A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
History
A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
When we had marched five or six miles into the woods and could find no
signs of any people, we returned again another way, and as we came into
the plain ground we found a place like a grave, but it was much bigger
and longer than any we had yet seen. It was also covered with boards, so
as we mused what it should be, and resolved to dig it up, where we
found, first a mat, and under that a fair bow, and there another mat,
and under that a board about three quarters[36] long, finely carved and
painted, with three tines, or broaches, on the top, like a crown. Also
between the mats we found bowls, trays, dishes, and such like trinkets.
At length we came to a fair new mat, and under that two bundles, the one
bigger, the other less. We opened the greater and found in it a great
quantity of fine and perfect red powder, and in it the bones and skull
of a man. The skull had fine yellow hair still on it, and some of the
flesh unconsumed; there was bound up with it a knife, a packneedle,[37]
and two or three old iron things. It was bound up in a sailor’s canvas
cassock, and a pair of cloth breeches. The red powder was a kind of
embalment, and yielded a strong, but no offensive smell; it was as fine
as any flour. We opened the less bundle likewise, and found of the same
powder in it, and the bones and head of a little child. About the legs
and other parts of it was bound strings and bracelets of fine white
beads; there was also by it a little bow, about three quarters long, and
some other odd knacks. We brought sundry of the prettiest things away
with us, and covered the corpse up again. After this, we digged in
sundry like places, but found no more corn, nor any thing else but
graves.
There was variety of opinions amongst us about the embalmed person. Some
thought it was an Indian lord and king. Others said the Indians have all
black hair, and never any was seen with brown or yellow hair. Some
thought it was a Christian of some special note, which had died amongst
them, and they thus buried him to honor him. Others thought they had
killed him, and did it in triumph over him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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