MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



483 



trtiich they lived, that it was a very 

 unusual thing to have locks to their 

 doors; and th<tt when more 

 strangers called upon them, than 

 they had beds to accommodate 

 them with, it was customary for 

 the family to spread temporary 

 beds u|)on the floor, on which they 

 passed tlie night, leaving their own 

 to the strangers. 



An Indian Village, from the 

 same. 



In the evening I came to an 

 Indian villa;;e, called Brothertown. 

 Here I was comfortably accommo- 

 dated at the house of an Indian, 

 whose name was Obadiah Scii)io. 

 His wife Elizabeth is the daughter 

 of an Indi in chief of the name of 

 Fowler. She was a personable 

 woman, and of an expressive coun- 

 tenance, and was very industrious. 

 Her d.iiry prod need excel lent cheese 

 and Ijutter, notwithstanding a great 

 part of her time w&.< employed in 

 spinning ibr the family apparel, 

 which was very decent. It was 

 mostly prepared for the weaver by 

 her own household ; and, whilst 

 1 was in the house, a female 

 weaver of the village brought in 

 a piece of cloth made from yarn 

 spun in this familj', which was 

 such as would have done credit to 

 any female in England. This re- 

 putable Indian couple had four 

 fine healthy children, who sat by 

 the fire; and, though of a copper 

 colour, their countenances were 

 far from nnpleasing. Their names 

 were Denis, Calvin, Cinlhia, and 

 Celinda. 



The schoolmaster of this Indian 

 village, who is paid by friends, in- 

 troduce<] me to a chief of the name 

 of Hendricki*, with whom I had 

 some conversation ; and we sat 



about an hour by tlie fire-side of a 

 pretty large family of Indians, 

 where it was pleasant to see the 

 spinning-wheel go briskly round. 

 There were IG or 18 Indians round 

 the fire ; the older part of the 

 family sat on a bench in front, and 

 the little Indians on the ground on 

 each side. The fire was made at 

 the end of the building, and the 

 smoke found its way through the 

 roof, withrjut the aid of a chimnej'* 

 The walls and roof were hung 

 with ears of Indian corn, and 

 other winter provisions. It is dif- 

 ficult to describe my feelings, on 

 sitting down with an Indian 

 family in this way. 



I spent the remainder of this 

 evening by Scipio's fire-side, and 

 was accommodated with a good 

 bed at night, on which I sle|)t 

 comfortably. Both the sides and 

 ceiling of that part of the building 

 in which I lodged, were covered 

 with ears of Indian corn in the 

 husk ; which, to me, had a novel, 

 but not an unpleasant appearance. 



From the Indian village of 

 Brothertown, I came to another 

 settlement of theirs, called the 

 Orchard. Many of their habita- 

 tions are formed principally of the 

 bark of trees, attached to posts, 

 which are fixed in the gror.nd ; the 

 roofs being also of bark; but as it 

 is taken off" the trees in broad 

 pieces, they contrive to make a 

 pretty warm dwelling. A few 

 chiefs, and others, have good 

 houses of wood, well furnished ; 

 and some of the Indians, being 

 very good workmen, and having 

 complete sets of tools, I have seen 

 houses of their building superior to 

 many in England. 



As the whole of this day's jour- 

 ney lay amongst the Indians, 



a I 2 whoic 



