Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1892 — America's Natives. [ARTICLE]

America's Natives.

This description of the natives as they appeared to the English colonists in Maryland was written in 1663: "They are very proper tall men of person: swarthy by nature but much more by art; painting themselves with colours in oyle, like a darke red, which they doe to keep the gnatts off. As for their faces they have other colours at times, as blew from the nose upward, and red downeward; sometimes contrariwise, in grate vnriette and in very gastly manner. They have no beards till they come to be very old, and therefore druwe from each side of their mouthe, lines to their cares, to represent a beard. "Their apparel generally is deero sky ns, and some furre, which they wear like loose mantels; yet under this, about thoir middel, all women and men, at man's estayte, were roundo aprons of skyns, whioh keeps them dooontly covered, so that, without any offence to chast eyes, we may converse with them. All the rest of their bodys are naked, and at times some of the youngest sort of both men and women havo just nothing to cover them. The natural witt of this nation is very quicko and will conceive a thing very redily. They exoell in smell and fast and huve far sharper 6ight than wee. If these people were once Christians (as by some signs wee have reason to think nothing hynders it but wante of langundge) it would be a right vertuous and renowned nation." • .