a£Bi&ed in the fame .manner..- This-unhappy man was reduced t e a
Ikeleton, and, ftomTist appearance, was . drawing near to an end of his
pains; They requefted «that I would touch; him, and hishfathey was-very
urgent with me to adminifter medicine,; .but he was in fuch a dangerous
ftate, that I- thought it - prudent to iyidkhno further to theimphrtunities
than to give-the lick perfon a few .drops of Turlington’s balfam -irt'fome
water.** • I therefore left themj but was foon called back by. the loud
lamentations of the women, and was rather apprehenfive that fome inconvenience
might refult from mycompliancewith th# chief ’s re^óeS;
On my return I found the native phyfieians bufy in pmftifihgj (their
ffcill and art on the patient. They blew" bn him, and? then w h iftled a t
times they prefled their extended fingers, with, all their ftrength bn his
ftomach ; they alfo put their fore fingers doubled into his mouth, and
{pouted water from their own with great viofence ihto his face.;- To
fupport thefe operations the wretched fufferer was held up in a fitting
pofture ; and when they were concluded, he was laid down and covered
with a new robe made of the {kin o f a lynx. I had obfervedthat his belly
and breaft were covered with fears, and I underftood that they -were
caufed by a cuttom prevalent among them, of applying»pieGes o f lighted
touch-wood to their flefh, in order to relieve'pain or demonftrate their
courage. lie was now placed on • a broad plank, and carried by fee
mén unto the wpodsi where I was invited to accompany them; 'TböS»G|
not conjeQure what would be the end of this ceremöfty, parficfilMiiy
as I faw one man carry fire, another an axe, and a third dry wóodv;! I
wiSj indeed, difpofed to fufpeft that, as it was their cuftom to burn thé
deadjlthey intended'to relieve the poor man from his painyand perform
the-laft fad duty of furviving affe&ion. When they had advanced a {hort
difiance
d iR ^ ^ i®^b®hei%pidild3fey laidrhim?|lipon ^cieg|\ Ipot^and kindled a
fire againft hi$?back, »when, the phyficiai) begap toTGarify the ulcer with
af-yery blunt inftrumentj the cruel pair) «of which operation the patient
bore with incredible refolutioni The feene afflifiled me and I left it.
‘ 793-
July.
I I
esOn my return to our- lodgb, I observed before the door of the chiefs
refidence, four, heaps, of fa{mon;^each ©f ■ which confided*' of between
three: and fourhuudred fifli. ; in cleaning
and preparing them;*;1 They sfirfir feparate the head from the bbdyi'
tfee&jcuuhe latter down the hack on
each fide of the bone, leaving one third; of the fifli adhering to itj and
afterwards take out the guts. The bone is- -roafted for immediate ufe,
and fhe;other-,parts are drefled in the fame manner, but with more attention,
for future provifion, , While;they are before the .fife, troughs are
placpd under them to receive the oil, - The roes are alfo ^carefully pre-
ferved, and form a.favourite article of their, food.,/ r.
- After Jh|^I c^fofyed thefe culinary preparations, I paid a!vifit to the
chief, who prefented me with a roafted falmon; he then op,ened ope of
ifis efiefts, and took put of. it a garment of, blue.plothj.cjecorated with
br^fsi button? and another of a flowered^cottop, which I Ipppof^d were
Spanifh i i t had heen trimmed with leather fringe,, a&er.t^e fafhipn pf
their own .clocks. Copper and brafsgre in great eftimation, among them,
anf of the formep fb^y Jjave, great plenty^ they point their, arrows
and fpears >vith it, anjjwofk it up into perfopal ornaments; fueh as collars,
ear-rings^ and bracelets, whicli, they .wear, op their p^rifts^rms^and
legs. I, prefume they, find if the mpft advantageous* article'of trade with
H R ? Y l i l ■ S | I |1 liM; 1 ! ■- the