{Pigeons Fat.}
In Some Parts, Where Pigeons Are Plentiful, They Get Of Their Fat
Enough To Supply Their Winter Stores.
Thus they abide in these Quarters,
all the Winter long, till the Time approach for planting
their Maiz and other Fruits.
{Bowls and Tobacco-Pipes to make. Dress Skins.}
In these quarters, at Spare-hours, the Women make Baskets and Mats
to lie upon, and those that are not extraordinary Hunters,
make Bowls, Dishes, and Spoons, of Gum-wood, and the Tulip-Tree;
others (where they find a Vein of white Clay, fit for their purpose)
make Tobacco-pipes, all which are often transported to other Indians,
that perhaps have greater Plenty of Deer and other Game;
so they buy (with these Manufactures) their raw Skins, with the Hair on,
which our neighbouring Indians bring to their Towns,
and, in the Summer-time, make the Slaves and sorry Hunters dress them,
the Winter-Sun being not strong enough to dry them; and those
that are dry'd in the Cabins are black and nasty with the Lightwood Smoke,
which they commonly burn. Their Way of dressing their Skins
is by soaking them in Water, so they get the Hair off, with an Instrument
made of the Bone of a Deer's Foot; yet some use a sort of Iron Drawing-Knife,
which they purchase of the English, and after the Hair is off,
they dissolve Deers Brains, (which beforehand are made in a Cake
and baked in the Embers) in a Bowl of Water, so soak the Skins therein,
till the Brains have suck'd up the Water; then they dry it gently,
and keep working it with an Oyster-Shell, or some such thing,
to scrape withal, till it is dry; whereby it becomes soft and pliable.
Yet these so dress'd will not endure wet, but become hard thereby;
which to prevent, they either cure them in the Smoke,
or tan them with Bark, as before observ'd; not but that young Indian Corn,
beaten to a Pulp, will effect the same as the Brains. They are not only
good Hunters of the wild Beasts and Game of the Forest, but very expert
in taking the Fish of the Rivers and Waters near which they inhabit,
and are acquainted withal. {Fish to strike.} Thus they that live
a great way up the Rivers practise Striking Sturgeon and Rock-fish, or Bass,
when they come up the Rivers to spawn; besides the vast Shoals of Sturgeon
which they kill and take with Snares, as we do Pike in Europe. The Herrings
in March and April run a great way up the Rivers and fresh Streams
to spawn, where the Savages make great Wares, with Hedges
that hinder their Passage only in the Middle, where an artificial Pound
is made to take them in; so that they cannot return. This Method is in use
all over the fresh Streams, to catch Trout and the other Species of Fish
which those Parts afford. {Craw-fish to take.} Their taking of Craw-fish
is so pleasant, that I cannot pass it by without mention;
When they have a mind to get these Shell-fish, they take a Piece of Venison,
and half-barbakue or roast it; then they cut it into thin Slices,
which Slices they stick through with Reeds about six Inches asunder,
betwixt Piece and Piece; then the Reeds are made sharp at one end;
and so they stick a great many of them down in the bottom of the Water
(thus baited) in the small Brooks and Runs, which the Craw-fish frequent.
Thus the Indians sit by, and tend those baited Sticks,
every now and then taking them up, to see how many are at the Bait;
where they generally find abundance; so take them off,
and put them in a Basket for the purpose, and stick the Reeds down again.
By this Method, they will, in a little time, catch several Bushels,
which are as good, as any I ever eat.
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