526 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Boll. 137 



GREASING AND COLORING OF THE HAIR AND SKIN 



In Virginia the Indians painted their heads and shoulders red 

 "with the roote Pocone braied to powder mixed with oyle ; this they 

 hold in somer to preserve them from the heate, and in winter from 

 the cold" (Smith, John, Tyler ed., 1907, p. 100). Much more com- 

 plete is Strachey's description of the materials with which they 

 anointed the body : 



They are generally of a cuUour browne or rather tawny, which they cast 

 themselves into with a kind of arsenick stone, like red patise or orpement, or 

 rather red tempered oyntments of earth, and the juyce of certaine scrused 

 rootes, when they caome unto certaine yeares, and this they doe (keeping them- 

 selves still so smudged and besmeered) eyther for the custome of the countrye, 

 or the better to defend them (since they goe most that naked) from the sting- 

 ing of muskitoes, kinds of flies or biting gnatts, such as the Greekes called 

 scynipes [see also Bassett, 1901, p. 276] . . . but as the men, so doe the 

 women, dye and disguise themselves into this tawny cowler, esteeming yt the 

 best beauty to be neerest such a kynd of murrey as a sodden quince is of (to 

 liken yt to the neerest coulor I can), for which they daily anoint both face and 

 bodyes all over with such a kind of fucus or unguent as can cast them into that 

 stayne, ... he or she that hath obtej-ned the perfectest art in the tempering 

 of this collour with any better kind of earth, yearb, or root, preserves yt not 

 yet so secrett and pretious unto her self as doe our great ladyes their oyle 

 of talchum, or other painting white and redd, but they frindly comunicate 

 the secret, and teach yt one another; after their anoynting (which is daylie) 

 they dry in the sun, and thereby make their skynnes (besides the coulor) more 

 black and spotted, which the sun kissing oft and hard, adds to their painting 

 the more rough and rugged. 



Their heads and shoulders they paint oftenest, and those red, with the 

 roote pochone, brayed to powder, mixed with oyle of the walnutt, or bear's 

 grease ; this they hold in sommer doth check the heat, and in winter armes them 

 in some measure against the cold. (Strachey, 1849, p. 64.) 



Farther on he states of the men that they shaved the hair off on 

 the right side of the head but "on the left side they weare theire haire 

 at full length, with a lock of an ell long, which they annoint often 

 with walnut oyle, whereby it is very sleeke, and shynes like a raven's 

 winge" (Strachey, 1849, p. 66). 



Beverley has a still longer account of the use of the pocone or 

 puccoon roots : 



The Indians also pulverize the Roots of a kind of Anchuse or yellow Alkanet, 

 which they call Puccoon, and of a sort of wild Angelica, and mixing them 

 together with Bears Oyl, make a yellow Ointment, with wliich, after they 

 have bath'd, they anoint themselves Capapee; this supples the Skin, renders 

 them nimble and active, and withal so closes up the Pores, that they lose but 

 few of their Spirits by Perspiration. Piso relates the same of the Brasilians, 

 and my Lord Bacon asserts, that Oyl and fat things do no less conserve the 

 substance of the Body, than Oyl colours, and Varnish do that of the Wood. 



They have also a further advantage of this Oyntment, for it keeps all Lice, 

 Fleas, and other troublesome Vermine from coming near them ; which otherwise, 



