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Henry Lawson - "Over the Sliprails"

Jack London - "The Night Born"

John Webster - "The Duchess of Malfi"

Walt Whitman - "Leaves of Grass"

A New Voyage to Carolina

J >> John Lawson >> A New Voyage to Carolina




{The World is round.}
They all believe, that this World is round, and that there are two Spirits;
the one good, the other bad: {What they believe of God.
Their offering Idols.} The good one they reckon to be
the Author and Maker of every thing, and say, that it is he,
that gives them the Fruits of the Earth, and has taught them to hunt, fish,
and be wise enough to overpower the Beasts of the Wilderness,
and all other Creatures, that they may be assistant, and beneficial to Man;
to which they add, that the Quera, or good Spirit, has been very kind
to the English Men, to teach them to make Guns, and Ammunition,
besides a great many other Necessaries, that are helpful to Man,
all which, they say, will be deliver'd to them, when that good Spirit
sees fit. They do not believe, that God punishes any Man
either in this Life, or that to come; but that he delights in doing good,
and in giving the Fruits of the Earth, and instructing us in making
several useful and ornamental things. {Devil what.} They say,
it is a bad Spirit (who lives separate from the good one)
that torments us with Sicknesses, Disappointments, Losses, Hunger, Travel,
and all the Misfortunes, that Humane Life is incident to.
How they are treated in the next World, I have already mention'd,
and, as I said before, they are very resolute in dying,
when in the Hands of Savage Enemies; yet I saw one of their young Men,
a very likely Person, condemn'd, on a Sunday, for Killing a Negro,
and burning the House. {Indian condemn'd.} I took good Notice
of his Behaviour, when he was brought out of the House to die,
which was the next Morning after Sentence, but he chang'd his Countenance
with Trembling, and was in the greatest Fear and Agony. I never saw
any Person under his Circumstances, which, perhaps, might be occasion'd
by his being deliver'd up by his own Nation (which was the Tuskeruro's)
and executed by us, that are not their common Enemies, though he met
with more Favour than he would have receiv'd at the Hands of Savages;
for he was only hang'd on a Tree, near the Place where the Murder
was committed; and the three Kings, that but the day before
shew'd such a Reluctancy to deliver him up, (but would have given another
in his Room) when he was hang'd, pull'd him by the Hand, and said,
`Thou wilt never play any more Rogues Tricks in this World;
whither art thou gone to shew thy Tricks now?' Which shews these Savages
to be what they really are, (viz) a People that will save their own Men
if they can, but if the Safety of all the People lies at Stake, they will
deliver up the most innocent Person living, and be so far from Concern,
when they have made themselves easy thereby, that they will laugh
at their Misfortunes, and never pity or think of them more.

