IV.
THE LEGEND OF GUERNACHE.--Chap. II.
THE FESTIVAL OF TOYA.
Being a continuation of the legend of Guernache; showing the superstitions of the Red-Men; how Guernache offended Captain Albert, and what followed from the secret efforts of the Frenchmen to penetrate the mysteries of Toya!
It would be difficult to say, from the imperfect narratives affordedus by the chroniclers, what were the precise objects of the presentceremonials;--what gods were to be invoked;--what evil beingsimplored;--what wrath and anger to be deprecated and diverted from thedevoted tribes. As the Frenchmen received no explanation of their mysticpreparations, so are we left unenlightened by their revelations. They donot even amuse us by their conjectures, and Laudonniere stops short inhis narrative of what did happen, apologizing for having said so muchon so trifling a matter. We certainly owe him no gratitude for hisforbearance. What he tells us affords but little clue to the motive oftheir fantastic proceedings. The difficulty, which is at present ours,was not less that of Albert and his Frenchmen. They were compelled tobehold the outlines of a foreign ritual whose mysteries they were notpermitted to explore, and had their curiosity provoked by shows of amost exciting character, which only mocked their desires, and tantalizedtheir appetites. On the first arrival of Albert, and after he had beenrested and refreshed, Audusta himself had conducted him, with hisfollowers, to the spot which had been selected for the ceremonies of themorrow. "This was a great circuit of ground with open prospect and roundin figure." Here they saw "many women roundabout, which labored by allmeans to make the place cleane and neate." The ceremonies began earlyon the morning of the ensuing day. Hither they repaired in season, andfound "all they which were chosen to celebrate the feast," already"painted and trimmed with rich feathers of divers colours." These ledthe way in a procession from the dwelling of Audusta to the "place ofToya." Here, when they had come, they set themselves in new order underthe guidance of three Indians, who were distinguished by plumes, paint,and a costume entirely superior to the rest. Each of them carried atabret, to the plaintive and lamenting music of which they sang inwild, strange, melancholy accents; and, in slow measures, dancing thewhile, they passed gradually into the very centre of the sacred circle.They were followed by successive groups, which answered to theirstrains, and to whose songs they, in turn, responded with like echoes.This continued for awhile, the music gradually rising and swelling fromthe slow to the swift, from the sad to the passionate, while the moodsof the actors and the spectators, also varying, the character ofthe scene changed to one of the wildest excitement. Suddenly, thecharacters--those who were chief officiators in this apparent hymn offate--broke from the enchanted circle--darted through the ranks of thespectators, and dashed, headlong, with frantic cries, into the depths ofthe neighboring thickets. Then followed another class of actors. As ifa sudden and terrible doom overhung the nation, the Indian women set upcries of grief and lamentation. Their passion grew to madness. In theirrage, the mothers seized upon the young virgins of the tribe, and, withthe sharp edges of muscle shells, they lanced their arms, till the bloodgushed forth in free streams, which they eagerly flung into the air,crying aloud at every moment, "He-to-yah! He-to-yah! He-to-yah!"[11]
[11] Adair likens the cry of the Southern Indians to the sacred name among the Jews--"Je-ho-vah." He writes the Indian syllables thus--"Yo-he-wah," and it constitutes one of his favorite arguments for deducing the origin of the North American red-men from the ancient Hebrews.
