192 May 1749* 



with wtods from times immemorial) mifled 

 them, and made them carelefs hufbandmen. 

 It is well known* that the Indians lived in 

 this country for feveral centuries before the 

 Europeans came into it ; but it is likewife 

 known, that they lived chiefly by hunting 

 and fifhing; and had hardly any fields. They 

 planted maize, and fome fpecies of beans 

 and gourds ; and at the fame time it is cer- 

 tain, that a plantation of fuch vegetables as 

 ferve an Indian family during one year, take 

 up no more ground than a farmer in our 

 country takes to plant cabbage for his fa- 

 mily upon ; at leaft, a farmer'* cabbage and 

 turnep ground,, taken together, is always as 

 extenfive, if not more fo, than the corn- 

 fields and kitchen -gardens of an Indian fa- 

 mily. Therefore, the Indians could hard- 

 ly fubfift for one month upon the produce 

 of their gardens and fields. Commonly, 

 the little villages of Indians are about twelve 

 or eighteen miles diftant from each other. 

 From hence one may judge, how little 

 ground was formerly employed for corn- 

 fields 5 and the reft was overgrown with 

 thick and tall trees. And though they 

 cleared (as is yet ufual) new ground, asfoon 

 as the old one had quite loft its fertility ; 

 yet fuch little pieces as they made uie of 

 were very inconfiderable, when compared 



to 



