SWANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 751 



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 a certain Number of years, accord- 

 ing to their several Degrees of Guilt, they are again driven back into this 

 World, to try if they will mend their Manners, and merit a place the next 

 time in the Regions of Bliss. (Bassett, 1901, pp. 140-143.) 



In his Secret History of the Line, there is little variation from 

 the published narrative except for certain omissions. However, he 

 there adds that the Supreme Being "protects and prospers good Peo- 

 ple in this World, & punishes the bad with Sickness & Poverty," and 

 in the Saponi hell 



all the People are old, have no teeth, & yet are very hungry. Only those who 

 labour very hard make the Ground Produce a Sort of Potato pleasant to the 

 Tast, but gives them the dry Gripes, & fills them full of Sores, which stink and 

 are very painfull. 



There is some amplification also in treating of the activities of the 

 female custodian of the nether world : 



On the Borders sits a hideous Old Woman whose Head is cover'd with 

 Rattle-Snakes instead of Tresses, with glaring white Eyes, sunk very deep in 

 her Head. Her Tongue is 20 Cubits long arm'd with sharp Thorns as strong 

 as Iron. This Tongue besides the dreadfull Sound it makes in pronouncing 

 sentence, serves the purpose of an Elephant's Trunk, with which the Old Gen- 

 tlewoman takes up those she has convicted of Wickedness & throws them over 

 a vast high wall hewn out of one Solid Rock, that Surrounds this Region 

 of Misery, to prevent Escapes. They are receiv'd on the inside by another 

 Hideous Old Woman who consigns them over to Punishments proper for their 

 Crimes. When they have been chastiz'd here a certain Number of Years 

 according to their degrees of Guilt, they are thrown over the Wall again, & 

 drawn once more back into this World of Trial, where if they mend their 

 Manners they are conducted into the abovemention'd fine Country after their 

 Death. (Bassett, 1901, p. 201.) 



It would seem either that Bearskin had considerable decorative 

 imagination or that Byrd exercised much of that which we know 

 him to have possessed, while the teachers nad missionaries which the 

 former had encountered at Fort Christanna may have had some in- 

 fluence. The substructure is no doubt Indian nonetheless. 



Byrd provides us with the following Messianic story concerning the 

 Tuscarora Indians : 



The Indians have a very odd Tradition amongst tliem, that many years ago, 

 their Nation was grown so dishonest, that no man cou'd keep any Goods, or so 

 much as his loving Wife to himself. That, however, their God, being unwilling 

 to root them out for their crimes, did them the honour to send a Messenger from 

 Heaven to instruct them, and set Them a perfect Example of Integrity and kind 

 Behavior towards one another. 



