'Tis well known that the Indians which yet remain in the Land, now to better purpose possesse• 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 Lee, well refined, furnished Them with nothing bu• 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, […], on the other side, there are none that Rave •ore •fter Strong Drink, than the people of those Countries that have it from far brought unto •hem; and perhaps the Ravingest after it, of any Wretches under the cope of Heaven, are our American Salvages. They will Sell and Pawn all •hey have in the world for Strong Drink; they •ever can tell when they have enough, but keep •uzling until they have Drunk themselves down; •nd when they Awake, whatever it have cost •hem, 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 •mong the English in all corners of the Land, •ho to obtain a little bit of Money, do fit this vicious, drunken, sottish Humour of the Indians, •nd Sell them the Drink, by which they cannot •ut 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 re•main in the Land, now to better purpose possesse• 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 Li•quors, before the Arrival of the English hither. The Soveraign God, who hath provided for our Support in our Frailty, Liquid Cordials and Re•freshments of all sorts, besides, Wines on the Lee, well refined, furnished Them with nothing bu• 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 Coun••eys ⟨p. 4⟩that most abound with a variety of the Richest Wines, wherewi•h men are easily Drunk, 〈…〉, on the other side, there are none that Rave •ore •fter Strong Drink, than the people of those Countreys that have it from far brought unto •hem; and perhaps the Ravingest after it, of any Wretches under the cope of Heaven, are our A•erican Salvages. They will Sell and Pawn all •hey have in the world for Strong Drink; they •ever can tell when they have enough, but keep •uzling until they have Drunk themselves down; •nd when they Awake, whatever it have cost •hem, 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 •mong the English in all corners of the Land, •ho to obtain a little bit of Money, do fit this •icious, drunken, so•tish Humour of the Indians, •nd Sell them the Drink, by which they cannot •ut think the Salvages will make themselves Drunk; and sometimes they take Advantage of the Humour which the Salvages are in, to Scrue them into Bargains full of cruel Oppression and Exortion, which afterwards throw them into the extreamest Inconveniencies. 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.
