The Expedition of Humphry ClinkerSmollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Epistolary fiction; Great Britain -- Fiction; Travelers -- Fiction
Lismahago’s bride, the squaw Squinkinacoosta, distinguished herself on
this occasion.--She shewed a great superiority of genius in the tortures
which she contrived and executed with her own hands.--She vied with the
stoutest warrior in eating the flesh of the sacrifice; and after all
the other females were fuddled with dram-drinking, she was not so
intoxicated but that she was able to play the game of the platter with
the conjuring sachem, and afterwards go through the ceremony of her own
wedding, which was consummated that same evening. The captain had lived
very happily with this accomplished squaw for two years, during which
she bore him a son, who is now the representative of his mother’s tribe;
but, at length, to his unspeakable grief, she had died of a fever,
occasioned by eating too much raw bear, which they had killed in a
hunting excursion.
By this time, Mr Lismahago was elected sachem, acknowledged first
warrior of the Badger tribe, and dignified with the name or epithet of
Occacanastaogarora, which signifies nimble as a weasel; but all these
advantages and honours he was obliged to resign, in consequence of being
exchanged for the orator of the community, who had been taken prisoner
by the Indians that were in alliance with the English. At the peace, he
had sold out upon half pay, and was returned to Britain, with a view
to pass the rest of his life in his own country, where he hoped to
find some retreat where his slender finances would afford him a decent
subsistence. Such are the outlines of Mr Lismahago’s history, to which
Tabitha did seriously incline her ear;--indeed, she seemed to be taken
with the same charms that captivated the heart of Desdemona, who loved
the Moor for the dangers he had past.
The description of poor Murphy’s sufferings, which threw my sister Liddy
into a swoon, extracted some sighs from the breast of Mrs Tabby: when
she understood he had been rendered unfit for marriage, she began to
spit, and ejaculated, ‘Jesus, what cruel barbarians!’ and she made wry
faces at the lady’s nuptial repast; but she was eagerly curious to know
the particulars of her marriage-dress; whether she wore high-breasted
stays or bodice, a robe of silk or velvet, and laces of Mechlin or
minionette--she supposed, as they were connected with the French,
she used rouge, and had her hair dressed in the Parisian fashion. The
captain would have declined giving a catagorical explanation of all
these particulars, observing, in general, that the Indians were
too tenacious of their own customs to adopt the modes of any nation
whatsoever; he said, moreover, that neither the simplicity of their
manners nor the commerce of their country, would admit of those articles
of luxury which are deemed magnificence in Europe; and that they were
too virtuous and sensible to encourage the introduction of any fashion
which might help to render them corrupt and effeminate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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