Part 2 (1/2)
They are treacherous, suspicious and jealous, difficult to be persuaded or imposed upon, and very sharp, hard in Dealing, and ingenious in their Way, and in Things that they naturally know, or have been taught; though at first they are very obstinate, and unwilling to apprehend or learn Novelties, and seem stupid and silly to Strangers.
An Instance of their resolute Stupidity and Obstinacy in receiving a new Custom, I have seen in the prodigious Trouble of bringing them to sell their Skins, and buy Gunpowder by Weight; for they could not apprehend the Power and Justice of the Stilliard; but with the Scales at Length they apprehended it tolerably well; though at first they insisted upon as much Gunpowder as the Skin weighed, which was much more than their Demand in Measure. They have Geographical Notions, as to the Situation of their own Country, and will find the Way to very remote Places in a surprizing Manner; steering by the Course of the Rivers, _&c._ or by the Trees, whose _North_ Side is easily known by the Moss.
Thus I know, that _Wickmannatauchee_ (a great King among the _Southern Indians_) whom I saw just before, and since, when he made his Escape from his Enemy _Indians_ at _Christanna_, where his _Queen_ and abundance of his People were slain, and he ty'd in order to be carried away Prisoner; yet broke loose, and ran directly Home several hundred Miles stark-naked, without Arms or Provision, in the Month of _March_, when the Trees afforded no Fruit; neither did he go near any other Nation, till he got to his own; therefore I suppose Roots were his Provision, and Water his Liquor, unless by some cunning Method (with which they abound) he caught Fish, Fowl, or Venison; and as for Fire I know they can kindle that by rubbing of certain Sticks together.
They count their Time by Days, or by the Return of the Moon, and _Cohonks_, a sort of wild Geese. They walk one after another in a Line, are very serious in Debates, speak but one at a Time; and in Negotiations all agree to what either proposes or approves of, and are not easily imposed upon; and when affronted, they highly resent Injuries, and being treacherous are no more to be trusted than tame _Lions_, who can't wholly lose their savage Hearts.
They have tolerable good Notions of natural Justice, Equity, Honour and Honesty, to the Rules whereof the great Men strictly adhere; but their common People will lye, cheat, and steal.
They seldom commit Violence upon the _English_, but when provoked, or put on by others.
The _French_, that are seated upon the River of St. _Laurence_ and the _Messisippi_, and the Lakes between them in _Canada_ and _Lovisiana_, which extend behind all the _English Plantations_ along the Heart of _North America_ a vast Way, from the most Northern Parts of the _French_ Settlements, which are contiguous quite to the Gulf of _Mexico_, are numerous, and through the Policy of their late _King_ intermarry with the _Indians_; by which means being united with them, they often set them on to destroy the _English_, which may prove dangerous in Case of a War with _France_.
But to prevent more Mischiefs of this kind, Providence has secured us from them by a continued Ridge of vast high Hills, called the _Apelachian Mountains_, running nearly under the _Meridian_, as being pa.s.sable but in very few Places; which Mountains through the Care and Conduct of the _Honourable Colonel Spotswood_ are secured for his Majesty, tho' not guarded as yet; which might easily be done to the great Safety and Encouragement of back Settlements in a vast rich Country Westward of the Settlements of _Virginia_, some hundred of Miles from the Sea quite to the Mountains, which might prove a Terror to the _French Indians_ and _Planters_, in Case of Inroads and Irruptions, and become a Safeguard to the Trade of those Places.
_Governor Spotswood_, when he undertook the great Discovery of the _Pa.s.sage_ over the _Mountains_, attended with a sufficient Guard and Pioneers and Gentlemen, with a sufficient Stock of Provision, with abundant Fatigue _pa.s.sed_ these _Mountains_, and cut _his Majesty's Name_ in a _Rock_ upon the _Highest_ of them, naming it MOUNT GEORGE; and in Complaisance the Gentlemen from the Governor's Name, called the Mountain next in Height, _Mount Alexander_.
For this Expedition they were obliged to provide a great Quant.i.ty of Horse-Shoes; (Things seldom used in the lower Parts of the Country, where there are few Stones:) Upon which Account the Governor upon their Return presented each of his Companions with a Golden Horse-Shoe, (some of which I have seen studded with valuable Stones resembling the Heads of Nails) with this Inscription on the one Side: _Sic juvat transcendere montes_: And on the other is written the tramontane Order.
