The Cavaliers of Virginia, vol. 1 of 2: or, The Recluse of Jamestown; An historical romance of the Old Dominion — John Shaqi
The Cavaliers of Virginia, vol. 1 of 2: or, The Recluse of Jamestown; An historical romance of the Old DominionCaruthers, William Alexander
History
The Cavaliers of Virginia, vol. 1 of 2: or, The Recluse of Jamestown; An historical romance of the Old Dominion
Caruthers, William Alexander
Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Fiction
The figure of Wyanokee was diminutive, but like most of the aboriginal
females, exquisitely proportioned, and graceful, after the fashion of
nature's finest schooling. Her face was oval and between a brown and
yellow colour, yet there was a vital tinge occasionally illuminating
this predominant dark ground, which bespoke the refined female, in
language intelligible to all, and far more eloquently than the tongue.
Her hair was jet black, and folded upon her small round head after the
fashion of the Europeans; and her brilliant teeth exhibited a striking
contrast to the dark shades of her skin, and darker sparkling eyes. The
delicately penciled brows, arched beautifully over a countenance
strikingly feminine and lady-like; and the general expression was that
calm sadness which has been remarked as characteristic of the
domesticated aborigines from that day to the present. Her dress was
essentially after the fashion of the whites of that day, just retaining
sufficient of the Indian costume, however, to set off her slight but
graceful figure to the best advantage. The exquisite proportions of her
finely shaped foot and ankle were displayed in a closely fitting deer
skin moccasin, studded around the eyelet holes, and wrought in curious,
but not unpleasing figures, with party-coloured beads and porcupine
quills. Around her neck, and falling upon her gently swelling bosom,
were many ingeniously wrought ornaments of wampum and silver--and around
her wrists, bracelets of the same materials. Wyanokee was of the
Chickahominy tribe, and had been taken prisoner after the murder of her
parents by one of the neighbouring tribes, who at the time were at war
with the Chickahominies. Nathaniel Bacon saw her in one of his hunting
excursions, and struck with her native beauty, and pleading countenance,
redeemed her from captivity at the expense of a string of blue beads.
From thence he brought her to Jamestown, to remain until some
opportunity should occur of restoring her to her tribe. Her parents
having been slain, however, as we have already said, and much time
necessarily having elapsed before such opportunity occurred, Virginia
took advantage of it, and by mild and affectionate treatment,
endeavoured to win her to herself. A mutual and peculiar attachment was
the consequence, so that when the opportunity actually occurred,
Wyanokee refused to return to the almost extinct tribe of her fathers.
Two years had now elapsed since her introduction into the Fairfax
family, during which time Virginia, an assiduous pupil herself, became
in her turn instructress to her little protegée. Already had she learned
many of the little feminine arts and accomplishments of civilized life,
and made considerable proficiency in the English language--which,
however, she never employed except in private to her instructress, or
on some urgent occasion. Half the young Cavaliers in Jamestown would
have been willing devotees at the shrine of Wyanokee's beauty, after the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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