{Indian Conjurers.}
Their Priests are the Conjurers and Doctors of the Nation.
I shall mention some of their Methods, and Practices; and so leave them
to the Judgment of the Reader. As I told you before, the Priests make
their Orations at every Feast, or other great Meeting of the Indians.
{Indian Lightning, at Chattooka, at a Feast for rebuilding
a King's House burnt.} I happen'd to be at one of these great Meetings,
which was at the Funeral of a Tuskeruro Indian, that was slain
with Lightning at a Feast, the day before, where I was amongst the rest;
it was in July, and a very fair day, where, in the Afternoon,
about six or seven a Clock, as they were dealing out their Victuals,
there appear'd a little black Cloud to the North West,
which spread and brought with it Rain, Wind and Lightning;
so we went out from the Place where we were all at Victuals,
and went down to the Cabins where I left the Indians, and went to lie
in my Canoe, which was convenient enough to keep me dry.
The Lightning came so terrible, and down in long Streams,
that I was afraid it would have taken hold of a Barrel of Powder
I had in my Vessel, and so blown me up; but it pleas'd God,
that it did me no Harm; yet the Violence of the Wind had blown
all the Water away, where I rid at Anchor, so that my Canoe lay dry,
and some Indian Women came with Torches in their Hands
to the side of the Canoe, and told me, an Indian was kill'd with Lightning.
The next day, (I think) he was buried, and I stay'd to see the Ceremony,
and was very tractable to help the Indians to trim their Reeds,
and make the Coffin, which pleased them very much, because I had a mind
to see the Interment. Before he was Interr'd according to their Custom,
they dealt every one some hot Victuals, which he took and did
what he would with: Then the Doctor began to talk, and told the People
what Lightning was, and that it kill'd every thing that dwelt upon the Earth;
nay, the very Fishes did not escape; for it often reach'd
the Porpoises and other Fish, and destroy'd them; that every thing
strove to shun it, except the Mice, who, he said, were the busiest
in eating their Corn in the Fields, when it lightned the most.
He added, that no Wood or Tree could withstand it, except the black Gum,
and that it would run round that Tree a great many times, to enter therein,
but could not effect it. Now you must understand, that sort of Gum will not
split or rive; therefore, I suppose, the Story might arise from thence.
At last, he began to tell the most ridiculous absurd Parcel of Lyes
about Lightning, that could be; as that an Indian of that Nation
had once got Lightning in the Likeness of a Partridge;
That no other Lightning could harm him, whilst he had that about him;
and that after he had kept it for several Years, it got away from him;
so that he then became as liable to be struck with Lightning,
as any other Person. There was present at the same time,
an Indian that had liv'd from his Youth, chiefly in an English House;
so I call'd to him, and told him, what a Parcel of Lyes the Conjurer told,
not doubting but he thought so, as well as I, but I found to the contrary;
for he reply'd, that I was much mistaken, for that old Man
(who, I believe was upwards of an hundred Years old) did never tell Lyes;
and as for what he said, it was very true; for he knew it himself to be so.
{How hard it is to bring the Indians from their Superstition.}
Thereupon, seeing the Fellow's Ignorance, I talk'd no more about it.
{Rattle-Snake kill Indians in Canoes. Eagles kill it.}
Then the Doctor proceeded to tell a long Tale of a great Rattle-Snake,
which, a great while ago, liv'd by a Creek in that River
(which was Neus) and that it kill'd abundance of Indians;
but at last, a bald Eagle kill'd it, and they were rid of a Serpent,
that us'd to devour whole Canoes full of Indians, at a time.
I have been something tedious upon this Subject, on purpose to shew
what strange ridiculous Stories these Wretches are inclinable to believe.