These ceremonies, though not more meaningless, perhaps, in the eyes ofthe Christian, than would be our most solemn religious proceedings inthose of the Indian, provoked the laughter of Albert and some ofhis Frenchmen. This circumstance awakened the indignation of theirexcellent friend, Audusta. His displeasure was now still fartherincreased by a proceeding of Captain Albert. It was an attempt upontheir mysteries. That portion of the officiating priesthood--theirIawas--who fled from the sacred enclosure to deep recesses of the woods,sought there for the prosecution, in secret, of rites too holy for thevulgar eye. Here they maintained their _sanctum sanctorum_. This wasthe place consecrated to the communion of the god with his immediateservants--the holy of holies, which it was death to penetrate or pass.Albert suffered his curiosity to get the better of his discretion.Offended by the laughter of the Frenchmen, at what they had alreadybeheld, and fearing lest their audacity should lead them farther, theking, Audusta, had gathered them again within the royal wigwam, where hesought, by marked kindness and distinction, to make them forgetfulof what had been denied. They had seen, as he told them, the moreimpressive portions of the ceremonial. There were others, but not of akind to interest them. But the fact that there was something to conceal,stimulated the curiosity of Albert. In due degree with the king'sanxiety to keep his secret, was that of the French captain's to fathomit. Holding a brief consultation with his men, accordingly, he declaredhis desire to this effect; and proposed, that one of their number shouldcontrive to steal forth, and, finding his way to the forbidden spot,should place himself in such a position as would enable him to surveyall the mysterious proceedings. To this course, Guernache franklyopposed his opinions. His greater intimacy with the red-men led himproperly to conceive the danger which might ensue, from their discoveryof the intrusion. He had been well taught by Monaletta, the degree ofimportance which they attached to the security of their mystic rites.Arguing with the honesty of his character, he warned his captain ofthe risk which such unbecoming curiosity would incur--the peril to theoffender, himself, if detected; and the hazards to the colony fromthe loss of that friendship to which they had been already so largelyindebted. But the counsels of Guernache were rejected with indignity.Prepared, already, to regard him with dislike and suspicion, Albertheard his suggestions only as so much impertinence; and rudely commandedhim not to forget himself and place, nor to thrust his undesiredopinions upon the consideration of gentlemen. The poor fellow waseffectually silenced by this rebuke. He sank out of sight, and presumedno farther to advise. But the counsel was not wholly thrown away.Disregarded by Albert, it was caught up, and insisted on, by others, whohad better conventional claims to be heard, and the proposition mighthave been defeated but for the ready interposition of one Pierre Renaud,a young fellow, who, perceiving the captain's strong desire to seek outthe mystery, and anxious to ingratiate himself with that person, boldlylaughed at the fears of the objectors, and volunteered, himself, todefy the danger, in his own person, in order to gratify his chief. Thissilenced the controversy. Albert readily availed himself of the offer,and Pierre Renaud was commanded to try his fortune. This he did, and,notwithstanding the surveillance maintained over them by Audusta and hisattendants, "he made such shift, that, by subtle meanes, he gotte out ofthe house of Audusta, and secretly went and hid himselfe behinde avery thick bush, where, at his pleasure, he might easily descry theceremonies of the feaste."
We will leave Renaud thus busy in his espionage, while we rehearse themanner in which the venerable Audusta proceeded to treat his company.A substantial feast was provided for them, consisting of venison, wildfowl, and fruits. Their breadstuffs were maize, batatas, and certainroots sodden first in water, and then prepared in the sun. A drink wasprepared from certain other roots, which, though bitter, was refreshingand slightly stimulant. Our Frenchmen, in the absence of the beveragesof Italy and France, did not find it unpalatable. They ate and drankwith a hearty relish, which gratified the red-men, who lavished on thema thousand caresses. The feast was followed by the dance. In a spaciousarea, surrounded by great ranks of oaks, cedars, pines, and other trees,they assembled, men and women, in their gayest caparison. The men weretatooed and painted, from head to foot, and not inartistically, in themost glowing colors. Birds and beasts were figured upon their breasts,and huge, strange reptiles were made to coil up and around their legsand arms. From their waists depended light garments of white cotton, theskirts being trimmed with a thick fringe of red or scarlet. Some of themwore head-dresses consisting
of the skins of snakes, or eagles, thepanther or the wild cat, which, stuffed ingeniously, were made to siterect above the forehead, and to look abroad, from their novel place ofperch, in a manner equally natural and frightful. The women were habitedin a similarly wild but less offensive manner. The taste which presidedin their decorations, was of a purer and a gentler fashion. Their cheekswere painted red, their arms, occasionally but slightly tattooed, andsometimes the figure of a bird, a flower or a star, might be seenengrained upon the breast. A rather scanty robe of white cottonconcealed, in some degree, the bosom, and extended somewhat below theknees. Around the necks of several, were hung thick strands of nativepearls, partially discolored by the action of fire which had beenemployed to extricate them from the shells. Pearls were also mingledingeniously with the long tresses of their straight, black hair;trailing with it, in not unfrequent instances, even to the ground.Others, in place of this more valuable ornament, wore necklaces, ankletsand tiaras, formed wholly of one or other of the numerous varietiesof little sea shells, by which, after heavy storms, the low and sandyshores of the country were literally covered. Strings of the same shellencircled the legs, which were sometimes of a shape to gratify thenicest exactions of the civilized standard. The forms of our Indiandamsels were generally symmetrical and erect, their movements at onceagile and graceful--their foreheads high, their lips thin, and, with asoft, persuasive expression, inclining to melancholy; while their eyes,black and bright, always shone with a peculiar forest fire that seemedhappily to consort with their dark, but not unpleasing complexions.Well, indeed, with a pardonable vanity, might their people call them the"Daughters of the Sun." He had made them his, by his warmest and fondestglances. These were the women, whose descendants, in after days, asYemassees and Muscoghees and Seminoles, became the scourge of so largea portion of the Anglo-American race.
