48 SIOITAN TRIBES OF THE EAST. [ethnology 



alterii deities uuiler biiii. And that this iiiiister-God made the worhl a long time 

 ago. That he tohl the sun, the moon, and stars, their busiuess in the beginning, 

 wliich they, with good h)oking after, liave faithfully perform'd ever since. That the 

 same power that made all things at lirst has taken care to keeji them in the same 

 method and motion ever since. He believ'd God had forni'd many worlds before he 

 form'd tills, but that those worlds cither grew old and ruinous, or were destroyed 

 for the dishonesty of the inhabitants. 



That God is very just and A'^ery good — over well pleas'd with those men who pos- 

 sess those God-like qualities. That he takes good people into his safe protection, 

 makes them very rich, fills their belMes plentifully, jtreserves them fi'om sickness, 

 and from being surpriz'd or overcome by their enemies. But all such as tell lies, 

 and cheat those they have dealings with, he never fails to punish with sickness, 

 poverty and hunger, and, after all that, suffers them to be knockt on the head and 

 scalpt by those that fight against them. 



He believ'd that after death both good and bad peoi)le are conducted by a strong 

 guard into a great road, in which departed souls traNel together for some time, till 

 at a certain distance this road forks into two paths, the one extremely levil, and the 

 other stony and mountainous. Here the good are parted from the bad by a flash of 

 lightening, the iirst being hurry'd away to the right, the other to the left. The right 

 hand road leads to a charming warm conntry, where the spring is everlasting, and 

 every niontli is May; and as the year is always in its youth, so are tlic people, and 

 particularly the women are bright as stars, and never scold. That in this happy cli- 

 mate there are deer, turkeys, elks, and buffaloes innumerable, ]>erpetna]ly fat and 

 gentle, Avhilc the trees are loaded with delicious fruit quite throughout the four 

 seasons. That the soil brings forth corn spontaueouslj-, without the curse of labour, 

 and so very wholesome, that none who have the happiness to eat of it are ever sick, 

 grow old, or dy. Near the entrance into this blesse<l land sits a venerable old man 

 on a mat richly woven, who examines strictly all that are brought before him, and 

 if they have behav'd well, the guards are order'd to open the crystal gate, and let 

 them cuter into the land of delights. 



The left hand path is very rugged and uneaven, leading to a dark and liarren coun- 

 try, where it is always winter. The ground is tlie whole year round cover'd with 

 snow, and nothing is to be seen upon the trees but icicles. All the i)eople are hun- 

 gry, yet have not a morsel of anything to eat, except a bitter kind of potato, that 

 gives them the dry-gripes, and fills their whole body with loathsome ulcers, that 

 stink, and are insupportably painfull. Here all the women are old and ugly, having 

 claws like a panther, with which they fly upon the men that slight their passion. 

 For it seems these haggard old furies are intolerably fond, and expect a vast deal of 

 cherishing. They talk much, and exceedingly shrill, giving exquisite pain to the 

 drum of the ear, which in that place of the torment is so tender, that every sharp note 

 wounds it to the quick. At the end of this path sits a dreadful old woman on a 

 monstrous toad-stool, whose head is cover'd with rattle-snakes instead of tresses, 

 with glaring white eyes, that strike a terror unspeakable into all that behold her. 

 This hag pronounces sentence of woe upon all the miserable wretches that hold 

 up their hands at her tribunal. After this they are deliver'd over to huge turkey- 

 buzzards, like harpys, that fly away with them to the place above mentioned. Here, 

 after they have been tormented :x certain number of years, according to their several 

 degrees of guilt, they arc again driven back into this world, to try if they will 

 mend their manners, and merit a i)lace the next time in the regions of bliss. 



This was the substance of Bearskin's religion, and was as much to the iiurjiose as 

 cou'd be expected from a meer state of nature, without one glimps of revelation or 

 philosophy (Byrd 12). 



On their return fioni the mountains their guide loft tliem as they 

 approached the settlements and hurried on ahead. As the commis- 

 sioners drew near Meherriu river all the chiefs of the Saponi came out 



