— H I
T h e e x trem e foundnefs w i th w h ic h th e y fleep in v ite s je a lo u fy , or rev
e n g e fo r o th e r w r o n g s , to arm th e h an d o f th e affaflin. S e v e ra l in -
ftances o f th is k in d o ccurred d u r in g o u r acqua intance w i th th em , one
o f w’h ich w a s to o remarkable to p afs un n o tic ed : Y e l- lo -w a y , a na tiv e ,
w h o feemed en d ow ed w ith m ore u rb a n ity than th e re ft o f our friend s,
h a v in g poffeffed h im fe lf (th o u gh n o t, as I cou ld lea rn , b y u n fa ir means)
o f N o o - ro o - in g the w ife o f W a t - te -w a l, another n ativ e w e ll k n ow n
am o n g u s , w a s one n ig h t murd ered in his fleep b y this man, w h o could
n o t b ro o k th e decided preference g iv en b y N o o - ro o - in g to his r ival. T h is
m u rd e r h e fe v e ral mon th s after repaid in his ow n p e rfon , his life b e in g
ta k en b y C o le -b e , one o f Y e l - lo -w a y ’ s frien d s , w h o ftole u p on h im in th e
n ig h t , and p u t h im to death w h ile afleep. I t w a s remarkable, that C o le -be
fo u n d an in fant ly in g in h is arms, w h om h e firft rem o v ed , b efore h e
d ro v e th e fatal fp e ar in to th e f a t h e r ; h e afterw ard s b ro u g h t th e ch ild
w i th h im in to the tow n . Y e l- lo -w a y w a s fo m u ch efteemed am o n g
u s , th a t n o one w a s fo r r y h e had been fo re v en ged .
B e in g th em fe lv e s ferifible o f th e d an ge r th e y ran in th e n ig h t, th e y
e a g e r ly b e fo u g h t us to g iv e th em p upp ie s o f ou r fp aniel and te r rie r
b r e e d s ; w h ic h w e d id ; and n o t a fam ily w a s w ith o u t on e o r m ore o f
th e fe little w a tch -d o g s , w h ic h th e y confid ered as in v a lu a b le gua rd ians
d u r in g the n ig h t ; and w e r e pleafed w h e n th e y fo u n d them re a d ily dev
o u r th e o n ly re g u la r fo od th e y had to g iv e th em , fifli.
No. IV.
M O D E O F L I V I N G .
T H E nativ es o n th e fea -coaft are thofe w i th w h om w e happened to
b e th e moft acqua inted . F ilh is th e ir c h ie f fu p p o r t. M e n , w om en ,
and child ren are em p lo y ed in p ro c u r in g th em ; bu t the means ufed are
d iffe ren t ac co rd in g to th e f e x ; th e males a lw a y s k il lin g th em w i th th e
fx z-gig, w h ile th e females ufe th e h o o k and lin e . T h e f iz -g ig is made o f
th e w a t t le ; has a jo in t in it , fatten ed b y g u m ; is from fifteen to
tw e n ty fe e t in len g th , and armed w i th fo u r barbed p ron g s ; the barb
b e in g
b e in g a p ie ce o f b o n e fecured b y gum . T o each o f thefe p ron g s th e y
g a v e a p a r ticular .name ; bu t I n e ve r could d ifc o v e r a n y fenfible rea fon
fo r the d ift in ftio n .
T h e lines ufed b y the w om en are made b y th em fe lv e s o f th e b a rk
o f a fmall tree w h ic h th e y find in the n e ig h b o u rh o od . T h e i r h o o k s
are made o f th e moth e r -of-p ear l o y fte r , w h ic h th e y ru b on a fton e u ntil
it affumes the lhape th e y w an t. It m u ft b e rem ark ed , that the fe h o o k s
are no t barbed ; th e y neve rthelefs ca tch filh w i th th em w i th grea t fa -
c ility . . . .
W h i le fifh in g , th e w om en g e n e ra lly f in g ; and I h a v e o ften feen th em
in th e ir canoes ch ew in g mufcles o r co ck le s , o r b o iled fifh , w h ic h th e y
fp it in to th e w a te r as a bait. In the fe canoes, th e y a lw a y s c a r ry a fm all
fire laid u p on fea -w e ed o r f a n d ; w h e r ew ith , w h e n d efirous o f e a tin g ,
th e y find a re a d y material fo r d re fling th e ir meal. T h is fire ac co u n ted
fo r an appearance w h ic h w e n o ticed in m a n y o f th e w om e n ab out th e
fm a ll o f th e ba ck. W e at firft th o u g h t it m u ft h a v e been th e effeift o f
ftr ipes ; b u t the fituation o f them w a s q u e ftion able , and led us to m a k e
in q u ir y , w h e n w e fo u n d it to b e th e e f fe f t o f th e fires in th e canoes.
In ad d ition to fifh , th e y in d u lg e th em fe lv e s w i th a d e lic a c y w h ic h I
h a v e feen th em eag er to p rocure . In th e b o d y o f the d w a r f g um tre e
are fe v e ral la rg e w o rm s and g ru b s , w h ic h th e y fp e e d ily d iv e ft o f an -
tennse, leg s , & c . an d , to o u r w o n d e r and d ifg u il, d e v ou r . A fe rv an t o f
m in e , an E u ro p e an , has o ften jo in e d th em in e atin g this lu x u r y ; and h a s
affured me, th a t it was fw e e te r than a n y m a r row h e had e v e r t a i le d ;
and the nativ es th em fe lv e s appeared to find a p e cu liar r e lilh in it.
T h e w o o d s , e x c lu fiv e o f. th e animals w h ic h th e y o c c a fio n a lly find in
th e ir n e igh b o u rh o od , afford th em b u t little fuftenan ce ; a few be rr ie s ,
th e y am and fe rn - ro o t, th e flow e rs o f th e d ifferent b an k fia , and at tim e s
fom e h o n e y , mak e up the w h o le v e g e ta b le ca ta logue.
T h e nativ es w h o liv e in th e w o o d s and on the margins o f riv e rs are
compelled to fe ek a different fu b fiften ce , and are d r iv en to a h a rd e r
e x e rc ife o f th e ir abilities to p rocu re it. T h i s is e v in ced in th e ha z a rd
and to il w i th w h ic h th e y atten d th e ta lle ft trees a fte r th e opo ffum and
f ly in g fquir rel. A t th e fo o t o f R ic hm o n d H i l l , I once fo u n d fev eral
places c o n ft ru d e d e x p r e fs ly fo r th e p u rp o fe o f en fn a r in g anima ls o r
birds. T h e fe w e r e w id e en o u g h at th e entrance to adm it a perfon.
w i th o u t