I suppose, these Doctors understand a little better themselves,
than to give Credit to any such Fooleries; for I reckon them
the cunningest Knaves in all the Pack. I will therefore begin with
their Physick and Surgery, which is next: {Indian Physick and Surgery.}
You must know, that the Doctors or Conjurers, to gain a greater Credit
amongst these People, tell them, that all Distempers are
the Effects of evil Spirits, or the bad Spirit, which has struck them
with this or that Malady; therefore, none of these Physicians
undertakes any Distemper, but that he comes to an Exorcism,
to effect the Cure, and acquaints the sick Party's Friends,
that he must converse with the good Spirit, to know whether the Patient
will recover or not; if so, then he will drive out the bad Spirit,
and the Patient will become well. Now, the general way of their Behaviour
in curing the Sick, (a great deal of which I have seen,
and shall give some Account thereof, in as brief a manner as possible) is,
when an Indian is sick, if they think there is much Danger of Life,
and that he is a great Man or hath good Friends, the Doctor is sent for.
As soon as the Doctor comes into the Cabin, the sick Person is sat
on a Mat or Skin, stark-naked, lying on his Back, and all uncover'd,
except some small Trifle that covers their Nakedness when ripe,
otherwise in very young Children, there is nothing about them.
{Conjuring over the Sick.} In this manner, the Patient lies,
when the Conjurer appears; and the King of that Nation comes to attend him
with a Rattle made of a Gourd with Pease in it. This the King delivers
into the Doctor's Hand, whilst another brings a Bowl of Water,
and sets it down: Then the Doctor begins, and utters some few Words
very softly; afterwards he smells of the Patient's Navel and Belly,
and sometimes scarifies him a little with a Flint, or an Instrument
made of Rattle-Snakes Teeth for that purpose; then he sucks the Patient,
and gets out a Mouthful of Blood and Serum, but Serum chiefly;
which, perhaps, may be a better Method in many Cases, than to take away
great Quantities of Blood, as is commonly practis'd; which he spits
in the Bowl of Water. Then he begins to mutter, and talk apace,
and, at last, to cut Capers, and clap his Hands on his Breech and Sides,
till he gets into a Sweat, so that a Stranger would think he was running mad;
now and then sucking the Patient, and so, at times, keeps sucking,
till he has got a great Quantity of very ill-coloured Matter out of the Belly,
Arms, Breast, Forehead, Temples, Neck, and most Parts, still continuing
his Grimaces, and antick Postures, which are not to be match'd in Bedlam:
At last, you will see the Doctor all over of a dropping Sweat,
and scarce able to utter one Word, having quite spent himself;
then he will cease for a while, and so begin again, till he comes
in the same Pitch of Raving and seeming Madness, as before,
(all this time the sick Body never so much as moves, although, doubtless,
the Lancing and Sucking must be a great Punishment to them;
but they, certainly, are the patientest and most steady People
under any Burden, that I ever saw in my Life.) {Whether live or die.}
At last, the Conjurer makes an end, and tells the Patient's Friends,
whether the Person will live or die; {Bury the Serum.}
and then one that waits at this Ceremony, takes the Blood away,
(which remains in a Lump, in the middle of the Water) and buries it
in the Ground, in a Place unknown to any one, but he that inters it.
Now, I believe a great deal of Imposture in these Fellows;
yet I never knew their Judgment fail, though I have seen them
give their Opinion after this Manner, several times: Some affirm,
that there is a smell of Brimstone in the Cabins, when they are Conjuring,
which I cannot contradict. Which way it may come, I will not argue,
but proceed to a Relation or two, which I have from a great many Persons,
and some of them worthy of Credit.

