308 LAWSON'S HISTORY 



A great way up in tlie country, both baskets 

 and mats are made of the split reeds, which are 

 only the outward shining part of the cane. Of 

 these I have seen mats, baskets, and dressing box- 

 es, very artificially done. 7 



The savage women of America have very easy 

 travail with their children. Sometimes they bring 

 twins, and are brought to bed by themselves, 

 when took at a disadvantage ; not but they have 

 midwives amongst them, as well as doctors who 

 make it their profession (for gain) to assist and de 

 liver women, and some of these midwives are very 

 knowing in several medicines that Carolina affords, 

 which certainly expedite, and make easy births. 

 Besides, they are unacquainted with those severe 

 pains which follow the birth in our European wo- 

 men. Their remedies are a great cause of this ea- 

 siness in that state ; for the Indian w^omen will 

 run up and down the plantation the same day^ 

 very briskly, and without any sign of pain or 

 sickness ; yet they look very meagre and thin. 

 ISTot but that we must allow a great deal owing to 

 the climate and the natural constitution of these 

 women, whose course of nature never visits them in 

 such quantities, as the European women have. 

 And though they never want plenty of milk, yet 

 I never saw an Indian woman with very large 

 breasts ; neither does the youngest wife ever fail 

 of proving so good a nurse as to bring her child 

 up free from the rickets and disasters that proceed 

 from the teeth, with many other distempers which 



