64 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



taste and sometimes howsoever unpalatable it was eaten with grea 

 gusto, so sharp a sauce does hunger give. 



John Bartram, who made a trip from Philadelphia to OnondagJ 

 in the middle of the i8th century, with Conrad Weiser, Lewi; 

 Evans and Shickalmy, records in his Observations:^ 



We lodged within 50 yards of a hunting cabin where there were 

 two men, a squaw and a child. The men came to our fire, made Ui 

 a present of some venison and invited Mr Weiser, Shickalmy am 

 his son to a feast at their cabin. It is incumbent on those who par 

 take of a feast of this sort to eat all that comes to their share 01 

 burn it. Now Weiser being a traveler was entitled to a double share 

 but being not very well, was forced to take the benefit of a libert) 

 indulged him of eating by proxy, and he called me. But both htinf 

 unable to cope with it, Evans came to our assistance notwithstanding 

 which we were hard set to get down the neck and throat, for thes< 

 were allotted to us. And now we had experienced the utmost bound; 

 of their indulgence, for Lewis, ignorant of the ceremony of throwing 

 a bone to the dog, though hungry dogs are generally nimble, the In- 

 dian, more nimble, laid hold of it first and committed it to the fire 

 religiously covering it over with hot ashes. This seemed to be a kinc 

 of offering, perhaps first fruits to the Almighty Power to crave futur< 

 success in the approaching hunting season. 



Instances of the hospitality of the Iroquois toward the whites anc 

 Indians could be cited at great length,' with but one result, that o 

 confirming the statement that hospitality was an established usage 

 The Indians were often greatly surprised to find that on their visit 

 lo white settlements they were not accorded the same privilege 

 and thought the whites rude and uncivil people. " They are no 

 even familiar with the common rules of civility which our mother 

 teach us in infancy," said one Indian in expressing his surprise. 



The Iroquois were not great eaters, that is to say, they seldon 

 gorged themselves with food at their private meals or at feasts 

 except perhaps for ceremonial reasons. To do so ordinarily woul< 

 be a religious offense and destroy the capacity to withstand hungei 

 Children were trained to eat frugally and taught that overeatinj 

 was far worse than undereating. They were warned that glutton 

 would be caught by a monster known as Sago'dakwiis who wouk 

 humiliate them in a most terrible manner if he found that the 

 were gourmands. 



1 Bartram. Observations. Lond. 1751. p. 24. 



2 See Morgan. House Life, p. 45-62. 



