Page 466
An.1688
Their Arms. How Indians get Fire.
Wares, or else they must fast: For the Earth affords them no Food at all. There is neither Herb, Root, Pulse, nor any sort of Grain, for them to eat, that we saw: nor any sort of Bird, or Beast that they can catch, having no Instruments where- withal to do so.
I did not perceive that they did worship any thing. These poor creatures have a sort of Wea- pon to defend their Ware, or fight with their Ene- mies, if they have any that will interfere with their poor Fishery. They did at first endeavour with their Weapons to frighten us, who lying ashore de- terr'd them from one of their Fishing-places. Some of them had Wooden Swords, others had a sort of Lances. The Sword is a piece of Wood, shaped somewhat like a Cutlass. The Lance is a long strait pole, sharp at one end, and hardened after- wards by heat. I saw no Iron, nor any other sort of Metal: therefore it is probable they use Stone- Hatchets, as some Indians in America do, described in Chap. IV.
How they get their Fire, I know not: but, pro- bably, as Indians do, out of Wood. I have seen the Indians of Bon-Airy do it, and have my self tryed the experiment: They take a flat piece of Wood, that is pretty soft, and make a small dent in one side of it; then they take another hard round stick, about the bigness of ones little finger, and sharpen- ing it at one end like a Pencil, they put that sharp end in the hole or dent of the flat soft piece; and then rubbing or twirling the hard piece between the palms of their hands, they drill the soft piece till it smoaks, and at last takes fire.
These people speak somewhat through the throat; but we could not understand one word that they said. We anchored, as I said before, January the 5th, and seeing Men walking on the shore, we presently sent a Canoa to get some acquaintance with