historic girls-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！









MA…TA…OKA　OF　POW…HA…TAN：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　VIRGINIA　FORESTS。



＇Generally　known　as　〃The　Princess　Pocahontas。〃＇　A。D。　1607。



Throughout　that　portion　of　the；　easterly　United　States　where　the

noble　bay　called　the　Chesapeake　cuts　Virginia　in　two；　and　where

the　James；　broadest　of　all　the　rivers　of　the　〃Old　Dominion；〃

rolls　its　glittering　waters　toward　the　sea；　there　lived；　years

ago；　a　notable　race　of　men。



For　generations　they　had　held　the　land；　and；　though　their

clothing　was　scanty　and　their　customs　odd；　they　possessed　many　of

the　elements　of　character　that　are　esteemed　noble；　and；　had　they

been　left　to　themselves；　they　might　have　progressedso　people

who　have　studied　into　their　character　now　believeinto　a　fairly

advanced　stage　of　what　is　known　as　barbaric　civilization。



They　lived　in　long；　low　houses　of　bark　and　boughs；　each　house

large　enough　to　accommodate；　perhaps；　from　eighty　to　a　hundred

personstwenty　families　to　a　house。　These　〃long　houses〃　were；

therefore；　much　the　same　in　purpose　as　are　the　tenement…houses　of

to…day；　save　that　the　tenements　of　that　far…off　time　were　all　on

the　same　floor　and　were　open　closets　or　stalls；　about　eight　feet

wide；　furnished　with　bunks　built　against　the　wall　and　spread　with

deer…skin　robes　for　comfort　and　covering。　These　〃flats〃　or　stalls

were　arranged　on　either　side　of　a　broad；　central　passage…way；　and

in　this　passage…way；　at　equal　distances　apart；　fire　pits　were

constructed；　the　heat　from　which　would　warm　the　bodies　and　cook

the　dinners　of　the　occupants　of　the　〃long　house；〃　each　fire

serving　the　purpose　of　four　tenements　or　families。



In　their　mode　of　life　these　peopletall；　well…made；　attractive；

and　coppery…colored　folkwere　what　is　now　termed　communists；

that　is；　they　lived　from　common　stores　and　had　all　an　equal　share

in　the　land　and　its　yieldthe　products　of　their　vegetable

gardens；　their　hunting　and　fishing　expeditions；　their　home

labors；　and　their　household　goods。



Their　method　of　government　was　entirely　democratic。　No　one；　in

any　household；　was　better　off　or　of　higher　rank　than　his　brothers

or　sisters。　Their　chiefs　were　simply　men　（and　sometimes　women）

who　had　been　raised　to　leadership　by　the　desire　and　vote　of　their

associates；　but　who　possessed　no　special　authority　or　power；

except　such　as　was　allowed　them　by　the　general　consent　of　their

comrades；　in　view　of　their　wisdom；　bravery；　or　ability。　They

lived；　in　fact；　as　one　great　family　bound　in　close　association　by

their　habits　of　life　and　their　family　relationships；　and　they

knew　no　such　unnatural　distinction　as　king　or　subject；　lord　or

vassal。



Around　their　long　bark　tenements；　stretched　carefully　cultivated

fields　of　corn　and　pumpkins；　the　trailing　bean；　the　full…bunched

grapevine；　the　juicy　melon；　and　the　big…leafed　tabah；　or　tobacco。



The　field　work　was　performed　by　the　women；　not　from　any　necessity

of　a　slavish　condition　or　an　enforced　obedience；　but　because；

where　the　men　and　boys　must　be　warriors　and　hunters；　the　women

and　girls　felt　that　it　was　their　place　and　their　duty　to　perform

such　menial　labor　as；　to　their　unenlightened　nature；　seemed

hardly　suitable　to　those　who　were　to　become　chiefs　and　heroes。



These　sturdy　forest…folk　of　old　Virginia；　who　had　reached　that

state　of　human　advance；　midway　between　savagery　and　civilization；

that　is　known　as　barbarism；　were　but　a　small　portion　of　that

red…skinned；　vigorous；　and　most　interesting　race　familiar　to　us

under　their　general　but　wrongly…used　name　of　〃Indians。〃　They

belonged　to　one　of　the　largest　divisions　of　this　barbaric　race；

known　the　Algonquin　familya　division　created　solely　by　a

similarity　of　language　and　of　blood…relationshipsand　were；

therefore；　of　the　kindred　of　the　Indians　of　Canada；　of　New

England；　and　of　Pennsylvania；　of　the　valley　of　the　Ohio；　the

island　of　Manhattan；　and　of　some　of　the　far…away　lands　beyond　the

Mississippi。



So；　for　generations；　they　lived；　with　their　simple　home　customs

and　their　family　affections；　with　their　games　and　sports；　their

legends　and　their　songs；　their　dances；　fasts；　and　feasts；　their

hunting　and　their　fishing；　their　tribal　feuds　and　wars。　They　had

but　little　religious　belief；　save　that　founded　upon　the

superstition　that　lies　at　the　foundation　of　all　uncivilized

intelligence；　and　though　their　customs　show　a　certain　strain　of

cruelty　in　their　nature；　this　was　not　a　savage　and　vindictive

