348 The Natural History 



the Ashes near the Fire, and all the reason they give for so 

 doing is, that it is the same to them as the pulling of our 

 Hats and talking when we go to Victuals is to us. The 

 Indians in Carolina call Rum and Physick by the same 

 Name, and the reason they give is, because Rum makes Peo- 

 ple sick, as if they had taken any Physical or Poysonous 

 Plant, notwithstanding they cannot forbear drinking it to 

 excess, when they can by any means purchase it or any other 

 Spiritous Liquor. 



They are a craving People, and if you give them any 

 thing by way of Present, they imagine that it obliges you to 

 give them another, and so on, until you have given them all 

 you have; so insatiable and unreasonable are they in their 

 Demands, that they have no bounds to them. If they give 

 any thing as a Present, it is with a View to receive twice the 

 Value, for they have no consideration that you shall want or 

 have any occasion for those things you give them; for their 

 way of Living is so contrary to ours, that neither we nor they 

 can fathom one anothers Designs or Methods. 



They set the least value upon Time of any People in the 

 World, for if they are going out to Hunt, Pish, or any other 

 indifferent Business, you may keep them as long as you 

 please provided you entertain them in Discourse, and seem 

 pleased with their Company ; yet no People are more expedi- 

 tious and safer Messengers than they, when any extraordi- 

 nary Business that they are sent about requires it. 



The Indian Women s Work in this Province is generally 

 to dress their Victuals for the whole Family, and make 

 Mats, Baskets, Girdles of Possiinis Hair, and such like 

 things, which they commonly sell to the Europeans. The 

 Mats thoy mak^o are of Rushes, about five Feet broad, and 

 two Fathom long, sowed double, whereby they become very 



commodi(Uis 



