International Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science, Vol. 1,: No. 3, Oct. 1, 1850Various
Science
International Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science, Vol. 1,: No. 3, Oct. 1, 1850
Various
Art -- Periodicals; Literature -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
"I was once early at her howse (yt being sommer tyme), when she was layed
without dores, under the shadowe of a broad-leaved tree, upon a pallet of
osiers, spred over with four or five fyne gray matts, herself covered
with a fare white drest deare skynne or two; and when she rose, she had a
mayd who fetcht her a frontall of white currall, and pendants of great
but imperfect couloured and worse drilled pearles, which she put into her
eares, and a chayne, with long lyncks of copper, which they call
Tapoantaminais, and which came twice or thrice about her neck, and they
accompt a jolly ornament; and sure thus attired, with some variety of
feathers and flowers stuck in their haires, they seeme as _debonaire_
quaynt, and well pleased as (I wis) a daughter of the howse of Austria
behune [decked] with all her jewells; likewise her mayd fetcht her a
mantell, which, they call puttawus, which is like a side cloak, made of
blew feathers, so arteficyally and thick sewed togither, that it seemed
like a deepe purple satten, and is very smooth and sleeke; and after she
brought her water for her hands, and then a braunch or twoo of fresh
greene asshen leaves, as for a towell to dry them. I offend in this
digression the willinger, since these were ceremonyes which I did little
looke for, carrying so much presentetnent of civility."
The description of the Indian dress does not differ from the modern
accounts; the style of the "ear-rings," however, seems to have interested
Strachey greatly,--especially the "wild beast's claws" stuck in, and,
above all, "a small greene and yellow-colored live snake, neere half a
yard in length, crawling and lapping himself about his neck." Truly, we
can scarcely be surprised that the early settlers looked with suspicion
on men who wore such unchristian-like ornaments, and that they more than
suspected them to be in league with "the old serpent." A full description
is given of their modes of hunting and fishing; and also of their
amusements,--especially their dances, which resemble those of "frantique
and disquieted bachanalls." The writer was not able to obtain much
information as to their religion. From some scattered hints, it seems to
have resembled the Mexican, both in the human sacrifices and in the
secrecy attending them. They also used a sort of embalming for their
kings, whose bodies were kept in one of their temples.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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