Stick or no stick, Powhatan did, indeed, send a man to England with Pocahontas and John Rolfe in 1616, and he was required to count the people and trees there and report back when he returned. Hakluyt or somebody interviewed him in London, and he mentioned that he had been instructed to count the people and trees, a labor that the Indian, whose name escapes me (I haven't the sources in my office) speedily abandoned. Not having seen the movie, I refrain from anything further remarks. Brent Tarter The Library of Virginia [log in to unmask] Visit the Library of Virginia's web site at http://www.lva.lib.va.us -----Original Message----- From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Henry Wiencek Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 11:24 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: NYT praises "The New World," new version I saw the film Saturday and have had a hard time getting it out of my head. It grows richer the more I think about it. Just one item: when Pocahontas and John Rolfe sail for England they are accompanied on the boat by an Indian who displays a short stick and declares with great confidence that when he gets to the other side of the sea he will count the English, and will make a notch on his stick for each one he sees. He also says he is going to see God. So we laugh at this foolish savage who thinks he can count the innumerable English on a tiny stick, but the joke is on us. Only an artist of genius could conceive this metaphor of the folly of humans trying to comprehend what is on the other side. The mystery of divinity and the question of divinity's presence in the world are recurring themes in Malick's films. HW To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html