Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-25

one was erected on Joralemon street, and
/ the old one removed. This old church
was very gloomy looking building, with
small windows, and stood IN the middle Of
the highway about mile from Brooklyn
ferry.
Having passed here we struck off to the
right, in order to go to Gouanes. We
went upon several plantations, where we
were made very welcome, the people shar-
ing with us beautifully whatever they had,
whether it was milk, cider, fruit or to-
baceo, and especially and first and most of
all, miserable rum or brandy, which had
been brought from Barbados and other
islands, and which is called by the Dutch
kill devil. All these people are very fond
of it, although it is very dear and has a
bad taste. 1t is impossible to tell how
many peach trees We passed, all laden
with fruit to breaking down. We came to
place surrounded with such trees, from
which so many peaches had fallen off that
the ground could not be discerned, and you
could not put your foot down without
trampling them, and notwithstanding such
large quantities had fallen off, the trees
were still as full as they could bear. The
hogs and other animals mostly feed on
them.
ave arrived at Gouanes in the evening,
where we were entertained exceedingly
we'll. Entering the house we found
good fire, half way up the chimney, of
clear oak and hickory, Of which they made
not the least scruple of burning profusely
There had already been thrown upon it to
be roasted pailful of Gouanese oysters,
which are the best in the country. They
are fully as good as those of England and
better than those we eat at Falmouth. I
had to try some of them raw. They are
large and full, some of them not less than
a foot long, and they grow sometimes ten,
twelve and sixteen together, and are then
like piece of rock. Others are young
and small. In consequence of the great
quantities of them everybody keeps the
shells for the purpose of burning them
into lime. They pickle the oysters in
small casks and send them to the Barba-
does and other islands. We had for sup
per a roasted haunch of venison, bought of
the Indians for three guilders and half
of seewant, that is, fifteen stuivers of
Dutch money (15c), which weighed thirty
pounds. The meat was exceedingly tender
and good and quite fat. We were also
served with wild turkey, which was also
fat and well favored, and q wild goose,
but that was rather dry. 1t was very late
at night when we went to rest in Kermis
bed, as it is called, in the corner of the
hearth, alongside of good fire.
"In the morning, after breakfast, we
went part of way through woods and
fine, new made land, and so along the
shore to the west end of the island called /
Naiack Fort Hamilton, where we came
to the plantation of the Najack Indians,
which was planted with maize or Turkish
wheat We went into one of the houses
where we found the whole troop together,
consisting of seven or eight families and
twenty or twenty-five persons, | should
think The house was low and long,
about so feet long and 4 or ID wide. The
floor was earth, the sides and roof were
made of reeds and bark of chestnut trees;
the posts or columns were limbs of trees
stuck in the ground and all fastened to-
gether. The top or ridge Of the roof was
open about half foot wide, from one end
to the other, in order to let the smoke es-
cape, in place of a chimney. On the sides
or walls of the house the roof was so low
that you could hardly stand under it, The
entrances or doors, which were at both |
ends, were so small that they had TO stoop
down and squeeze themselves to get through |
them. The doors were made of reed or
fiat bark. In the whole building there was
no lime, stone or lead.
''They build their fires in the middle of
the floor, according to the number of fam
L. IL l.. h.
one end to the other each family boils its |
own pot and eats when it likes, or even
each Indian alone, according as he is hun
CRY, at any hour, morning, noon or night.
By each fire are the cooking utensils, con-
sisting of pot, bowl, or calabash, and a
spoon also made of calabash. They lie
upon mats, with their feet towards the fire
on either side of it. Their household ar
ticles consist of calabash for water,
small basket in which to carry and keep
their small beans and maize, and a knife.
For tillage they use a small, sharp stone
and nothing more; for hunting, gun and
pouch for powder and lead; for fishing, a
canoe without mast or sail and without
nail in any part of it, though it is some
times fully forty feet in length, a scoop to
paddle with in place of oars, fish-hooks and
lines. All who live in one house are gen.
orally of one stock or descent, as father and
mother and their offspring. Their bread
is maize, pounded. This is mixed with
water and made into a cake, which they
bake under the hot ashes. They gave US
a small piece when we entered, and, al
though the grains were not ripe and it was
half baked and coarse, we nevertheless had
to eat it, or, at least, not throw it away be-
fore them, which they would have regarded
as a great affront We ehewed little of
it with long teeth, and managed to hide it
so they did not see it.
although they are such a poor, miser-
able people, they are, nevertheless, licen-
tious and proud, and given to knavery
and scoffing. Seeing a very old woman
among them, we inquired how old she was,
when some young fellows, laughing and
jeering, answered twenty years, when it
was evident to us she was not less than Ito.
After our visit to the Indians we returned
to Gouanes and spent the night. In the
we breal1fasted to our full, took
our leave and rode on to Nlacke Bos. a
village situated about an hour and halfs
distance from there, upon the same plain,
which is very large This village seems
to have better farms than the bay, and
yields quite as much revenue. Riding
through it we came TO the wood and hills,
which are very stony and uncomfortable
to ride over. We rode over them and
passed through the village of Breukelen to
the ferry, and, leaving the wagon there,
we crossed over the river and arrived at
home at noon."