, Raccoon. 385 



and an honourable death; and indeed 'tis 

 no very uncommon thing to kill themfelves by 

 drinking this liquor to excefs. 



THE food of thefe Indians was very different 

 from that of the inhabitants of the other parts of 

 the world. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, and rice* 

 groats, were quite unknown in America. In the 

 fame manner it is with regard to the fruits and 

 herbs which are eaten in the old countries. The 

 maize, fome kinds of beans, and melons, made 

 almoft the whole of the Indian agriculture and 

 gardening ; and dogs were the only domeftic 

 animals in North America. But as- their agri- 

 culture and their gardening were very trifling* 

 and they could hardly live two months in a year 

 upon their produce, they were forced to apply to 

 hunting and fifliing, which at that time, and even 

 at preient, are their chief fubfiftence, and to feek 

 fome of the wild plants and trees here. Some of 

 the old Swedes were yet alive, v/ho in their 

 younger years had an intercourse with the Indians* 

 avid had feen the minutiae of their . (Economy . I 

 was therefore deiirous of knowing which of the 

 fpontaneous herbs they made ufe of for food at 

 that time; and all the old men agreed that the 

 following plants were what they chiefly con- 

 fumed : 



HOPNISS or Hapnifi was the Indian name of a 

 wild plant, which they ate at that time. Th 

 Swedes ftill call it by that name, and it grows in 

 the meadows in a good foil. The roots refeinble 

 potatoes, and were boiled by the Indians, who eat 

 them inilead of bread. Some of the Swedes at 

 that time likewife ate this root for want of bread* 



VOL. I C c Some 



