"^°No.°70r^^" APPALACHIAN REGION ANCIENT TRIBES — ^HOFFMAN 199 



ferring to the Massomack indicate a similar location, and reveal 

 other similarities. 



The earliest pertinent reference derives from the "Relation of 

 Virginea" written by Henry Spelman, who was held captive by the 

 Virginia Indians between 1609 and 1610. Spelman tells us {in Smith, 

 1884, p. cxiv) : 



In y« time I was ther I saw a Battell fought betwene the Patomeck and the 

 Masomeck, ther place wher they fought was a marish ground full of Reede. 

 Beinge in the cuntry of the Patomecke the peopel of Masomeck weare brought 

 thether in Canoes which is a kind of Boate they haue made in the forme of an 

 Hoggs trowgh But sumwhat more hollowed in, On Both sids they scatter them 

 selues sum little distant one from the other, then take them ther bowes and arrows 

 and hauinge made ridie to shoot they softly steale toward ther enimies, Sumtime 

 squattinge doune and priinge if they can spie any to shoot at whom if at any 

 time he so Hurteth that he can not flee they make hast to him to knock him on 

 the heade, And they that kill most of ther enimies are heald the cheafest men 

 amonge them; Drums and Trumpetts they haue none, but when they will gather 

 themselues togither they haue a kind of Howlinge or Howbabub so differinge in 

 sounde one from the other as both part may uery aesely be distinguished. Ther 

 was no greater slawter of nether side But y» massomecks having shott away most 

 of ther arrows and wantinge Vitall [was] weare glad to retier. 



The next reference dates from 1632, at which time English traders 

 were actively engaged in transporting trade goods up the Potomac 

 to the Anacostia Indians, who in turn traded these goods to the 

 Massomack living to the west in exchange for furs. Our source 

 here is the manuscript journal written by Capt. Henry Fleet, entitled 

 "A Brief Journal of a voyage made in the Bark Virginia, to Virginia 

 and other parts of the continent of America," preserved in the library 

 of the Archbishop of Canterbury and published in Neill (1876, pp. 

 10-19). 



The Fleet journal informs us that at the time of Fleet's trading 

 expedition in 1631 there was 



. . . but little friendship between the Emperor [of Piscatoway], and the Na- 

 costines, he being fearful to punish them, because they are protected by the 

 Massomacks or Cannyda Indians, who have used to convey all such English 

 truck as cometh into the i"iver to the Massomacks .... [Ibid., p. 25.] 



Having established contact with Massomacks while at Anacostia, 

 Fleet sent his brother with two Indian companions into their country, 

 the journey taking 7 days from the falls of the Potomac and 5 days 

 on the return, and lasting, all told, from June 14 to July 3, 1631. Fleet 

 had learned from the Massomacks at Anacostia that 



. . . the Indians of that populous place are governed by four Kings, whose 



towns are of several names, Tonhoga, Mosticum, Shaunetowa, and Usserahak, 



reported above thirty thousand persons, and that they have palisades about the 



towns made with great trees, and scaffolds upon the walls .... [Ibid., p. 27.] 



682-611—64 17 



