.4j&; ta mention tbdr attempts p?rfua,de
winters ta get to the fta, and that old age wctu!d come upon us, before
the period of opr pturpj - w e o f F«eh
horrid Ojapes ajpd definitive powers as could only fxllan their wild
imaginations. They added, hefidcs, that there .were two Impaflabft falls
in the,pwr, the %fi of which was abput thirty, d^ys jparctb from os.
Though I placed 90 .faith in theft firange ^ftdoBfcjtfcey had a very
different effect upon opr Jndftnsr who were already tired of the voyage,
ft was their opinion aiod auxiopa wift^ that We fin-wildpojt hefitaft to
return. They ftid. that» according to the ipforniati^r which jth§y had
received?.,there were yery few apipwfe in the cpijfl|ry;dhfyop^frjp, and
that as we. proceeded, the fcareit.y would i^re^e,- and-we feou-Jd aftfOr
lutely perdh from hunger, if no other accident hffe f tps. It was with po
fmall trouble that they were canyincedof the fQjly f f j thefe reafonings;
and, b j my defire, they induced one .o f thoft Indians to ^company
u§, in eonfideration of a finall Fettle, an axe, , a kniJA and feme other
articles.
'though-IF: was sow three o’clock in the afternpon, the catioe was
ordered t q . be rpjoaded» and ae we were ready tp emhacK new
recruit was defired to prepare bbifielf fp f hi%4epartup?f» which he wouhl
have declined; but as none of his friends would tahe5^ a ;plajQC4iV^TPaf
fee faid, after the delay of an hour, to have compelled, , hint to .embftrl^,
Previous to his departure a iceremony took place, of.which I cduld
not learn the meaning: he cut off a lock o f Jiig hair,; and having
divided it into three parts, he fafiened one o f them to. the hair on the
upper
topper-patt of' hi&Wii^'..4^a||^hl©wtng on it three times with the utmoft
'lisped>ih..fris.power,-and':uM§:riji% certain wordsi-s The other two he
fattened With the fame Formalities, on the .heads .of his tworohildren.
During our fhort flay with theft: people,They amufe'd <us with dancing,
whidh hccocppaided with theiryydt&ff; hut iheither their fong or
their dance poffdtted much variety-. The men and women fdrthed^a pro-
nufeuous ring. The forfherhav® a bone dagger <or •piece_ of flick between
the firrgersiof the fight handywhiehchey: keepiMtended above the
head, in continual motion: »the. left ihcyfeldom raife^fd Mgh, ibut work
ithaek wards and- forwards in an horizontal direfitibn • while they leap
'about and throw themfelvesMnto yariaus'antic pdftures, to thfe meafare of
their :mufic, alwaysybringing their heels clafc to each other at evbry
paule. The^men Qccafionallyhowl in imitation pffdrire animal, and he
Who roStihues 'this:yiolmt fexffeift ft>r thefohgeft spmodjiappears't©
he otnatfidefedras the ,heft performer. The women fuffer their aruas’ to
hang as without the power of motion. They are a meagre, ugly, ill-
made people, particularly. about the legs, which are very Clumfy and cO’-
v em i iA h A a t e The fatter ckouihflnnce proceeds probably > from. their
habitually roafting thernrheharre^dse/firei Many o f them appeared to be
p fa ve^ unhealthy ^ftate, ewhich is mowing, as I imagine, qto their natural
filthinefs. They are of a moderate ftattire, and as far as could be difeo-
vefed, thEoaghrthe coat of dirt and grenfe > that covers them, are of a
fairer complexion than the generalityvOf lndians who iare the natives of
warmer climates.
, ;'Sonae of I themVhave itheir hair o f a great length; while others • fttfftr
along trefs to Ifall behdiid,$and the reft is;cut fo fhort as #0 expOffe
F 2 - their