sort of Dance,
they have a Tune, which is allotted for that Dance; as,
if it be a War-Dance, they have a warlike Song, wherein they express,
with all the Passion and Vehemence imaginable, what they intend to do
with their Enemies; how they will kill, roast, sculp, beat, and make Captive,
such and such Numbers of them; and how many they have destroy'd before.
All these Songs are made new for every Feast; nor is one and the same Song
sung at two several Festivals. {Indian Poet.} Some one of the Nation
(which has the best Gift of expressing their Designs) is appointed
by their King, and War-Captains, to make these Songs.
{Dance of Peace.}
Others are made for Feasts of another Nature; as, when several Towns,
or sometimes, different Nations have made Peace with one another;
then the Song suits both Nations, and relates, how the bad Spirit
made them go to War, and destroy one another; but it shall never be so again;
but that their Sons and Daughters shall marry together, and the two Nations
love one another, and become as one People.
They have a third sort of Feasts and Dances, which are always
when the Harvest of Corn is ended, and in the Spring. The one,
to return Thanks to the good Spirit, for the Fruits of the Earth;
the other, to beg the same Blessings for the succeeding Year.
And, to encourage the young Men to labour stoutly, in planting
their Maiz and Pulse, they set a sort of an Idol in the Field,
which is dress'd up exactly like an Indian, having all the Indians Habit,
besides abundance of Wampum, and their Money, made of Shells,
that hangs about his Neck. {Plantation Idol.} The Image
none of the young Men dare approach; for the old ones will not suffer them
to come near him, but tell them, that he is some famous Indian Warriour,
that died a great while ago, and now is come amongst them,
to see if they work well, which if they do, he will go to the good Spirit,
and speak to him to send them Plenty of Corn, and to make the young Men
all expert Hunters and mighty Warriours.
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