330 LAWSON'S HISTORY 



will not work ; otherwise they are given to gaming 

 or drunkenness ; yet these get victuals as well as 

 the rest, because that is common amongst them, 

 if they are caught in theft they are slaves till they 

 repay the person, as I mentioned before, but to 

 steal from the English they reckon no harm. Not 

 but that I have known some few savages that have 

 been as free from theft as any of the Christians. 

 When they have a design to lie with a woman, 

 which they cannot obtain any otherwise than by a 

 larger reward than they are able to give, they then 

 strive to make her drunk, which a great many of 

 them will be ; then they take the advantage to do 

 with them what they please, and sometimes in 

 their drunkenness, cut off their hair and sell it to 

 the English, which is the greatest affront can 

 be offered to them. They never value time ; for 

 if they be going out to hunt, fish, or any other in- 

 different business, you may keep them in talk as 

 long as you please, so you but keep them in dis- 

 course, and seemed pleased with their company ; 

 yet none are more expeditious and safer messen- 

 gers than they, when any extraordinary business 

 that they are sent about requires it. 



When they are upon traveling the woods, they 

 keep a constant pace, neither will they stride over 

 a tree that lies cross the path, but always go round 

 it, which is quite contrary to the custom of the 

 English and other Europeans. When they cut 

 with a knife, the edge is towards them, whereas 

 we always cut and whittle from us. Nor did I 



