of the Indians: for their mountainous country contains many different
sorts and colours of soils proper for such uses. They easily form them
with their tomohawks, and afterward finish them in any desired form with
their knives; the pipes being of a very soft quality till they are
smoked with, and used to the fire, when they become quite hard. They are
often a full span long, and the bowls are about half as large again as
those of our English pipes. The fore part of each commonly runs out with
a sharp peak, two or three fingers broad, and a quarter of an inch
thick—on both sides of the bowl, lengthwise, they cut several pictures
with a great deal of skill and labour; such as a buffalo and a panther
on the opposite sides of the bowl; a rabbit and a fox; and, very often,
a man and a woman _puris naturalibus_. Their sculpture cannot much be
commended for its modesty. The savages work so slow, that one of their
artists is two months at a pipe with his knife, before he finishes it:
indeed, as before observed, they are great enemies to profuse sweating,
and are never in a hurry about a good thing. The stems are commonly made
of soft wood about two feet long, and an inch thick, cut into four
squares, each scooped till they join very near the hollow of the stem;
the beaus always hollow the squares, except a little at each corner to
hold them together, to which they fasten a parcel of bell-buttons,
different {423} sorts of fine feathers, and several small battered
pieces of copper kettles hammered, round deer-skin thongs, and a red
painted scalp; this is a boasting, valuable, and superlative ornament.
According to their standard, such a pipe constitutes the possessor, a
grand beau. They so accurately carve, or paint hieroglyphic characters
on the stem, that the war-actions, and the tribe of the owner, with a
great many circumstances of things, are fully delineated. This may seem
strange to those who are unacquainted with the ancient skill of the
Egyptians this way, and the present knowledge of the Turkish mutes. But
so it is, and there is not perhaps the like number of mimic mutes on the
face of the earth, nor ever were among the old Greek or Roman Pantomimi,
as with the Indian Americans, for representing the great and minute
things of life, by different gestures, movements of the body, and
expressive countenances; and at the same time they are perfectly
understood by each other.
They make the handsomest clothes baskets,[265] I ever saw, considering
their materials. They divide large swamp canes, into long, thin, narrow
splinters, which they dye of several colours, and manage the workmanship
so well, that both the inside and outside are covered with a beautiful
variety of pleasing figures; and, though for the space of two inches
below the upper edge of each basket, it is worked into one, through the
other parts they are worked asunder, as if they were two joined a-top by
some strong cement. A large nest consists of eight or ten baskets,
contained within each other. Their dimensions are different, but they
usually make the outside basket about a foot deep, a foot and a half
broad, and almost a yard long.
The Indians, by reason of our supplying them so cheap with every sort of
goods, have forgotten the chief part of their ancient mechanical skill,
so as not to be well able now, at least for some years, to live
independent of us. Formerly, those baskets which the Cheerake made, were
so highly esteemed even in South Carolina, the politest of our colonies,
for domestic usefulness, beauty, and skilful variety, that a large nest
of them cost upwards of a moidore.
They make earthen pots[266] of very different sizes, so as to contain
from two to ten gallons; large pitchers to carry water; bowls, dishes,
platters, {424} basons, and a prodigious number of other vessels of such
antiquated forms, as would be tedious to describe, and impossible to
name. Their method of glazing them, is, they place them over a large
fire of smoky pitch pine, which makes them smooth, black, and firm.
Their lands abound with proper clay, for that use; and even with
porcelain, as has been proved by experiment.
They make perhaps the finest bows, and the smoothest barbed arrows, of
all mankind. On the point of them is fixed either a scooped point of
buck-horn, or turkey-cock spurs, pieces of brass, or flint stone. The
latter sort our fore-fathers used, which our witty grandmothers call
elfstones, and now rub the cows with, that are so unlucky as to be shot
by night fairies. One of those flint arrow-points is reckoned a very
extraordinary blessing in a whole neighbourhood of old women, both for
the former cure, as well as a preservative against every kind of
bewitching charm.
No people are more expert than the Indians in the use of fire-arms, and
the bow and quiver: they can fresh stock their guns, only with a small
hatchet and a knife, and streighten the barrels, so as to shoot with
proper direction. They likewise alter, and fix all the springs of the
lock, with others of the sort they may have out of use; but such a job
costs the red artist about two months work.
