To Prove The Times More Exactly,
He Produces The Records Of The Country, Which Are A Parcel Of Reeds,
Of
Different Lengths, with several distinct Marks, known to none
but themselves; by which they seem to guess, very exactly,
at
Accidents that happen'd many Years ago; nay two or three Ages or more.
The Reason I have to believe what they tell me, on this Account,
is, because I have been at the Meetings of several Indian Nations;
and they agreed, in relating the same Circumstances, as to Time,
very exactly; {A hard Winter.} as, for Example, they say,
there was so hard a Winter in Carolina, 105 years ago,
that the great Sound was frozen over, and the Wild Geese came into the Woods
to eat Acorns, and that they were so tame, (I suppose, through Want)
that they kill'd abundance in the Woods, by knocking them on the Head
with Sticks.
But, to return to the dead Man. When this long Tale is ended,
by him that spoke first; perhaps, a second begins another long Story;
so a third, and fourth, if there be so many Doctors present;
which all tell one and the same thing. At last, the Corps is brought away
from that Hurdle to the Grave, by four young Men, attended by the Relations,
the King, old Men, and all the Nation. {Interment in the Grave.}
When they come to the Sepulcre, which is about six Foot deep,
and eight Foot long, having at each end (that is, at the Head and Foot)
a Light-Wood, or Pitch-Pine Fork driven close down the sides of the Grave,
firmly into the Ground; (these two Forks are to contain a Ridge-Pole,
as you shall understand presently) before they lay the Corps into the Grave,
they cover the bottom two or three times over with Bark of Trees,
then they let down the Corps (with two Belts, that the Indians
carry their Burdens withal) very leisurely, upon the said Barks;
then they lay over a Pole of the same Wood, in the two Forks, and having
a great many Pieces of Pitch-Pine Logs, about two Foot and a half long,
they stick them in the sides of the Grave down each End,
and near the Top thereof, where the other Ends lie on the Ridge-Pole,
so that they are declining like the Roof of a House.
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