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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
arranged: twelve or fourteen neighbours form themselves into a sort of club, and agree to fish one day in
the week during the summer; previous: to which they fix on a romantic situation on the side of a wood
commanding the intended scene of action. Under some of the large trees they erect a sort of hut, forming
a dining-room and kitchen.
When the time is fixed to begin fishing, the steward for the day sends down a negro cook, with bread,
butter, wine, liquors, culinary utensils, etc. About ten in the morning the fishermen arrive, and follow the
sport in boats, canoes, or from the shore, either with angles or nets; but they seldom make use of the
latter, except when they are disappointed in angling: they are then determined the fish, though not in a
humour to bite, shall not deprive them of their dinner. At one they all meet at the place of general
rendezvous, where all hands are employed in preparing the fish for the cook; by which means the dinner
is soon on the table. - When over, and a few glasses have circulated, those who do not choose to remain
drinking, take a nap during the heat of the day, which in this country is from two to four in the afternoon.
At five the ladies arrive, and the company amuse themselves in catching fish for supper, walking in the
woods, swinging, singing, playing on some musical instrument, &c. I have often been on these parties,
and never spent my time more to my satisfaction; which is more than you will be able to say of that spent
in reading this scrawl from
Yours, &c.
Philadelphia, May 7th, 1795.
DEAR SIR,
In answer so your last, respecting the aborigines of this continent, I am almost ashamed to inform you, I
have scarcely any particulars on the subject worth troubling you with. Ever since my arrival in America,
I have made up my mind to take the first opportunity of going to the westward on a shooting party, for a
month or two, among the Indians; for which purpose I procured an introduction to the young
corn-planter, son to a chief of the six nations, who is here for his education. He was no sooner
informed of my intention, than he gave me a cordial invitation to attend him on his return in the fall; or,
if I could not then make it convenient, at any other time; but the distance is so great, that, to confess the
truth, I have never yet been able to raise the necessary supplies, and am likely to leave America
without seeing a single wigwam.
The Indians have a fine natural genius for oratory, painting, and sculpture: I have a specimen of the latter
cut with a knife on a piece of hickory, which is destitute neither of elegance of design, nor neatness of
execution. But the most extraordinary trait in the character of these red men is their
continence. We have every year fourteen or fifteen of their chiefs in this city, to form treaties, and
other public business. They are often attended with well-made young men in the prime of life, and yet I
never heard but of one instance of their engaging in a love-intrigue of any kind. They
frequently tomahawk and scalp the most beautiful women, who are so unfortunate as to fall into their
hands in time of war. - Each warrior cuts the number of scalps he has taken on his war club, and
distinguishes the sex by certain marks. Several of these clubs, and other indian trophies taken from
famous chiefs in former wars, are deposited in the Philadelphia Museum. On one war club I counted
five fatal proofs of the savage who owned the weapon having butchered as many women!
But whatever cruelties they practise on their female captives, they are never known to take the slightest
liberty with them bordering on indecency. Mary Rowlandson, a fanatic, who was captured in
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