The Swelld legs and Arms are a disorder perhaps peculiar to themselves. These swellings often breake out in Small Ulcers, but never deminish, they seldom effect above the Knee or Elbow, being Confined to the Arm & Leg which swell to a prodigious size — The Swellings under the Ears are like the Kings evil, making large scars, for neither of these have they any remedy but Clean washing never suffering their Head to be bound up which often occasions large wounds in their Necks and altho we often convinced them that binding up their wounds would be the Means of a Speedy Cure yet as they must either stay at home or remove their bandage evry time they pass over sacred Ground, they could never be perswaded to do it.

Ruptures are Very Common, frequently Swelling to a Prodigious size, these are perhaps occasioned by too great an exertion of Strength when Wrestling, which however we were not able to perswade them to beleive, nor is it possible to perswade them that disorders proceed from such things as sleeping on damp ground or in heavy dews &ca. as they beleive that all their diseases are immediately sent from the Deity as a punnishment for some fault, consequently that it is impossible to prevent or escape it.

They have few Cripples tho they have several Blind, and Dumb. Most of the deformity found amongst them are from Accident — their limbs in general are straight & it is very rare to see a Bow-legd or knock kneed person — their Children are free from the ricketts and the Mother takes much pains to form the features & keep the limbs in their proper Places whil they are young and if a Child is not very Deformd they will bring it into shape before the bones are set. — If the Child has any of these faults the Mother is blamed and any Stranger will tell Her that she does not understand Nursing her Children.

They Have also a kind of leprosy which changes the Body to a Dead Wite in some parts while the natural Collour is heightened to Black; this Change of Collour extends to the Hair on the head & body some of which is as white as snow, while the rest is Jet Black, which gives them a very odd appearance. Some are Changed all over but this does not effect their Health or Strength.

These are the principal of their disorders and it appears to me that they live to a Good old age and are Vigourous and healthy.

Indigenous Histories