{Match-Coats How Made.}
Their Feather Match-Coats Are Very Pretty, Especially Some Of Them,
Which Are Made Extraordinary Charming,
Containing several pretty Figures
wrought in Feathers, making them seem like a fine Flower Silk-Shag;
and when new and
Fresh, they become a Bed very well, instead of a Quilt.
Some of another sort are made of Hare, Raccoon, Bever, or Squirrel-Skins,
which are very warm. Others again are made of the green Part
of the Skin of a Mallard's Head, which they sew perfectly well together,
their Thread being either the Sinews of a Deer divided very small,
or Silk-Grass. When these are finish'd, they look very finely,
though they must needs be very troublesome to make. Some of their great Men,
as Rulers and such, that have Plenty of Deer Skins by them,
will often buy the English-made Coats, which they wear
on Festivals and other Days of Visiting. Yet none ever buy any Breeches,
saying, that they are too much confin'd in them, which prevents their Speed
in running, &c.
We have some Indians, that are more civilized than the rest,
which wear Hats, Shooes, Stockings, and Breeches, with very tolerable
Linnen Shirts, which is not common amongst these Heathens.
The Paspitank Indians did formerly keep Cattle, and make Butter.
{Civiliz'd Indians. Hatteras Indians.}
These are them that wear the English Dress. Whether they
have Cattle now or no, I am not certain; but I am of the Opinion,
that such Inclinations in the Savages should meet with Encouragement,
and every Englishman ought to do them Justice, and not defraud them
of their Land, which has been allotted them formerly by the Government;
for if we do not shew them Examples of Justice and Vertue,
we can never bring them to believe us to be a worthier Race of Men
than themselves.
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