iving a long
cry of "Oh," which appears to have answered to our "Amen." Then the
men came forward, and the women went through a number of exercises,
which appear to have shocked and appalled our seamen.

"As if they had been desperate, they used violence against
themselves, crying and shrieking piteously, tearing their flesh
with their nails from their cheeks in a monstrous manner, the blood
streaming down over their bodies. Then, holding their hands above
their heads so that they might not save their bodies from harm,
they would with fury cast themselves upon the ground; never
respecting whether it were clean or soft, but dash themselves in
this manner on hard stones, knobby hillocks, stocks of wood, and
prickly bushes, or whatever else were in their way; iterating the
same course again and again, some nine or ten times each, others
holding out for fifteen or sixteen times, till their strength
failed them."

The admiral, horrified by this cruel exhibition of reverence,
ordered his men to fall to prayers; and signified to them that the
God whom we did serve did not approve of such measures as they had
taken.

Three days later the king himself came down, and the ceremonies
were repeated. The king then offered to the admiral the monarchy of
that land, and perceiving that this would please them, and having
in mind the honor and glory of her majesty, Captain Francis
accepted the crown, and with many ceremonies was installed king of
that country, taking possession of the land in the name of the
Queen. It is not a little singular that this, one of the richest
and most valuable portions of the United States, should thus have
become by right, alike, of discovery and of free gift of the
people, a possession of England.

For some days the people continued their cruel exercises upon
themselves, and so fixed were they in their idolatry that, even
when forcibly prevented acting this way, they would, immediately
they were released, set to with even redoubled fury to cut and
injure themselves.

After a time, their worship took a new form. All the people of the
country having wounds, shrunken limbs, or diseases of any kind were
brought down to be cured; and the people were much grieved that an
instantaneous cure could not be effected, but that our men
proceeded, by the application of lotions, plasters, and unguents,
to benefit those who had anticipated immediate remedy.

Altogether, the account given by the voyagers of the pe