SWANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 689 



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



was no greater slawter of nether side but y® massomecks hauing shott away 



most of ther arrows and wantiuge Vital weare glad to retier. (Smith, John, 

 Arber ed., 1884, pp. cxiii-cxiv.) 



The Virginia chiefs were particularly well guarded. Powhatan 

 had a bodyguard about himself continually, and four sentinels kept 

 watch around him at night. At the time when Smith was taken 

 captive by Opechancanough, the latter was 



well guarded with 20 bowmen 5 flanck and rear, and each flanck before him a 

 sword and a peece, and after him the like, then a bowman, then I on each 

 hand a boweman, the rest in file in the reare, which reare led foorth amongst 

 the trees in a bishion, eache his bowe and a haudfuU of arrowes, a quiver 

 at his back grimly painted: on eache flanck a sargeant, the one running 

 alwaies towards the front, the other towards the reare, each a true pace 

 and in exceeding good order. (Smith, John, Tyler ed., 1907, p. 45.) 



Lawson says that the hair of warriors about to set forth on an 

 expedition was combed out and much ornamented by the women 

 with paint, bear's grease, feathers, copper, and beads. They often 

 painted their faces red and daubed circles about their eyes. A council 

 always preceded an expedition, and during the latter they left ''hiero- 

 glyphic" signs of their tribe scattered about so that the enemy would 

 know by whom the blow was struck. 



Their cruelty to their prisoners of war is what they are seemingly guilty 

 of an error in, I mean as to a natural failing, because they strive to invent 

 the most inhuman butcheries for them that the devils themselves could invent 

 or hammer out of hell; thfey esteeming death no punishment, but rather an 

 advantage to him, that is exported out of this into another world. 



Therefore, they inflict on them torments, wherein they prolong life in that 

 miserable state as long as they can, and never miss skulping of them as they 

 call it, which is, to cut off the skin from the temples and taking the whole 

 head of hair along with it, as if it was a niglit-cap. Sometimes they take the 

 top of the skull along with it; all which they carefully preserve and keep by 

 them, for a trophy of their conquest over their enemies. Others keep their 

 enemies teeth which are taken in war, whilst others split the pitch pine into 

 splinters, and stick them into the prisoner's body yet alive. Thus they light 

 them which burn like so many torches; and in this manner they make him 

 dance round a great fire, every one buffeting and deriding him, till he expires, 

 when every one strives to get a bone or some relic of this unfortunate captive. 

 One of the young fellows that has been at the wars, and has had the fortune to 

 take a captive, returns the proudest creature on earth, and sets such a value on 

 himself, that he knows not how to contain himself in his senses. . . . When they 

 take a slave and intend to keep him to work in their fields, they flea the skin from 

 the setting on of his toes to the middle of his foot, so cut off one half of 

 his feet, wrapping the skin over the wounds, and healing them, ^s By this 

 cruel method, the Indian captive is hindered from making his escape, for he 

 can neither run fast or go anywhere, but his feet are more easily traced and 



3' Also Lawson, 1860, p. 93 ; Catesby states that this was done only after a prisoner 

 had attempted to escape (1731-43, vol. 2, p. xiii). 



464735—46 45 



