There is yet in Virginia no place discovered to be so savage in which
the savages have not a religion, deer, and bow and arrows. All things
that were able to do them hurt beyond their prevention they adore with
their kind of divine worship, as the fire, water, lightning, thunder,
our ordnance [_guns_], horses, etc. But their chief god they worship
is the devil. Him they call _Oke_ and serve him more of fear than
love. They say they have conference with him and fashion themselves as
near to his shape as they can imagine. In their temples, they have his
image evil favoredly carved and then painted and adorned with chains,
copper, and beads, and covered with a skin....
By him is commonly the sepulchre [_tomb_] of their kings. Their bodies
are first bowelled [_that is, disembowelled or the internal organs
removed_], then dried upon hurdles [_racks_] till they be very dry,
and so about the most of their joints and neck they hang bracelets or
chains of copper, pearl, and such like, as they used to wear. Their
inwards they stuff with copper beads and cover with a skin, hatchets,
and such trash. Then they lappe [_wrap_] them very carefully in white
skins and so roll them in mats for their winding sheets. And in the
tomb, which is an arch made of mats, they lay them orderly. What
remaineth of this kind of wealth their kings have, they set at their
feet in baskets. These temples and bodies are kept by their priests.
For their ordinary burials they dig a deep hole in the earth with
sharp stakes, and the corpses being lapped in skins and mats with
their jewels, they lay them upon sticks in the ground and so cover
them with earth. The burial ended, the women being painted all their
faces with black coal and oil do sit 24 hours in the houses mourning
and lamenting by turns with such yelling and howling as may express
their great passions.
John Smith’s most famous story is the account of his rescue by
Pocahontas, but many historians have doubted the tale. Smith is the only
person who says it happened. The facts are these: During the first hard
winter, 1607-1608, when Smith was scouting for provisions, he was
captured by the Indians and taken to the chief, Powhatan, father of
Pocahontas. After three weeks the chief sent him back to Jamestown. When
Smith first wrote about his experiences a few months later, he never
mentioned Pocahontas.
Years later, in England, Smith wrote a history of Virginia and, for the
first time, told the story of Pocahontas. Between the time Smith was
captured and the time he wrote his history, Pocahontas had married an
Englishman. Her husband had brought her to England, where she had been a
sensation. One cannot help feeling that Smith “remembered” more than
actually happened in order to exploit public interest in the Indian
princess. His account, however, is a good story, even if it happened
only in his mind. Pocahontas was a real person who visited Jamestown
often and brought food to the starving settlers during their worst
times. Many Americans like to think the episode is true, and the tale
has become part of our folklore, like the legendary deeds of Davy
Crockett. Here is Smith’s story:
At last they brought him [_note that here Smith writes of himself in
the third person_] to Meronocomoco where was Powhatan, their emperor.
Here more than two hundred of those grim courtiers stood wondering at
him, as he had been a monster.... Before a fire upon a seat like a
bedstead he sat covered with a great robe made of raccoon skins and
all the tails hanging by. On either hand did sit a young wench of 16
or 18 years, and along on each side [_of_] the house two rows of men,
and behind them as many women, with all their heads and shoulders
painted red. Many of their heads [_were_] bedecked with the white down
of birds; but everyone with something, and a great chain of white
beads about their necks.
At his entrance before the king, all the people gave a great shout.
The Queen of Appamatuck was appointed to bring him water to wash his
hands, and another brought him a bunch of feathers instead of a towel
to dry them. Having feasted him after their best barbarous manner they
could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion was [_that_]
two great stones were brought before Powhatan. Then as many as could,
laid hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and
being ready with their clubs to beat out his brains, Pocahontas, the
king’s dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevail, got his head
in her arms and laid her own upon his to save him from death; whereat
the emperor was contented he should live to make him hatchets, and her
bells, beads, and copper; for they thought him as well [_capable_] of
all occupations as themselves. For the king himself will make his own
robes, shoes, bows, arrows, pots; plant, hunt, or do anything so well
as the rest....
Two days after, Powhatan having disguised himself in the most
fearfullest manner he could, caused Captain Smith to be brought forth
to a great house in the woods, and there upon a mat by the fire to be
left alone. Not long after from behind a mat that divided the house
was made the most dolefullest noise he ever heard. Then Powhatan, more
like a devil than a man, with some two hundred more as black as
himself, came unto him and told him now they were friends and
presently he should go to Jamestown.... So to Jamestown with 12 guides
Powhatan sent him.
In another place in the history, Smith prints a letter he wrote to the
Queen of England at the time Pocahontas visited London. In this letter
he tells more about the Indian girl and describes her as a sort of
guardian angel for the colony:
[_Pocahontas_] so prevailed with her father that I was safely
conducted to Jamestown, where I found about eight and thirty miserable
poor and sick creatures to keep possession of all those large
territories of Virginia; such was the weakness of this poor
commonwealth. Had the savages not fed us, we directly had starved. And
this relief, most gracious Queen, was commonly brought us by this Lady
Pocahontas.
Notwithstanding all these passages, when inconstant fortune turned our
peace to war, this tender virgin would still not spare to dare to
visit us, and by her our jars [_distresses_] have been oft appeased
and our wants still supplied. Were it the policy of her father thus to
employ her or the ordinance of God thus to make her His instrument, or
her extraordinary affection to our nation, I know not, but of this I
am sure; when her father with the utmost of his policy and power
sought to surprise me, having but 18 with me, the dark night could not
affright her from coming through the irksome woods; and with watered
eyes [_she_] gave me intelligence with her best advice to escape his
fury, which had he known he had surely slain her.
Jamestown with her wild train she as freely frequented as her father’s
habitation, and during the time of two or three years she next under
God was still the instrument to preserve this colony from death,
famine, and utter confusion.