Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-04-22
.AN. ANcIENT NORTH oARoLINA BOOK.

AN ANCIENT NORTH CAROLINA BOOK.
We have been shown By Col. John IT. Wheeler,
who has been spending few days IN this his native
village rare folio volume, n Latin printed at
tory Of the rst and second expeditions, fitted out
by Sir Walter Raleigh, to the coast of Carolina in
1886 and 1885, It contains two curious maps of
the coast and about twenty other beautiful engray
plans of their towns 1t would be difficult at the
present day TO find artists who could excel those
engraVings. The book is Hariot's Account of Vir-
gnia and copy of one OF the charts of the volume
can be found in Wheeler's History. 1t contains
much curious information with regard to the man
and customs of the Indians the products of the
soil and condition of the country.
We We're struck, Says the wilmington Herald)
on glancing over this book, to ascertain the high
state of cultivation which the Indians had attained
Before the adventof the white discoveries, theirs
must have been happy lives undlsturbed by foes
IN the enjoyment of their wild pleasures favored
with a genial cline, productive soil and waters
Astounding in fish. It Paradise to the savage.
The expedition arrived off the coast in 1886, and
we append here translation of the description OF
the first arrival It will be recoected that this
in the year 1885, more than thirty years before the
settlement of the Pilgrims at Plymouth and more
than twenty years before the advent of the English
at jamestown. The expedition landed at Roanoke
Island now in Currituck county:
ARRIVAL THE ENGLISH IN VIRGINIA, (NoRTH
CARoLINA). The coast of Virginia abounds in is
lands, which render the approach to that country
very difficult for, although they are separated from
each other by wide and frequent channels, which
seem to promise ), convenient ingress, yet; to
serious injury, we found them to be full of shoals,
and dangerous, by reason of the scantiness of the
water. Nor were we ever able to penetrate within,
until we had lessened the dangers to the ships (by
examining the channels in many and various places.
We at length found passage through an opening
which had been thoroughly sounded by our sailors.
Having entered here, and sailed along for some
siderable time, we observed considerable stream,
which discharged itself opposite to the islands above
We could not enter it, however, ac-
count of sand bar which filled its mouth. Pro-
ceedng on further therefore, we came to large
island the inhabitants If which, seeing u.s. set up
a frightful YELL as if they had never before seen
such race of men as we WERE and scampered away
like madmen or wild beasts. But, being invited
back by our friendly signals and by the toys
hbed to them, such as looking glasses little knives
dolls and other tres which thought would please
them, they stopped, and observing good inten-
tons and friendly dispositions, dismissed their ap
prehensions and welcomed our arrival. From thence
they led us to their city, called RoANoAc, and also
to their WERowANs chief, who received quite |
though greatly astonished at our ap-
Dearance.
Such was arrival in that part of the new world
which call Virginia Of the stature of whose in /
costumes food, manners social and relig
GUS festivals, shall severally treat. 1885,
1t is very curious in examining the charts of this
Volume, to see the great changes that have taken
place in the form of the coast. They original
y deep inlets, throug one of which the vessels of
he expedition passed into Albemarle Sound these
ire now all closed. Places appear to have become
Hatteras, called Hatorasck, is not that
earfu cape running far out into the at the
present time, while Look Out is represented the
nap as far more dangerous point.
The Indians had curious method of preserving
he dead bodies of their chiefs for seputure and
ppend description of the modus operandi |
SEPULCHREs THEIR CHIEFS. They build sort
# scaffoldng, nine ten feet high, in the manner
in this engraving, place of sculpture
or their Werowans chiefs. The floor is covered
With mat, and the dead bodies of their chiefs
sembowel the body, then the skin is taken off,
nd afterwards whatever flesh there is, even to the
zones. These, after having been separated from the
ones, are dried in the sun, and when thoroughly
red rolled up in mat and placed at the feet of
he body; afterwards, the bones (still clinging to-
ether by their ligaments, unbroken and undecayedD
re wrapped ina hide, and the body is so arranged
S if the flesh had not been taken away. Upon this
ody thus prepared they fit the natural skin again.
nd then place it with the bodies of their other
hiefS in its order Near to these, the Idol Kiwasa-
which have made mention in a preceding
hapter-is placed to protect them. At little dis
ance below this scaffold, of their prophets
r sacred men has his habitation, who murmurs
rayers by night and day, and has the care of the
odes.
ne sand banks of Roanoke Island, was the first
nglo-Saxon anchor cast and that here is the birth
lace of our mighty empire Before the colony at
JAMESTOWN was settled, or the Mayfower landed at
lymouth did the brave cavaliers of the gallant Raj
gh land on the coast of Carolina and here was the
radle in which rocked the infant whose gigan-
limbs now stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
is one of the cherished recollectons of State,
which her sons are justly proud
Mur1reesborougA Gazette.
TIE HOME MOTHER. Some one, writing for the
oIo ,fOfY,r Of 4