In These Hunting-Quarters,
They Have Their Wives And Ladies Of The Camp, Where They Eat
All The Fruits And Dainties Of That Country, And Live In All
The Mirth And Jollity, Which It Is Possible For Such People
To Entertain Themselves Withal.
Here it is, that they get
their Complement of Deer-Skins and Furs to trade with the English,
(the
Deer-Skins being in Season in Winter, which is contrary to England.)
All small Game, as Turkeys, Ducks, and small Vermine, they commonly kill
with Bow and Arrow, thinking it not worth throwing Powder and Shot after them.
Of Turkeys they have abundance; especially, in Oak-Land,
as most of it is, that lies any distance backwards. I have been often
in their Hunting-Quarters, where a roasted or barbakued Turkey,
eaten with Bears Fat, is held a good Dish; and indeed, I approve of it
very well; for the Bears Grease is the sweetest and least offensive
to the Stomach (as I said before) of any Fat of Animals I ever tasted.
{Beating of Corn.} The Savage Men never beat their Corn to make Bread;
but that is the Womens Work, especially the Girls, of whom you shall see
four beating with long great Pestils in a narrow wooden Mortar;
and every one keeps her Stroke so exactly, that 'tis worthy of Admiration.
Their Cookery continues from Morning till Night. The Hunting
makes them hungry; and the Indians are a People that always
eat very often, not seldom getting up at Midnight, to eat.
They plant a great many sorts of Pulse, Part of which they eat green
in the Summer, keeping great Quantities for their Winter-Store,
which they carry along with them into the Hunting-Quarters, and eat them.
The small red Pease is very common with them, and they eat
a great deal of that and other sorts boil'd with their Meat,
or eaten with Bears Fat, which Food makes them break Wind backwards,
which the Men frequently do, and laugh heartily at it, it being accounted
no ill Manners amongst the Indians: Yet the Women are more modest,
than to follow that ill Custom. At their setting out, they have Indians
to attend their Hunting-Camp, that are not good and expert Hunters;
{Servile Indians.} therefore are employ'd to carry Burdens,
to get Bark for the Cabins, and other Servile Work; also to go
backward and forward, to their Towns, to carry News to the old People,
whom they leave behind them. The Women are forced to carry
their Loads of Grain and other Provisions, and get Fire-Wood;
for a good Hunter, or Warriour in these Expeditions, is employ'd
in no other Business, than the Affairs of Game and Battle.
{Dry'd Fruits.} The wild Fruits which are dry'd in the Summer, over Fires,
on Hurdles and in the Sun, are now brought into the Field; as are likewise
the Cakes and Quiddonies of Peaches, and that Fruit and Bilberries dry'd,
of which they stew and make Fruit-Bread and Cakes.
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