Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-15
OUR ABORIGINAL PREDECESSORS.
WHO WE'RE THE MASSAWO.
MEX ES.
Some Account of the Savage Tribes
Who Used TO Inhablt This Part OF
the COnmtPv.

Some Account of the savage Tribes
the Country.
At the meeting of the Anthropolog1cal Society
on the 4th instant, PROT A. L. Guss read an in
terest1ng paper on ''Who were the Massawo-
mekes? An inquiry into the Identity OF certain
Indians met by Captain John Smith at the
head OF the Chesapeake Bay In 1908, with some
account of certain members Of the Huron Iro-
quo1s family Obliterated at an early date, and
overlooked by The historians" Four suo-divt-
s1ons OF this question, he said, were suggested.
1. What facts are related by Smith and his
companions concerning the MaSSawomekes? g
To what Aboriginal family. nation and tribe
have our historical writer's referred them? 8.
Is this identification correct: If not, what Is
ton and situation of the several nations and
tribes OF the Huron IrOquois family during the
first half century OF European settlements. or
PILOT 70 tne changes incident on the introduce
The settlement at jamestown was made in
1861, one hundred and fifteen years after the
discovery OF America. Although some attempts
at exploration and settlement were made along
tne Middle Atlantic Coast prior to this date. vet
Lne Indian history of the states north of the
Delt adjoining the Gulf OF Mexico is as COM
plcteiy unknown during these lis years as dur
ing the great indefinite period prior to the dis
coyery.
JOHN SMITHS EXPLORATIONS.
smiths History first Introduces us to the
first published fragmentary, then as a whole. i'm
London In 1929. and reprinted at Richmond, Va.
IN Iols; The second BoOke" Is from the pen of
capt. Smith himself, and contains an account
among many other Interesting things. of meet
Ing seven boats full OF these Massawomakas,'
at the head of the Chesapeake bay. The .Tuird
Do S2 Is extracted from the narratives Of sew
eral OF Smiths companions as edited by DR..
M1lllam S1mons, and this also speaks of the
MasSaWomekeS, giving some additional details.
quotation quotations We're given from both Smith and
1nry,
up Ine chesapeake bay In zoos, the first com
m 10 zee June 2, and the. other July "a.
IN and an h.d open tn # barge Of "about two tuns
this discovery" Yet he produced map of the
chesapeake and its tnflowing streams. which
was long the standard, and which must ever re-
t ma marvellous monument Of this indefatiga-
nle explorer. It was during the first voyage,
while among the savages of Cus-kar-a Wa6l,'
now the Nanttcoke river. opposite the mouth of
Marchants OF all other SalvageS, " that he
FIRST HEARD OF THE MAssAwoMEKFs
ne says Ihe Indians much extolled great
nation called Massawomekes." They pointed
across the pay as the direction from which they
came anc smith, inferr1ng that they might be
on the Islands in the bay, returned by Iimbo
In search OF them. Not finding them he rOWed
up the bay and crossed over to the western
shore, and came as far north as Bolus. now
GunpoWder river. Here he eXhorted his men:
,hegaln your Old spirits. for return will not.
II God please. until l have seen the Massa,
water you conceit to be endless" Sickness.
however, compelled his return. At the mouth
Oh lne Potomac they summoned courage to ex-
plOre that river.
Then returning to the mouth OF the James
river, where the natives inferred from some
signs that they had been to war. and pressed
s tilI lor an answer, and their inquirers were
finally told as great secret, that the explorers
had taken sroflS from the MaSsawomekes.
when report spread up the river towards
Jamestown faster than they rowed the barge.
hQ n afj
ana ON the west side as far south as Fortress
Monroe, were In constant dread of the incur
SONS OF people they termed Massawo mekes,
and that their description greatly excited Smith
to see them. '--i'11
JOHN SMITH FINDS THE MAssAwoMEKEs.