{Indian Robbery.}
The first is, of a certain Indian, that one rainy Night, undermin'd a House
made of Logs, (such as the Swedes in America very often make,
and are very strong) which belong'd to Seth Southwell, Esq;
Governor of North-Carolina, and one of the Proprietors.
There was but one place the Indian could get in at, which was very narrow;
the rest was secur'd, by having Barrels of Pork and other Provisions
set against the side of the House, so that if this Indian
had not exactly hit the very Place he undermin'd, it had been impossible
for him to have got therein, because of the full Barrels that stood
round the House, and barricadoed it within. The Indian stole
sixty or eighty dress'd Deer-Skins, besides Blankets, Powder, Shot and Rum,
(this being the Indian Store-House, where the Trading Goods were kept.)
Now, the Indian had made his Escape, but dropt some of the Skins by the way,
and they track'd his Foot-steps, and found him to be an Indian;
then they guess'd who it was, because none but that Indian
had lately been near the House. Thereupon, the Governor sent
to the Indian Town that he belong'd to, which was the Tuskeruro's,
and acquainted them that if they did not deliver up the Indian,
who had committed the Robbery, he would take a Course with them,
that would not be very agreeable. Upon this, the Indians of the Town
he belong'd to, brought him in bound, and deliver'd him up to the Governor,
who laid him in Irons. At the same time, it happen'd,
that a Robbery was committed amongst themselves, at the Indian Town,
and this Prisoner was one of their Conjurers; so the Indians came down
to the Governor's House, and acquainted him with what had happen'd
amongst them, and that a great Quantity of Peak, was stoln away
out of one of their Cabins, and no one could find out the Thief,
unless he would let the Prisoner conjure for it, who was the only Man they had
at making such Discoveries. The Governor was content he should try
his Skill for them, but not to have the Prisoners Irons taken off,
which was very well approved of. The Indian was brought out in his Fetters,
where were the Governor's Family, and several others of the Neighbourhood,
now living, to see this Experiment; which he perform'd thus:

