As it is natural to all Mortals to worship something, so do these People, but exactly to describe to whom their Worship is chiefly bent, is very difficult: They acknowledge especially two, Ketan, some say Tantum, their good God, and Hobamocco, some say Squantum, their evil God; to Ketan they Sacrifice (as the ancient Heathens did to Ceres) after their Garners be full with a good Crop. They likewise Invocate this God for fair Weather, for Rain in time of Drought, and for the recovery of their Sick; but if they do not hear them, then they verrifie the old Verse, Flectere si nequeo Superos Acheronta movebo, their Powwows betaking themselves to their Exorcismes and Necromantick Charms, by which they bring to pass strange things, if we may believe the Indians, who report of one Pissacannaw, that he could make the Water burn, the Rocks move, the Trees dance, and metamorphose himself into a flaming Man. In Winter, when there is no green Leaves to be got, he would out of the Ashes of an old Leaf, calcin’d and put into the Water, produce a new green Leaf: And of a dead Snakes Skin, a living Snake, both to be seen, felt and heard. The manner of their action in their Conjuration is thus: The Parties that are sick or lame being brought before them, the Powwow sitting down, the rest of the Indians giving attentive audience to his Imprecations and Invocations, and after the violent expression of many a hideous bellowing and groaning he makes a stop, and then all the Auditors with one voice utter a short Canto; which done, the Powwow still proceeds in his Invocations, sometimes roaring like a Bear, other times groaning like a dying Horse, foaming at the Mouth like a chased Boar, smiting on his naked Brest and Thighs with such violence, as if he were mad: Thus will he continue sometimes half a day, spending his Lungs, sweating out his Fat, and tormenting his Body in this diabolical Worship. Sometimes the Devil, for requital of their Worship, recovers the Party, to nuzzle them up in their devillish Religion. But since the English (upon whom, and in whose presence it is said the Powwows could never work their Witchcrafts) frequented those Parts, they daily fall from his Colours, relinquishing their former Fopperies, and acknowledge the Power of the English-man’s God, as they call him. And it is reported of them, that at the very first they were so tractable to the Christian Religion, that they would say King James was good, and his God good, but their Tanto nought, though of their two Gods he was accounted the good one.
Of their Wars.
They use no other Weapons in War than Bowes and Arrows, saving that their Captains have long Spears, on which, if they return Conquerors, they carry the Heads of their chief Enemies that they slay in the Wars, it being the Custom to cut off their Heads, Hands and Feet, to bear home to their Wives and Children, as true tokens of their renowned Victory. When they go to their Wars, it is their Custom to paint their Faces with diversity of Colours, some being all black as Jet, some red, some half red and half black, some black and white, others spotted with divers kinds of Colours, being all disguis’d to their Enemies, to make them more terrible to their Foes, putting on likewise their rich Jewels, Pendents, and Wampompeage, to put them in mind that they Fight not onely for their Children, Wives and Lives, but likewise for their Goods, Lands and Liberties. Being thus Arm’d with this Warlike Paint, the antique Warriors make towards their Enemies in a disorder’d manner, without any Soldier-like Marching, or Warlike Postures, being deaf to any word of Command, ignorant of falling off or on, of doubling Ranks or Files, but let flie their winged Shaftsmen without either fear or wit: Their Artillery being spent, he that hath no Arms to Fight, finds Legs to run away.
Their Games and Sports of Activity.
They have two sorts of Games, one call’d Puim, the other Hubbub, not much unlike Cards and Dice, being no other than Lottery. Puim is fifty or sixty small Bents of a Foot long, which they divide to the number of their Gamesters, shuffling them first between the Palms of their Hands; he that hath more than his Fellow, is so much the forwarder in his Game: Many other Whimsies be in this Game, which would be too long to commit to Paper. He that is a noted Gamester hath a Hole in his Ear, wherein he carries his Puims in defiance of his Antagonists. Hubbub is five small Bones in a small smooth Tray; the Bones be like a Die, but something flatter, black on the one side and white on the other, which they place on the Ground, against which violently thumping the Platter, the Bones mount, changing colours with the windy whisking of their Hands to and fro; which action in that sport they much use, smiting themselves on the Breast and Thighs, crying out Hub, Hub, Hub; they may be heard play at this Game a quarter of a Mile off: The Bones being all black or white make a double Game; if three of one colour, and two of another, then they afford but a single Game; four of a colour, and one differing, is nothing; so long as the Man wins he keeps the Tray, but if he loose the next Man takes it. They are so bewitch’d with these two Games, that they will lose sometimes all they have; Beaver, Moose-skins, Kettles, Wampompeage, Mowhacks, Hatchets, Knives, all is confiscate by these two Games. For their Sports of action they have commonly but three or four, as Football, Shooting, Running, and Swimming; when they play Countrey against Countrey, there are rich Goals, all behung with Wampompeage, Mowhacks, Beaver Skins, and black Otter Skins: Their Goals are a Mile long plac’d on the Sands, which are as even as a Board; their Ball is no bigger than a Hand-ball, which sometimes they mount in the Air with their naked Feet, sometimes it is sway’d by the multitude, sometime also it is two days before they get a Goal, then they mark the Ground they win, and begin there the next day. Before they come to this Sport they paint themselves, even as when they go to War, in policy to prevent future mischief, because no man should know him that mov’d his patience, or accidentally hurt his Person, taking away the occasion of studying revenge. Before they begin, their Arms are put off, and hung upon some neighboring Tree, after which they make a long scrowl on the Sand, over which they shake Hands, and with loving Hearts scuffle for Victory. While the Men Play, the Boys Pipe, and the Women Dance and Sing Trophies of their Husbands Conquests; all being done, a Feast summons their departure.
