Than These Huts Nothing More Rude In Construction, Or Deficient In Conveniency,
Can Be Imagined.
They consist only of pieces of bark laid together in the form
of an oven, open at one end, and very low, though long enough for a man to lie
at full length.
There is reason, however, to believe, that they depend less
on them for shelter, than on the caverns with which the rocks abound.
To cultivation of the ground they are utter strangers, and wholly depend
for food on the few fruits they gather; the roots they dig up in the swamps;
and the fish they pick up along shore, or contrive to strike from their canoes
with spears. Fishing, indeed, seems to engross nearly the whole of their time,
probably from its forming the chief part of a subsistence, which,
observation has convinced us, nothing short of the most painful labour,
and unwearied assiduity, can procure. When fish are scarce, which frequently
happens, they often watch the moment of our hauling the seine, and have more
than once been known to plunder its contents, in spite of the opposition
of those on the spot to guard it: and this even after having received a part
of what had been caught. The only resource at these times is to shew
a musquet, and if the bare sight is not sufficient, to fire it over
their heads, which has seldom failed of dispersing them hitherto,
but how long the terror which it excites may continue is doubtful.
The canoes in which they fish are as despicable as their huts, being nothing
more than a large piece of bark tied up at both ends with vines.
Their dexterous management of them, added to the swiftness with which
they paddle, and the boldness that leads them several miles in the open sea,
are, nevertheless, highly deserving of admiration. A canoe is seldom seen
without a fire in it, to dress the fish by, as soon as caught:
fire they procure by attrition.
From their manner of disposing of those who die, which will be mentioned
hereafter, as well as from every other observation, there seems no reason
to suppose these people cannibals; nor do they ever eat animal substances
in a raw state, unless pressed by extreme hunger, but indiscriminately
broil them, and their vegetables, on a fire, which renders these last
an innocent food, though in their raw state many of them are of a poisonous
quality: as a poor convict who unguardedly eat of them experienced,
by falling a sacrifice in twenty-four hours afterwards. If bread be given
to the Indians, they chew and spit it out again, seldom choosing to swallow it.
Salt beef and pork they like rather better, but spirits they never could
be brought to taste a second time.
The only domestic animal they have is the dog, which in their language
is called Dingo, and a good deal resembles the fox dog of England.
These animals are equally shy of us, and attached to the natives. One of them
is now in the possession of the Governor, and tolerably well reconciled
to his new master. As the Indians see the dislike of the dogs to us,
they are sometimes mischievous enough to set them on single persons
whom they chance to meet in the woods. A surly fellow was one day out
shooting, when the natives attempted to divert themselves in this manner
at his expense. The man bore the teazing and gnawing of the dog at his heels
for some time, but apprehending at length, that his patience might
embolden them to use still farther liberties, he turned round and shot poor
Dingo dead on the spot: the owners of him set off with the utmost expedition.
There is no part of the behaviour of these people, that has puzzled us more,
than that which relates to their women. Comparatively speaking we have seen
but few of them, and those have been sometimes kept back with every symptom
of jealous sensibility; and sometimes offered with every appearance
of courteous familiarity. Cautious, however, of alarming the feelings
of the men on so tender a point, we have constantly made a rule of treating
the females with that distance and reserve, which we judged most likely
to remove any impression they might have received of our intending aught,
which could give offence on so delicate a subject. And so successful
have our endeavours been, that a quarrel on this head has in no instance,
that I know of, happened. The tone of voice of the women, which is pleasingly
soft and feminine, forms a striking contrast to the rough guttural
pronunciation of the men. Of the other charms of the ladies I shall be silent,
though justice obliges me to mention, that, in the opinion of some amongst us,
they shew a degree of timidity and bashfulness, which are, perhaps,
inseparable from the female character in its rudest state. It is not a little
singular, that the custom of cutting off the two lower joints of the
little finger of the left hand, observed in the Society Islands,
is found here among the women, who have for the most part undergone
this amputation. Hitherto we have not been able to trace out the cause
of this usage. At first we supposed it to be peculiar to the married women,
or those who had borne children; but this conclusion must have been erroneous,
as we have no right to believe that celibacy prevails in any instance,
and some of the oldest of the women are without this distinction;
and girls of a very tender age are marked by it.
On first setting foot in the country, we were inclined to hold the spears
of the natives very cheap. Fatal experience has, however, convinced us,
that the wound inflicted by this weapon is not a trivial one; and that
the skill of the Indians in throwing it, is far from despicable.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 14 of 24
Words from 13259 to 14258
of 24415
