36o ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY {October, 



Their nofes are flat, noftrils wide, eyes much funk in the head, and 

 covered with thick eye-brows ; in addition to which, they wear tied 

 round the head, a net, the breadth of the forehead, made of the fur 

 of the opoffum, which, when wifhing to fee very clearly, they draw 

 over their eye-brows, thereby contracting the light. Their lips are 

 thick, and the mouth extravagantly wide ; but when opened difcovers 

 two rows of white, even, and found teeth. Many have very promi- 

 nent jaws. 



Habitations. 



Their habitations are as rude as imagination can conceive. The 

 hut of the woodman is made of the bark of a fingle tree, bent in the 

 middle, and placed on its two ends on the ground, affording fhelter 

 to only one miferable tenant. Thefe they never carry about with them. 

 On the fea coaft the huts were larger, formed of pieces of bark 

 from feveral trees put together in the form of an oven, with an entrance, 

 and large enough to hold fix or eight people. Their fire was always 

 at the mouth of the hut, rather within than without ; and the interior 

 was in general the moft nafty fmoke- dried place that can be conceived. 

 Befides thefe bark huts, they made ufe of excavations in the rock. At 

 the mouths of thefe excavations was noticed a luxuriancy of foil ; and 

 on turning up the ground, it was found rich with fheils and other ma- 

 nure. Thefe proved a valuable refource to the fettlement ; as many- 

 loads of fheils were burnt into lime, while the other parts were wheeled 

 into the gardens. 



In their huts and their caves they lie down indifcriminately 

 mixed, men, women, and children together ; and appear to poffefs 

 under them much the fame enjoyment as may be fjppofed to be found 

 by the brute bead in his den, fhelter from the weather, and, if not dis- 

 turbed by external enemies, the comfort of fleep. 



The extreme foundnefs with which they fleep invites jealoufy, or 

 revenge for other wrongs, to arm the hand of the aflaffin. Many in- 

 ftances of this occurred ; one of which was rendered remarkable, by 



7 the 



