Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Relation Of A Captivity Among The Indians Of North America.*
extremity for want of food ; and we were now obli ged to have recourse to the last resource , that of picking up acorns and boiling them in water and ashes , changing these frequentl y to take off the bitter taste . This was our only food until the fifth day , when , the wind abating , we procured a supply of fish . The Indians themselves think nothing of such privations , and they are always sure to make up for their loss afterwards , fco long as they have victuals in their hutsthey do nothing but eat
any , , smoke , and sleep . Sometimes they amuse themselves with a game similar to the shinty of the schoolboys in Scotland , at which diversion the Indian women play against the men , and often come off the victors . On these occasions the beaux and belles of the tribe are wont to dress themselves out in their best attire , and make their mutual conquests . My master used to deck me out then in the richest manner he could , putting all the famil ornaments and taking out
y upon my person ; me to the plain , he would make me to strut about and show myself to the assembled natives , calling out to the people to come and look at the little white man . I was then , however , simply made a show of , not being suffered to partake of their amusements . Towards the end of May , we began to make preparations for a voyage to join the rest of the warriors encamped near Detroit ; for which purpose my master thought it to build a new canoe operation
_ necessary , an which he and I accomplished in two days , large enough to carry the whole famil y for many thousand miles . The evening before our departure , I was surprised to see my master seize one of the dogs , of which we had several in the hut , which were constantly poking their noses into the victuals , as the floor was our onlv
table , there being neither stool nor chair to place any utensil upon . Phis animal I was not sorry to see him take and kill , and then hand over to his squaw , who began to scrape it , as they do a hog , in hot water . My master then invited all his neighbours to the feast , sending a man round with a bundle of little painted sticks , one of which he left as a token of invitation with each of the intended guests . The latter , upon entering the hut where the entertainment is given , places each his bit of stick
upon a platter for the purpose . At this feast every one of the guests was served with a double portion , eating one and carrying home the other , in a dish brought with them to receive it . I sat in the corner of my master ' s hut , ' a silent spectator of the repast , being looked upon of course as a slave , unworthy to partake of so fine a banquet . After killing , or rather drowning another clog , for the purpose I was given to understand , of appeasing the evil spirit , we set out next mornin
ing our canoe , making short day ' s voyages , and always landing before sunset , when we erected our cabin and cooked our fish , an oflice which fell to my particular share , as well as that of cutting wood for the fire . The cabin or hut is soon constructed . It consists of about twenty young trees put up in the shape of a sugar-loaf , all covered over with a kind of matting , except a hole at the top to let out the smoke . Every one carries their bedclothes on their backwhich consist either of the skin of
, a wild beast , or a coarse blanket , all lying down promiscuously , men , women , and children , with their feet to the fire , which is in the centre . On the second day of our voyage we came to an island , where was an Indian burying-ground . Here we made a halt ; and round a particular grave , which my master afterwards made me to understand was that of one of his sons , he caused each of us to plant a few grains of corn ; which done , wc re-embarked , and ended our voyage in four days .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Relation Of A Captivity Among The Indians Of North America.*
extremity for want of food ; and we were now obli ged to have recourse to the last resource , that of picking up acorns and boiling them in water and ashes , changing these frequentl y to take off the bitter taste . This was our only food until the fifth day , when , the wind abating , we procured a supply of fish . The Indians themselves think nothing of such privations , and they are always sure to make up for their loss afterwards , fco long as they have victuals in their hutsthey do nothing but eat
any , , smoke , and sleep . Sometimes they amuse themselves with a game similar to the shinty of the schoolboys in Scotland , at which diversion the Indian women play against the men , and often come off the victors . On these occasions the beaux and belles of the tribe are wont to dress themselves out in their best attire , and make their mutual conquests . My master used to deck me out then in the richest manner he could , putting all the famil ornaments and taking out
y upon my person ; me to the plain , he would make me to strut about and show myself to the assembled natives , calling out to the people to come and look at the little white man . I was then , however , simply made a show of , not being suffered to partake of their amusements . Towards the end of May , we began to make preparations for a voyage to join the rest of the warriors encamped near Detroit ; for which purpose my master thought it to build a new canoe operation
_ necessary , an which he and I accomplished in two days , large enough to carry the whole famil y for many thousand miles . The evening before our departure , I was surprised to see my master seize one of the dogs , of which we had several in the hut , which were constantly poking their noses into the victuals , as the floor was our onlv
table , there being neither stool nor chair to place any utensil upon . Phis animal I was not sorry to see him take and kill , and then hand over to his squaw , who began to scrape it , as they do a hog , in hot water . My master then invited all his neighbours to the feast , sending a man round with a bundle of little painted sticks , one of which he left as a token of invitation with each of the intended guests . The latter , upon entering the hut where the entertainment is given , places each his bit of stick
upon a platter for the purpose . At this feast every one of the guests was served with a double portion , eating one and carrying home the other , in a dish brought with them to receive it . I sat in the corner of my master ' s hut , ' a silent spectator of the repast , being looked upon of course as a slave , unworthy to partake of so fine a banquet . After killing , or rather drowning another clog , for the purpose I was given to understand , of appeasing the evil spirit , we set out next mornin
ing our canoe , making short day ' s voyages , and always landing before sunset , when we erected our cabin and cooked our fish , an oflice which fell to my particular share , as well as that of cutting wood for the fire . The cabin or hut is soon constructed . It consists of about twenty young trees put up in the shape of a sugar-loaf , all covered over with a kind of matting , except a hole at the top to let out the smoke . Every one carries their bedclothes on their backwhich consist either of the skin of
, a wild beast , or a coarse blanket , all lying down promiscuously , men , women , and children , with their feet to the fire , which is in the centre . On the second day of our voyage we came to an island , where was an Indian burying-ground . Here we made a halt ; and round a particular grave , which my master afterwards made me to understand was that of one of his sons , he caused each of us to plant a few grains of corn ; which done , wc re-embarked , and ended our voyage in four days .