their boats in Virginia is very
wonderful. For whereas they want instruments of iron or others like
unto ours, yet they know how to make them as handsomely, to sail with
where they list in their rivers, and to fish withal, as ours. First
they choose some long and thick tree, according to the bigness of the
boat which they would frame, and make a fire on the ground about the
roots thereof, kindling the same by little and little with dry moss of
trees, and chips of wood that the flame should not mount up too high,
and burn too much of the length of the tree. When it is almost burnt
through, and ready to fall they make a new fire which they suffer to
burn until the tree falls of its own accord. Then burning off the top
and boughs of the tree in such wise that the body of the same may
retain his just length, they raise it upon poles laid over cross wise
upon forked posts at such a reasonable height as they may handsomely
work upon it. Then take they off the bark with certain shells; they
reserve the innermost part of the bark for the nethermost part of the
boat. On the other side they make a fire according to the length of the
body of the tree saving at both the ends. That which they think is
sufficiently burned, they quench and scrape away with shells, and
making a new fire they burn it again and so they continue, sometimes
burning and sometimes scraping until the boat have sufficient
bottoms."--_Harriot's Report._

NOTE _p_.--"They are a people clothed with loose mantles made of deer
skin, and aprons of the same round about their middles."--_Harriot's
Report._

NOTE _s_.--"They have commonly conjurers or jugglers, which use strange
gestures, and often contrary to nature in their enchantments: For they
be very familiar with devils of whom they inquire what their enemies
do, or other such things."--_Harriot's Report._

* * * * *

Transcriber's Notes

Page xiii: Changed thay to that
(Tradition relates thay they transplanted this vine).

Spelling variations:

Page 55: Das-a-mon-que-peu
Page 63: Das-a-mon-gue-pue
Pages 83, 84, 86: Dasamonguepeuc

Pages xii, xiv: Hariot
Appendix Notes: Harriot

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