If They Comply
With The Men's Desire, Then A Particular Bed Is Provided For Them,
Either In A Cabin By
Themselves, or else all the young people turn out,
to another Lodging, that they may not spoil Sport; and if
The old People
are in the same Cabin along with them all Night, they lie as unconcern'd,
as if they were so many Logs of Wood. If it be an Indian of their own
Town or Neighbourhood, that wants a Mistress, he comes to none but the Girl,
who receives what she thinks fit to ask him, and so lies all Night with him,
without the Consent of her Parents.
{Indian Traders what.}
The Indian Traders are those which travel and abide amongst the Indians
for a long space of time; sometimes for a Year, two, or three.
{Indian Wives.} These Men have commonly their Indian Wives,
whereby they soon learn the Indian Tongue, keep a Friendship
with the Savages; and, besides the Satisfaction of a She-Bed-Fellow,
they find these Indian Girls very serviceable to them,
on Account of dressing their Victuals, and instructing 'em
in the Affairs and Customs of the Country. Moreover, such a Man gets
a great Trade with the Savages; for when a Person that lives amongst them,
is reserv'd from the Conversation of their Women, 'tis impossible for him
ever to accomplish his Designs amongst that People.
But one great Misfortune which oftentimes attends those that converse
with these Savage Women, is, that they get Children by them,
which are seldom educated any otherwise than in a State of Infidelity;
for it is a certain Rule and Custom, amongst all the Savages of America,
that I was ever acquainted withal, to let the Children always fall
to the Woman's Lot; {Children go with the Women.} for it often happens,
that two Indians that have liv'd together, as Man and Wife,
in which Time they have had several Children; if they part,
and another Man possesses her, all the Children go along with the Mother,
and none with the Father. And therefore, on this Score,
it ever seems impossible for the Christians to get their Children
(which they have by these Indian Women) away from them;
whereby they might bring them up in the Knowledge of the Christian Principles.
Nevertheless, we often find, that English Men, and other Europeans
that have been accustom'd to the Conversation of these savage Women,
and their Way of Living, have been so allur'd with that careless sort of Life,
as to be constant to their Indian Wife, and her Relations,
so long as they liv'd, without ever desiring to return again
amongst the English, although they had very fair Opportunities of Advantages
amongst their Countrymen; of which sort I have known several.
As for the Indian Marriages, I have read and heard of a great deal
of Form and Ceremony used, which I never saw, nor yet could learn
in the Time I have been amongst them, any otherwise than I shall here
give you an Account of; which is as follows.
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