62 WILLIAM BARTRAM 



one is but an abridgement of the material contained in the 

 other. 



It becomes necessary, then, in order to gain an accurate 

 understanding of Bartram's contribution to our knowledge of 

 the American Indian, to separate his subjective comments from 

 his objective facts, the romanticist from the scholar, the rhap- 

 sodist from the observer. This is not always easy, for in Bar- 

 tram's case especially, the style is certainly inseparable from the 

 man, but it is not impossible. In the following passage, for 

 example, the subjective and objective elements are not hard to 

 separate: 



A man goes forth on his business or avocations, he calls in at another 

 town, if he wants victuals, rest or social conversation, he confidently 

 approaches the door of the first house he chooses, saying, " I am 

 come; " the good man or woman replies, " You are; its well." Imme- 

 diately victuals and drink are ready; he eats and drinks a little, then 

 smokes Tobacco, and converses either of private matters, public talks 

 or the news of the town. He rises and says, " I go ; " the other answers, 

 "You go! " He then proceeds again, and steps in at the next habita- 

 tion he likes, or repairs to the public square, where are people always 

 conversing by day, or dancing all night, or to some more private assem- 

 bly, as he likes ; he needs no one to introduce him, any more than the 

 black-bird or thrush, when he repairs to the fruitful groves, to regale 

 on their luxuries, and entertain the fond female with evening songs. ^ 



Eliminate the one word " good " and the pointed conclusions 

 beginning, "' he needs no one to introduce him " — which betray 

 Bartram's Quaker benignity and love for informality — and all 

 that remains is a strictly objective report of Indian social be- 

 havior. Again, in such a statement as this one: 



They have songs to accompany their dances, of different classes, as, 

 martial, bacchanalian and amorous, which last I must confess, are 

 extravagantly libidinous, and they have moral songs, which seem to be 

 the most esteemed and practised, and answer the purpose of religious 

 lectures. ^2 



'''^Travels, 491. 



'^^ Travels, 506. The Van Doren reprint (p. 396), following the London 

 edition of 1794, gives this passage in an "' edited " form which makes for better 

 English but does violence to Bartram's meaning. For a study of the different 

 editions of the Travels, see N. B. Fagin, Modern Language Notes, May, 1931, 

 pp. 288-91. 



