HISTORY or VERMONT. 185 



Dress. The same pursuit that supplied thff 

 Indian with food, provided also bis clothing. 

 This was made of the skins and furs of the ani- 

 mals they took in hunting : these served tlie 

 purposes of covering, and modesty, none of the 

 northern Indians ever appearing naked. In 

 those nations where opulence and luxury pre- 

 vail, dress becomes a complicated, a profitable, 

 and a curious art : And beauty acquires new 

 force and power, from ornament and fashion. 

 Hence it becomes a most lucrative business in 

 polished societies, to invent and supply the 

 modes, fashions, materials, and ornaments for 

 dress. The savage was not without his taste 

 for ornament, and fashion. His hair was dres- 

 sed in many, and in very singular forms. His 

 nose and ears had pieces of gold, shells, or 

 shining stones, affixed to them. His face and 

 skin were painted, with different colours and 

 figures. And much time was spent to give his 

 countenance the aspect he aimed at. The dci- 

 sign of his dress and ornament was not gallant- 

 ry to recommend himself to the female, but ra- 

 ther war ; to appear the object of dignity, ma^ 

 jesty, and fear. And what was extremely sin- 

 gular, all the finery and decoration of dress, was 

 reserved for the man. The share that fell to 

 the v/om.an, was only that which remained, when 

 her husband was completely decked. When 

 he was about to join the council of his nation, 

 "or was going forth to war, he was most of all 

 solicitous to appear in his richest ornaments, 

 and finest decorations. A custom prevailed a- 

 mong the Indians, of rubbing and anointing 

 their bodies with grease, oilj and different kinds 