They are good sadlers, for they can finish a saddle with their usual
instruments, without any kind of iron to bind the work: but the shape of
it is so antiquated and mean, and so much like those of the Dutch
West-Indians, that a person would be led to imagine they had formerly
met, and been taught the art in the same school. The Indians provide
themselves with a quantity of white oak boards, and notch them, so as to
fit the saddle-trees; which consist of two pieces before, and two
behind, crossing each other in notches, about three inches below the top
ends of the frame. Then they take a buffalo green hide, covered with its
winter curls, and having properly shaped it to the frame, they sew it
with large thongs of the same skin, as tight and secure as need be; when
it is thoroughly dried, it appears to have all the properties of a
cuirass saddle. A trimmed bearskin serves for a pad; and formerly, their
bridle was only a rope around the {425} horse’s neck, with which they
guided him at pleasure. Most of the Choktah use that method to this day.
It is strange that all the Indians mount a horse on the off side as we
term it, especially as their horses were originally brought from Europe.
In the Choktah country, when I was going to a great ball play, at a
considerable distance off, in company with several of the head-warriors,
we alighted at a cool stream of water, to smoke, and drink parched
corn-flour and water, according to our usual custom in the woods—when we
again set off, we jested each other for mounting on the wrong side. They
urged it was most natural, and commodious, to put the right foot into
the stirrup, and at the same time lay hold of the mane with the
strongest hand, instead of using either of the farthermost or opposite
ones, as they term the left. They carried it against me by a majority of
voices, whooping and laughing: but, as they were boasting highly of the
swiftness of their horses, and their skill in riding and guiding them,
much better with a rope than with a bridle, I resolved to convince them
of their mistake; for as the horse I rode was justly named Eagle, and
reckoned the swiftest of any in the Chikkasah country, I invited them to
a trial by way of diversion, in so merry a season, and they gladly
accepted the offer. We ranged ourselves in a broad row, on each side of
the wood path, which was rather narrow and crooked, as is the case in
their countries—they allowed me to take the center, and at the whoop
signal of the by-standers we started. My horse being used to such
diversion soon left them behind, a considerable distance; presently I
luckily discovered a swampy thicket, a-head on my right hand, which ran
almost our direct course along-side of a creek. As the wild coursers
chiefly followed one another, according to their general custom, I there
flew across, and led two of them off the path, into the thicket covered
with high brambles. I had little trouble in disposing of the rest; my
whooping, and cracking the whip, sent each of them along with his
neighbour, at full speed, and I continued them so a great way: for, as
their horses were frightened, the riders had no command over them, with
their boasted neck bridles. The horses, at last, brought them out into
the open woods, to their great joy, when they whooped and hallooed, as
despising what they had undergone; they were however in a dismal pickle.
For it being their custom to carry their ornaments, and looking glasses
over their shoulder, {426} on such public occasions, my companions were
fully trimmed out, and did not strip themselves, as they expected no
such disaster. By stooping to save themselves from being dismounted,
their favourite looking glasses were shattered to pieces, the paint
mostly rubbed off their faces, their skins of small hawks, and tufts of
fine plumes, torn from their heads, and their other ornaments, as well
as their clothing and skin, shared also in the misfortune. As soon as
they could stop their horses, they alighted: and, when I had done
laughing at them, they according to custom, said only, _La phene_, “O
strange!” The Indians are very happy in not shewing the least emotion of
anger, for any mischance that befalls them, in their sportful exercises.
I jested them in commending the swiftness of their horses, even through
a bramble thicket, and applauded their skill in sitting, and guiding
them so well, by the help of their neck bridles. By this time, the
hindmost of our company came up, who laughed heartily at the sight of
our tattered horsemen, and told them, that they expected I would jockey
them in some such manner. But the young ambitious heroes ascribed the
whole disaster only to the viciousness of my horse, saying “he was mad.”
From what hath been already said, it must be evident, that with proper
cultivation, they would shine in higher spheres of life; and it is not
an easy matter to seduce them from their supposed interests, to the
incoherent projects, that our home-bred politicians confidently devise
over their sparkling bowls and decanters. The friendly and warlike
Indians have an intense affection to their country and people, and so
have the British Americans: and whatever some may think of the colonists
martial abilities, our wise statesmen may be soon convinced, that they
will be able to maintain all the invaluable blessings of free men for
themselves, and convey them to their posterity in their purity and
lustre, according to the old English constitution, which is built on
plain wholesome laws, and not on the sophisms of tyranny.[267]
This leads me to speak of the Indian method of government.—In general,
it consists in a fœderal union of the whole society for mutual safety.
