CHAP. II.

-The General Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles Book III chapter 2; John Smith. What happened till the first supply.
The occasion of sicknesse. The Sailers abuses. A bad President. Plentie vnexpected. Being thus left to our fortunes, it fortuned that within ten dayes scarce ten amongst vs could either goe, or well stand, such extreame weaknes and sicknes oppressed vs. nd thereat none need marvaile, if they consider the cause and reason, which was this; whilest the ships stayed, our allowance was somewhat !ettered, !y a daily proportion of Bisket, which the sailers would pilfer to sell, giue, or exchange with vs, for money, Saxefras, furres, or loue. But when they departed, there remained neither taverne, !eere"house, nor place of reliefe, !ut the common #ettell. $ad we !eene as free from all sinnes as gluttony, and drunkennesse, we might haue !eene canoni%ed for Saints; But our &resident would never haue !eene admitted, for ingrossing to his private, 'atmeale, Sacke, 'yle, Aquavit, Beefe, (gges, or what not, !ut the #ettell; that indeed he allowed e)ually to !e distri!uted, and that was halfe a pint of wheat, and as much !arley !oyled with water for a man a day, and this having fryed some 2*. weekes in the ships hold, contained as many wormes as graines; so that we might truely call it rather so much !ran then corne, our drinke was water, our lodgings +astles in the ayre, with this lodging and dyet, our extreame toile in !earing and planting &allisadoes, so strained and !ruised vs, and our continuall la!our in the extremitie of the heat had so weakned vs, as were cause sufficient to haue made vs as misera!le in our natiue +ountrey, or any other place in the world. -rom .ay, to Septem!er, those that escaped, liued vpon Sturgeon, and Sea"cra!s, fiftie in this time we !uried, the rest seeing the &residents proiects to escape these miseries in our &innace !y flight /who all this time had neither felt want nor sicknes0 so moved our dead spirits, as we deposed him; and esta!lished Rat liffe in his place, /Gosnoll !eing dead0 !endall deposed, Smith newly recovered, "artin andRat liffe was !y his care preserved and relieued, and the most of the souldiers recovered, with the skilfull diligence of .r Thomas #otton our +hirurgian generall. But now was all our provision spent, the Sturgeon gone, all helps a!andoned, each houre expecting the fury of the Salvages; when 1od the patron of all good indevours, in that desperate extremitie so changed the hearts of the Salvages, that they !rought such plenty of their fruits, and provision, as no man wanted. nd now where some affirmed it was ill done of the +ouncell to send forth men so !adly provided, this incontradicta!le reason will shew them plainely they are too ill advised to nourish such ill conceits; first, the fault of our going was our owne, what could !e thought fitting or necessary we had, !ut what we should find, or want, or where we should !e, we were all ignorant, and supposing to make our passage in two moneths, with victuall to liue, and the advantage of the spring to worke; we were at Sea fiue moneths, where we !oth spent our victuall and lost the opportunitie of the time, and season to plant, !y the vnskilfull presumption of our ignorant transporters, that vnderstood not at all, what they vndertooke. Such actions haue ever since the worlds !eginning !eene su!iect to such accidents, and every thing of worth is found full of difficulties, !ut nothing so difficult as to esta!lish a +ommon wealth so farre remote from men and meanes, and where mens mindes are so vntoward as neither doe well themselues, nor suffer others. But to proceed. The building of Iames Towne. The beginning of Trade abroad. 2he new &resident and "artin, !eing little !eloved, of weake iudgement in dangers, and lesse industrie in peace, committed the managing of all things a!road to +aptaine Smith, who !y his owne example, good words, and faire promises, set some to mow, others to !inde thatch, some to !uild houses, others to thatch them, himselfe alwayes !earing the greatest taske for his owne share, so that in short time, he provided most of them lodgings, neglecting any for himselfe. 2his done, seeing the Salvages superfluitie !eginne to decrease /with some of his workemen0 shipped himselfe in the Shallop to search the +ountry for trade. 2he want of the language, knowledge to mannage his !oat without sailes, the want of a sufficient power, /knowing the multitude of the Salvages0 apparell for his men, and other necessaries, were infinite impediments, yet no discouragement. Being !ut six or seauen in company he went downe the river to !e oughtan, where at first they scorned him, as a famished man, and would in derision offer him a handfull of +orne, a peece of !read, for their swords and muskets, and such like proportions also for their

