Three Visitors to Early Plymouth: Letters about the Pilgrim settlement in New England during its first seven yearsAltham, Emmanuel
History
Three Visitors to Early Plymouth: Letters about the Pilgrim settlement in New England during its first seven years
Altham, Emmanuel
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691
When a woman here addicts herself to fornication, and the husband comes
to know it, he thrashes her soundly, and if he wishes to get rid of her,
he summons the Sackima with her friends, before whom he accuses her. And
if she be found guilty, the Sackima commands one to cut off her hair in
order that she may be held up before the world as a whore, which they
call _poerochque_; and then the husband takes from her everything that
she has, and drives her out of the house. If there be children, they
remain with her, for they are fond of them beyond measure. They reckon
consanguinity to the eighth degree, and revenge an injury from
generation to generation unless it be atoned for; and even then there is
mischief enough, for they are very revengeful.
And when a man is unfaithful, the wife accuses him before the Sackima,
which most frequently happens when the wife has a preference for another
man. The husband being found guilty, the wife is permitted to draw off
his right shoe and left stocking (which they make of deer or elk skins,
which they know how to prepare very broad and soft, and wear in the
winter time); she then tears off the lappet that covers his private
parts, gives him a kick behind, and so drives him out of the house; and
then “Adam” scampers off.
It would seem that they are very libidinous—in this respect very
unfaithful to each other; whence it results that they breed but few
children, so that it is a wonder when a woman has three or four
children, particularly by any one man whose name can be certainly known.
They must not have intercourse with those of their own family within the
third degree, or it would be considered an abominable thing.
Their political government is democratic. They have a chief Sackima whom
they choose by election, who generally is he who is richest in sewan,
though of less consideration in other respects. When any stranger comes,
they bring him to the Sackima. On first meeting they do not speak; they
smoke a pipe of tobacco. That being done, the Sackima asks, “Whence do
you come?” The stranger then states that, and further what he has to
say, before all who are present or choose to come. That being done, the
Sackima announces his opinion to the people, and if they agree thereto,
they give all together a sigh, “_He!_” and if they do not approve, they
keep silence, and all come close to the Sackima, and each sets forth his
opinion till they agree. That being done, they come all together again
to the stranger, to whom the Sackima then announces what they have
determined, with the reasons moving them thereto.
All travellers who stop over night come to the Sackima, if they have no
acquaintances there, and are entertained by the expenditure of as much
sewan as is allowed for that purpose. Therefore, the Sackimas generally
have three or four wives, each of whom has to furnish her own seed-corn.
The Sackima has his fixed fine of sewan for fighting and causing blood
to flow. When any are
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