The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

126 DESCRIPTION OF NEW NETHERLAND.
tion. Their forts stand mostly on steep mountains,
Ther Tfo beside a stream of water. The entrance is only on
one side, They are built in this wise. They set heavy timbers
in the ground, with oak palisades on both sides, planted crosswise one with another. They join timbers again between the
cross-trees, to strengthen the work.. Within the encloslre they
commonly build twenty or thirty houses, some of which are a
hundred and eighty feet long, some less. All are crammed full
of people. In the summer they set up huts along the rivers, in
order to pursue fishing. In the winter they re —
Removing.
move into the woods to be convenient to the hunting and to a supply of fire-wood. Plurality of wives is not in
vogue here, except among the Chiefs, who take three or four to
themselves. And such harmony exists among these, that they
are never at variance. Minors do not marry,
iMarriage.
except with the advice of their parents or friends.
Widowers and widows follow their own inclinations: regard is
only had to each other's condition and children. The bridegroom must make a present to the bride. On the slightest mis
understanding, the wife, paid right off, is put by
the husband out of doors, and she marries another.
Thus some of them have a fresh wife every year.' In cases of
separation, the children follow the mother, after whom the off
spring also are called. They consider adultery, especially if
committed in the open air, to be sinful. Fornicalawful and tion, however, is lawful for young women, provided
commendable.
commendable. it be for money. Wherefore, no person objects to
marry such persons. Yea, the married boast of the numbers
they slept with whilst unmarried. Whoever is inclined to
marry, covers the whole body, and thus bemopped sits on the
way side. A passer by ere long releases'the pig
uriouscustom of in the poke.' When pregnant, the woman takes
pregnant women.
great heed, in order that the embryo may not be
injured. On the approach of the birth of the child, which she
precisely knows, she retires to a lonely place in the woods, even
in the severest cold, erects a hut of mats, separates the child without any one's aid, washes it in the water, and wraps it around
with matting. In a few days she turns homeward, and brings