bash of liquor with them. We
chided him, but to no purpose, for he could neither use his reason nor
speak so as to be understood. The young Indian with him was a
_sackemaker's_ son, and was bold. He wanted to have a piece of meat
that was on the table, and on which we all had to make our dinner,
when we told him it was not for him. "Yes," said he, "I see it is so;"
nevertheless, and although we offered him something else to eat, he
was evilly disposed and dissatisfied, and would take nothing except
the piece of meat alone; but that was not given to him. Whereupon
Jasper told him he must be quiet, that the old people and we were all
his _nitaps_, and by degrees quieted him, they sitting together by the
fire and drinking their rum. They left afterwards for Long Island.

_17th, Tuesday._ Nothing transpired to-day.

_18th, Wednesday._ In the afternoon Jasper, the Indian, came back
again, and proceeded confidently to our room in the rear of the house,
but sober and in his senses. He told us how he had been with his
nephew, the _sackemaker's_ son, to Long Island, among the other
Indians; and that he had given away, not only his fish-hooks, but also
his shoes and stockings. We found fault with him at first for having
become so drunk, contrary to his promise, and when he well knew it was
wrong. To which he said he had to buy some nails for an Englishman who
lived near him, from another Englishman here, who had sold and given
him the rum.

I must here remark, in passing, that the people in this city, who are
almost all traders in small articles, whenever they see an Indian
enter the house, who they know has any money, they immediately set
about getting hold of him, giving him rum to drink, whereby he is soon
caught and becomes half a fool. If he should then buy any thing, he is
doubly cheated, in the wares, and in the price. He is then urged to
buy more drink, which they now make half water, and if he cannot drink
it, they drink it themselves. They do not rest until they have cajoled
him out of all his money, or most of it; and if that cannot be done in
one day, they keep him, and let him lodge and sleep there, but in some
out of the way place, down on the ground, guarding their merchandise
and other property in the meantime, and always managing it so that the
poor creature does not go away before he has given them all they want.
And these miserable Christians are so much the more eager in this
respect, because no money circu