The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 3,672 pages of information about The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner.

The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 3,672 pages of information about The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner.

“But when they came to James towne, seeing men sally out as he had told them they would, they fled:  yet in the night they came again to the same place where he had told them they should receive an answer, and such things as he had promised them, which they found accordingly, and with which they returned with no small expedition, to the wonder of them all that heard it, that he could either divine or the paper could speake.  Then they led him to the Youthtanunds, the Mattapanients, the Payankatanks, the Nantaughtacunds and Onawmanients, upon the rivers of Rapahanock and Patawomek, over all those rivers and backe againe by divers other severall Nations, to the King’s habitation at Pamaunkee, where they entertained him with most strange and fearefull conjurations;

     ’As if neare led to hell,
     Amongst the Devils to dwell.’

“Not long after, early in a morning, a great fire was made in a long house, and a mat spread on the one side as on the other; on the one they caused him to sit, and all the guard went out of the house, and presently came skipping in a great grim fellow, all painted over with coale mingled with oyle; and many Snakes and Wesels skins stuffed with mosse, and all their tayles tyed together, so as they met on the crowne of his head in a tassell; and round about the tassell was a Coronet of feathers, the skins hanging round about his head, backe, and shoulders, and in a manner covered his face; with a hellish voyce and a rattle in his hand.  With most strange gestures and passions he began his invocation, and environed the fire with a circle of meale; which done three more such like devils came rushing in with the like antique tricks, painted halfe blacke, halfe red:  but all their eyes were painted white, and some red stroakes like Mutchato’s along their cheekes:  round about him those fiends daunced a pretty while, and then came in three more as ugly as the rest; with red eyes and stroakes over their blacke faces, at last they all sat downe right against him; three of them on the one hand of the chiefe Priest, and three on the other.  Then all with their rattles began a song, which ended, the chiefe Priest layd downe five wheat cornes:  then strayning his arms and hands with such violence that he sweat, and his veynes swelled, he began a short Oration:  at the conclusion they all gave a short groane; and then layd downe three graines more.  After that began their song againe, and then another Oration, ever laying down so many cornes as before, til they had twice incirculed the fire; that done they tooke a bunch of little stickes prepared for that purpose, continuing still their devotion, and at the end of every song and Oration they layd downe a sticke betwixt the divisions of Corne.  Til night, neither he nor they did either eate or drinke, and then they feasted merrily, and with the best provisions they could make.  Three dayes they used this Ceremony:  the meaning whereof they told him was to know if he intended them well

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The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.