New Virginia
Letter from Rev. Joseph M. Harden
From Brother Harden, under date of March 21st, we learn he is
devoting much of his time to the heathen in his vicinity. Referring to
some of their heathen festivals, he says:
I have since my last communication paid numerous visits to
the surrounding tribes, for the purpose of carrying the gospel to
them, and I would only say that I have often heard of them with the
hearing of the ear, but now my eyes have seen that their situation is
indeed deplorable. One of the times that I visited them (or rather
two of the times) was during what they call their big play, and of
which I will try to give you a faint description. They were dressed
in as costly apparal as they could afford, being of a kind of calico
called satin stripe. Beads of various description, leopard’s teeth,
with silver rings and bands, having caps and other articles made of
green palm leaves, giving them an appearance considerably like
the American Indians. In the exercises they beat their drums and
tortoise shells, and sung their unmeaning songs, while the greater
part danced to the music.
There were old men and women who, from their silvery
hair, I would judge to be at least 90 or 100 years old, trying to
dance as well as they could. After they had danced a long time,
one of them got upon a rock and called for the devil, which they
call big father, but he is nothing more than a mere man disguised,
which they will acknowledge to you in confidence and tell you that
they are obliged to make use of such means to keep the women in
subjection. After they had cried aloud some time, and their God
seemed to be on a journey, or was asleep and must needs be
awakened. The old king then obtained a pitcher of water, some of
which he drank, and then poured the balance out on the ground as a
peace offering to the devil. - The man upon the rock cried again
with a loud voice in his language, “Father, I beseech thee, hear me
once more. The devil then answered him, and the women being
stationed or seated on the ground in a row of about 100 were told
by one of the head men that the devil was coming. The poor
creatures smote their hands together in agony, seeming greatly
terrified. The devil then passed through the town secluded from
view, and went to the devil bush. After the men returned, they
carried about 10 bushel of boiled rice, and about one barrel of soup
and meat together, which they told the women that the devil had to