450 A TENT OF BASKET-WORK.

‘Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that happened
to them to my return, at least that was worth notice. The Indians
or savages were wonderfully civilized by them, and they frequently
went among them, but forbade, on pain of death, any of the Indians
coming to them, because they would not have their settlement
betrayed again.

One thing was very remarkable, namely, that they taught the
savages to make wicker-work or baskets; but they soon outdid
their masters, for they made abundance of most ingenious things
in wicker-work; particularly, all sorts of baskets, sieves, bird-cages,
cupboards, &c., as also chairs to sit on, stools, beds, couches, and
abundance of other things, being very ingenious at such work when
they were once put in the way of it.

My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we
furnished them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pickaxes,
and all things of that kind which they could want.

With the help of these tools they were so very handy, that they
came at last to build up their huts, or our houses, very handsomely,
raddling or working it up like basket-work all the way round;
which was a very extraordinary piece of ingenuity, and looked very
odd, but was an exceeding good fence, as well against heat as
against all sorts of vermin: and our men were so taken with it,
that they got the wild savages to come and do the like for them; so
that when I came to see the two Englishmen’s colonies, they
looked at a distance as if they lived all like bees ina hive. And
as for Will Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, neces-
sary, and sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of basket-
work as I believe was never seen. It was an hundred and twenty
paces round in the outside, as I measured by my steps; the walls
were as close worked as a basket, in panels or squares of thirty-
two in number, and very strong, standing about seven feet high.
In the middle was another not above twenty-two paces round, but
built stronger, being eight-square in its form; and in the eight
corners stood eight very strong posts, round the top of which he
laid strong pieces pinned together with wooden pins, from which
he raised a pyramid for the roof of eight rafters, very handsome, I
assure you, and joined together very well, though he had no nails,