At last, like the creature Balaam rode on (a donkey), he opened his mouth and said, “Have you any ribbon for hatbands to sell I pray?” The questions and answer about the pay being past, the ribbon is brought and opened. Bumpkin Simpers, cries its confounded gay I vow, and beckoning to the door, in comes Joan Tawdry, dropping about 50 curtsees and stands by him: he shows her the ribbon…. Then she enquires, “Have you any hood silk, I pray?” which being brought and bought, “Have you any thread silk to sew it with says she, which being accommodated with they departed.

They generally stand after they come in a great while speechless, and sometimes don’t say a word till they are asked what they want, which I impute to the aw they stand in of the merchants who they are constantly almost indebted to…

Pay is grain, pork, beef, etc at the prices set by the general court that year; money is pieces of eight, reals, or Boston or Bay shillings (as they call them) or good hard money, as sometimes silver coin is termed by them; also wampum Indian beads which serve for change.

And on training days the youth divert themselves by shooting at the target, as they call it (but it very much resembles a pillory), where he that hits nearest the white has some yards of red ribbon presented him which being tied to his hatband

Sarah Knight

There are everywhere in the towns as I passed, a number of Indians the natives of the country, and are the most savage of all the savages of that kind that I had ever seen

Their diversions in this part of the country are on lecture days and training days mostly

Lex Mercatoria

tincture

pillory