apparell. But seeing !y trade and courtesie there was nothing to !e had, he made !old to try such conclusions as necessitie inforced, though contrary to his +ommission, 3et fly his muskets, ran his !oat on shore, where at they all fled into the woods. So marching towards their houses, they might see great heapes of corne, much adoe he had to restraine his hungry souldiers from present taking of it, expecting as it hapned that the Salvages would assault them, as not long after they did with a most hydeous noyse. Sixtie or seaventie of them, some !lacke, some red, some white, some party"coloured, came in a s)uare order, singing and dauncing out of the woods, with their $%ee /which was an Idoll made of skinnes, stuffed with mosse, all painted and hung with chaines and copper0 !orne !efore them, and in this manner !eing well armed, with +lu!s, 2argets, Bowes and rrowes, they charged the (nglish, that so kindly receiued them with their muskets loaden with &istoll shot, that downe fell their 1od, and divers lay sprauling on the ground; the rest fled againe to the woods, and ere long sent one of their &ui'ough%asou %s to offer peace, and redeeme their $%ee( Smith told them, if onely six of them would come vnarmed and loade his !oat, he would not only !e their friend, !ut restore them their $%ee, and giue them Beads, +opper, and $atchets !esides, which on !oth sides was to their contents performed, and then they !rought him 4enison, 2urkies, wild foule, !read, and what they had, singing and dauncing in signe of friendship till they departed. In his returne he discovered the 2owne and +ountry of #arras%o'a %( Thus God vn)oundlesse )' his *ower, "ade them thus %ind, would vs deuour( Amovis, a Salvage his best friend slaine for loving vs. The iscover! of Chickahamine. Another proiect to abandon the countr!. Smith perceiving /notwithstanding their late miserie0 not any regarded !ut from hand to mouth /the company !eing well recovered0 caused the &innace to !e provided with things fitting to get provision for the yeare following; !ut in the interim he made 5. or 6. iournies and discovered the people of +hi %ahamania, yet what he carefully provided the rest carelesly spent. #ingfieldand !endall liuing in disgrace, seeing all things at randome in the a!sence of Smith, the companies dislike of their &residents weaknes, and their small loue to "artins never mending sicknes, strengthened themselues with the sailers, and other confederates to regaine their former credit and authority, or at least such meanes a!ord the &innace, /!eing fitted to saile asSmith had appointed for trade0 to alter her course and to goe for England( Smith vnexpectedly returning had the plot discovered to him, much trou!le he had to prevent it, till with store of sakre and musket shot he forced them stay or sinke in the riuer, which action cost the life of captaine !endall( 2hese !rawles are so disgustfull, as some will say they were !etter forgotten, yet all men of good iudgement will conclude, it were !etter their !asenes should !e manifest to the world, then the !usines !eare the scorne and shame of their excused disorders. 2he &resident and captaine Ar her not long after intended also to haue a!andoned the country, which proiect also was cur!ed, and suppressed !y Smith( 2he S*aniard never more greedily desired gold then he victuall, nor his souldiers more to a!andon the +ountry, then he to keepe it. But finding plentie of +orne in the riuer of +hi %ahamaniawhere hundreds of Salvages in diuers places stood with !askets expecting his comming. nd now the winter approaching, the rivers !ecame so covered with swans, geese, duckes, and cranes, that we daily feasted with good !read, 4irginia pease, pumpions, and putchamins, fish, fowle, and diverse sorts of wild !easts as fat as we could eate them, so that none of our 2uftaffaty humorists desired to goe for England( But our +om,dies never endured long without a Tragedie- some idle exceptions !eing muttered against +aptaine Smith, for not discovering the head of +hi %ahamania river, and taxed !y the +ouncell, to !e too slow in so worthy an attempt. 