Or 12. houses: some 20. the greatest that we haue
seene haue bene but of 30. houses: if they be walled it is only done
with barks of trees made fast to stakes, or els with poles onely fixed
vpright and close one by another.
Their houses are made of small poles made fast at the tops in rounde
forme after the maner as is vsed in many arbories in our gardens of
England, in most townes couered with barkes, and in some with
artificiall mattes made of long rushes; from the tops of the houses
downe to the ground. The length of them is commonly double to the
breadth, in some places they are but 12. and 16. yardes long, and in
other some wee haue seene of foure and twentie. [In]
In some places of the countrey one onely towne belongeth to the
gouernment of a 'Wiroans' or chiefe Lorde; in other some two or three,
in some sixe, eight, & more; the greatest 'Wiroans' that yet we had
dealing with had but eighteene townes in his gouernmet, and able to make
not aboue seuen or eight hundred fighting men at the most: The language
of euery gouernment is different from any other, and the farther they
are distant the greater is the difference.
Their maner of warres amongst themselues is either by sudden surprising
one an other most commonly about the dawning of the day, or moone light;
or els by ambushes, or some suttle deuises: Set battels are very rare,
except if fall out where there are many trees, where eyther part may
haue some hope of defence, after the deliuerie of euery arrow, in
leaping behind some or other.
If there fall out any warres betwee vs & them; what their fight is
likely to bee, we hauing aduantages against them so many maner of waies,
as by our discipline, our strange weapons and deuises els; especially by
ordinance great and small, it may be easily imagined; by the experience
we haue had in some places, the turning vp of their heeles against vs in
running away was their best defence.
In respect of vs they are a people poore, and for want of skill and
iudgement in the knowledge and vse of our things, doe esteeme our
trifles before thinges of greater value: Notwithstanding in their proper
manner considering the want of such meanes as we haue, they seeme very
ingenious; For although they haue no such tooles, nor any such craftes,
sciences and artes as wee; yet in those thinges they doe, they shewe
excellencie of wit. And by howe much they vpon due consideration shall
finde our manner of knowledges and craftes to exceede theirs in
perfection, and speed for doing or execution, by so much the more is it
probable that they shoulde desire our friendships & loue, and haue the
greater respect for pleasing and obeying vs. Whereby may bee hoped if
meanes of good gouernment bee vsed, that they may in short time be
brought to ciuilitie, and the imbracing of true religion.
Some religion they haue alreadie, which although it be farre from the
truth, yet beyng as it is, there is hope it may bee the easier and
sooner reformed.
They beleeue that there are many Gods which they call 'Mantoac', but of
different sortes and degrees; one onely chiefe and great God, which hath
bene from all eternitie. Who as they affirme when hee purposed to make
the worlde, made first other goddes of a principall order to bee as
meanes and instruments to bee vsed in the creation and gouernment to
follow; and after the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, as pettie goddes and
the instruments of the other order more principall. First they say were
made waters, out of which by the gods was made all diuersitie of
creatures that are visible or inuisible.
For mankind they say a woman was made first, which by the woorking of
one of the goddes, conceiued and brought foorth children: And in such
sort they say they had their beginning. [C 3]
But how manie yeeres or ages haue passed since, they say they can make
no relation, hauing no letters nor other such meanes as we to keepe
recordes of the particularities of times past, but onelie tradition from
father to sonne.
They thinke that all the gods are of humane shape, & therfore they
represent them by images in the formes of men, which they call
'Kewasowok' one alone is called 'Kewas'; Them they place in houses
appropriate or temples which they call 'Mathicomuck'; Where they
woorship, praie, sing, and make manie times offerings vnto them. In some
'Machicomuck' we haue seene but on 'Kewas', in some two, and in other
some three; The common sort thinke them to be also gods.
They beleeue also the immortalitie of the soule, that after this life as
soone as the soule is departed from the bodie according to the workes it
hath done, it is eyther carried to heaue the habitacle of gods, there to
enioy perpetuall blisse and happiness, or els to a great pitte or hole,
which they thinke to bee in the furthest partes of their part of the
worlde towarde the sunne set, there to burne continually: the place they
call 'Popogusso'.
For the confirmation of this opinion, they tolde mee two stories of two
men that had been lately dead and reuiued againe, the one happened but
few yeres before our comming in the countrey of a wicked man which
hauing beene dead and buried, the next day the earth of the graue beeing
seene to moue, was take vp againe; Who made declaration where his soule
had beene, that is to saie very neere entring into 'Popogusso', had not
one of the gods saued him & gaue him leaue to returne againe, and teach
his friends what they should doe to auiod that terrible place of tormenr.
