362 The Natural History 



land and Ireland; most of all their small Game they kill 

 with their Bows and Arrows, such as Geese, Turkeys^ Duchs, 

 and various kinds of wild Beasts, as Raccoons, Possuins, 

 Squirrels, and several other sorts of Vermine, judging it not 

 worth throwing Powder and Shot after them. 



The wild Turkeys being very plenty in N orth-C arolinay 

 especially in the Oak Lands, as most of it is that lies any 

 distance backwards ; some of these they Boast or Boyl, others 

 they Barbecue and eat with Bears-grease, this is accounted 

 amongst them a good Dish, and indeed I do not doubt but it 

 is, for the Bears-grease (as I said before) is the sweetest and 

 least offensive to the Stomach of any Fat of Animals yet 

 known in America; and I am very certain that the Turkeys 

 are Fat, and exceeding good eating, if well dress'd. 



The Men never beat their Corn to make Bread, that is the 

 Women's Work, and especially the Girls, where you shall 

 see four of them beating with long Pestils in a narrow 

 wooden Mortar, and every one keeping her stroke so exactly, 

 that it is worthy of admiration, and curious to behold them 

 when they are thus at Work ; for these Indians have no man- 

 ner of Mills, or any other way to make their Meal but with 

 Mortars. 



Their Cookery continues from Morning till Night, dress- 

 ing their Venison after different Methods, according to each 

 one's Fancy, this being the Women's business : The Hunt- 

 ing makes them Hungry, and they are a People that eat 

 very often, and frequently get up at Midnight, and other 

 unseasonable Hours to eat and satisfie their craving Appe- 

 tites, notwithstanding you shall never see any of them Cor- 

 pulent or Fat. 



They plant several sorts of Pulse, part of which they eat 

 green in the Summer, keeping sufficient quantities for their 

 Winter Provision ; this they carry with them to eat in their 



Hunting 