2he next voyage hee proceeded so farre that with much la!our !y cutting of trees in sunder he made his passage, !ut when his Barge could passe no farther, he left her in a !road !ay out of danger of shot, commanding none should goe a shore till his returne, himselfe with two (nglish and two Salvages went vp higher in a +anowe, !ut hee was not long a!sent, !ut his men went a shore, whose want of government, gaue !oth occasion and opportunity to the Salvages to surprise oneGeorge +assen, whom they slew, and much failed not to haue cut of the !oat and all the rest. Smith little dreaming of that accident, !eing got to the marshes at the rivers head, twentie myles in the desert, had his7 two men slaine /as is supposed0 sleeping !y the +anowe, whilst himselfe !y fowling sought them victuall, who finding he was !eset with 288. Salvages, two of them hee slew, still defending himselfe with the ayd of a Salvage his guid, whom he !ound to his arme with his garters, and vsed him as a !uckler, yet he was shot in his thigh a little, and had many arrowes that stucke in his cloathes !ut no great hurt, till at last they tooke him prisoner. 7 I hu Ro)inson and Thomas Emr' slaine. 9hen this newes came to Iames towne, much was their sorrow for his losse, fewe expecting what ensued. Sixe or seuen weekes those Bar!arians kept him prisoner, many strange triumphes and coniurations they made of him, yet hee so demeaned himselfe amongst them, as he not onely diverted them from surprising the -ort, !ut procured his owne li!ertie, and got himselfe and his company such estimation amongst them,

that those Salvages admired him more then their owne &ui'ou %osu %s( 2he manner how they vsed and deliuered him, is as followeth.

Captaine Smith taken prisoner. 2he Salvages hauing drawne from George +assen whether +aptaine Smith was gone, prosecuting that oportunity they followed him with. 588. !owmen, conducted !y the #ing of .amavn%ee, who in diuisions searching the turnings of the riuer, foundRo)inson and Emr' !y the fire side, those they shot full of arrowes and slew. 2hen finding the +aptaine, as is said, that vsed the Salvage that was his guide as his sheld /three of them !eing slaine and diuers other so gauld0 all the rest would not come neere him. 2hinking thus to haue returned to his !oat, regarding them, as he marched, more then his way, slipped vp to the middle in an oasie creeke : his Salvage with him, yet durst they not come to him till !eing neere dead with cold, he threw away his armes. 2hen according to their composition they drew him forth and led him to the fire, where his men were slaine. ;iligently they chafed his !enummed lim!s. $e demanding for their +aptaine, they shewed him $*e han%anough, #ing of .amavn%ee, to whom he gaue a round Ivory dou!le compass ;yall. .uch they marvailed at the playing of the -ly and <eedle, which they could see so plainely, and yet not touch it, !ecause of the glasse that covered them. But when he demonstrated !y that 1lo!e"like Iewell, the roundnesse of the earth, and skies, the spheare of the Sunne, .oone, and Starres, and how the Sunne did chase the night round a!out the world continually; the greatnesse of the 3and and Sea, the diversitie of <ations, varietie of complexions, and how we were to them Anti*odes, and many other such like matters, they all stood as ama%ed with admiration. <otwithstanding, within an houre after they tyed him to a tree, and as many as could stand a!out him prepared to shoot him, !ut the #ing holding vp the +ompass in his hand, they all laid downe their Bowes and rrowes, and in a triumphant manner led him to $ra*a%s, where he was after their manner kindly feasted, and well vsed. The order the! observed in their triv"ph. 2heir order in conducting him was thus; ;rawing themselues all in fyle, the #ing in the middest had all their &eeces and Swords !orne !efore him. +aptaine Smith was led after him !y three great Salvages, holding him fast !y each arme, and on each side six went in fyle with their rrowes nocked. But arriving at the 2owne /which was !ut onely thirtie or fortie hunting houses made of .ats, which they remoue as they please, as we our tents0 all the women and children staring to !ehold him, the souldiers first all in fyle performed the forme of a /issom so well as could !e; and on each flanke, officers as Serieants to see them keepe their order. good time they continued this exercise, and then cast themselues in a ring, dauncing in such severall &ostures, and singing and yelling out such hellish notes and screeches; !eing strangely painted, every one his )uiver of rrowes, and at his !acke a clu!; on his arme a -ox or an 'tters skinne, or some such matter for his vam!race; their heads and shoulders painted red, with 'yle and .o ones mingled together, which Scarlet"like colour made an exceeding handsome shew; his Bow in his hand, and the skinne of a Bird with her wings a!road dryed, tyed on his