When the Frenchmen beheld this rude, but really brilliant assemblage,and saw what an attractive show the young damsels made, they weredelighted beyond measure. Visions of the rout and revel, as enjoyed in_La Belle France_, glanced before their fancies; and the lively caperingthat followed among the young Huguenots, informed Captain Albert of thedesire which was felt by all. In stern, compelling accents, he badeGuernache take his violin, and provide the music, while the restprepared to dance. But Guernache excused himself, alleging the want ofstrings for his instrument. These were shown, in a broken state, tohis commander. He had broken them, we may state _en passant_, for theoccasion. His pride had been hurt by the treatment of his captain.He felt that the purpose of the latter was to degrade him. Such aperformance as that required at his hands, was properly no part of hisduty; and his proud spirit revolted at the idea of contributing, in anyway, to the wishes of his superior, when the object of the latter wasevidently his own degradation. Albert spoke to him testily, and withbrows that did not seek to subdue or conceal their frowns. But Guernachewas firm, and though he studiously forebore, by word or look, toincrease the provocation which he had already given, he yet made noeffort to pacify the imperious nature which he had offended. The excusewas such as could not but be taken. There was the violin, indeed, butthere, also, were the broken strings. Albert turned from the musicianwith undisguised loathing; and the poor fellow sunk back with a secretpresentiment of evil. He but too well knew the character of hissuperior.
Meanwhile, the red men had resort to their own primitive music. Theirinstruments consisted of simple reeds, which, bound together, werepassed, to and fro, beneath the lips and discoursed very tolerableharmonies;--and a rude drum formed by stretching a raw deer skin overthe mouth of a monstrous calabash, enabled them, when the skin had beencontracted in the sun, to extort from it a very tolerable substitute forthe music of the tambourine. There were other instruments, susceptibleof sound if not of sweetness. Numerous damsels, none over fifteen, litheand graceful, carried in their hands little gourds, which were filledwith shells and pebbles, and tied over with skins, dried also in thesun. With these, as they danced, they kept time so admirably as mighthave charmed the most practised European master. Thus, all provided,some with the drum, and others with flute-like reeds and hollow,tinkling gourds, they only awaited the summons of their partners tothe area. Shaking their tinkling gourds, as if in pretty impatienceat the delay, the girls each waited, with anxious looks, the signalfrom her favorite.
The Frenchmen were not slow in seeking out their partners. At the wordand signal of their captain, they dashed in among the laughing group ofdusky maidens, each seeking for the girl whose beauties had been mostgrateful to his tastes. Nor was Captain Albert, himself, with all hispride and asceticism, unwilling to forget his dignity for a season, andpartake of the rude festivities of the occasion. When, indeed, didmirth and music fail to usurp dominion in the Frenchman's heart? Albertgreedily cast his eyes about, seeking a partner, upon whom he mightbestow his smiles. He was not slow in the selection. It so happened,that Monaletta, the spouse of Guernache, was not only one of theloveliest damsels present, but she was well known as the niece of KingAudusta. Her beauty and royal blood, equally commended her to the favorof our captain. She stood apart from all the rest, stately and gracefulas the cedar, not seeming to care for the merriment in which all werenow engaged. There was a dash of sadness in her countenance. Herthoughts were elsewhere--her eyes scarcely with the assembly, when theapproach of Albert startled her from her reverie. He came as Caesar did,to certain conquest; and was about to take her hand, as a matter ofcourse, when he was equally astounded and enraged to find her draw itaway from his grasp.
"You will not dance with _me_, Monaletta?"
"No," she answered him in broken French--"No dance with you--dance with_him_!" pointing to Guernache.
Speaking these words, she crossed the floor, with all the boldimprudence of a truly loving heart, to the place where stood oursorrowful and unhappy violinist. He had followed the movements ofAlbert, with looks of most serious apprehension, and his heart had sunk,with a sudden terror, when he saw that he approached Monaletta. Thescene which followed, however grateful to his affections, was seriouslycalculated to arouse his fears. He feared for Monaletta, as he fearedfor himself. Nothing escaped him in the brief interview, and he saw, inthe vindictive glances of Albert, the most evil auguries for the future.Yet how precious was her fondness to his heart! He half forgot hisapprehensions as he felt her hand upon his shoulder, and beheld her eyeslooking with appealing fondness up into his own. That glance was full ofthe sweetest consolation,--and said everything that was grateful to histerrified affections. She, too, had seen the look of hate and anger inthe face of Albert, and she joyed in the opportunity of rebuking the onewith her disdain, and of consoling the other with her sympathies. It wasan unhappy error. Bitter, indeed, was the look with which the arousedand mortified Albert regarded the couple as they stood apart from allthe rest. Guernache beheld this look. He knew the meaning of thatanswering glance of his superior which encountered his own. His lookswere those of entreaty, of deprecation. They seemed to say, "I feel thatyou are offended, but I had no purpose or part in the offence." Hisglance of humility met with no answering indulgence. It seemed, indeed,still farther to provoke his tyrant, who, advancing midway across theroom, addressed him in stern, hissing accents, through his closed andalmost gnashing teeth.
