the native village of Kecoughtan was described as a village within
1000 cleared acres, planted with copses of mulberry trees, which the
natives liked for shade. Strachey describes it as originally being
inhabited by 1000 people in 300 dwellings, but by the time Smith
arrived, there were only 18 houses and 240 warriors. Powhatan had
recently taken it over and had it populated with his own people. Gov.
Gates removed the natives in 1610 and it was taken over by the
English, became a very important trading port, and was near what is
now the heart of dowtown Hampton. [I have read that small, hasty
excavations were done in the area many decades ago, does anyone know
where these artifacts would be located?]
A description of a Powhatan meal: food was spread on mats on the
ground, a dish of corn, or hominy and beans [a special delicacy],
broiled fish, roasting ears of corn; roasted meat was always served
seperately from boiled, and meat and bread were never eaten together.
Men sat on one side, women on the other. Before eating, they took a
small bit of food from the dish and threw it into the fire as an
offering, and said a short "grace." Leftovers were gathered up, to be
served again or given to those who were destitute. Hands were washed
before the meal from a platter of water. In Kecoughtan a feast was
described, of oysters, fish, wildfowl, and good bread before a
roaring fire.
BTW the Wicomico Indians were described as "diminutive", the
Rappahannocks as tall, and Smith measured the thigh of one
Susquehannock warrior as being 3/4 of a yard in circumference! The
women were described as very comely, with delicate features; they
wore, among other things, necklaces of pearls and bracelets of copper
and pearls. The women were also tattooed, with designs of flowers and
tendrils of vines. I have read that they used the black sap of poison
ivy to make this tattoo ink [and probably other things as well], so
the story that native Americans were generally immune to poison ivy
seems to be true [although some of the plains Indians had herbal
remedies for it, perhaps they had not been as exposed as Indians in
the eastern woodlands, and thus had not developed an immunity]. They
also wove the fibrous ivy roots into baskets. Which I am sure the
English loved [an early 'biological warfare' happened during the Rev.
War, when the colonists planted poison ivy along the peninsula, to
try to inflict misery on the advancing British troops. My few drops
of Powhatan blood might be the reason I have never in my life had so
much as a bump from poison ivy. If the softball goes into a patch of
the stuff, I am the one sent in to retrieve it.].
Hope this helps you flesh out your story.
Nancy
-------
I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.
--Daniel Boone
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