On the second voyage, returning to the mouth
OF the James. In the vicinity Of the present
Fortress Monroe, Smith again imposed upOn the
credul1ty Of the natives by feigning an exnedi
ton against the Massawomekes, and by this
means was well feasted by the king. They
s tI1 roWed beyond the point reached during the
ilrst voyage, and explored the head of the
chesapeake bay. While crossing the head Of the
pay they met seven canoes filled with the VERT
taole MasSaWomekes Both parties made pre-
finally took to the shore. and there stood Staring
az the strange sig hit until Smith Is boat anchored
close close by them: After long elaboration two of
Inem Ventured to come to Smith In canoe fol-
lowed by the others at a distance. The two
being presented with bell each, the whole
party soon became so familiar that they all came
ABOARD a the barge They did not understand
each other and had conference only by signs.
rom which Smith inferred that they had been
10 war with the TOckwoghS a Lennf LenaDa
t LTD on the Elk river east OF the head of the
Oay, 1or tney showed fresh wounds as evidence
of an encounter. They gave Smith .syenison,
bears flesh, fish. bows, arrows, clubs. targets
and bear skins" THE night parting us. we
I Inaas h tney appointed the next morning to
meet, Dut after that we never saw Them" IA
rocky river where the MaSSawomekeS went up
We W. called W1IoWbyes river" now known as the
rtaIapsco at baltimore. This is all there is Of
this only interview with this unknown people
a. These GYANT LIKE PEOPLE. THE s.soUEs,.
HANoCKSn
Ine next day Sm1 b discovered the river and
people Called Tockwog, who being about to
friends ON seeing the MasSawomekes, Weapons
ana pelng made to believe they were taken by
force: While On the Susquehanna river Smith
SEM ior ana mas an interview with some sixty
OF those ''gyant-like people," termed by him
oasqueSahanocks, mighty people and mortal
enemies with the MassawOmekes They came
GOWN rom their chief town, Sasquesahanough,
located near Columbia, Pa They numbered
800 able men" and the nation had, as given on
SMITHS map, five other towns. land are palli-
Sadoeo In tAelr towns to defend them from the
MaSSawOmekeS. their m ortal enemies They
promised Smith their aid and v1ctuals and What.
ever they had besides If he would be their gov
eTnor and protector. ito defend and revenge
them OF the NASSAU omekes." Many descrip-
llonS OF this much-fe AIRED people were given.
and very strong argum entS presented by Prof
GusS, showing that mo st of the Indian histor-
lanS nave been mfsled in expressing the belief
That this famous people we're the Iroauois or
Mohawk tribes, and taking the ground that
tney were the Fries, and for many generations
mad lived adjacent to the lake which bears their
name, and that they were In the habit of hos
Tile excursions On the natives OF the Susuuehanna
river and those east OF the head of the bay, as
well as on the lower parts OF the bay as noticed.
On thelr return Smith explored the Pawtuxent
whose people he found very CIVIL and he prom
lsed them. as also those of the Patawomeks. to
aveDge them OF the MaSSawOmekes. After
wards, In exploring the Rappahannock he had
some dlfhculty with the natives, and used the
MassaWomekes, targets as guards around the
beat TO ward off the arrows
FIVE YEARS PRISONER TO INDIANS ON THE SITE
OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
proceeding, Prof. GuSS relates that he has re-
Gently found la Neill's IF Ounders OF Maryland"
the journal or Henry Fleet giving an account Of
a trading trip up the Pot OInac In 1872 The
facts related being within twenty -four years of
smiths explorations, are OF special interest
rms interest Is enhanced greatly by the circum-
stance that the writer was taken prisoner in
l6zz Oy the AnalOStanS, who lived on and near
the site OF the city OF Washington, and was
with them five years. Being ranSomad he re-
turned TO England, when letter writer of that
DAY says: "He repOrteth that he hath often
times been within sight or the south seas"
His representations induced some ship owners
10 send him Into the Potomac to trade for
BEAVER. His journal is an account of his trim
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