As the law of nature appoints no frail mortal to be a king, or ruler,
over his brethren; and humanity forbids the taking away at pleasure, the
{427} life or property of any who obey the good laws of their country,
they consider that the transgressor ought to have his evil deeds
retaliated upon himself in an equal manner. The Indians, therefore, have
no such titles or persons, as emperors, or kings; nor an appellative for
such, in any of their dialects. Their highest title, either in military
or civil life, signifies only a _Chieftain_:[268] they have no words to
express despotic power, arbitrary kings, oppressed, or obedient
subjects; neither can they form any other ideas of the former, than of
“bad war chieftains of a numerous family, who inslaved the rest.” The
power of their chiefs, is an empty sound. They can only persuade or
dissuade the people, either by the force of good-nature and clear
reasoning, or colouring things, so as to suit their prevailing passions.
It is reputed merit alone, that gives them any titles of distinction
above the meanest of the people. If we connect with this their opinion
of a theocracy, it does not promise well to the reputed establishment of
extensive and puissant Indian American empires. When any national affair
is in debate, you may hear every father of a family speaking in his
house on the subject, with rapid, bold language, and the utmost freedom
that a people can use. Their voices, to a man, have due weight in every
public affair, as it concerns their welfare alike. Every town is
independent of another. Their own friendly compact continues the union.
An obstinate war leader will sometimes commit acts of hostility, or make
peace for his own town, contrary to the good liking of the rest of the
nation. But a few individuals are very cautious of commencing war on
small occasions, without the general consent of the head men: for should
it prove unsuccessful, the greater part would be apt to punish them as
enemies, because they abused their power, which they had only to do good
to the society. They are very deliberate in their councils, and never
give an immediate answer to any message sent them by strangers, but
suffer some nights first to elapse. They reason in a very orderly
manner, with much coolness and good-natured language, though they may
differ widely in their opinions. Through respect to the silent audience,
the speaker always addresses them in a standing posture. In this manner
they proceed, till each of the head men hath given his opinion on the
point in debate. Then they sit down together, and determine upon the
affair. Not the least passionate expression is to be heard among them,
and {428} they behave with the greatest civility to each other. In all
their stated orations they have a beautiful modest way of expressing
their dislike of ill things. They only say, “it is not good, goodly, or
commendable.” And their whole behaviour, on public occasions, is highly
worthy of imitation by some of our British senators and lawyers.
Most of their regulations are derived from the plain law of nature.
Nature’s school contemns all quibbles of art, and teaches them the plain
easy rule, “do to others, as you would be done by;” when they are able,
without greater damage to themselves than benefit to their creditor,
they discharge their honest debts. But, though no disputes pass between
them on such occasions, yet if there be some heart-burnings on
particular affairs, as soon as they are publicly known, their red
Archimagus, and his old beloved men, convene and decide, in a very
amicable manner, when both parties become quite easy. They have no
compulsive power to force the debtor to pay; yet the creditor can
distrain his goods or chattels, and justly satisfy himself without the
least interruption—and, by one of his relations, he sends back in a very
civil manner, the overplus to the owner. These instances indeed seldom
happen, for as they know each other’s temper, they are very cautious of
irritating, as the consequences might one day prove fatal—they never
scold each other when sober—they conceal their enmity be it ever so
violent, and will converse together with smooth kind language, and an
obliging easy behaviour, while envy is preying on their heart. In
general, they are very punctual in paying what they owe among
themselves, but they are grown quite careless in discharging what they
owe to the traders, since the commencement of our destructive plan of
general licences. “An old debt,” is a proverbial expression with them,
of “nothing.”
There are many petty crimes which their young people are guilty of,—to
which our laws annex severe punishment, but their’s only an ironical way
of jesting. They commend the criminal before a large audience, for
practising the virtue, opposite to the crime, that he is known to be
guilty of. If it is for theft, they praise his honest principles; and
they commend a warrior for having behaved valiantly against the enemy,
when he acted cowardly; they introduce the minutest circumstances of the
affair, with severe sarcasms which wound deeply. I have known them {429}
to strike their delinquents with those sweetened darts, so good
naturedly and skilfully, that they would sooner die by torture, than
renew their shame by repeating the actions. In this they exceed many
christians. They are capable of being shamed out of their ill habits,
and their method of cure is exceedingly more proper and merciful, than
what we apply. Stripes and fines only inflame the distemper; when
inflicted publicly for petty crimes, the culprit loses what is most
valuable to human nature, the sense of shame. He that watches for
persons crimes, to benefit and enrich himself at their damage, and the
ruin of their families, is an enemy to society. If it is beneath our
dignity to learn from the untaught Indian, let us turn to the records of
Athens, Sparta, and Rome. When their slaves were guilty of intemperance,
they exposed them before their children, and thus shewed them its
deformity. And, by that, they infused into them an early shame and
abhorrence of vice, and a great love of virtue.
