96 



sumed by the enemy, I believe we are left with a sin* 

 gle armed boat only. 



QUERY XL 



A DESCRIPTION of the Indians established in that state ? 

 When the first effectual settlement of our colony was 

 made, which was in 1607, the country from the sea- 

 coast to the mountains, and from Patowmac to the 

 most southern waters of James river, was occupied by 

 upwards of forty different tribes of Indians. Of these 

 the Powhatans the Mannahoacs, and Monacans, were 

 the most powerful. Those between the sea-coast and 

 falls of the rivers, were in amity with one another, and 

 attached to the Powhatans as their link of union. Those 

 between the falls of the rivers and the mountains, were 

 divided into two confederacies ; the tribes inhabiting 

 the head waters of Patowmac and Rappahanock be- 

 ing attached to the Mannahoacs ; and those on the up- 

 per parts of James river to the Monacans. But the 

 Monacans and their friends were in amity with the 

 Mannahoacs and their friends, and waged joint and 

 perpetual war against the Powhatans. We are told 

 that the Powhatans, Mannahoacs, and Monacans, spoke 

 languages so radically different, that interpreters were 

 necessary when they transacted business. Hence we 

 may conjecture, that this was not the case between all 

 the tribes, and probably that each spoke the language 

 of the nation to which it was attached ; which we 

 know to have been the case in many particular instan- 

 ces. Very possibly there may have been anciently 

 three different stocks, each of which multiplying in a 

 long course of time, had separated into so many little 

 societies. This practice results from the circumstance 

 of their having never submitted themselves to any 

 laws, any coercive power, any shadow of government. 

 Their only controls are their manners, and that moral 

 sense of right and wrong, which, like the sense of tast- 



