“In a fayre plaine they made a fire, before which, sitting upon a mat, suddenly amongst the woods was heard such a hydeous noise and shreeking that the English betook themselves to their armes, and seized upon two or three old men, by them supposing Powhatan with all his power was come to surprise them.  But presently Pocahontas came, willing him to kill her if any hurt were intended, and the beholders, which were men, women and children, satisfied the Captaine that there was no such matter.  Then presently they were presented with this anticke:  Thirty young women came naked out of the woods, only covered behind and before with a few greene leaves, their bodies all painted, some of one color, some of another, but all differing; their leader had a fayre payre of Bucks hornes on her head, and an Otters skinne at her girdle, and another at her arme, a quiver of arrows at her backe, a bow and arrows in her hand; the next had in her hand a sword, another a club, another a pot-sticke:  all horned alike; the rest every one with their several devises.  These fiends with most hellish shouts and cries, rushing from among the trees, cast themselves in a ring about the fire, singing and dancing with most excellent ill-varietie, oft falling into their infernal passions, and solemnly again to sing and dance; having spent nearly an hour in this Mascarado, as they entered, in like manner they departed.

“Having reaccommodated themselves, they solemnly invited him to their lodgings, where he was no sooner within the house, but all these Nymphs more tormented him than ever, with crowding, pressing, and hanging about him, most tediously crying, ’Love you not me?  Love you not me?’ This salutation ended, the feast was set, consisting of all the Salvage dainties they could devise:  some attending, others singing and dancing about them:  which mirth being ended, with fire brands instead of torches they conducted him to his lodging.”

The next day Powhatan arrived.  Smith delivered up the Indian Namontuck, who had just returned from a voyage to England—­whither it was suspected the Emperor wished him to go to spy out the weakness of the English tribe—­and repeated Father Newport’s request that Powhatan would come to Jamestown to receive the presents and join in an expedition against his enemies, the Monacans.

Powhatan’s reply was worthy of his imperial highness, and has been copied ever since in the speeches of the lords of the soil to the pale faces:  “If your king has sent me present, I also am a king, and this is my land:  eight days I will stay to receive them.  Your father is to come to me, not I to him, nor yet to your fort, neither will I bite at such a bait; as for the Monacans, I can revenge my own injuries.”