This he inst.i.tuted to encourage Gentlemen to venture backwards, and make Discoveries and new Settlements; any Gentleman being ent.i.tled to wear this Golden Shoe that can prove his having drank _His Majesty's Health_, upon MOUNT GEORGE.
He built a Fort called _Christanna_, which tho' not so far back, yet proved of great Service and Use; where at his sole Expence (I think) I have seen Seventy Seven _Indian Children_ at a Time at School, under the careful Management of the worthy Mr. _Charles Griffin_, who lived there some Years for that Purpose; from whom I have been informed of most of the _Indian_ Customs and Principles, that I here mention, except such as I have seen and known my self.
These Children could all read, say their Catechisms and Prayers tolerably well; but this pious Design being laid aside thro' the Opposition of Trade and Interest, Mr. _Griffin_ was removed to the College to teach the _Indians_, instructed there by the Benefaction of the _Honourable Mr. Boyle_.
The _Indians_ so loved and adored him, that I have seen them hug him and lift him up in their Arms, and fain would have chosen him for a _King_ of the _Sapony_ Nation.
The _Southern Indians_, that came several hundred Miles to meet the _Governor_, there to treat of War, and Peace, and Trade, though they had several murthered by their own _Northern_ Enemies, (even under the Mouths of our great Guns, and whilst we were there) which made them somewhat jealous that we had betray'd them; yet left several Children under his Care, and engaged themselves to send more, though they themselves would not relinquish their Barbarity; for they in reasoning with us by Interpreters, asked Leave to be excused from becoming as we are; for they thought it hard, that we should desire them to change their Manners and Customs, since they did not desire us to turn _Indians_: However, they permitted their Children to be brought up in our Way; and when they were able to judge for themselves, they were to live as the ENGLISH, or as the INDIANS, according to their best liking.
The _Indians_ have a blind Wors.h.i.+p and Sacrifice, Priests, and Physicians, and Expiation, with howling Lamentations and Purgation at their Burials: All which I have seen at the Funeral of their Slain at _Christanna_, whom they buried thus; having made Holes like Saw-Pits, and lined them with Bark and Sticks, they wrapped the Bodies in the best Cloth they could buy with the Skins of the Deceased, and laid them in the Graves, with all the Cloths, Skins and Nicknacks of the Dead: Then they covered the Body hollow with Sticks, and flung in the Earth with mournful Noise; so the Bodies lay as in Coffins.
The Priest or Physician in curing the Wounded, made an hideous Noise, singing certain Charms, with particular Actions and Forms of Incantation, to which he ascribed the Cure, tho' I believe this is done only to blind the common _Indians_; for I observed he did not begin his Operation, till he had been in the Woods. Then he shut us all out for an Hour, and when we were readmitted, I perceived he had been using certain Roots and Herbs that I knew not.
Upon Enquiry, we have from them these their Notions of the State of the Dead.
They believe that they go to _Mohomny_ that lives beyond the Sun, if they have not been Wicked, nor like Dogs nor Wolves, that is, not unchast, then they believe that _Mohomny_ sends them to a plentiful Country abounding with Fish, Flesh and Fowls, the best of their Kind, and easy to be caught; but if they have been naughty, then he sends them to a poor barren Country, where be many Wolves and Bears, with a few nimble Deer, swift Fish and Fowls, difficult to be taken; and when killed, being scarce any thing but Skin and Bones.
They allow Polygamy, if the Man can maintain his Family, as I have been informed.
They punish Adultery in a Woman by cutting off her Hair, which they fix upon a long Pole without the Town; which is such a Disgrace that the Party is obliged to fly, and becomes a Victim to some Enemy, a Slave to some Rover, or perishes in the Woods.
They have certain _Hieroglyphical_ Methods of characterizing Things; an Instance of which I have seen upon the Side of a Tree where the Bark was taken off.
There was drawn something like a Deer and a River, with certain Strokes and Dashes; the Deer looking down the River, which we interpreted to be left for Information to some of their stragling Company, that certain of them were gone down that River a Hunting, and others were gone different Ways.
I know by the Boys at the College, that they have an excellent _Genius_ for Drawing; and I fancy by Art they might be made some of the best Masters of Painting and Limning, to which they seem naturally inclined.