The Female American; Or, The Adventures of Unca Eliza Winkfield (Vol. I)
By Unca Eliza Winkfield

TEI encoding, formatting, and annotation integration by Students and Faculty at the University of Oregon, Kathleen Gekiere, Megan Hayes, Honor O'Sullivan, Michele Pflug, Mattie Burkert. Composition and research of contextual annotations by Kaleb Beavers, Matthew Bicakci, Jessie Heine, Kimberly Olivar. Definition of archaic and unfamiliar words by Annalise San Juan, Ashia Ajani, Rachel Peri. Retrieval and annotation of place and person name unique IDs by Josiah Basaldua, Nikki Cain, Rachel Comb. Page image integration by Mattie Burkert
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London : printed for Francis Noble, and John Noble, 1767

A novel. With nine pages of advertisements at the end of volume 2 and an announcement of increased rates for seven circulating libraries at the end of volume 1.

For more information about this item, see the ESTC entry at http://estc.bl.uk/T66366.

Page images from this 1767 first edition are provided courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library and were retrieved from the Internet Archive. IDHMC, 4227 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4227 : 18thConnect, 2010These documents are available only to 18thConnect under the terms and conditions specified in the contract with Gale Cengage Learning dated June 22-23, 2010. For more information, contact Laura Mandell at mandell@tamu.edu198 300dpi TIFF page imagesESTC number T066366, BookID number 0028400401 18thConnect (http://www.18thConnect.org) is a scholarly community and online finding aid designed to make searchable all primary texts and peer-reviewed resources in the field of eighteenth-century studies. It is supported by the University of Virginia, NINES.org, the Initiative for Digital Humanities, Media, and Culture (IDHMC) at Texas A&M University (http://idhmc.tamu.edu), and by the Advanced Research Constortium (ARC) (http://ar-c.org). These documents have been generated from 18thConnect's TypeWright tool and are based on the OCR output created by Gale/Cengage Learning for the Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) proprietary database product. The XSLT that converts the documents from Gale's OCR output XML format to TEI-A was written by Matthew Christy at the IDHMC, Texas A&M University. The code is open source. Text for this digital edition is drawn from the copy of the first 1767 edition held in the British Library, as reproduced in Eighteenth-Century Collections Online. Machine-recognized text was hand-corrected using 18thConnect's TypeWright tool. Peterborough, ON : Broadview Press, 2014Second edition, edited by Michelle Burnham and James Freitas.Text corrected as described above was checked against the Broadview edition.

Editorial Statements

Research informing these annotations draws on publicly-accessible resources, with links provided where possible. Annotations have also included common knowledge, defined as information that can be found in multiple reliable sources. If you notice an error in these annotations, please contact lic.open.anthology@gmail.com.

As editors, we occupy different positions with respect to the ongoing processes of colonialism and settler colonialism in which The Female American participates. Dr. Zoe Todd (Métis nation) writes that non-Indigenous folks tend to appreciate Indigenous scholarship but “balk at addressing specific Indigenous societies whose homeland they occupy.” While land acknowledgements will not rectify the historical or contemporary violence affecting Indigenous communities, this statement attempts to acknowledge some of the specific Indigenous societies and homelands with which we and this edition are entangled.

We, the editors, identify individually as both uninvited settlers on Indigenous land and as Black and Indigenous kin–that is, people related to or in relation with Indigenous communities. As Indigenous and Black kin, we acknowledge our feelings of conflict in publishing a text that reproduces harmful representations of Indigeneity, minimizes the presence of Indigenous people, and potentially furthers a reading of colonialism that undermines the violence of its reality against Black and Indigenous bodies. As settlers, we recognize that ideas of Indigeneity represented in The Female American reproduce stereotypes, inaccuracies, and literary violence. We acknowledge that the land we currently occupy is the homeland of the Kalapuya people, and that we are individually indebted to myriad other Indigenous lands and peoples. We recognize that we produced this edition using resources and knowledges available to us through our affiliation with the University of Oregon, an institution complicit in the ongoing settler-colonial project. We acknowledge our responsibility to support equity movements like Water for Warm Springs until this land is returned to its rightful inhabitants.

The Female American begins with the history of the seventeenth-century English arrival in Tsenacomoco, the homeland of the Powhatan Chiefdom. This settlement, which was called Jamestown, is today a cultural heritage site in the greater Williamsburg, Virginia area. Many Indigenous peoples hold ancestral and present-day relationships to this land, including the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Upper Mattaponi, and Rappahannock. Indeed, this edition is hosted at the University of Virginia, using servers sited on and powered by plants operated on Monacan lands. At the time of this writing, the Monacan Indian Nation is fighting to save their historical capital Rassawek from further incursion from the state of Virginia, which plans to build a water pumping station over it. Readers can learn more about the effort to Save Rassawek and to join in the effort to stop it at the Monacan Nation website.

