former are their war-captains, and
the latter such as have passed the trial of huskanawing. Their priests
and conjurors have great authority among them. They have servants whom
they call black boys, and are very exact in requiring the respect that is
due to their several qualities.

Most of the Indians live on the eastern shore, where they have two or
three little towns; some of them go over to the other side, in winter
time, to hunt for deer, being generally employed by the English. They
take delight in nothing else, and it is very rare that any of them will
embrace the Christian way of living and worship. There are about 500
fighting Indians in all the province; the cause of their diminution
proceeded not from wars with the English, for they have none with them
worth speaking of, but from the perpetual discords and wars among
themselves. The female sex have always swept away a great many.

One thing is observed in them, though they are a people very timorous and
cowardly in fight, yet when taken prisoners and condemned, they will die
like heroes, braving the most exquisite tortures that can be invented,
and singing all the time they are upon the rack.

We find several of the Indians doing actions which would do honour to the
greatest heroes of antiquity: thus captain Smith, who was one of the
first adventurers in planting the colony of Virginia, being taken
prisoner, while he was making discoveries, by king Oppecamcanough, he not
only spared Mr. Smith's life, but carried him to his town and feasted
him; and afterwards presented him to Powhaton, the chief king of the
savages, who would have beheaded him, had he not been saved by the
intercession and generosity of his daughter, Pocahonto, who, when Mr.
Smith's head was on the block, and she could not prevail with her father
to give him his life, put her own head upon his, and ventured receiving
the blow to save him, though she was scarce then sixteen years of age.

Some time after, Sir Thomas Dale sent captain Argall to Patowmac to buy
corn, where he met with Pocahonta. He invited her to come aboard his
ship, which with some difficulty she consented to, being betrayed by the
king of Postcany, brother to the king of Patowmac, with whom she then
resided.

Argall, having got her into his custody, detained her, and carried her to
James's Town, intending to oblige her father, king Powhaton, to come to
what terms he pleased for the deliverance of his daughter. Thou