University of Virginia Library

31. How the Trader Fleeced the Indian
BY MRS. ANNE GRANT (ABOUT 1740)

Indian.—"Brother, I am come to trade with you; but I forewarn you to be more moderate in your demands than formerly."

Trader.—"Why, brother, are not my goods of equal value with those you had last year? "

Indian.—"Perhaps they may be; but mine are more valuable now because more scarce. The Great Spirit who has withheld from you strength and ability to provide food and clothing for yourselves, has given you cunning and art to make guns and provide scaura;[81] and by speaking smooth words to simple men, when they have swallowed madness, you have by little and little purchased their hunting grounds, and made them

corn lands. Thus the beavers grew more scarce, and the deer flee farther back; yet after I have reserved skins to buy my blanket and the clothing of my wife, I will exchange the rest."

Trader.—"Be it so, brother: I came not to wrong you, or to take your furs against your will. It is true the beavers are few, and you go further for them. Come, brother, let us deal fair first, and smoke friendly afterwards. Your last gun cost fifty beaver skins; you shall have this for forty; and you shall give marten and racoon skins in the same proportion for powder and shot."

Indian.—"Well, brother, that is fair. Now for two silver bracelets, with long pendent ear-rings of the same, such as you sold to Cardarani in the sturgeon-month[82] last year, how much will you demand?"

Trader.—"The skins of two deer for the bracelets, and those of two fawns for the earrings."

Indian.—"That is a great deal; but wampum grows scarce, and silver never rusts. Here are the skins."

Trader.—"Do you buy any more? Here are knives, hatchets, and beads of all colours."

Indian.—"I will have a knife and a hatchet; but must not take more; the rest of the skins will be little enough to clothe the women and children, and buy wampum. Your beads are of no value, no warrior who has slain a wolf will wear them."

Trader.—"Here are many things good for you, which you have not skins to buy; here is a looking-glass, and here is a brass kettle, in which your woman may boil her maize, her beans, and above all her maple sugar. Here are silver brooches, and here are pistols for the youths."

Indian.—"The skins I can spare will not purchase them."

Trader.—"Your will determines, brother; but next year you will want nothing but powder and shot, for you have already purchased your gun and ornaments. If you will purchase from me a blanket to wrap round you, a shirt and blue stroud for garments for yourself

and your woman; and the same for leggings, this will pass the time, and save you the great labour of dressing the skins, and making the thread for your clothing: which will give you more fishing and shooting time, in the sturgeon and bear months." Indian.—"But the custom of my fathers!"

Trader.—"You will not break the custom of your fathers, by being thus clad for a single year. They did not refuse those things which were never offered to them."

Indian.—"For this year, brother, I will exchange my skins; in the next I shall provide apparel more befitting a warrior. One pack alone I will reserve to dress for a future occasion. The summer must not find a warrior idle."

Trader.—"The governor has forbid bringing scaura to steal away the wisdom of the warriors; but we white men are weak and cold; we brings kegs for ourselves, lest death arise from the swamps. We will not sell scaura; but you shall taste some of ours in return for the venison with which you have feasted us."[83]

Indian.—"Brother, we will drink moderately."