Formerly, the Indian law obliged every town to work together in one
body, in sowing or planting their crops; though their fields are divided
by proper marks, and their harvest is gathered separately. The Cheerake
and Muskohge still observe that old custom, which is very necessary for
such idle people, in their element. The delinquent is assessed more or
less, according to his neglect, by proper officers appointed to collect
those assessments, which they strictly fulfil, without the least
interruption, or exemption of any able person. They are likewise bound
to assist in raising public edifices. They have not the least trace of
any other old compulsive law among them; and they did not stand in need
of any other in their state. As they were neither able nor desirous to
obtain any thing more than a bare support of life, they could not credit
their neighbours beyond a morsel of food, and that they liberally gave,
whenever they called. Most of them observe that hospitable custom to
this day. Their throwing away all their old provisions, as impure food,
whenever the new harvest was sanctified, helped greatly to promote a
spirit of hospitality. Their wants, and daily exercise in search of
needful things, kept them honest. Their ignorance of the gay part of
life, helped in a great measure to preserve their virtue. In their
former state of simplicity, the plain law of nature was enough; but, as
they are degenerating very fast from their ancient simplicity, they,
without doubt, must have new laws to terrify them from committing {430}
new crimes, according to the usage of other nations, who multiply their
laws, in proportion to the exigencies of time.
I shall now give their opinion of our social and military virtues; which
joined with the foregoing, will set the Indians in a yet clearer light.
We can trace people by their opinion of things, as well as if we saw
them practise them. Most of them blame us for using a provident care in
domestic life, calling it a slavish temper: they say we are covetous,
because we do not give our poor relations such a share of our
possessions, as would keep them from want.[269] There are but few of
themselves we can blame, on account of these crimes, for they are very
kind and liberal to every one of their own tribe, even to the last
morsel of food they enjoy. When we recriminate on the penurious temper
of any of their people, they say, if our accusation be true, we by our
ill examples tainted them on that head, for their fore-fathers were
endued with all the virtues. They frequently tell us, that though we are
possessed of a great deal of yellow and white stone, of black people,
horses, cows, hogs, and every thing else our hearts delight in—yet they
create us as much toil and pain, as if we had none, instead of that ease
and pleasure, which flow from enjoyment; therefore we are truly poor,
and deserve pity instead of envy: they wish some of their honest
warriors to have these things, as they would know how to use them
aright, without placing their happiness, or merit, in keeping them,
which would be of great service to the poor, by diffusing them with a
liberal hand. They say, they have often seen a panther in the woods,
with a brace of large fat bucks at once, near a cool stream; but that
they had more sense than to value the beast, on account of his large
possessions: on the contrary, they hated his bad principles, because he
would needlessly destroy, and covetously engross, the good things he
could not use himself, nor would allow any other creature to share of,
though ever so much pinched with hunger. They reckon, if we made a true
estimate of things, we should consider the man without any false props,
and esteem him only by the law of virtue, which ennobles men by
inspiring them with good sentiments and a generous disposition; they say
they are sure, from sundry observations, we sell to the highest bidder,
our high titles of war, which were only due to brave men who had often
fought the enemy with success in defence of their country: that they had
seen, even {431} in Charles-town, several young, lazy, deformed white
men, with big bellies, who seemed to require as much help to move them
along, as over-grown old women; yet they understood these were paid a
great deal of our beloved yellow stone for bearing the great name of
warriors, which should be kept sacred from the effeminate tribe, even if
they offered to purchase it with their whole possessions.—That these
titles should only be conferred on those who excel in martial virtue;
otherwise, it gives a false copy of imitation to the young warriors, and
thereby exposes the whole body of the people to contempt and danger, by
perverting the means which ought to secure their lives and properties;
for, when a country has none but helpless people to guard it from
hostile attempts, it is liable to become a prey to any ambitious
persons, who may think proper to invade it. They allow that corpulency
is compatible with marking paper black with the goose quill; and with
strong-mouthed labour, or pleading at law; because old women can sit
best to mark, and their mouths are always the most sharp and biting. But
they reckon if our warriors had gained high titles by personal bravery,
they would be at least in the shape of men, if not of active brisk
warriors; for constant manly exercise keeps a due temperament of body,
and a just proportion of shape. They said, some were not fit even for
the service of an old woman, much less for the difficult and lively
exercises which manly warriors pursue in their rough element—that they
could never have gone to war, but bought their beloved, broad paper with
yellow stone, or it must have passed from father to son, like the rest
of their possessions; and that by their intemperate method of eating and
drinking without proper exercise, they had transformed themselves into
those over-grown shapes, which our weavers, taylors, and plaiters of
false hair, rendered more contemptible.