Such is their dexterity in Shooting, that they can hit a running Hind, or flying Pigeon, without a standing pause or left-ey’d blinking; they draw their Arrows between their Fingers and the Thumb, their Bowes are quick, but not very strong, not killing at above six or seven score distance: Shooting at one another, they have a trick with swift conveyance to shun the Arrow; this they do to make them expert against time of War. They are train’d up to their Bowes even from their Childhood; for little Boys with Bowes made of little Sticks, and Arrows made of great Bents; will hit down a piece of Tobacco-pipe every time a good way off. As these Indians are good Marks-men, so are they well experienc’d where the very Life of every Creature lieth, and know where to smite him to make him die presently. Their Swimming is not after our English fashion, of spread Arms and Legs, which they hold too tiresom, but like Dogs, their Arms before them, cutting through the Liquids with their right Shoulder: In this manner they will Swim very swift and far, either in rough or smooth Waters, sometimes for their ease lying as still as a Log; sometimes they will play the Dive-doppers, and come up in unexpected places.
Of their Huntings.
For their Hunting, it is to be noted, that they have no swift-footed Greyhounds to let slip at the sight of the Deer, no deep-mouth’d Hounds, or scenting Beagles, to find out their desired Prey; themselves are all this, who in that time of the year when the Deer comes down, having certain Hunting-houses in such places where they know the Deer doth usually frequent, in which they keep their Rendezvouz, their Snares, and all their Accoutrements for that Employment: when they get sight of a Deer, Moose, or Bear, they study how to get the Wind of him, and approaching within shot, stab their Mark quite through, if the Bones hinder not. The chief thing they Hunt after is Deer, Mooses and Bears: It grieves them more to see an English-man take one Deer, than a thousand Acres of Land. They Hunt likewise after Wolves, wild Cats, Rackoons, Otters, Beavers, and Musquashes, Trading both their Skins and Flesh to the English. Beside this 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 six Foot long; over against which in the day-time they lie lurking, to shoot the Deer which come through that narrow passage; so many as come within the circumference of that Hedge, seldom return back to leap over, unless they be forc’d by the chasing of some ravenous Wolf, or sight of some accidental Passenger: In the Night, at the Gap of this Hedge, they set Deer-traps, which are Springes made of young Trees, and smooth wrought Cords, so strong, that it will toss a Horse if he be caught in it.
Of their Fishings.
In the Trade of Fishing they are very expert, being experienc’d in the knowledge of all Baits for several Fishes, and divers Seasons; being not ignorant likewise of the removal of Fishes, knowing when to Fish in Rivers, and when at Rocks, when in Bays, and when at Seas: Since the English came they are furnish’d with English Hooks and Lines, for before they made them of Hemp, being more curiously wrought, of stronger Materials than ours, and hook’d with Bone-Hooks; but laziness drives them to buy, more than profit or commendations wins them to make of their own. They make likewise very strong Sturgeon-nets, with which they catch Sturgeons of twelve, fourteen, and sixteen, and some eighteen Foot long in the day-time, and in the night-time they betake themselves to their Birchen Canoos, in which they carry a forty-fathom Line, with a sharp-bearded Dart fastned at the end thereof; then lighting a Torch made of Birchen Rinds, they wave it to and again by their Canoo side, which the Sturgeon much delighted with, comes to them tumbling and playing, turning up his white Belly, into which they thrust their Lance, his Back being impenetrable; which done, they hale to the Shore their strugling Prize. They have often recourse into the Rocks whereupon the Sea beats, in warm Weather, to look out for sleepy Seals, whose Oyl they much esteem, using it for divers things. In Summer they Fish any where, but in Winter in the fresh Water onely, and Ponds; in frosty Weather they cut round Holes in the Ice, about which they will sit like so many Apes with their naked Breeches upon the cold Ice, catching of Pikes, Pearches, Breams, and other sorts of fresh-Water Fish.