th great labour. On the bark
of a tree they mark the size of the shield, then dig the outline as deep
as possible in the wood with hatchets, and lastly flake it off as thick as
they can, by driving in wedges. The sword is a large heavy piece of wood,
shaped like a sabre, and capable of inflicting a mortal wound. In using
it they do not strike with the convex side, but with the concave one, and
strive to hook in their antagonists so as to have them under their blows.
The fishing-lines are made of the bark of a shrub. The women roll shreds
of this on the inside of the thigh, so as to twist it together, carefully
inserting the ends of every fresh piece into the last made. They are not
as strong as lines of equal size formed of hemp. The fish-hooks are chopped
with a stone out of a particular shell, and afterwards rubbed until they
become smooth. They are very much curved, and not barbed. Considering the
quickness with which they are finished, the excellence of the work, if it
be inspected, is admirable. In all these manufactures the sole of the foot
is used both by men and women as a work-board. They chop a piece of wood,
or aught else upon it, even with an iron tool, without hurting themselves.
It is indeed nearly as hard as the hoof of an ox.

Their method of procuring fire is this. They take a reed and shave one side
of the surface flat. In this they make a small incision to reach the pith,
and introducing a stick, purposely blunted at the end, into it, turn it
round between the hands (as chocolate is milled) as swiftly as possible,
until flame be produced. As this operation is not only laborious, but the
effect tedious, they frequently relieve each other at the exercise. And to
avoid being often reduced to the necessity of putting it in practice, they
always, if possible, carry a lighted stick with them, whether in their
canoes or moving from place to place on land.

Their treatment of wounds must not be omitted. A doctor is, with them, a
person of importance and esteem, but his province seems rather to
charm away occult diseases than to act the surgeon's part, which, as a
subordinate science, is exercised indiscriminately. Their excellent habit
of body*, the effect of drinking water only, speedily heals wounds without
an exterior application which with us would take weeks or months to close.
They are, nevertheless, sadly tormented by a cutaneous eruption, but we
never found it contagious. After receiving a contusion, i