A monitory and hortatory letter to those English who debauch the Indians

'Tis well known that the Indians which yet remain in the Land, now to better purpose possessed and occupied by the English, in the room of the Twenty Nations of the Indians that once covered it, were utterly destitute of all Intoxicating Liquors, before the Arrival of the English hither. The Sovereign God, who hath provided for our Support in our Frailty, Liquid Cordials and Refreshments of all sorts, besides, Wines on the Lees well refined, furnished Them with nothing but Water out of the Brook, and this to be handed unto their mouths, not in Glasses, but in Clam Shells, But, as Drunkenness is most rare, in some Countries ⟨p. 4⟩that most abound with a variety of the Richest Wines, wherewith men are easily Drunk, so, on the other side, there are none that Rave more after Strong Drink, than the people of those Countries that have it from far brought unto them; and perhaps the Ravingest after it, of any Wretches under the cope of Heaven, are our American Salvages. They will Sell and Pawn all they have in the world for Strong Drink; they never can tell when they have enough, but keep guzzling until they have Drunk themselves down; and when they Awake whatever it have cost them, they say, I will seek it yet again. That which now gives inexpressible pain to all Good Men among us, is, That there are some Ill Men among the English in all corners of the Land, who to obtain a little bit of Money, do fit this vicious, drunken, sottish Humour of the Indians, and Sell them the Drink, by which they cannot but think the Salvages will make themselves Drunk; and sometimes they take Advantage of the Humour which the Salvages are in, to Screw them into Bargains full of cruel Oppression and Extortion, which afterwards throw them into the extremest Inconveniences. I dare not Relate, how many Tuns of Strong Drink, I am credibly informed, have been brought and spent among the Indians, within a few months even in One Little Island.

'Tis well known that the Indians which yet remain in the Land, now to better purpose possessed and occupied by the English, in the room of the Twenty Nations of the Indians that once covered it, were utterly destitute of all Intoxicating Liquors, before the Arrival of the English hither. The Soveraign God, who hath provided for our Support in our Frailty, Liquid Cordials and Refreshments of all sorts, besides, Wines on the Lees well refined, furnished Them with nothing but Water out of the Brook, and this to be handed unto their mouths, not in Glasses, but in Clam Shells, But, as Drunkenness is most rare, in some Countreys