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TRADING FOR BEAVER SKINS. 17
separated'With rocks, but only in that one place, for beyond is a fair river. The 3d of
July my brother, with the two Indians, came thither, in which journey they were seven
days going, and five days coming back to this place. They all did affirm that in one
palisado, and that being the last of thirty, there were three hundred houses, and in every
house forty skins at least, in bundles and piles. To this king was delivered the four
presents, who dispersed them to the rest. The entertainment they had I omit as tedious
to relate. There came with them, one-half of the way, one hundred and ten Indians,
laden with beaver, which could not be less than 4000 weight. These Indians were made
choice of by the whole nation, to see what we were, what was our intent, and whether
friends or foes, and what commodities we had, but they were met with by the way by the
Nacostines, who told them we purposed to destroy those that came in our way, in revenge
of the Pascattowaies, being hired to do so for 114 skins, which were delivered aforesaid,
for a present, as a preparative.
" But see the inventions of devils ; the life of my brother, by this tale of the Nacostines, was much endangered. The next morning I went to the Nacostines to know the
reason of this business, who answered, they did know no otherwise, but that if I would
make a firm league with them, and give their king a present, then they would undertake
to bring those other Indians down. The refusal of this offer was the greatest folly that I
have ever committed, in mine opinion.
" The 10th of July, about one o'clock, we discerned an Indian on the other side of
the. river, who with a shrill sound, cried, " Quo ! Quo ! Quo !" holding up a beaver skin
upon a pole. I went ashore to him, who then gave me the beaver skin, with his hatchet,
and laid down his head with a strange kind of behavior, using some few words, which I
learned, but to me it was a foreign language. I cheered him, told him he was a good
man, and clapped him on the breast with my hands. Whereupon he started up, and used
some complimental speech, leaving his things with me ran up the hill.
" Within the space of half an hour, he returned, with five more, one being a woman,
and an interpreter, at which I rejoiced, and so I expressed myself to them, showing them
courtesies. These were laden with beaver, and came from a town called TJsserahak,
where were seven thousand Indians. I carried these Indians aboard, and traded with
them for their skins. They drew a plot of their country, and told me there came with
them sixty canoes, but were interrupted by the Nacostines, who always do wait for them,
and were hindered by them. Yet these, it would seem, were resolute, not fearing death,
and would adventure to come down. These promised me if I would show them my
truck, to get great store of canoes to come down with one thousand Indians that should
trade with me. I had but little, not worth above one hundred pound sterling, and such
as was not fit for these Indians to trade with, who delight in hatchets, and knives of large
size, broad-cloth, and coats, shirts, and Scottish stockings. The women desire bells, and
some kind of beads.
" The 11th of July there came from another place seven lusty men, with
strange attire; they had red fringe, and two of them had beaver coats, which
they gave me. Their language was haughty, and they seemed to ask me
what I did there, and demanded to see my truck, which, upon view, they
scorned. They had two axes, such as Captain Kirk traded in Cannida, which
he bought at Whits of Wapping, and there I bought mine, and think I had as
good as he. But these Indians, after they came aboard, seemed to be fair conditioned, and one of them, taking a piece of chalk, made a plain demonstration of
their country, which was nothing different from the former plot drawn by the other
Indians. These called themselves Mostikums, but afterwards I found they were of a
people three days' journey from these, and were called Herecheenes,1 who, with
1 Iroquois?
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000042 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | TRADING FOR BEAVER SKINS. 17 separated'With rocks, but only in that one place, for beyond is a fair river. The 3d of July my brother, with the two Indians, came thither, in which journey they were seven days going, and five days coming back to this place. They all did affirm that in one palisado, and that being the last of thirty, there were three hundred houses, and in every house forty skins at least, in bundles and piles. To this king was delivered the four presents, who dispersed them to the rest. The entertainment they had I omit as tedious to relate. There came with them, one-half of the way, one hundred and ten Indians, laden with beaver, which could not be less than 4000 weight. These Indians were made choice of by the whole nation, to see what we were, what was our intent, and whether friends or foes, and what commodities we had, but they were met with by the way by the Nacostines, who told them we purposed to destroy those that came in our way, in revenge of the Pascattowaies, being hired to do so for 114 skins, which were delivered aforesaid, for a present, as a preparative. " But see the inventions of devils ; the life of my brother, by this tale of the Nacostines, was much endangered. The next morning I went to the Nacostines to know the reason of this business, who answered, they did know no otherwise, but that if I would make a firm league with them, and give their king a present, then they would undertake to bring those other Indians down. The refusal of this offer was the greatest folly that I have ever committed, in mine opinion. " The 10th of July, about one o'clock, we discerned an Indian on the other side of the. river, who with a shrill sound, cried, " Quo ! Quo ! Quo !" holding up a beaver skin upon a pole. I went ashore to him, who then gave me the beaver skin, with his hatchet, and laid down his head with a strange kind of behavior, using some few words, which I learned, but to me it was a foreign language. I cheered him, told him he was a good man, and clapped him on the breast with my hands. Whereupon he started up, and used some complimental speech, leaving his things with me ran up the hill. " Within the space of half an hour, he returned, with five more, one being a woman, and an interpreter, at which I rejoiced, and so I expressed myself to them, showing them courtesies. These were laden with beaver, and came from a town called TJsserahak, where were seven thousand Indians. I carried these Indians aboard, and traded with them for their skins. They drew a plot of their country, and told me there came with them sixty canoes, but were interrupted by the Nacostines, who always do wait for them, and were hindered by them. Yet these, it would seem, were resolute, not fearing death, and would adventure to come down. These promised me if I would show them my truck, to get great store of canoes to come down with one thousand Indians that should trade with me. I had but little, not worth above one hundred pound sterling, and such as was not fit for these Indians to trade with, who delight in hatchets, and knives of large size, broad-cloth, and coats, shirts, and Scottish stockings. The women desire bells, and some kind of beads. " The 11th of July there came from another place seven lusty men, with strange attire; they had red fringe, and two of them had beaver coats, which they gave me. Their language was haughty, and they seemed to ask me what I did there, and demanded to see my truck, which, upon view, they scorned. They had two axes, such as Captain Kirk traded in Cannida, which he bought at Whits of Wapping, and there I bought mine, and think I had as good as he. But these Indians, after they came aboard, seemed to be fair conditioned, and one of them, taking a piece of chalk, made a plain demonstration of their country, which was nothing different from the former plot drawn by the other Indians. These called themselves Mostikums, but afterwards I found they were of a people three days' journey from these, and were called Herecheenes,1 who, with 1 Iroquois? |
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