71
A C,
. 7
Carolina Chronicle or' Fk
K. 24, of Vol. II. -
M O N D A Y, F B R U A R V
4 f
evuie
u
aft
179?.
HISTGRT.
CARVER'S TRAVELS.
f Continued. J
ANY writers have afTerted, that
1.7 JL the Indians, even a: th matureit
ptru.-o of their exiftence, are only furniih-cd-with
hair on tkeir heads; and that
noWithftanding the prof ufion with which
th.it part js covered, thofe pans which
.uiiuiig ias inhabitants- 01 otner climates
are uiually the feat of this excreffence,
remain entirely free from it. Even Dr.
RobertTonj.thro ugh their mtfrcprefentati
ons has contributed to propagate the er
ror ; zzd fuppofino: the remark iuftlv
founded, has drawn feveral concluiions
tcianTc 10 inc naoic ana tempera
ture of their bodies, which are confequent
ly invalid. ! But from minute enquiries
and a curious infpeclion, T am able to
dcrlare (however refpeclable'l may hold
th authority of- thefe hidorians in other
p hits) that their aflertioni are erroneous,
arl proceeding from the want f a tho
rc jgh knowledge of. the cuftoms-of tic
Incirtns.-
After the age of puberty, their bodies,
in their natural fiats, are covered in the
iarr.e manner as th -fe of the Europeans.
The men, indeed, 'eeem a beard very
tuibecorning, and take great pains to get
lid of it, nor is there any to be perceived
on their' face-, except when they grow
old, and become inattentive to their ap
p:arance. Every crinous tf3-refcence
on the other parts of the body ivheldun
feernly by them, and both leVe; employ
miirn nn in tit!.- T
The Nandowidies and the remote na
tions pluck ihera out with bent pieces of
hard wood, formed into a kind ot nip.
pets; whiltl thofe who have communi
a.irn with Europeans procure' from
theai wire, which they twitt into a fcrew
or worm; applying this 10 the parr,
th?v piefs the rings together, and with a
Madden twitch draw out all the hairs that
are ccciofcd between taera.
The men of every nation diu r in th
A A J V V III IT 4 1 I Ml I it 1 i 7- . , a.
J -wwij JUi. J VAv-'.t
tinis who trade whn the European;
triple exchange then furs for blanker;.
fhins, and other apparel, which ihey wear
as much for ornament1 as neccflity.
The latter fallen by a girdle around their
, Wai'ts about halfa yard ofJroadcloa?h,
which l overs the; middle parts of their
bodies. Thofe who wear fbirts never
make them fift either at the wriil or !c1.
lar ; this would be a mofl infufferable
confinement to them. They throw th-: ir
blanket loo.re upon their faoulcscrs, aid
h'lding the upper fide of it by thi iv?o
Cf rners, with a knife in one hand, and a
tobacco pouch, pipe, &c. in the othei-;
thus accoutred they valk about their v it
lages or camps, but in their dances th;;y
feidom wear this covering.
Thofe among the men who wi(h to a?
pear gayer than the'reit, plu -k from their
head all the hair except fri-m a fpot on
the top of it about the fize of a crow i
piece, where it is permitted to grow to a
confiderable length ;- on this are fw.Ren:d
plumes of feathers of various colours
with tllr:ro: ivory quiils. The manner
of cutttmg anu ornamenting "'this part if
the hea i Ot " '"nguilhes different na:ioii3
from each other. I
They paint ther faces red and black,
which they efteem as greatly ornamental:
They alfo paint themfelves when they g o
to war; but the method they make u e
of on this occasion differs from that
wherein they ufe it merely as a do
coration.
The young Indians, whe are dcflrrus
of excelling their companions in finer y,
flit the outward rim ci both their ears ;
ac the fame time they care not to feparae
them emirely, but leave the flefh thus
cur Mill untouched at both extremities ;
around this fpongy fubllance, from t2ie
tipper to the lower part, they twill brals
wire, till the weight dra.vs the 2mputat-.
ed rim into a bow of five or fix nches di
ameter, and drags it almofl down to thp
Ihculders. This decoration is ffteenica
to be exeefljrely gay and becoming. I
I; h alfo" a- common cuftoxn amcr.ig
them to torc.t.ir nC1
J" ! 1 . - n- i
thoi'e
if' i- s
wear
1 n
Hi el interior
very .orn.inr.t,i' ; 'jj.-
Ui em 1 c-nx j
their traiiic w;
rnt Dinv
c!ore : j'
- a
i.c uie ir.
e o" ;r.
in J:
They ro lv. I
thigh, except ih.it
the middle, jwh'vk rt-.i-v'd'-i
the thighs ;.bat rhry inukl: u
a ioiT oC Hoiking. 'ei:h ;r 'ti i I
rhele are lewe as nca
Ic as poillble, lb as ;
diawn on and oft.
it jit ?i wnicn inw
J
annexed to the fe.ip, ..n,"" .
about the bread: h .l,:.:.1
part which. is placed :,:' u: ;
the leg, is gene-wHy orm
who have any CDmrcuai::.i: :..
ropeans, if of cloth, v. i:h ) ,
it of leather; with embroidc: -y
fins quiils curioufly coloured.
Strangers who hunt among th: Lidi.;
ans in the parts where is a greaL del or
luow, find ; thefe . ttoc kings much more1
convenient than any others.
Their ihoes are made of the ficinrf iher
deer, elk or bufiab ; theie, lomeiimcs!
,dretTed according to the Baropean rriun-l
ner, at others with the hair- remaining (m
them, are cut into Ihoes j :a:id fashioned ;
io as to be eafy to the fejec', and convni-l
cat for walking. The edges round ihcl'
ankle are defcoratcd with; pieces of br-f:i
or tin fixed around leather itring';, abr uti
an inch lon, which beirig placed very ;.'
thick, make ja cheerful ti4:lji;g' nclfe ci-i
ther when they walk or unrc ; I.
lhc wontcn wear a cojvc; hi ()f 1
kind or ottief from the neck to the k
who
Thofe
wear a linen
10m?
snt e?.
trade with , thz Enropeans
garment, the; fame as ,1 ..r
uied by the ben:; the flaps! of which bwr
over tnc pettj
icDaf.
ft t
ias dreis airer
the ancient manner njake a kind f. n,.u
with leather which covers) the bony but
not the arms! Their petticoats are rr
either oi leather or clo;; whicV reach
from the waiiit:o the J,