{Conjuring for stoln Goods.}
The Conjurer order'd three Fires to be made in a triangular Form,
which was accordingly done; then he was hoodwink'd very securely,
with a dress'd Deer-Skin, two or three doubles, over his Face.
After he had made some Motions, as they always do, he went directly
out of one of the three Gaps, as exactly as if he had not been blindfolded,
and kept muttering to himself, having a Stick in his Hand,
with which, after some time, he struck two Strokes very hard upon the Ground,
and made thereon a Cross, after which he told the Indian's Name
that had stoln the Goods, and said, that he would have a Cross on his Back;
which prov'd true; for when they took and search'd him, there appear'd
two great Wheals on his Back, one cross the other; for the Thief
was at Governor Southwell's House, and was under no Apprehension
of being discover'd. The Indians proffer'd to sell him as a Slave
to the Governor, but he refused to buy him; so they took him bound away.

Another Instance, of the like Nature, happen'd at the same House.
One of the Tuskeruro Kings had brought in a Slave to the same Governor,
to whom he had sold him; and before he return'd, fell sick
at the Governor's House; upon which, the Doctor that belong'd
to this King's Nation, was sent for, being a Man that was held to be
the greatest Conjurer amongst them. It was three Days,
before he could arrive, and he appear'd (when he came) to be
a very little Man, and so old, that his Hair was as white as ever was seen.
When he approach'd the sick King, he order'd a Bowl of Water
to be brought him, and three Chunks of Wood, which was immediately done.
Then he took the Water, and set it by him, and spurted a little on him,
and with the three Pieces of Wood, he made a Place to stand on,
whereby he was rais'd higher; (he being a very low statur'd Man) then he took
a String of Ronoak, which is the same as a String of small Beads;
this he held by one End, between his Fingers; the other End touch'd
the King's Stomach, as he stood on the Logs. Then he began to talk,
and at length, the By-standers thought really, that they heard somebody
talk to him, but saw no more than what first came in. At last,
this String of Beads, which hung thus perpendicular, turn'd up
as an Eel would do, and without any Motion of his, they came all up
(in a lump) under his Hand, and hung so for a considerable time,
he never closing his Hand, and at length return'd to their pristine
Length and Shape, at which the Spectators were much frightned.
Then he told the Company, that he would recover, and that his Distemper
would remove into his Leg, all which happen'd to be exactly
as the Indian Doctor had told. These are Matters of Fact, and I can,
at this day, prove the Truth thereof by several substantial Evidences,
that are Men of Reputation, there being more than a dozen People present,
when this was perform'd; most of whom are now alive.

{Salmon-Creek.}
There are a great many other Stories, of this Nature,
which are seemingly true, being told by Persons that affirm
they were Eye-Witnesses thereof; as, that they have seen one Roncommock
(a Chuwou Indian, and a great Conjurer) take a Reed about two Foot long
in his Mouth, and stand by a Creek-side, where he call'd twice or thrice
with the Reed in his Mouth; and, at last, has open'd his Arms,
and fled over the Creek, which might be near a quarter of a Mile wide or more;
but I shall urge no Man's Belief, but tell my own; which is, that I believe
the two first Accounts, which were acted at Mr. Southwell's Plantation,
as firmly as any Man can believe any thing of that which is told him
by honest Men, and he has not seen; not at all doubting
the Credit of my Authors.

