292 The Natural Historic 



tunes which attend them during their Drunkenness, as break- 

 ing their Bones and Joints, with many other melancholly 

 Accidents, jet none sufficient to deter them from this Prac- 

 tice. Drunkenness is a Vice so common amongst them (if 

 they can obtain strong Liquors) that they drop down and 

 lie quite naked, in such brutish Postures as are not fit to be 

 named. These base Dispositions are principally owing to the 

 meanness of their Education, being strangers to all Arts and 

 Sciences, and the Knowledge of other Countries, which ren- 

 ders them insensible of that Virtue and Decency which other 

 ^Nations value at so high a Rate. 



The chief and only Liquor they admire is Rum, which 

 they generally drink without any mixture; this the Euro- 

 peans bring in amongst them, and buy Deer-Shins, Furrs, 

 and other Commodities with; they will freely sell or part 

 with any thing they have in the World (except their Wives 

 and Children) rather than not accomplish their Designs. 

 They sometimes commit such brutalities and enormous Vices, 

 as are not fit to be mentioned ; yet there are some few amongst 

 them that will not drink any strong Liquors. 



In the Year 1708, the Governour summoned all the In- 

 dian Kings and Rulers in North-Carolina to meet, in order 

 to make a firm and lasting Peace between the Christians 

 and Indians: At which publick Meeting, the Indian Kings 

 and Rulers desired, that in the conclusion of this Peace, it 

 might be enacted that no Rum shou'd be Sold to them, which 

 was accordingly granted, and a Law made by the English, 

 which inflicted a penalty on any white Men that sold Rum 

 to the Indians. But this Law was never strictly observed or 

 put in force, because the young Indians were so disgusted at 

 that Article, that they threatn'd to kill the Indians that had 

 a Hand in making it, unless it were speedily laid aside, and 



that 



