Dr. Stiles’ account of a stone bust. 193 
were certainly in existence here in 1725; and, I believe, did not go 
into entire desuetude until 1730 or 1740. While they were still re- 
tained in full use, there was an example of a funeral Powaw at this 
Stone Image ; which inclines me to think it an Idol. Not to rely on 
the uniform tradition, which however is not without its weight, I con- 
fide in a fact, narrated to me by the reverend Eliphalet Williams, p.v. 
who was ordained pastor of the church in East Hartford in 1747, 
who. well remembers, that soon after his ordination this Bust was 
shown to him, as an Indian god, by the owner, Mr. Spencer, who was 
then a very aged man ; and who gave him the following account of it. 
He well remembered that, when he was a youth, a Sachem or Chief 
of the Farmington Tribe, fifteen miles off, having died, the Indians 
brought his. corpse over from Farmington to be buried at East Hart: 
ford after the Indian manner ;_ that they first brought the corpse, and 
laid it down before this Idol, and made a great India Powaw before 
it; then they carried away the corpse and buried it ; and afterwards 
returned and powawed again before the Idol, and then dispersed. 
This he declared to Dr. Williams to have been a fact, to which he 
was knowing. ‘The same aged person was also acquainted with oth- 
er facts, concurring to convince him, that the Indians were worship- 
pers of Idols, and actually worshipped at this Stone, as an Idol. 
| I have only to add, that the venerable ministers, our Fathers, al- 
Ways said, that the Indians were idelaters. The Rev. Mr. Eliot, the 
Indian apostle, Rev. Messrs. Mayhew of the Vineyard, Danforth of 
Taunton, Noyes of Stonington, and others, were perfectly acquainted 
with the Indian tongues, and studied and wight ce — ere 
Pgs eee 
gy- So numerous were the conversions to , that in 1690 
there were above thirty Indian churches in New England among 
which it cannot but be supposed there were some Indians, who per- 
fectly understood their own Powaws and Religion. These all cen- 
24, 
