C H A P . IX .
A Defcription o f the Inhabitants, their Habitations, A pparel\
Ornaments, Food, Cookery, and Manner of Lip.
March. ’ f p HE ftauirc of the men in general is equal to the larged
—------ X of thofe in Europe : they are flout, well limbed, and
flefhy ; but not fat, like the lazy and luxurious inhabitants
of the iflands in the South Seas: they are alfo exceedingly
vigorous and adtive; and have an adroitnefs, and manual
dexterity in an uncommon degree, which are difeovered in
whatever they do. I have feen the flrokes of fifteen paddles
on a fide in one of their canoes made with incredible quick-
nefs, and yet with fuch minute exaftnefs of time, that
all the rowers feemed to be actuated by one common foul.
Their colour in general is brown; but in few deeper than
that of a Spaniard, who has been expofed to the fun; in many
not fo deep. The women have not a feminine delicacy in
their appearance, but their voice is remarkably foft; and by
that, the drefs of both fexes being the fame, they are principally
diftinguilhed: they have, however, like the women of
other countries, more airy cheerfulnefs, and a greater flow
of animal fpirits, than the other fex. Their hair, both of the
head and beard, is black ; and their teeth extremely regular,
and as white as ivory: the features of both fexes are good ;
they feem to enjoy high health, and we faw many who appeared
to be of a great age. The difpolitions both o f the
men and women feemed to be mild and gentle; they treat
7 each
each other with the tendered affe&ion, but are implacable ^
towards their enemies, to whom, as I have before obferved, i-----—
they never give quarter. It may perhaps, at firft, feem
ftrange, that where there is fo little to be got by vi&ory, there
fhould fo often be w a r ; and that every little diftrift of a
country inhabited by people fo mild and placid, fhould be
at enmity with all the reft.; But poflibly more is to be gained
by victory among thefe people than at firfl appears, and they
may be prompted to mutual hoftilities by motives which no
degree of friendfhip or affeftion is able to refill. It appears,
by the account that has already been given of them, that
their principal food is fifh, which can only be procured upon
the fea cbad; and there, in fuflicient quantities, only at certain
times: the tribes, therefore, who live inland, if any
fiiCh there are, and even thofe upon the coaft, mud be frequently
in danger of perilhing by famine. Their country
produces neither fheep, nor goafsV nor hogs, nor cattle ; tame
fowls they have none, nor any art by which thofe that are
wild can be caught in fuflicient plenty to ferve as provifion.
If there are any whofe fituation cuts them off from a fupply
of fifh, the only fuccedaneum of all other animal food, except
dogs, they have nothing to fupport life, but the vegetables
that have already been mentioned, of which the chief are fern
noot, yams, clams, and potatoes: when by any accident thefe
fail, the didrefs mud be dreadful; and even among the inhabitants
of the coad, many tribes mud frequently be reduced
to nearly the fame fituation, either by the failure of their
plantations, or the deficiency of their dry flock, during the
feafon when but few filh are to be caught. Thefe confide-
rations will enable us to account, not only for the perpetual
danger in which the people who inhabit this country appear
to live, by the care which they take to fortify every village,
but for the horrid practice of eating thofe who are killed in
X? 2 battle ;