"Away, sirrah, to the pinnace! See that you remain in her until I summonyou! Away!"
The poor fellow turned off from Monaletta. He shook himself free fromthe grasp which she had taken of his hand. He prepared to obey thewanton and cruel order, but he could not forbear saying reproachfullyas he retired--
"You push me too hard, Captain Albert."
"No words, sir! Away!" was the stern response. The submissive fellowinstantly disappeared. With his disappearance, Albert again approachedMonaletta, and renewed his application. But this time he met with arejection even more decided than before. He looked to King Audusta; butan Indian princess, while she remains unmarried, enjoys a degree ofsocial liberty which the same class of persons in Europe would sig
h forand supplicate in vain. There were no answering sympathies in the king'sface, to encourage Albert in the prosecution of his suit. Nay, he hadthe mortification to perceive, from the expression of his countenance,that his proceedings towards Guernache--who was a general favorite--hadafforded not more satisfaction to him, than they had done to Monaletta.It was, therefore, in no very pleasant mood with himself and thosearound him, that our captain consoled himself in the dance withthe hand of an inferior beauty. Jealous of temper and frivolous ofmind--characteristics which are frequently found together--Albert wasvery fond of dancing, and enjoyed the sport quite as greatly as anyof his companions. But, even while he capered, his soul, stung anddissatisfied, was brooding vexatiously over its petty hurts. Histhoughts were busied in devising ways to revenge himself upon the humbleoffender by whom his mortification originally grew. Upon this sweet andbitter cud did he chew while the merry music sounded in his ears,and the gaily twinkling feet of the dusky maidens were whirling inpromiscuous mazes beneath his eye. But these festivities, and his ownevil meditations, were destined to have an interruption as startlingas unexpected.
While the mirth was at its highest, and the merriment most contagious,the ears of the assembly were startled by screams, the most terrible, offright and anguish. The Frenchmen felt a nameless terror seizing uponthem. The cries and shrieks were from an European throat. Wild was thediscord which accompanied them,--whoops of wrath and vengeance, which,as evidently issued only from the throats of most infuriated savages.The music ceased in an instant. The dance was arrested. The Frenchmenrushed to their arms, fully believing that they were surrounded bytreachery--that they had been beguiled to the feast only to become itsvictims. With desperate decision, they prepared themselves for theworst. While their suspense and fear were at their highest, the causeof the alarm and uproar soon became apparent to their eyes. Bursting,like a wounded deer, suddenly, from the woods by which the dwelling ofAudusta was surrounded, a bloody figure, ghastly and spotted, appearedbefore the crowd. In another moment the Frenchmen recognized the spy,Pierre Renaud, who had volunteered to get at the heart of the Indianmysteries--to follow the priesthood to their sacred haunts, and gatherall the secrets of their ceremonials.
We have already seen that he reached his place of watch in safety. Buthere his good fortune failed him: his place of espionage was not oneof concealment. In the wild orgies of their religion,--for they seemto have practised rites not dissimilar to, and not less violent andterrible than those of the British Druids,--the priests darted over thecrouching spy. Detected in the very act, where he lay, "squat like atoad," the Iawas fell upon him with the sharp instruments of flintwith which they had been lancing and lacerating their own bodies. Withthese they contrived, in spite of all his struggles and entreaties, toinflict upon him some very severe wounds. Their rage was unmeasured, andthe will to slay him was not wanting. But Renaud was a fellow equallyvigorous and active. He baffled their blows as well as he could, and atlength breaking from their folds, he took fairly to his heels. Howlingwith rage and fury, they darted upon his track, their wild shrieksringing through the wood like those of so many demons suffering inmortal agony. They cried to all whom they saw, to stay and slay theoffender. Others joined in the chase, as they heard this summons. Butfortune favored the fugitive. His terror added wings to his flight.He was not, it seems, destined to such a death as they designed him.He outran his pursuers, and, dodging those whom he accidentallyencountered, he made his way into the thick of the area, where hiscomrades, half bewildered by the uproar, were breaking up the dance. Hesank down in the midst of them, exhausted by loss of blood and fatigue,only a moment before the appearance of his pursuers.
