Page:Eventful life, and curious adventures of Peter Williamson.pdf/13

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The Life of Peter Williamson.

scalping knife, ript open their bellies, took out their entrails, and burnt them before their eyes, whilst the others were cutting, piercing, and tearing the flesh from their breasts, hands, arms, and legs, with Ted hot irons, till they were dead. The third unhappy victim was reserved a few hours longer, to be, if possible, sacrificed in a more cruel manner ; his arms were tied close to his body, and a hole being dug deep enough for him to stand upright, he was put therein, and earth rammed and beat in all round his body up to his neck, so that his head only appeared above ground; they then scalped him, and there let him remain for three or four hours in the greatest agonies; after which they made a small fire near his head, causing him to suffer the most excruciating torments imaginable, dhilst the poor creature could only cry for mercy in killing him immediately, for bis brains were boiling in his head: inexorable to all his plaints, they continued the fire, whilst, shocking to behold ! his eyes gushed out of their sockets; and such agonizing torments did the unhappy creature suffer for two hours, till he was ijuite dead! They then cut off his head, and buried it with the other bodies; my task being to dig the graves, which, feeble and terrified as I was, the dread of suffering the same fate, enabled me to do. A great snow bow falling,

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the barbarians were a little fearful, lest the white people should, by their traces, find out their sculking retreats, which obliged them to make the best of their way to their winter quarters, about 200 miles farther from any plantations, or inhabitants; where, after a long and tedious journey, being almost starved, I arrived with this infernal crew. The place where we were to rest, in their tongue, is called Alamitigo.—There we found a number of wigwams* full of their women and children. Dancing, singing, and shooting, were there general amusements ; and in all their festivals and dances they relate what successes they have had, and what damages they have sustained in their expeditions; in which I became part of their theme. The severity of the cold increasing, they stript me of my cloaths for their own use, and gave me such as they usually wore themselves, being a piece of blanket, a pair of mogganes, or shoes, with a yard of coarse cloth, to put round me instead of breeches. To

they give their houses, which are no more than little huts, made with three or four forked stakes drove into the ground, and covered wit h deer or other skins; or, for want of them, with largo leaves and earth.
 * WtGWAMS are the names