QQ AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



should be lost by time, and fall to common use, tliey pick off the grass 

 that grows upon them, and heap up tlie fallen earth, with great care and 

 exactness. 



XXI. "These poor people are under a dark night in things relating to 

 religion; to be sure the tradition of it: jei they believe a (7oc? and immor- 

 tality^ without the help of metaphysics: for, they say. There is a Great 

 King that made them^ icho dwells in a glorious country to the southvjard of 

 tliem; and that the souls of the good shall go thither, where tltey shall live 

 again. Their ivorshvp consists of two parts, sacrifice and cantico. Their 

 sacrifice is their first fruits ; the first and fattest buck they kill goeth to 

 the fire; where he is all burnt, with a mournful ditty of him that per- 

 formeth the ceremony; but with such marvellous fervency and labor of 

 body, that he will even sweat to a foam. The other part is their cantico^ 

 performed by round dances, sometimes words, sometimes songs, then 

 shouts; two being in the middle that begin; and, by singing and drum- 

 ming on a board, direct the chorus. Their postures in the dance are 

 very antick and differing, but all keep measure. This is done with equal 

 earnestness and labor, but great appearance of joy. In the fall, when 

 the corn cometh in, they begin to feast one another. There have been 

 two great festivals already; to which all come that will. I was at one 

 myself: their entertainment was a great seat by a spring, under some 

 shady trees, and twenty bucks, with hot cakes of new corn, both wheat 

 and beans, which they make up in a square form, in the leaves of the 

 stem, and bake them in the ashes; and after that they fall to dance. But 

 they that go must carry a small present in their money; it may be six- 

 pence; which is made of the bone of a fish: the hlack is with them as 

 gold; the white, silver ; they call it all wam.pum. 



XXII. "Their government is by Kings, which they call Sachama ; 

 and those by succession, but always of the mother's side. For instance, 

 the children of him who is now king will not succed, but his brother by 

 the mother, or the children of his sister, whose sons (and after them the 

 children of her daughters) will reign ; for no woman inherits. The rea- 

 son they render for this way of descent, is, that their issue may not be 

 spurious. 



XXIII. "Every King hatli his Council; and that consists of all the 

 old and wise men of his nation ; which, perhaps, is tAvo hundred people. 

 Nothing of moment is undertaken, be it war, peace, selling of land, or 

 traffick, without advising with them : and, which is more, with the young- 

 men too. It is admirable to consider how powerful the Kings are, and 

 yet how they move by the breath of their people. I have had occasion to 

 be in council with them, upon treaties for land, and to adjust the terms 

 of trade. Their order is thus : The King sits in the middle of an half 

 moon, and hath his council, the old and wise, on each hand; behind 



