Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/93

 SECT. II.] ALGQNKIN-LENAPE AND IROQUOIS NATIONS. 57 And west of the more northern Powhatans, and principally on the upper waters of the Rappahannock, were the Man- nahoks, who consisted of various tribes, differing in language, and in alliance with the Monacans. This account taken literally, so far as it relates to the Monacans and the Mannahoks, is attended with several dif- ficulties. The Mannahoks were almost interspersed with the Powhatans, since they were met by Smith on the tide-waters of the Rappahannock. And the lower town of the Monacans on James River appears to have been immediately above the falls. Lawson says that the well-known coal mine above Richmond w 7 as near the Monacan town. It may be that the Tuscaroras had extended their dominion as far north as James River. But it is not improbable that the tribes, seated above the falls of James River, embraced under the general desig- nation of Monacans, were tributaries of the Tuscaroras ; and that they, as well as the Mannahoks were, in fact, Lenape tribes, speaking a different language from the Powhatans, and, as usual, generally at war with them. We find indeed that the Susquehannocks themselves, hard pressed as they were by the Five Nations, were, about the year 1637, carrying on a constant predatory war against the Powhatan tribe settled near the mouth of the Potomac. # The Tuscaroras and other Iroquois tribes, inhabiting the country south of the Powhatans, will be hereafter noticed. No specimen has been preserved of the languages of any of the tribes, either Monacans or Mannahoks, living west of the Powhatans. Of the language of these, we have only the scanty vocabulary left by Smith, with a few scattered additional words found in Beverly's " History of Virginia " ; but these are sufficient to establish beyond a doubt, that they were a Lenape tribe. The first Virginia settlers maintained an intercourse, often interrupted by hostilities, with the Powhatans during the life of the great chief, father of Pocahontas. Soon after his death, the Indians made an attempt to destroy the infant colony. Near three hundred and fifty English settlers were massacred, and more than three fourths of the plantations abandoned. The English soon recovered, and the contest terminated in a total defeat and partial subjugation of the VOL. II. 8
 * Bozman's History of Maryland.