The Cures I have seen perform'd by the Indians, are too many
to repeat here; so I shall only mention some few, and their Method.
{Scald Head cured.} They cure Scald-heads infallibly, and never miss.
Their chief Remedy as I have seen them make use of, is, the Oil of Acorns,
but from which sort of Oak I am not certain. They cure Burns beyond Credit.
I have seen a Man burnt in such a manner, (when drunk) by falling into a Fire,
that I did not think he could recover; yet they cur'd him in ten Days,
so that he went about. I knew another blown up with Powder,
that was cured to Admiration. {No ulcerated Wounds.} I never saw an Indian
have an Ulcer, or foul Wound in my Life; neither is there any such thing
to be found amongst them. {Pox to cure.} They cure the Pox, by a Berry
that salivates, as Mercury does; yet they use Sweating and Decoctions
very much with it; as they do, almost on every Occasion;
and when they are thoroughly heated, they leap into the River.
The Pox is frequent in some of these Nations; amongst which
I knew one Woman die of it; and they could not, or would not, cure her.
Before she died, she was worn away to a Skeleton, yet walk'd up and down
to the last. We had a Planter in Carolina, who had got an Ulcer in his Leg,
which had troubled him a great many Years; at last, he apply'd himself
to one of these Indian Conjurers, who was a Pampticough Indian,
and was not to give the Value of fifteen Shillings for the Cure.
{Indian cure an Ulcer.} Now, I am not positive, whether he wash'd the Ulcer
with any thing, before he used what I am now going to speak of,
which was nothing but the rotten doated Grains of Indian Corn,
beaten to Powder, and the soft Down growing on a Turkey's Rump.
This dry'd the Ulcer up immediately, and no other Fontanel was made
to discharge the Matter, he remaining a healthful Man,
till the time he had the Misfortune to be drown'd, which was many Years after.
{Cure in Maryland.} Another Instance (not of my own Knowledge,
but I had it confirm'd by several Dwellers in Maryland,
where it was done) was, of an honest Planter that had been possess'd
with a strange Lingring Distemper, not usual amongst them,
under which he emaciated, and grew every Month worse than another,
it having held him several Years, in which time he had made Tryal
of several Doctors, as they call them, which, I suppose, were Ship-Surgeons.
In the beginning of this Distemper, the Patient was very well to pass,
and was possess'd of several Slaves, which the Doctors purged all away,
and the poor Man was so far from mending, that he grew worse and worse
every day. But it happen'd, that, one day, as his Wife and he
were commiserating his miserable Condition, and that he could not expect
to recover, but look'd for Death very speedily, and condoling the Misery
he should leave his Wife and Family in, since all his Negro's were gone.
At that time, I say, it happen'd, that an Indian was in the same Room,
who had frequented the House for many Years, and so was become
as one of the Family, and would sometimes be at this Planter's House,
and at other times amongst the Indians.

This Savage, hearing what they talk'd of, and having a great Love
for the Sick Man, made this Reply to what he had heard.
`Brother, you have been a long time Sick; and, I know, you have
given away your Slaves to your English Doctors: What made you do so,
and now become poor? They do not know how to cure you;
for it is an Indian Distemper, which your People know not the Nature of.
If it had been an English Disease, probably they could have cured you;
and had you come to me at first, I would have cured you for a small matter,
without taking away your Servants that made Corn for you and your Family
to eat; and yet, if you will give me a Blanket to keep me warm,
and some Powder and Shot to kill Deer withal, I will do my best
to make you well still.' The Man was low in Courage and Pocket too,
and made the Indian this Reply. `Jack, my Distemper is past Cure,
and if our English Doctors cannot cure it, I am sure, the Indians cannot.'
But his Wife accosted her Husband in very mild terms, and told him,
he did not know, but God might be pleased to give a Blessing
to that Indian's Undertaking more than he had done to the English;
and farther added; `if you die, I cannot be much more miserable,
by giving this small matter to the Indian; so I pray you, my Dear,
take my Advice, and try him;' to which, by her Persuasions, he consented.
After the Bargain was concluded, the Indian went into the Woods,
and brought in both Herbs and Roots, of which he made a Decoction,
and gave it the Man to drink, and bad him go to bed, saying,
it should not be long, before he came again, which the Patient perform'd
as he had ordered; and the Potion he had administred made him sweat
after the most violent manner that could be, whereby he smell'd
very offensively both to himself, and they that were about him;
but in the Evening, towards Night, Jack came, with a great Rattle-Snake
in his Hand alive, which frightned the People almost out of their Senses;
{Cure by a Snake.} and he told his Patient, that he must take that
to Bed to him; at which the Man was in a great Consternation,
and told the Indian, he was resolv'd, to let no Snake come into his Bed,
for he might as well die of the Distemper he had, as be kill'd
with the Bite of that Serpent. To which the Indian reply'd,
he could not bite him now, nor do him any Harm; for he had taken out
his Poison-teeth, and shew'd him, that they were gone. At last,
with much Persuasion, he admitted the Snake's Company, which the Indian
put about his Middle, and order'd nobody to take him away upon any account,
which was strictly observ'd, although the Snake girded him as hard
for a great while, as if he had been drawn in by a Belt, which one pull'd at,
with all his strength. At last, the Snake's Twitches grew weaker and weaker,
till, by degrees, he felt him not; and opening the Bed, he was found dead,
and the Man thought himself better. The Indian came in the Morning,
and seeing the Snake dead, told the Man, that his Distemper was dead
along with that Snake, which prov'd so as he said; for the Man
speedily recover'd his Health, and became perfectly well.

