A Key into the Language of America, Chapter 6

A Key into the Language of America · Chapter 6

p. 31CHAP. VI. Of the Family and businesse of the House.

Which is a solemne word amongst them; and no man wil offer any hinderance to him, who after some absence is going to visit his Family, and useth this word Nicqu…num (confessing the sweetnesse even of these short tem…orall homes.)

which …eir women and maids live apart in, four…, p. 32five, or six dayes, in the time of their monethly sicknesse, which custome in all parts of the Countrey they strictly observe, and no Ma… may come into that house.

which commonly men get and fix, and then the women cover the house with mats, and lin… them with embroydered mats which the women make, and call them Mannotaúbana, o… Hangings, which amongst them make as fair… a show as Hangings with us.

an… Chesout barke which they dresse finely, an… make a Summer-covering for their houses.

p. 33Two Families will live comfortably and …vingly in a little round house of some four…en or sixteen foot over, and so more and …ore families in proportion.

And then th… point with the hand to the Sunne by who… highth they keepe account of the day and b… the Moone and Stars by night, as wee doe b… clocks and dialls, &c.

p. 36Obs. They are as full of businesse, and as impatient of hinderance (in their kind) as any Merchant in Europe.

Obs. Commonly they never shut thei… doores, day nor night; and 'tis rare that an… hurt is done.

Obs. In steed of shelves, they have severa… baskets, wherein they put all their housholdstuffe: p. 37they have some great bags or sacks made of Hempe, which will hold five or sixe bushells.

Obs. Their women constantly beat all their corne with hand: they plant it, dresse it, gather it, barne it, beat it, and take as much paines as any people in the world which labour is questionlesse one cause of their extraordinary ease of childbirth.

p. 38Obs. Whence they call English-men Cháuquaquock, that is, Knive-men, stone formerly being to them in stead of Knives, Awle-blades, Hatchets and Howes.

Obs. It is almost incredible what burthens the poore women carry of Corne, of Fish, of Beanes, of Mats, and a childe besides

Obs. Most commonly their houses are open, their doore is a hanging Mat, which being lift up, falls downe of it selfe; yet many of them get English boards and nailes, and make artificiall doores and bolts themselves, and p. 39others make slighter doores of Burch or Chesnut barke, which they make fast with a cord in the night time, or when they go out of town, and then the last (that makes fast) goes out at the Chimney which is a large opening in the middle of their house, called:

p. 40Obs. They nurse all their childrem themselves; yet, if she be an high or rich woman, she maintaines a Nurse to tend the childe.

Obs. Many of them begin to be furnished with English Chests; others, when they goe forth of towne, bring their goods (if they live neere) to the English to keepe for them, and their money they hang it about their necks, or lay it under their head when they sleepe.

Obs. They have also amongst them naturall fooles, either so borne, or accidentally deprived of reason.

Ob. Many of them naturally Princes, or e… industrious persons, are rich; and the poo… amongst them will say, they want nothing…

…hich bewailing is very solemne amongst …em morning and evening and sometimes in the night they bewaile their lost husbands, wives, children brethren or sisters &c. Sometimes a quarter, halfe, yea, a whole yeere, and longer, if it be for a great Prince.

In this time (unlesse a dispensation be given) they count it a prophane thing either to play (as they much use to doe) or to paint themselves, for beauty, but for mourning; or to be angry, and fall out with any, &c.

Obs. Which some doe not but they are ra… Birds; for generally all the men throughou… the Countrey have a Tobacco-bag, with a pip… in it hanging at their back: sometimes the… make such great pipes, both of wood and ston… p. 45…at they are two foot long, with men or …asts carved so big or mafsie, that a man …ay be hurt mortally by one of them; but …ese comonly come from the Mauquáuwogs, … the Men eaters, three or foure hundred …les from us: They have an exc…llent Art … cast our Pewter and Brasse into very neate …nd artificiall Pipes: They take their Wuttam…uog (tkat is, a weake Tobacco) which the men …ant themselves, very frequently; yet I ne…r see any take so excessively, as I have seene …en in Europe; and yet excesse were more …lerable in them, because they want the re…eshing of Beare and Wine, which God hath …uchsafed Europe.

A …ame taken from the English Chicke, because …ey have no Hens before the English came.

Obs. Which they figuratively transferre …rom the frequent troublesome clamour of … Cocke.

Whic… they doe upon these occasions: From thic… warme vallies. where they winter, they re… move a little neerer to their Summer fields … when 'tis warme Spring, then they remove t… their fields where they plant Corne.

In middle of Summer because of the abun… dance of Fleas, which the dust of the house breeds. they will flie and remove on a sudde… from one part of their field to a fresh place … And sometimes having fi…lds a mile or two… or many miles asunder. when the worke of… one field is over, they remove house to the… other: If death fall in amongst them, they pr…sently remove to a fresh place: If an enemie approach, they remove into a Thicket, or Swampe. unlesse they have some Fort to remove unto.

Sometimes they remove to a hunting house in the end of the yeere, and forsake it not un- p. 47Snow lie thick, and then will travel home, …n, women and children, thorow the snow, …rtie, yea, fiftie or sixtie miles; but their …at remove is from their Summer fields to …rme and thicke woodie bottomes where …y winter: They are quicke; in halfe a day, …, sometimes at few houres warning to be …he and the house up elsewhere. especially, … they have stakes readie pitcht for their …ats.

I once in travel lodged at a house, at which …my returne I hoped to h…ve lodged againe …re the nex night, but the house was gone …that interim, and I was glad to lodge un… a tree:

The men make the poles or stakes, but the …men make and set up, take downe▪ order, … carry the Mats and housholdstuffe.

Observation in generall.

The sociablenesse of the nature of man ap…ares in the wildest of them, who love so…tit; Families, cohabitation, and consocia… of houses and townes together.

p. 48More particular:

How busie are the sonnes of men?

How full their heads and hands?

What noyse and tumults in our owne,

And eke in Pagan lands?

Yet I have found lesse noyse, more peace

In wilde America,

Where women quickly build the house,

And quickly move away.

English and Indians busie are,

In parts of their abode:

Yet both stand idle, till God's call

Set them to worke for God.Mat. 20. 7.Matt 20:7