{Rum.}
Rum, A Liquor Now So Much In Use With Them, That They Will Part With
The Dearest Thing They
Have, to purchase it; and when they have got a little
in their Heads, are the impatients Creatures living, 'till
They have enough
to make 'em quite drunk; and the most miserable Spectacles when they are so,
some falling into the Fires, burn their Legs or Arms, contracting the Sinews,
and become Cripples all their Life-time; others from Precipices break
their Bones and Joints, with abundance of Instances, yet none are so great
to deter them from that accurs'd Practice of Drunkenness, though sensible
how many of them (are by it) hurry'd into the other World before their Time,
as themselves oftentimes will confess. The Indians, I was now speaking of,
were not content with the common Enemies that lessen and destroy
their Country-men, but invented an infallible Stratagem to purge their Tribe,
and reduce their Multitude into far less Numbers. Their Contrivance was thus,
as a Trader amongst them inform'd me.
They seeing several Ships coming in, to bring the English Supplies
from Old England, one chief Part of their Cargo being for a Trade
with the Indians, some of the craftiest of them had observ'd,
that the Ships came always in at one Place, which made them very confident
that Way was the exact Road to England; and seeing so many Ships
come thence, they believ'd it could not be far thither,
esteeming the English that were among them, no better than Cheats,
and thought, if they could carry the Skins and Furs they got,
themselves to England, which were inhabited with a better Sort of People
than those sent amongst them, that then they should purchase
twenty times the Value for every Pelt they sold Abroad,
in Consideration of what Rates they sold for at Home. The intended Barter
was exceeding well approv'd of, and after a general Consultation
of the ablest Heads amongst them, it was, `Nemine Contradicente',
agreed upon, immediately to make an Addition of their Fleet,
by building more Canoes, and those to be of the best Sort,
and biggest Size, as fit for their intended Discovery. Some Indians
were employ'd about making the Canoes, others to hunting,
every one to the Post he was most fit for, all Endeavours tending towards
an able Fleet and Cargo for Europe. The Affair was carry'd on
with a great deal of Secrecy and Expedition, so as in a small Time
they had gotten a Navy, Loading, Provisions, and Hands ready
to set Sail, leaving only the Old, Impotent, and Minors at Home,
'till their successful Return. {They never hearing more of their Fleet.}
The Wind presenting, they set up their Mat-Sails, and were scarce
out of Sight, when there rose a Tempest, which it's suppos'd
carry'd one Part of these Indian Merchants, by Way of the other World,
whilst the others were taken up at Sea by an English Ship,
and sold for Slaves to the Islands.
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