Unto their pale-face leader show
The pipe of peace and warlike bow.
“As they proceeded up the river, another company of Indians appeared in arms. Their chief, Apamatica, holding in one hand his bow and arrows, and in the other a pipe of tobacco, demanded the cause of their coming.”—Smith’s Virginia.
[[NOTE 8—CANTO FIRST, SECT. XIV.]]
As round his brawny limbs he drew
His feathery mantle, broad and blue.
“For their apparell they are sometimes covered with the skins of wild beasts, which in winter are dressed with the hayre, but in summer without. The better sort use large mantels of deer skins, not much differing in fashion from the Irish mantels. Some imbrodered with white beads, some with copper, other painted after their manner.
“We have seen some use mantels made of turkey feathers, so prettily wrought and woven with threads that nothing could be discerned but the feathers. That was exceeding warm and very handsome.”—Smith’s History of Virginia.
[[NOTE 9—CANTO SECOND, SECT. I.]]
A stout and trusty guard was placed
Around the lodge, whose hands embraced
The battle-axe or bended bow,
Ready to meet a coming foe.
“About his person ordinarily attendeth a guard of forty or fifty of the tallest men his country doth afford. Every night upon the four quarters of his house are four sentinels, each from other a light shoot, and at every half hour one from the corps du guard doth hollow, shaking his lips with his finger betweene them; unto whom every sentinel doth answer round from his stand. If any faile, they presently send forth an officer that beateth him extremely.”—Smith’s Virginia.