The French instantly closed around their companion. They had not putaside their weapons, and they now prepared themselves to encounter theworst. The aspect of the danger was threatening in the last degree. TheIawas were boiling with sacred fury. They were the true rulers of theirpeople. Their will was sovereign over the popular moods. They demanded,with violent outcry, the blood of the individual by whom their sacredretreats had been violated, and their shekinah polluted by vulgar andprofane presence. They demanded the blood of _all_ the Frenchmen, asparticipating in the crime. They called upon Audusta to assert hisown privileges and theirs. They appealed to the people in a style ofphrenzied eloquence, the effects of which were soon visible in theinflamed features and wild action of the more youthful warriors.Already were these to be seen slapping their sides, tossing their handsin air, and, with loud shrieks, lashing themselves into a fury likethat which enflamed their prophets. King Audusta looked confounded.The Frenchmen were his guests. He had invited them to partake of hishospitality, and to enjoy the rites of his religion. He was in some sortpledged for their safety, though one of them had violated the conditionsof their coming. His own feelings revolted at giving any sanction forthe assault, yet he appeared unable or unwilling to resist the clamorsof the priesthood. But _he_ also demanded, though with evidentreluctance, the blood of the offender. He was not violent, thoughurgent, in this demand. He showed indignation rather than hostility;and he gave Albert to understand that in no way could the people or thepriesthood be appeased, unless by the sacrifice of the guilty person.
But Albert could not yield the victim. The French were prepared toperish to a man before complying with any such demand. They were firm.They fenced him in with their weapons, and declared their readiness tobrave every peril ere they would abandon their comrade. This resolutionwas the more honorable, as Pierre Renaud was no favorite among them.Though seriously disquieted by the event, and apprehensive of the issue,Albert was man enough to second their spirit. Besides, Renaud had beenhis own emissary in the adventure which threatened to terminate sofatally. His denial was inferred from his deportment; and the clamor ofthe Indians was increased. The rage of the Iawas was renewed with theconviction that no redress was to be given them. Already had the youngwarriors of Audusta procured their weapons. More than an hundred ofthem surrounded our little band of Frenchmen, who were only thirteenin number. Bows were bent, lances were set in rest, javelins were seenlifted, and ready to be thrown; and the drum which had been just made tosound, in lively tones, for the dance, now gave forth the most dismaldin, significant of massacre and war. Already were to be seen, in thehands of some more daring Indian than the rest, the heavy war-club,or the many-teethed macana, waving aloft and threatening momently todescend upon the victim; and nothing was wanting but a first blow tobring on a general massacre. Suddenly, at this perilous moment, thefiddle of Guernache was heard without; followed, in a moment after,by the appearance of the brave fellow himself. Darting in between theopposing ranks, attended by the faithful Monaletta, with a grand crashupon his instrument, now newly-strung, followed by a rapid gush of themerriest music, he took both parties by the happiest surprise, andinstantly produced a revulsion of feeling among the savages as completeas it was sudden.
"Ami! ami! ami!" was the only cry from an hundred voices, at thereappearance of Guernache among them. They had acquired this friendlyepithet among the first words which they had learned at their coming,from the French; and their affection for our fiddler had made itsapplication to himself, in particular, a thing of general usage. He_was_ their friend. He had shown himself their friend, and they had afaith in _him_ which they accorded to no other of his people. The peoplewere with him, and the priesthood not unfriendly. Time was gainedby this diversion; and, in such an outbreak as that which has beendescribed, time is all that is needful, perhaps, to stay the arm ofslaughter. Guernache played out his tune, and cut a few pleasantantics, in which the now happy Monaletta, though of the blood royal,readily joined him. The musician had probably saved the partyfrom massacre. The subsequent work of treaty and pacification wascomparatively easy. Pierre Renaud was permitted to depart for thepinnace, under the immediate care of Guernache and Monaletta. The Iawasreceived some presents of gaudy costume, bells, and other gew-gaws,while a liberal gift of knives and beads gratified their warriors andtheir women. The old tie
s of friendship were happily reunited, andthe calumet went round, from mouth to mouth, in token of restoredconfidence and renewed faith. Before nightfall, happily relieved fromhis apprehensions, Albert, with his detachment, was rapidly making hisway with his pinnace, down the waters of the swiftly-rolling Edisto.
The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida Page 6