The Indians so loved and adored him, that I have seen them hug him and lift him up in their Arms, and fain would have chosen him for a King of the Sapony Nation.
The Southern Indians, that came several hundred Miles to meet the Governor, there to treat of War, and Peace, and Trade, though they had several murthered by their own Northern Enemies, (even under the Mouths of our great Guns, and whilst we were there) which made them somewhat jealous that we had betray'd them; yet left several Children under his Care, and engaged themselves to send more, though they themselves would not relinquish their Barbarity; for they in reasoning with us by Interpreters, asked Leave to be excused from becoming as we are; for they thought it hard, that we should desire them to change their Manners and Customs, since they did not desire us to turn Indians: However, they permitted their Children to be brought up in our Way; and when they were able to judge for themselves, they were to live as the English, or as the Indians, according to their best liking.
The Indians have a blind Worship and Sacrifice, Priests, and Physicians, and Expiation, with howling Lamentations and Purgation at their Burials: All which I have seen at the Funeral of their Slain at Christanna, whom they buried thus; having made Holes like Saw-Pits, and lined them with Bark and Sticks, they wrapped the Bodies in the best Cloth they could buy with the Skins of the Deceased, and laid them in the Graves, with all the Cloths, Skins and Nicknacks of the Dead: Then they covered the Body hollow with Sticks, and flung in the Earth with mournful Noise; so the Bodies lay as in Coffins.
The Priest or Physician in curing the Wounded, made an hideous Noise, singing certain Charms, with particular Actions and Forms of Incantation, to which he ascribed the Cure, tho' I believe this is done only to blind the common Indians; for I observed he did not begin his Operation, till he had been in the Woods. Then he shut us all out for an Hour, and when we were readmitted, I perceived he had been using certain Roots and Herbs that I knew not.
Upon Enquiry, we have from them these their Notions of the State of the Dead.
They believe that they go to Mohomny that lives beyond the Sun, if they have not been Wicked, nor like Dogs nor Wolves, that is, not unchast, then they believe that Mohomny sends them to a plentiful Country abounding with Fish, Flesh and Fowls, the best of their Kind, and easy to be caught; but if they have been naughty, then he sends them to a poor barren Country, where be many Wolves and Bears, with a few nimble Deer, swift Fish and Fowls, difficult to be taken; and when killed, being scarce any thing but Skin and Bones.
They allow Polygamy, if the Man can maintain his Family, as I have been informed.
They punish Adultery in a Woman by cutting off her Hair, which they fix upon a long Pole without the Town; which is such a Disgrace that the Party is obliged to fly, and becomes a Victim to some Enemy, a Slave to some Rover, or perishes in the Woods.
They have certain Hieroglyphical Methods of characterizing Things; an Instance of which I have seen upon the Side of a Tree where the Bark was taken off.
There was drawn something like a Deer and a River, with certain Strokes and Dashes; the Deer looking down the River, which we interpreted to be left for Information to some of their stragling Company, that certain of them were gone down that River a Hunting, and others were gone different Ways.