Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 4).djvu/158

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154
BRADDOCK'S ROAD

After this Noise had gone on for some Time, at once we heard a most dreadful Shout, and a Band of horrid Figures rushed into the Ring, with a Nimbleness hardly conceivable; they struck the Ground in exact Measure, answering the rough Musick; at once all the Descriptions of the Fawns and Satyrs of the Latin Poets came into my Mind, and indeed the Indians seemed to be the same Kind of brown dancing People, as lived under King Faunus, some 3000 Years ago in Italy; they are most chearful and loving to their Friends, but implacable and cruel to their Enemies. They drink and act when drunk much like Silenus and his Satyrs; their whole Life is spent in Hunting, War, and Dancing, what they now perform'd was a War Dance; as soon as this Surprize ceased the Dancers followed one another, treading a large Ring, round the two Fires and Music, and ceased Singing; the Timbrels and Voices in the Centre set up a Tune to which they continued dancing, and follow'd one another in the Ring with a very true Measure, antick Postures, and high Bounds, that would puzzle our best Harlequins to