Their Houses are most of them built of one fashion, onely differing in length; all of them agree in breadth of twenty Foot: They build after this manner, they set Peel’d Boughs of Nut-Trees in the ground, according to the bigness of the place which they intend to build, then joyning the tops of the Boughs together, they cover the Walls and top with the Bark of Cypress, Ashen, and Chest-nut-Trees, which are laid one upon another, the smallest side being turn’d inwards: according to the bigness of the Houses, several Families, to the number of fifteen dwell together, every one having his Apartment. Their Fortifications are most of them built on steep Hills, near Rivers; the access to them is onely at one place, they are built after this manner: They set great Poles in the Ground, with Oaken Pallisadoes on each side, cross-ways one amongst another; between the crosses they set other Trees, to strengthen the Work: Within this inclos’d they generally build twenty or thirty Houses, of which some are a hundred and eighty Foot long, and some less, all of them full of People: In the Summer they pitch Tents along by the River side to Fish; against Winter they remove into the Woods, to be near their Game of Hunting, and also Fuel.
Many Wives.
Marriages.
Whoring permitted.
Strange Marrying.
Child-bearing Womens strange actions.
Funerals.
Mourning over the dead remarkable.
To take many Women is not customary here, only amongst Military Officers, who Marry three or four Wives, which so well agree, that there is never any difference betwixt them; those that are not of Age, never Marry but with the consent and advice of their Parents: Widows and unmarry’d Men follow their own opinion and choice; only they take Cognizance of their Estates and Extraction: The Bridegroom always presents the Bride; for the least offence, the Man after having soundly beaten his Wife, turns her out of Doors, and Marries another, insomuch, that some of them have every year a new Wife: On breach of Marriage, the Children follow the Mother, from whom they account their Generation: They account Adultery, if committed under the bare Canopy of Heaven, a great Sin: Whoring is Licenc’d to single Women, if they receive Money for it, and no Man scruples to Marry them; nay, those that are Marry’d, boast how many they have enjoy’d before their Marriage: She that is inclin’d to Marry, covers her whole body, and sets her self wrapt up in the middle of the way, where a Batchelor passing by sees her, and makes up the Match blindfold: When impregnated, they take great care that their Fruit receives no hindrance nor prejudice: When the time of their Delivery approaches, (which they know exactly) they go to a Melancholly place in the Woods, though in the coldest Weather, where they raise up a Hut of Mats, and bring the Child into the World without any help or Company, wash the Child in cold Water, and wrap it up in Mats; then a few days after going home, they bring up the Infant with great care, none putting them out to Nurse: So long as a Woman gives suck, or is quick with Child, she will not admit of Copulation; one who hath the Flowers, never comes abroad: In time of sickness they faithfully assist one another: When any die, the nearest Relations shut their Eyes; and after having watch’d them some days, they are Interr’d after this manner: The Corps is plac’d sitting with a Stone under its Head, near it they set a Pot, Kettle, Dish, Spoons, Money, and Provisions to use in the other World; then they pile Wood round about it, and cover it over with Planks, on which throwing Earth and Stones, they set Pallisadoes, and make the Grave like a House, to which they shew Veneration, wherefore they account it a great piece of villany to deface any thing of it: The Men make no shew of sorrow over the Dead, but the Women mourn exceedingly, and carry themselves very strangely, beating their Breasts, scratching their Faces, and calling night and day on the name of the Deceas’d: The Mothers make great Lamentation at the Death of their Children, especially Sons, for they shave off the Hair of their Heads, which at the Funeral is burnt in the presence of all their Relations; which is also perform’d by the Women when their Husbands die; besides, they black all their Faces, and putting on a Hart-skin Shirt, mourn a whole year, notwithstanding they liv’d very contentiously together.
Conjurers.