Chap. XV.
Of their huntings.
For their hunting, it is to be noted that they have no swift foote Grayhounds, to let slippe at the sight of the Deere, no deepe mouthed hounds, or senting beagles, to finde out their desired prey; themselves are all this, who in that time of the yeare, when the Deere comes downe, having certaine hunting houses, in such places where they know the Deere usually doth frequent, in which they keep their randevowes, their snares and all their accoutraments for that imployment: when they get sight of a Deere, Moose or Beare, they studie how to get the wind of him, and approaching within shot, stab their marke quite through, if the bones hinder not. The chiefe thing they hunt after is Deere, Mooses, and Beares, it greeves them more to see an English man take one Deere, than a thousand Acres of land: they hunt likewise after Wolves, and wild Catts, Rackoones, Otters, Beavers, Musquashes, trading both their skinnes and flesh to the English. Besides their artillery, they have other devices to kill their game, as sometimes hedges a mile or two miles long, being a mile wide at one end, and made narrower and narrower by degrees, leaving onely a gap of sixe foote long, over against which, in the day time they lye lurking to shoot the Deere which come through that narrow gut; so many as come within the circumference of that hedge, seldome returne backe to leape over, unlesse they be forced by the chasing of some ravenous Wolfe, or sight of some accidentall passinger; in the night at the gut of this hedge, they set Deere traps, which are springes made of young trees, and smooth wrought coards; so strong as it will tosse a horse if hee be caught in it. An English Mare being strayed from her owner, and growne wild by her long sojourning in the Woods ranging up and downe with the wilde crew, stumbled into one of these traps which stopt her speed, hanging her like Mahomets tombe, betwixt earth, and heaven; the morning being come, the Indians went to looke what good successe their Venison trappes brought them, but seeing such a long scutted Deere, praunce in their Merritotter, they bade her good morrow, crying out, what cheere what cheere Englishmans squaw horse; having no better epithite than to call her a woman horse, but being loath to kill her, and as fearefull to approach neere the friscadoes of her Iron heeles, they posted to the English to tell them how the case stood or hung with their squaw horse, who unhorsed their Mare, and brought her to her former tamenesse, which since hath brought many a good foale, and performed much good service. In these traps Deeres, Mooses, Beares, Wolves, Catts, and Foxes, are often caught. For their Beavers and Otters, they have other kinde of trappes, so ponderous as is unsupportable for such creatures, the massie burthen whereof either takes them prisoners, or expells their breath from their squised bodyes. These kinde of creatures would gnaw the other kind of trappes asunder, with their sharpe teeth: these beasts are too cunning for the English, who seldome or never catch any of them, therefore we leave them to those skilfull hunters whose time is not so precious, whose experience bought-skill hath made them practicall and usefull in that particuler.
Chap. XVI.
Of their Fishings.
Of their fishing, in this trade they be very expert, being experienced in the knowledge of all baites, fitting sundry baites for severall fishes, and diverse seasons; being not ignorant likewise of the removall of fishes, knowing when to fish in rivers, and when at rockes, when in Baies, and when at Seas: since the English came they be furnished with English hookes and lines, before they made them of their owne hempe more curiously wrought, of stronger materials than ours, hooked with bone hookes: but lazinesse drives them to buy more than profit or commendations winnes them to make of their owne; they make likewise very strong Sturgeon nets with which they catch Sturgeons of 12. 14. and 16. some 18. foote long in the day time, in the night time they betake them to their Burtchen Cannows, in which they carry a forty fathome line, with a sharpe bearded dart, fastned at the end thereof; then lightning a blazing torch made of Burtchen rindes, they weave it too and againe by their Cannow side, which the Sturgeon much delighted with, comes to them tumbling and playing, turning up his white belly, into which they thrust their launce, his backe being impenetrable; which done they haile to the shore their strugling prize. They have often recourse unto the rockes whereupon the sea beates, in warme weather to looke out for sleepie Seales, whose oyle they much esteeme, using it for divers things. In summer they seldome fish any where but in salt, in winter in the fresh water and ponds; in frostie weather they cut round holes in the yce, about which they wil sit like so many apes, on their naked breeches upon the congealed yce, catching of Pikes, Pearches, Breames, and other sorts of fresh water fish.
Chap. XVII.
Of their Arts and Manufactures.
Of their severall Arts and imployments, as first in dressing of all manner of skinnes, which they doe by scraping and rubbing, afterwards painting them with antique embroyderings in unchangeable colours, sometimes they take off the haire, especially if it bee not killed in season. Their bowes they make of a handsome shape, strung commonly with the sinnewes of Mooses; their arrowes are made of young Elderne, feathered with feathers of Eagles wings and tailes, headed with brasse in shape of a heart or triangle, fastned in a slender peece of wood sixe or 8 inches long, which is framed to put loose in the pithie Elderne, that is bound fast for riving: their arrowes be made in this manner because the arrow might shake from his head and be left behind for their finding, and the pile onely remaine to gaule the wounded beast. Their cordage is so even, soft, and smooth, that it lookes more like silke than hempe; their Sturgeon netts be not deepe, nor above 30. or 40. foote long, which in ebbing low waters they stake fast to the ground, where they are sure the Sturgeon will come, never looking more at it, till the next low water. Their Cannows be made either of Pine-trees, which before they were acquainted with English tooles, they burned hollow, scraping them smooth with Clam-shels and Oyster-shels, cutting their out-sides with stone-hatchets: These Boates be not above a foot and a halfe, or two feete wide, and twenty foote long. Their other Cannows be made of thinne Birch-rines, close-ribbed on the in-side with broad thinne hoopes, like the hoopes of a Tub; these are made very light, a man may carry one of them a mile, being made purposely to carry from River to River, and Bay to Bay, to shorten Land-passages. In these cockling fly-boates, wherein an English man can scarce sit without a fearefull tottering, they will venture to Sea, when an English Shallope dare not beare a knot of sayle; scudding over the overgrowne waves as fast as a winde-driven Ship, being driven by their padles; being much like battle doores; if a crosse wave (as is seldome) turne her keele up-side downe, they by swimming free her, and scramble into her againe.