In the Year 1663. at the Indians Request, the present Governor Mr. Charles Calvert, and some others of his Lordships Privy-Council there, went to Pascatoway, in this Province, to be present at the Election of a new Emperor for that Nation: They presented a Youth nam’d Nattawasso, and humbly Requested to have him confirm’d Emperor of Pascatoway, by the Name of Wahocasso; which after some charge given them in general, to be good and faithful Subjects to him, the Governor accordingly did, and receiv’d him into his Protection.
They pay great Respect and Obedience to their Kings and Superiors, whose Commands they immediately Execute, though with an apparent hazard of their Lives.
The Mens chief employment is Hunting, and the Wars, in both which they commonly use Bowes and Arrows; some of late have Guns and other Weapons, by a private Trade with some English Neighboring Plantations: They are excellent Marks-men, it being the onely thing they breed their Youth to: The Women Plant and look after the Corn, make their Bread, and dress what Provisions their Husbands bring home. Their way of Marriage is by agreement with the Womens Parents or Friends, who for a certain Sum of their Money, or other Goods, deliver her to the Man at a day appointed, which is commonly spent in jollity.
Their Money.
There are two sorts of Indian Money, Wampompeage and Roanoack, these serve among them as Gold and Silver do in Europe, both are made of Fish-shells, which they string like Beads; Wampompeage is the largest Bead, sixty whereof countervails an Arms length of Roanoack, which is valued at six Pence Sterling; with this they purchase Commodities of the English, as Trading-Cloth, &c. of which they make themselves Mantles, which is something shaggy, and is call’d Dutch Duffels; this is their Winter Habit; in Summer they onely wear a narrow slip of the same to cover those parts, which natural modesty teaches them to conceal; the better sort have Stockings made thereof, and pieces of Deer-Skin, stitch’d together about their Feet in stead of Shooes: The Womens Apparel is the same, but those of the best Quality among them bedeck themselves with Wampompeage or Roanoack, or some other toy.
Manner of habitation.
Their Houses are rais’d about the height of a large Arbor, and cover’d with Barks of Trees very tite, in the middle whereof is the Fire-place, they lie generally upon Mats of their own making, plac’d round the Fire, a Woodden-bowl or two, an Earthen Pot, and a Mortar and Pestle, is their chiefest Houshold-stuff; he that hath his Bowe and Arrows, or Gun, a Hatchet, and a Canoo, (a term they use for Boats) is in their minds rarely well provided for; each House contains a distinct Family, each Family hath its peculiar Field about the Town, where they Plant their Corn, and other sorts of Grain afore-mention’d.
Civility to the English.
They are courteous to the English, if they chance to see any of them coming towards their Houses, they immediately meet him half-way, conduct him in, and bid him welcome with the best Cates they have: The English giving them in like manner civil Entertainment, according to their Quality.
The Werowance of Patuxent having been Treated for some days at St. Maries, by the then Governor, Mr. Leonard Calvert, his Lordships Brother, at his first coming thither to settle that Colony, took his leave of him with this Expression, I love the English so well, that if they should go about to kill me, if I had so much breath as to speak, I would Command my People not to revenge my death; for I know they would not do such a thing, except it were through my own default.