“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.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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