New jferfey, Raccoon. 95 



defirable and an honourable death; and in- 

 deed 'tis no very uncommon thing to kill 

 themlelves by drinking this liquor to excels. 

 THE food of thefe Indians was very dif- 

 ferent from that of the inhabitants of the 

 other parts of the world. Wheat, rye, bar- 

 ley, oats, and rice-groats, were quite un- 

 known 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 agri- 

 culture and gardening; and dogs were the 

 only domeftic animals in North America. 

 But as their agriculture and their gardening 

 were very trifling, and they could hardly 

 live two months in a year upon their pro- 

 duce, they were forced to apply to hunting 

 and riming, which at that time, and even 

 at prefent, are their chief fubfiftence, and 

 to feek fome of the wild plants and trees 

 here. Some of the old Swedes were yet 

 alive, who in their younger years had an, 

 intercourfe with the Indians, and had feen 

 the minutiae of their oeconomy. I was 

 therefore defirous 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 confumed : 



5 