We recognize the technological infrastructure that has allowed us to create this digital edition, including the extraction of rare earth minerals and human labor to produce electronic devices and the use of fossil fuels to power those devices. We encourage readers to account for the material conditions of their access to this edition as a site of entanglement with and indebtedness to Indigenous communities whose stewardship of the land stretches back to times immemorial and persists to this day.

Original spelling and capitalization is retained, though the long s has been silently modernized and ligatured forms are not encoded. Additional redundant quotation marks have been removed, and quotation marks modernized for ease of reading.

Hyphenation has not been retained, except where necessary for the sense of the word.

Page breaks have been retained. Catchwords, signatures, and running headers have not. Where pages break in the middle of a word, the complete word has been indicated at the top of the new page.

Materials have been transcribed from and checked against first editions, where possible. See the Sources section.

Citation

Winkfield, Unca Eliza. The Female American; or, The Adventures of Unca Eliza Winkfield. Compiled by herself. In two volumes. ..., printed for Francis Noble, and John Noble, 1767 , I . Literature in Context: An Open Anthology. http://anthology.lib.virginia.edu/work/Winkfield/winkfield-female-american. Accessed: 2024-04-26T03:54:01.164Z

Linked Data: Places related to this work.

[TP] THE Female American;
OR, THE ADVENTURES
OF UNCA ELIZA WINKFIELD,
COMPILED BY HERSELF.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
 LONDON:
 Printed for FRANCIS NOBLE, at his Circulating
Library, opposite Gray's-Inn Gate, Holbourn;
AND JOHN NOBLE, at his Circulating Library, in
St. Martin's-Court, near Leicester-Square.
MDCCLXVII.

[Audiobook via Librivox]

Page [TP]Page [TP]

