Some That Attended The King, Presented Me With An Odoriferous, Balsamick Root,
Of A Fragrant Smell And Taste, The Name
I know not; they chew it in the Mouth,
and by that simple Application, heal desperate Wounds both green and
Old;
that small Quantity I had, was given inwardly to those troubl'd
with the Belly-ach, which Remedy fail'd not to give present Help,
the Pain leaving the Patient soon after they had taken the Root.
Near to these Cabins are several Tombs made after the manner
of these Indians; the largest and the chiefest of them
was the Sepulchre of the late Indian King of the Santees,
a Man of great Power, not only amongst his own Subjects,
but dreaded by the neighbouring Nations for his great Valour and Conduct,
having as large a Prerogative in his Way of Ruling, as the present King
I now spoke of.
The manner of their Interment, is thus: A Mole or Pyramid of Earth
is rais'd, the Mould thereof being work'd very smooth and even,
sometimes higher or lower, according to the Dignity of the Person
whose Monument it is. On the Top thereof is an Umbrella, made Ridge-ways,
like the Roof of an House; this is supported by nine Stakes, or small Posts,
the Grave being about six or eight Foot in Length, and four Foot in Breadth;
about it is hung Gourds, Feathers, and other such like Trophies,
plac'd there by the dead Man's Relations, in Respect to him in the Grave.
The other Part of the Funeral-Rites are thus, As soon as the Party is dead,
they lay the Corps upon a Piece of Bark in the Sun, seasoning or embalming it
with a small Root beaten to Powder, which looks as red as Vermilion;
the same is mix'd with Bear's Oil, to beautify the Hair,
and preserve their Heads from being lousy, it growing plentifully
in these Parts of America. After the Carcass has laid a Day or two
in the Sun, they remove and lay it upon Crotches cut on purpose
for the Support thereof from the Earth; then they anoint it all over
with the fore-mention'd Ingredients of the Powder of this Root,
and Bear's Oil. When it is so done, they cover it very exactly over
with Bark of the Pine or Cyprus Tree, to prevent any Rain to fall upon it,
sweeping the Ground very clean all about it. Some of his nearest of Kin
brings all the temporal Estate he was possess'd of at his Death,
as Guns, Bows, and Arrows, Beads, Feathers, Match-coat, &c. This Relation
is the chief Mourner, being clad in Moss, and a Stick in his Hand,
keeping a mournful Ditty for three or four Days, his Face being black
with the Smoak of Pitch, Pine, mingl'd with Bear's Oil. All the while
he tells the dead Man's Relations, and the rest of the Spectators,
who that dead Person was, and of the great Feats perform'd in his Life-time;
all what he speaks, tending to the Praise of the Defunct.
As soon as the Flesh grows mellow, and will cleave from the Bone,
they get it off, and burn it, making all the Bones very clean,
then anoint them with the Ingredients aforesaid, wrapping up the Skull
(very carefully) in a Cloath artificially woven of Possums Hair.
(These Indians make Girdles, Sashes, Garters, &c. after the same Manner.)
The Bones they carefully preserve in a wooden Box, every Year
oiling and cleansing them:
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