Musical Practices of Early Black Americans

Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell (1774-1781), 92

no

native american

group

instruments

drum, shakers made of deer hoofs and other materials

unspecified "Indian Dance"

dancing

n/a

Coashoskin (possibly Cahokia, Illinois)

violent, uncouth, horrid, unharmonious

Saw an Indian Dance in which I bore a part, painted by my Squaw in the most Ellegant manner. Divested of all my cloaths, except my Callico Shirt Breechclout, Legings, and Mockesons. A Fire was made which we Danced round with little order whoping and hollowing in a most frightfull manner. I was but a Novice at the deversion and by endeavouring to act as they did, made them a great deal of sport, and ingraciated me much in their esteem.This is the most violent exercise, to the Adepts in the art I ever saw, no regular figure but violent Distortion of Features, Writhing and twisting the body in the most uncouth and Antic postures immaginable. Their musick is an old Kegg with one head knocked out and covered with a skin and beat with sticks which regulates their time. The men have strings of Deers hoofs tyed round their ancles and knees, and Gourds with shot or pebble stones in them in their hands, which they continually rattle.The women have Morris bells or Thimbles with holes in the bottom and strung upon a leathern thong tyed round their Ancles, Knees, and Waist. The jingling of these Bells and Thimbles, The rattleing of the Deershoofs & Gourds, Beating of the Drum & Kettle, With the Horrid Yells of the Indians, Renders it the most unharnonious Concert, that human Idea can possibly conceive. It is a favoured Diversion in which I am informed they spend great part of their time in Winter.

In at least two occassions in this part of the journal Creswell describes his sexual encounters with native american women. Shortly before the quoted passage, he describes how he is "offered" a Mohawk woman to sleep with him who then asks to go with him. He will call her "my Squaw" and "Nancy" after that.

Cresswell was an English man visiting America with the goal of acquiring land to live in the future, as stated in the first entry of his journal. His text is often concerned with agriculture and the possibilities of improving the land and farming methods in the US. His writing is usually condescending, pointing out what he sees as the "immorality" or "backwardness" of the territories he visits. This is particularly true in descriptions of enslaved African Americans or Native American people.