3 86 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [October. 



new friends they ftole every thing that they could. While they only 

 pilfered what could gratify their appetites, it was not to be wondered 

 at; but they would take articles of which they could not poffibly 

 know the ufe. Early in the fettlement one of them ftcleacafe of in- 

 ftruments from the pocket of one of the medical gentlemen ; and 

 could he have been watched to his retreat, there is not a doubt but 

 he would have been feen to lay his booty upon his head, as an orna- 

 ment, the place to which at fir ft every thing given to them was 

 ufually configned. 



That they are not ftrangers to the occafional pra&ice of falfehood, 

 Is apparent from the words truth and falfehood being found in their 

 language ; but, independent of this, proofs are not wanting of their 

 being adepts in the arts of evafion and lying ; and when doubts have 

 been entertained of fome of their tales, they would with much earneft- 

 nefs afTert the truth of them ; and when fpeaking of other natives 

 they have as anxioufly wifhed to prove that they had told nothing 

 but lies. 



Their talent for mimickry is very great. Even the children made 

 it a favourite diverfion to mimic the peculiarities of thofe whom they 

 faw, which they did with the happieft fuccefs. 



They are fufceptible of friendfhip, and capable of feeling forrow ; 

 but this latter fenfation they are not in the habit of encouraging long. 

 At the funeral of a native boy, the father's tears were feen to fall plen- 

 tifully, though filently, down his fable cheek ; but in a little time 

 they were dried, and the old man's face indicated nothing but the 

 lapfe of many years which had pafTed over his head. 



With attention and kind treatment, they certainly might be made a 

 very ferviceable people ; they were frequently employed in the boats 

 belonging to the fettlement, and were as handy and as ufeful as any 

 other perfons could have been ; fome of them were likewife engaged 

 in taking the farmer's ftock into the woods, and never failed to bring 

 home the right numbers, though they have not any knowledge of nu- 

 meration beyond three or four. 



Their 



