The Stronghold: A Story of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia and Its People — John Shaqi
The Stronghold: A Story of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia and Its PeopleHaynie, Miriam
History
The Stronghold: A Story of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia and Its People
Haynie, Miriam
Northern Neck (Va.)
Mosco was not in sympathy with these proceedings. He told the English
that the Mannahocks were a "naughty" race, as bad as the Rappahannocks,
and that they had better be on their way.
Smith did not take Mosco's advice. It was night when the party finally
embarked and started back down the river. Before long the arrows started
rattling against the shields and dropping into the barge. The stream was
narrow here, with high banks on one side. Amoroleck called to his
people, but in vain; he could not be heard above the shrieks of the
warriors. Every now and then Smith discharged a musket in the direction
of the most noise. The Indians were persistent and followed the barge
for about twelve miles. The darkness was probably all that saved the
Englishmen.
At daybreak the barge emerged into a wide place, where the weary
adventurers dropped anchor out of arrow-shot, and ate breakfast. They
were so tired and hungry that they paid no attention to the four or five
hundred warriors crowded along the banks, until after breakfast. Then
they took down the shields and showed themselves, with Amoroleck in
plain view amongst them. After a consultation the Indians hung their
bows and arrows upon trees and two Indians, with bows and quivers on
their heads, swam out to the barge and presented these in token of
friendship.
Captain Smith now went ashore and told the Indians to send for their
kings. Four kings, or chiefs, soon appeared. Smith gave them back
Amoroleck. The Indians were happy over this and gave the English bows,
arrows, pipes and pouches, but in return they asked for the pistols
which the English carried. Smith satisfied them with less dangerous
trinkets, and left them dancing and singing and making merry.
The barge continued its journey downstream until the neighborhood of the
Moraughtacunds was reached. They stopped here to tell these friends of
Mosco of their victory over the Mannahocks. The Moraughtacunds were a
feeble race, and small in stature. They begged Smith to subdue the
Rappahannocks also.
Smith decided to help this weak tribe, as he would be at the same time
helping the English. He summoned the kings of the Rappahannocks to a
conference. When they had assembled Captain Smith threatened to burn
their villages, destroy their canoes and corn and prove himself a bad
enemy. Among the things that Smith demanded was the son of a "king,"
named Rappahannock, as a hostage. The chief objected to this--he had
only one son and he could not live without him--but he would give up
certain of his women who had been stolen by the Moraughtacunds. Smith
found that this was the cause of the recent wars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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