36 January 1749. 



remedy had often cured the tooth-ach be- 

 fore. 



'January the 2d, 1749. Before the Euro- 

 peans under the direction of Columbus, came 

 to the Weft-Indies, the favages or Indians (who 

 lived there fince times immemorial) were 

 entirely unacquainted with iron, which ap- 

 pears very ftrange to us, as North America, 

 almoft in every part of it, contains a num- 

 ber of iron mines. They were therefore 

 obliged to fupply this want with fharp 

 ftones, {hells, claws of birds and wild beafts, 

 pieces of bones, and other things of that 

 kind, whenever they intended to make 

 hatchets, knives, and fuch like inftruments. 

 From hence it appears, that they mufthave 

 led a very wretched life. The old Swedes 

 who lived here, and had had an intercourfe 

 with the Indians when they were young, and 

 at a time when they were yet very numerous 

 in thefe parts, could tell a great many 

 things concerning their manner of living. 

 At this time the people find accidentally, by 

 ploughing and digging in the ground, feve- 

 ral of the inftruments which the Indians 

 employed, before the Swedes and other 

 Europeans had provided them with iron 

 tools. For it is obfervable that the Indians 

 at prefent make ufe of no other tools, than 

 fuch as are made of iron and other metals, 



and 