Footnotes

Wingandacoa_ graphicAccording to the Joyner Library at East Carolina University, "Wingandacoa" is another name for the mainland of Virginia.
cannibals_cannibals
mistaken_Winkfield’s father and companions are referred to twice in this passage as livestock (sheep, then hogs). Winkfield alludes to, then quickly dismisses the possibility that the Indians are cannibals. The early rejection of a “savage cannibal” trope in The Female American fundamentally changes Winkfield’s experience living on the island compared to Robinson Crusoe and the portrayal of the “Indians” she encounters.
cloaths_clothes
sun_Ancient Israel was surrounded by peoples who worshiped solar deities. Abrahamic religions thus condemn solar cults and other forms of animism, viewing nature-worship as a form of idolatry. (See Deuteronomy 4.19, 17.3). The narrator equates the Indigenous people’s religious practices with the enemies of ancient Israel, a connection that is explicit in Chapter XI when she compares island natives to the prophets of Baal.
Biblical passages quoted by the narrator do not perfectly match the wording of any English translation. Here and throughout, we have chosen to link to the King James Version, which was the official Anglican Bible in the eighteenth century.
creation_Allusion to Psalm 104.14, probably to further underscore that they mistakenly worship the creation instead of the creator.
variegated_consisting of many different types of things, markings or persons
coconut_coconut
vinous_derivate of wine
language_Despite Unca Eliza’s many references to her ability to comprehend and speak a multitude of languages of American natives, this is the only instance in Vol. 1 where the author provides a written version of a “native phrase”. However, this is most likely a fabrication. In "Realism and the Unreal in The Female American" (2011), McMurran points to the presence of "chi" and "nu", the written pronunciation of Greek letters, as evidence for this.
shewing_showing
pagan_ Framed by the narrator calling her mother a “pagan,” this may be an allusion to 2 Corinthians 6.14 where first-century Christians are advised to marry other Christians instead of Greek pagans.
science_In the seventeenth century, science was not the well-established field we know it as today, and much work in the field more closely resembled philosophy. The reference here to Indigenous knowledges about the poisonous and antidotary plants could be a recognition to the validity of this information in respect to European modes of natural philosophy. While science is not yet formalized, the natural knowledges described by the narrator comprise the types of observations that began to solidify an American scientific tradition. (Reference: Alfred North Whitehead, Science and the Modern World)
salutary_having a good effect on somebody/something, though often seeming unpleasant
marriage_ The author’s discourse on marriage may be a response to Daniel Defoe’s Religious Courtship (1722). Puritan dissention toward liturgical practices meant that matrimonial ceremonies were modest, private engagements in the presence of a minister. Although its ritual was informal, marriage was regarded as the cornerstone of civic development through family building. This scene could perhaps be read as pushing Puritan logic ad absurdum: if a minister is merely witness to the marital vows, any kind of witness would do. Anglican matrimony, by contrast, would be facilitated publicly by a priest according to the ceremony prescribed in The Book of Common Prayer. This also might be read as the set-up to a joke mocking Puritans, completed in a few paragraphs.
ceremony_Here the joke, “My father considered marriage as a civil, as well as a religious, ceremony” comes full circle. The first matrimonial service in the presence of Unca’s kin was “civil.” The second matrimonial service—the legitimate one for the Church of England—is the “religious” one. The joke is that if civil and religious categories of marriage are distinct, two ceremonies might be appropriate.
wealth_The references herein offer an interesting muddling of natural and colonial forms of wealth that the author uses to describe her legacy from the Americas as well as a participation in several now-centuries old tropes describing indigenous Americans. The references to Eliza’s mother wearing diamonds and the “gold dust and precious stones” are not consistent with known mineral wealth that could have been acquired in Virginia at this time. The author could be engaging with literary propaganda about forms of wealth associated with the Indigenous stemming as far back as 1605. See Beeman’s "Labor Forces and Race Relations: A Comparative View of the Colonization of Brazil and Virginia" (1971).
quarrel_The unwillingness to disrupt the tenuous relations between the indigenous peoples of North America and Europeans may also be a reference to a series of conflicts occurring in the ten years before the original publication of the novel leading into the Seven Years War. Confederations of indigenous peoples fought for and supported on both sides.
ribband_ribbon
remonstrances_protests or complaints
palisades_Palisades are fences made of strong wooden or metal posts that are pointed at the top, typically used in the past to protect a building.
etc_et cetera
inculcate_​to cause somebody to learn and remember ideas, moral principles, etc., especially by repeating them often
Proverbs_ Proverbs 16:9
gender_Despite Unca Eliza's enormous wealth, extensive education, and physical ability with weapons, she still suffers the power disadvantages associated with her gender at this time.
consign_consign: to make over as a possession, to deliver formally or commit, to a state, fate, etc.
hermitage_a solitary or lonely habitation, possibly the habitation of a hermit.
providence_divine direction, control, or guidance
te-deum_Short for Te Deum Laudamus, a traditional hymn of praise meaning, "We Praise You, O God." A litany is a prayer of supplication, or a request.
allusions_A reference to both 2 Samuel 24.14 and 1 Chronicles 21.13 where David, the king of Israel, decides to take a census and build a temple. Winkfield’s comparison between her situation and that of King David’s may perform a sort of epic simile to mark the establishment of her religious authority on the island.
apace_at a considerable or good pace
asylum_a place of refuge, shelter, or retreat
precipitately_hastily, rashly
bespoke_requested, asked for
hermit_people who choose to live a solitary life for religious reasons
obliged_under a necessity
noxious_poisonous or harmful
roots_The "Indian roots" referenced here are almost certainly cassava (also called yucca or manioc), a large tuber that was originally domesticated in what is today Brazil, and remains a global staple today. Cassava must be heavily processed to get rid of the deadly amounts of prussic acid the raw root contains. Processing techniques include fermenting, roasting, boiling, and more. Cassava has long been made into flour and bread. See Mark H. Zanger, "Cassava," in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America.
epistle_A letter, usually of public or formal nature. Many books in the New Testament are epistles.
Hebrews_Correct spelling should read, Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ οὐδ’ οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω, which the King James Version of the Bible translates, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13.5).
oracle_the instrument, agency, or medium through which the gods were supposed to speak or prophesy