cruelty；　but　was；　rather；　the　result　of　what　was；　from　their　way

of　looking　at　things；　an　entirely　justifiable　understanding　of

order　and　of　law。



At　the　time　of　our　story；　certain　of　these　Algonquin　tribes　of

Virginia　were　joined　together　in　a　sort　of　Indian　republic；

composed　of　thirty　tribes　scattered　through　Central　and　Eastern

Virginia；　and　known　to　their　neighbors　as　the　Confederacy　of　the

Pow…ha…tans。　This　name　was　taken　from　the　tribe　that　was　at　once

the　strongest　and　the　most　energetic　one　in　this　tribal　union；

and　that　had　its　fields　and　villages　along　the　broad　river　known

to　the　Indians　as　the　Pow…ha…tan；　and　to　us　as　the　James。



The　principal　chief　of　the　Pow…ha…tans　was　Wa…bun…so…na…cook；

called　by　the　white　men　Pow…hatan。　He　was　a　strongly　built　but

rather　stern…faced　old　gentleman　of　about　sixty；　and　possessed

such　an　influence　over　his　tribesmen　that　he　was　regarded　as　the

head　man　（president；　we　might　say）；　of　their　forest　republic；

which　comprised　the　thirty　confederated　tribes　of　Pow…ha…tan。　The

confederacy；　in　its　strongest　days；　never　numbered　more　than

eight　or　nine　thousand　people；　and　yet　it　was　considered　one　of

the　largest　Indian　unions　in　America。　This；　therefore；　may　be

considered　as　pretty　good　proof　that　there　was　never；　after　all；

a　very　extensive　Indian　population　in　America；　even　before　the

white　man　discovered　it。



Into　one　of　the　Pow…ha…tan　villages　that　stood　very　near　the

shores　of　Chesapeake　Bay；　and　almost　opposite　the　now　historic

site　of　Yorktown；　came　one　biting　day；　in　the　winter　of　1607；　an

Indian　runner；　whose　name　was　Ra…bun…ta。　He　came　as　one　that　had

important　news　to　tell；　but　he　paused　not　for　shout　or　question

from　the　inquisitive　boys　who　were　tumbling　about　in　the　light

snow；　in　their　favorite　sport　of　Ga…wa…sa　or　the　〃snow…snake〃

game。　One　of　the　boys；　a　mischievous　and　sturdy　young　Indian　of

thirteen；　whose　name　was。　Nan…ta…qua…us；　even　tried　to　insert　the

slender　knob…headed　stick；　which　was　the　〃snake〃　in　the　game；

between　the　runner's　legs；　and　trip　him　up。　But　Ra…bun…ta　was　too

skilful　a　runner　to　be　stopped　by　trifles；　he　simply　kicked　the

〃snake〃　out　of　his　way；　and　hurried　on　to　the　long　house　of　the

chief。



Now　this　Indian　settlement　into　which　the　runner　had　come　was　the

Pow…ha…tan　village　of　Wero…woco…moco；　and　was　the　one　in　which

the　old　chief　Wa…bun…so…na…cook　usually　resided。　Here　was　the

long　council…house　in　which　the　chieftains　of　the　various　tribes

in　the　confederacy　met　for　counsel　and　for　action；　and　here；　too；

was　the　〃long　tenement…house〃　in　which　the　old　chief　and　his

immediate　family　lived。



It　was　into　this　dwelling　that　the　runner　dashed。　In　a　group

about　the　central　fire…pit　he　saw　the　chief。　Even　before　he　could

himself　stop　his　headlong　speed；　however；　his　race　with　news　came

to　an　unexpected　end。　The　five　fires　were　all　surrounded　by

lolling　Indians；　for　the　weather　in　that　winter　of　1607　was

terribly　cold；　and　an　Indian；　when　inside　his　house；　always　likes

to　get　as　near　to　the　fire　as　possible。　But　down　the　long

passage…way　the　children　were　noisily　playing　at　their　gamesat

gus…ka…eh；　or　〃peach…pits；〃　at　gus…ga…e…sa…ta；　or　〃deer…buttons；〃

and　some　of　the　younger　boys　were　turning　wonderful　somersaults

up　and　down　the　open　spaces　between　the　fire…pits。　Just　as　the

runner；　Ra…bun…ta；　sped　up　the　passage…way；　one　of　these　youthful

gymnasts　with　a　dizzy　succession　of　hand…springs　came　whizzing

down　the　passage…way　right　in　the　path　of　Ra…bun…ta。



There　was　a　sudden　collision。　The　tumbler's　stout　little　feet

came　plump　against　the　breast　of　Ra…bun…ta；　and　so　sudden　and

unexpected　was　the　shock　that　both　recoiled；　and　runner　and

gymnast　alike　tumbled　over　in　a　writhing　heap　upon　the　very　edge

of　one　of　the　big　bonfires；　Then　there　was　a　great　shout　of

laughter；　for　the　Indians　dearly　loved　a　joke；　and　such　a　rough

piece　of　unintentional　pleasantry　was　especially　relished。



〃Wa；　wa；　Ra…bun…ta；〃　they　shouted；　pointing　at　the　discomfited

runner　as　he　picked　himself　out　of　the　fire；　〃knocked　over　by　a

girl！〃



And　the　deep　voice　of　the　old　chief　said　half　sternly；　half

tenderly：



〃My　daughter；　you　have　wellnigh　killed　our　brother　Ra…bun…ta　with

your　foolery。　That　is　scarce　girls'　play。　Why　will　you　be　such　a

po…ca…hun…tas？〃＇1＇



＇1＇　Po…ca…hun…tas；　Algonquin　for　a　little　〃tomboy。〃





The　runner　joined　in　the　laugh　against　him　quite　as　merrily　as

did　the　rest；　and　made　a　dash　at　the　li