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. All this while,
the King and old Men sit round the Image, and seemingly pay
a profound Respect to the same. One great Help to these Indians,
in carrying on these Cheats, and inducing Youth to do what they please,
is, the uninterrupted Silence, which is ever kept and observ'd,
with all the Respect and Veneration imaginable.
{Masquerade.}
At these Feasts, which are set out with all the Magnificence
their Fare allows of, the Masquerades begin at Night, and not before.
There is commonly a Fire made in the middle of the House, which is the largest
in the Town, and is very often the Dwelling of their King, or War-Captain;
where sit two Men on the Ground, upon a Mat; one with a Rattle,
made of a Gourd, with some Beans in it; the other with a Drum,
made of an earthen Pot, cover'd with a dress'd-Deer-Skin,
and one Stick in his Hand to beat thereon; and so they both begin
the Song appointed. {Indian Musicians.} At the same time, one drums,
and the other rattles, which is all the artificial Musick of their own making
I ever saw amongst them. To these two Instruments they sing,
which carries no Air with it, but is a sort of unsavoury Jargon;
yet their Cadences and Raising of their Voices are form'd
with that Equality and Exactness, that (to us Europeans) it seems admirable,
how they should continue these Songs, without once missing to agree,
each with the others Note and Tune.
{Dancing.}
As for their Dancing, were there Masters of that Profession amongst them,
as there are with us, they would dearly earn their Money;
for these Creatures take the most Pains at it, that Men are able to endure.
I have seen thirty odd together a dancing, and every one
dropp'd down with Sweat, as if Water had been poured down their Backs.
They use those hard Labours, to make them able to endure Fatigue,
{Indians long winded.} and improve their Wind, which indeed
is very long and durable, it being a hard matter, in any Exercise,
to dispossess them of it.
At these Feasts, they meet from all the Towns within fifty or sixty
Miles round, where they buy and sell several Commodities, as we do
at Fairs and Markets. {Indian Gaming.} Besides, they game very much,
and often strip one another of all they have in the World; and what is more,
I have known several of them play themselves away, so that they have
remain'd the Winners Servants, till their Relations or themselves
could pay the Money to redeem them; and when this happens,
the Loser is never dejected or melancholy at the Loss, but laughs,
and seems no less contented than if he had won. They never differ at Gaming,
neither did I ever see a Dispute, about the Legality thereof,
so much as rise amongst them.
{Indian Cards.}
Their chiefest Game is a sort of Arithmetick, which is managed
by a Parcel of small split Reeds, the Thickness of a small Bent;
these are made very nicely, so that they part, and are tractable
in their Hands. They are fifty one in Number, their Length
about seven Inches; when they play, they throw part of them
to their Antagonist; the Art is, to discover, upon sight, how many you have,
and what you throw to him that plays with you. Some are so expert
at their Numbers, that they will tell ten times together,
what they throw out of their Hands. Although the whole Play is carried on
with the quickest Motion it's possible to use, yet some are so expert
at this Game, as to win great Indian Estates by this Play.
A good Sett of these Reeds, fit to play withal, are valued and sold
for a dress'd Doe-Skin.
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