awkwardly_awkwardly
goat_Goats arrived in the New World in 1493 via Columbus’s second voyage and quickly became prolific in the Americas. Winkfield’s resistance to killing the goat contrasts Robinson Crusoe’s hunting expeditions. It is also worth pointing out Winkfield’s use of her knife to kill the goat, despite her claims at being adept with a bow, and having it on the island. Winkfield does not use her bow to hunt at all while on the island (Kenneth F. Kiple, A Movable Feast: Ten Millennia of Food Globalization, 156).
bungling_unskillful or clumsy
glutinous_sticky, gluey
raved_spoke wildly or incoherently
unfeignedly_sincerely, genuinely
almanac_An almanac is an annually-published book of tables containing a calendar of months and days, with astronomical data and calculations, ecclesiastical and other anniversaries, and astrological and meteorological information.
soliloquy_speeches to or conversations with oneself
precepts_rules for action or conduct
consign_consign: to make over as a possession, to deliver formally or commit, to a state, fate, etc.
eyes_"Fixing our eyes on Jesus," or "Looking unto Jesus"; a fragmented version of the Greek in Hebrews 12.2, which makes more sense in its full context: "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12.1-2). The translation “imitation of Jesus,” which appears in the American edition, would reference 1 Corinthians 11.1 or Ephesians 5.1; however, the Greek here does not correspond to those verses.
life_The hermit character and the manuscript found by Unca Eliza can be read as the author engaging with tropes of popular castaway narratives. The hermit himself could be a reference to Peter Longueville’s The Hermit (1727), which recounts the discovery of an Englishman on a remote island who had lived there for fifty years and had no desire to return to society. The manuscript, and in particular the summary given here, may be parodying the autobiographical account present in Robinson Crusoe (1719)
coronet_a round decoration for the head, especially one made of flowers
ancient_anciently
vestments_priestly robes or garments
fashion_style
cassock_tight-fitting tunic
command_power over a surrounding area due to elevated or strategic position
mechanics_physical properties or forces
ancients_The use of the word "ancient" here may reference an ongoing conversation at that time about the foundations of science and discovery, a debate referred to as the battle of the moderns and the ancients. On one hand, "moderns" valued empirical observation and technological innovation, and in a backlash against these values the "ancients" argued for a return to ancient Greek and Roman texts that had served as the foundation for scientific knowledge for many centuries. The narrator may also be using the word "ancient" as a marker for the ways in which this Indigenous technology confounds a Europeanized notion of "ancient and modern." See Joseph M. Levine, The Battle of the Books: History and Literature in the Augustan Age.
reflections_thoughts, introspection
cell_room
chaos_An allusion to the creation narrative in Genesis 1; John Milton similarly personifies chaos in Paradise Lost, Book 1.
illumined_illuminated
agitate_shaken, disturbed
prodigious_astonishing or appalling
lowness_shortness or closeness to the ground
secrete_secret; hide
timerous_timorous: fearful
idol_The dual description of the statue as both the “Oracle of the Sun” and an idol along with Unca’s decision to enter it allows for a sort of apotheosis (elevating her to a status associated with the divine). How does the narrative function of this statue compare to the monument she asks her relatives to erect for her mother in Windsor?
laudable_praiseworthy
tawny_brown-yellow in color, tan
relief_deliverance from distress
certainty_decision
mechanism_Devices capable of amplifying the voice of the operator’s voice are mentioned by other works at the time that deal with themes of colonialism and science. Most notably, Aphra Behn’s play The Emperor of the Moon (1688) and Margaret Cavendish’s Blazing World (1668). Both Cavendish and Behn express interest in exploring the gendered nature of science and knowledge-finding enterprises like colonialism, and may represent a tradition that Winkfield is taking up in exploring the ways that technologies of sound have the potential to allow an operator to exercise power over other people who typically may not have listened to them.
almanack_The narrator uses an almanac as a form of technology here to predict the conditions under which she will meet the natives. The almanac is a tool that mixes empirical observation with the slightly mystical intention of predicting the weather in the future–the mix of the empirical and the mystical is an apt characterization of the state of science in the era.
female_"Female" is used here as an adjective to mean weak or feeble.
limesAll citrus, limes included, are Old World foods. The Spanish began cultivating citrus in what is now Florida in the 16th century, and citrus growing reached modern Louisiana by the early 1700s. The presence of limes necessitates that Winkfield’s island is at least as far south as Florida. This is also an example of Robinsonade narratives often projecting Edenic qualities onto their respective islands through food, despite them being sites of captivity. See David Karp, "Citrus," in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America.
devotions_prayers
prospect_view
recommended_committed
extricating_freeing
upbraided_reproached
folly_unwise conduct
prostratedTo prostrate oneself is to fall forward with face downward, in an act of reverence.
purport_meaning or intent
petition_entreaty or prayer
Baal_A comical allusion to 1 Kings 18. The prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal—a broad term for Mesopotamian deities, referring here to a solar deity—hold a competition to prove whose god is real. They both prepare altars and pray for their gods to send fire. As the prophets of Baal shout to their god with no response, Elijah mocks that Baal must be preoccupied in conversation, relieving his bowels, or sleeping (18.27). When their cries cease, Elijah orders for his altar to be soaked with water three times and offers a prayer. His altar is consumed by fire.
frantick_affected by wild excitement, frantic
dialogue_The following passage’s theological exchange in the format of questions and answers mirrors Martin Luther's Small Catechism (1529). The idea that all doctrine must be justified by scripture, or else rejected, was a founding tenet of Lutheran Protestantism. The Church of England adopted a similar format in the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647), which provides short answers to theological questions.
The scene is similar to Robinson Crusoe's attempt to instruct Friday in his faith. While Crusoe offers general Christian answers to Friday’s questions, Unca Eliza responds to the Indigenous people’s questions with scripture she has memorized.
Moses_Perhaps a satirical recapitulation of Moses’ conversation with a burning bush inhabited by God (Exodus 3). When Moses asks God’s name, the response given in the Hebrew is often translated as “I am who I am,” which evokes a sense of timelessness that is expressed in its Greek variation as the passage Unca Eliza references: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come” (Revelation 1.18).
casuists_Typically, a casuist is a theologian who studies cases of conscience or complex questions regarding duty and conduct.
obeisances_signs of submission to authority

Footnotes

auth1_[Note in original] See page 66.