ard of a child any of them had before marriage, and the Indians
themselves disown any such custom; though they acknowledge, at the same
time, that the maidens are entirely at their own disposal, and may
manage their persons as they think fit.

Sec. 8. The manner of the Indians treating their young children is very
strange; for instead of keeping them warm, at their first entry into the
world, and wrapping them up, with I don't know how many clothes,
according to our fond custom, the first thing they do is to dip the
child over head and ears in cold water, and then to bind it naked to a
convenient board, having a hole fitly placed for evacuation; but they
always put cotton, wool, fur, or other soft things, for the body to rest
easy on, between the child and the board. In this posture they keep it
several months, till the bones begin to harden, the joints to knit, and
the limbs to grow strong; and then they let it loose from the board,
suffering it to crawl about, except when they are feeding or playing
with it.

While the child is thus at the board, they either lay it flat on its
back, or set it leaning on one end, or else hang it up by a string
fastened to the upper end of the board for that purpose; the child and
board being all this while carried about together. As our women undress
their children to clean and shift their linen, so they do theirs to wash
and grease them.

The method the women have of carrying their children after they are
suffered to crawl about, is very particular; they carry them at their
backs in summer, taking one leg of the child under their arm, and the
counter-arm of the child in their hand over their shoulder; the other
leg hanging down, and the child all the while holding fast with its
other hand; but in winter they carry them in the hollow of their
match-coat at their back, leaving nothing but the child's head out, as
appears by the figure.

[Illustration: _Lith. of Ritchies & Dunnavant Richmond._
Fig: 2. Fig: 3. Fig: 1.
Tab: 7. Book 3. Pag: 134]

[Illustration: _Lith. of Ritchies & Dunnavant Richmond._
Tab. 8 Book 3 Pag. 135]

CHAPTER III.

OF THE TOWNS, BUILDINGS AND FORTIFICATIONS OF THE INDIANS.

Sec. 9. The method of the Indian settlements is altogether by cohabitation,
in townships, from fifty to five hundred families in a town, and each of
these towns is commonly a kingdom. Sometimes one king has the command of
several of these towns, when