{Spleen how cure.}
They cure the Spleen (which they are much addicted to) by burning with a Reed.
They lay the Patient on his Back, so put a hollow Cane into the Fire,
where they burn the End thereof, till it is very hot, and on Fire at the end.
Then they lay a Piece of thin Leather on the Patient's Belly,
between the Pit of the Stomach and the Navel, so press the hot Reed
on the Leather, which burns the Patient so that you may ever after see
the Impression of the Reed where it was laid on, which Mark never goes off
so long as he lives. This is used for the Belly-Ach sometimes.
{Colouring of the Hair.} They can colour their Hair black,
though sometimes it is reddish, which they do with the Seed of a Flower
that grows commonly in their Plantations. I believe this would change
the reddest Hair into perfect black. {Not many Tears, Rozins.}
They make use of no Minerals in their Physick, and not much of Animals;
but chiefly rely on Vegetables. They have several Remedies for the Tooth-ach,
which often drive away the Pain; but if they fail, they have Recourse
to punching out the Tooth, with a small Cane set against the same,
on a Bit of Leather. Then they strike the Reed, and so drive out the Tooth;
and howsoever it may seem to the Europeans, I prefer it before
the common way of drawing Teeth by those Instruments than endanger the Jaw,
and a Flux of Blood often follows, which this Method of a Punch
never is attended withal; neither is it half the Pain.
The Spontaneous Plants of America the Savages are well acquainted withal;
and a Flux of Blood never follows any of their Operations.
They are wholly Strangers to Amputation, and for what natural Issues of Blood
happen immoderately, they are not to seek for a certain and speedy Cure.
Tears, Rozins, and Gums, I have not discover'd that they make much use of;
And as for Purging and Emeticks, so much in fashion with us,
they never apply themselves to, {Yaupon.} unless in drinking
vast Quantities of their Yaupon or Tea, and vomiting it up again,
as clear as they drink it. This is a Custom amongst all those
that can procure that Plant, in which manner they take it every other Morning,
or oftner; by which Method they keep their Stomachs clean,
without pricking the Coats, and straining Nature, as every Purge
is an Enemy to. Besides, the great Diuretick Quality of their Tea
carries off a great deal, that perhaps might prejudice their Health,
by Agues, and Fevers, which all watry Countries are addicted to;
for which reason, I believe, it is, that the Indians are not so much
addicted to that Distemper, as we are, they preventing its seizing upon them,
by this Plant alone. Moreover, I have remark'd, that it is only those Places
bordering on the Ocean and great Rivers, that this Distemper is frequent in,
and only on and near the same Places this Evergreen is to be found;
and none up towards the Mountains, where these Agues seldom or never appear;
Nature having provided suitable Remedies, in all Countries,
proper for the Maladies that are common thereto. The Savages of Carolina
have this Tea in Veneration, above all the Plants they are acquainted withal,
and tell you, the Discovery thereof was by an infirm Indian,
that labour'd under the Burden of many rugged Distempers,
and could not be cured by all their Doctors; so, one day,
he fell asleep, and dreamt, that if he took a Decoction of the Tree
that grew at his Head, he would certainly be cured; upon which he awoke,
and saw the Yaupon or Cassena-Tree, which was not there
when he fell asleep. He follow'd the Direction of his Dream,
and became perfectly well in a short time. Now, I suppose,
no Man has so little Sense as to believe this Fable; yet it lets us see
what they intend thereby, and that it has, doubtless, work'd Feats enough,
to gain it such an Esteem amongst these Savages, who are too well versed
in Vegetables, to be brought to a continual use of any one of them,
upon a meer Conceit or Fancy, without some apparent Benefit
they found thereby; especially, when we are sensible,
they drink the Juices of Plants, to free Nature of her Burdens,
and not out of Foppery and Fashion, as other Nations are oftentimes
found to do. Amongst all the Discoveries of America,
by the Missionaries of the French and Spaniards, I wonder none of them
was so kind to the World, as to have kept a Catalogue of the Distempers
they found the Savages capable of curing, and their Method of Cure;
which might have been of some Advantage to our Materia Medica at home,
when deliver'd by Men of Learning, and other Qualifications,
as most of them are. Authors generally tell us, that the Savages
are well enough acquainted with those Plants which their Climate affords,
and that some of them effect great Cures, but by what Means,
and in what Form, we are left in the dark. {Sassafras.}
The Bark of the Root of the Sassafras-Tree, I have observ'd,
is much used by them. They generally torrefy it in the Embers,
so strip off the Bark from the Root, beating it to a Consistence
fit to spread, so lay it on the griev'd Part; which both cleanses
a fowl Ulcer; and after Scarrification, being apply'd to a Contusion,
or Swelling, draws forth the Pain, and reduces the Part to its pristine
State of Health, as I have often seen effected. Fats and Unguents
never appear in their Chirurgery, when the Skin is once broke.
The Fats of Animals are used by them, to render their Limbs pliable,
and when wearied, to relieve the Joints, and this not often,
because they approve of the Sweating-House (in such cases) above all things.
{Make Bread, how. Alkali Salts.} The Salts they mix
with their Bread and Soupe, to give them a Relish, are Alkalis,
(viz.) Ashes, and calcined Bones of Deer, and other Animals.
{No Sallads, Pepper, or Mustard.} Sallads, they never eat any;
as for Pepper and Mustard, they reckon us little better than Madmen,
to make use of it amongst our Victuals. They are never troubled
with the Scurvy, Dropsy, nor Stone. The Phthisick, Asthma, and Diabetes,
they are wholly Strangers to; neither do I remember I ever saw
one Paralytick amongst them. The Gout, I cannot be certain
whether they know what it is, or not. Indeed, I never saw
any Nodes or Swellings, which attend the Gout in Europe;
{Rhumatick Pains.} yet they have a sort of Rhumatism or Burning of the Limbs,
which tortures them grievously, at which time their Legs are so hot,
that they employ the young People continually to pour Water down them.
I never saw but one or two thus afflicted. The Struma is not uncommon
amongst these Savages, and another Distemper, which is, in some respects,
like the Pox, but is attended with no Gonorrhoea. This not seldom
bereaves them of their Nose. I have seen three or four of them
render'd most miserable Spectacles by this Distemper.
Yet, when they have been so negligent, as to let it run on so far
without curbing of it; at last, they make shift to patch themselves up,
and live for many years after; and such Men commonly turn Doctors.
I have known two or three of these no-nose Doctors in great Esteem
amongst these Savages. The Juice of the Tulip-Tree is used
as a proper Remedy for this Distemper. What Knowledge they have in Anatomy,
I cannot tell, neither did I ever see them employ themselves therein,
unless, as I told you before, when they make the Skeletons
of their Kings and great Mens Bones.

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