Evry thing the Children happen to toutch before these rites are all performd is rendered sacred and thrown in a place adjoining to the House in which they live, and raild in for that purpose; they are always Careful how they go about and should a Childs Head toutch a Tree by the Carelessness of the attendant, the Tree tho ever so valuable is Cut down and destroyed root and branch, and if it should break a limb of another or bruise the Bark in its fall that tree Must be destroyed also; nor must they use the timber for fuel. Some of the Weomen are 16 or seventeen Years old before all their rites are performd, which makes them very cautious what house they go into or what things they toutch — but the Men are Generally Made free as fast as the father can get it done which is somtimes by Six Years old and somtimes not till twelve; the Children of People of rank are generally longer before they have all their rites performed, then the lower sort as it has a Grander appearance by being long about & they always make large Feasts on these Occasions.

The reason of all these Ceremonies are that as soon as a Child is born it being the Fruit of the Father and Mother is superior to either, as Much as the Fruit is to the Tree for food, for which reason the Child is as soon as born the Head of the Family and the Honor and Dignity of the Father is transferd to the first born Child whether Male or Female, and before all these rites are performd the Parents are not thought worthy to partake of its Food, but as they have always a sufficient provision for themselves and have the ruling for their Children those of High Rank defer the performance under Collour of it being Grand to have their Children longer in a Sacred State, tho in fact it is that they may Continue longer in Power, but those of low degree have no intrest in it and therefore get it done sooner, and as soon as the Childs head is free it then becomes perfectly its own Master and May act for it self — Where this uncommon Custom, so contrary to Nature, took its rise we could never learn, it having been with them from time immemorial but it may in some measure account for the

Indigenous Histories