The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in FloridaSimms, William Gilmore
History
The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida
Simms, William Gilmore
Florida -- History -- Huguenot colony, 1562-1565 -- Fiction
"Then he showed me by evident signes that all of it came from a place
more within the river, by certain days journeyes from this place, and
declared unto us that all that which they had thereof, they gat it
by force of armes of the inhabitants of this place, named by them
_Thimogoa_, their most ancient and natural enemies, as hee largely
declared. Whereupon, when I saw with what affection and passion hee
spake when hee pronounced _Thimogoa_, I understood what he would say;
and to bring myself more into his favour, I promised him to accompany
him with all my force, if hee would fight against them: which thing
pleased him in such sorte, that, from thenceforth, hee promised himselfe
the victorie of them, and assured mee that hee would make a voyage
thither within a short space, and would commaund his men to make ready
their bowes and furnish themselves with such store of arrows, that
nothing should bee wanting to give battaile to Thimogoa. In fine, he
prayed me very earnestly not to faile of my promise, and, in so doing,
he hoped to procure me golde and silver, in such good quantitie, that
mine affaires should take effect according to mine owne and his desire."
Here then we see cupidity beginning to plant in place of religion. Our
Huguenot tells us of no prayers which he made, of no religious services
which he ordered, in presence of the savages, for their benefit and his
own. But his sole curiosity is to know where the gold grows, and to
prompt the evil passions of the red-men to violence and strife with one
another, in order that he may procure the object of his avarice.
With night, the parties separated, the French retiring to their ships
and the Indians to the cover of their forests. But Laudonniere had
something more to learn. The next day, "being allured with this good
entertainment," the visit was renewed. "We found him, (the Paracoussy)
under shadow of an arbor, accompanied with four-score Indians at the
least, and apparelled, at that time, after the Indian fashion; to wit,
with a great hart's skin dressed like chamois, and painted with divers
colours, but of so lively a portraiture, and representing antiquity,
with rules so justly compassed, that there is no painter so exquisite
that coulde finde fault therewith. The natural disposition of this
strange people is so perfect and well guided, that, without any ayd and
favour of artes, they are able, by the help of nature onely, to content
the eye of artizans; yea, even of those which, by their industry, are
able to aspire unto things most absolute."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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