ysters, goodly trees, flowers of all colors, and
strawberries. Returning to their ships and finding the water shallow,
they rowed over to a point of land, where they found from six to twelve
fathoms of water, which put them in good comfort, therefore they named
that part of the land Cape Comfort. On the 29th they set up a cross on
Chesapeake Bay, on Cape Henry, and the next day coasted to the Indian
town of Kecoughton, now Hampton, where they were kindly entertained.
When they first came to land the savages made a doleful noise, laying
their paws to the ground and scratching the earth with their nails. This
ceremony, which was taken to be a kind of idolatry, ended, mats were
brought from the houses, whereon the guests were seated, and given
to eat bread made of maize, and tobacco to smoke. The savages also
entertained them with dancing and singing and antic tricks and grimaces.
They were naked except a covering of skins about the loins, and many
were painted in black and red, with artificial knots of lovely colors,
beautiful and pleasing to the eye. The 4th of May they were entertained
by the chief of Paspika, who favored them with a long oration, making
a foul noise and vehement in action, the purport of which they did not
catch. The savages were full of hospitality. The next day the weroance,
or chief, of Rapahanna sent a messenger to invite them to his seat. His
majesty received them in as modest a proud fashion as if he had been a
prince of a civil government. His body was painted in crimson and his
face in blue, and he wore a chain of beads about his neck and in his
ears bracelets of pearls and a bird's claw. The 8th of May they went up
the river to the country Apomatica, where the natives received them in
hostile array, the chief, with bow and arrows in one hand, and a pipe of
tobacco in the other, offering them war or peace.
These savages were as stout and able as any heathen or Christians in
the world. Mr. Percy said they bore their years well. He saw among the
Pamunkeys a savage reported to be 160, years old, whose eyes were sunk
in his head, his teeth gone his hair all gray, and quite a big beard,
white as snow; he was a lusty savage, and could travel as fast as
anybody.
The Indians soon began to be troublesome in their visits to the
plantations, skulking about all night, hanging around the fort by
day, bringing sometimes presents of deer, but given to theft of small
articles, and showing jealousy of the oc
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