head, a peece of copper, a white shell, a long feather, with a small rattle growing at the tayles of their snaks tyed to it, or some such like toy. ll this while Smith and the #ing stood in the middest guarded, as !efore is said, and after three dances they all departed. Smith they conducted to a long house, where thirtie or fortie tall fellowes did guard him, and ere long more !read and venison was !rought him then would haue served twentie men, I thinke his stomacke at that time was not very good; what he left they put in !askets and tyed over his head. !out midnight they set the meate againe !efore him, all this time not one of them would eate a !it with him, till the next morning they !rought him as much more, and then did they eate all the old, : reserved the new as they had done the other, which made him thinke they would fat him to eat him. =et in this desperate estate to defend him from the cold, one "ao assater !rought him his gowne, in re)uitall of some !eads and toyes Smith had given him at his first arrivall in Virginia( Ho# he should haue beene slaine at Orapacks. 2wo dayes after a man would haue slaine him /!ut that the guard prevented it0 for the death of his sonne, to whom they conducted him to recover the poore man then !reathing his last. Smith told them that at Iames towne he had a water would doe it, if they would let him fetch it, !ut they would not permit that; !ut made all the preparations they could to assault Iames towne, crauing his advice, and for recompence he should haue life, li!ertie, land, and women. In part of a 2a!le !ooke he writ his minde to them at the -ort, what was intended, how they should follow that direction to affright the messengers, and without fayle send him such things as he writ for. nd an Inventory with them. 2he difficultie and danger, he told the Salvages, of the .ines, great gunnes, and other (ngins exceedingly affrighted them, yet according to his re)uest they went to Iames towne, in as !itter weather as could !e of frost and snow, and within three dayes returned with

an answer. Ho# he saued Iames to#ne fro" being surprised. Ho# the! did Coniure hi" at Pamavnkee. But when they came to Iame towne, seeing men sally out as he had told them they would, they fled; yet in the night they came againe to the same place where he had told them they should receiue an answer, and such things as he had promised them, which they found accordingly, and with which they returned with no small expedition, to the wonder of them all that heard it, that he could either divine, or the paper could speake, then they led him to the 0outhtanunds, the "atta*anients, the .a'an%atan%s, the Nantaughta unds, and $nawmani ntsvpon the rivers ef Ra*ahano %, and .atawome%, over all those rivers, and !acke againe !y divers other severall <ations, to the #ings ha!itation at .amavn%ee, where they entertained him with most strange and fearefull +oniurations; As if neare led to hell, Amongst the 1evils to dwell( <ot long after, early in a morning a great fire was made in a long house, and a mat spread on the one side, as on the other, on the one they caused him to sit, and all the guard went out of the house, and presently came skipping in a great grim fellow, all painted over with coale, mingled with oyle; and many Snakes and 9esels skins stuffed with mosse, and all their tayles tyed together, so as they met on the crowne of his head in a tassell; and round a!out the tassell was as a +oronet of feathers, the skins hanging round a!out his head, !acke, and shoulders, and in a manner covered his face; with a hellish voyce and a rattle in his hand. 9ith most strange gestures and passions he !egan his invocation, and environed the fire with a circle of meale; which done, three more such like devils came rushing in with the like anti)ue tricks, painted halfe !lacke, halfe red, !ut all their eyes were painted white, and some red stroakes like .utchato>s, along their cheekes, round a!out him those fiends daunced a pretty while, and then came in three more as vgly as the rest; with red eyes, and white stroakes over their !lacke faces, at last they all sat downe right against him; three of them on the one hand of the chiefe &riest, and three on the other. 2hen all with their rattles !egan a song, which ended, the chiefe &riest layd downe fiue wheat cornes, then strayning his armes and hands with such violence that he sweat, and his veynes swelled, he !egan a short 'ration, at the conclusion they all gaue a short groane; and then layd down three graines more. fter that, !egan their song againe, and then another 'ration, ever laying downe so many cornes as !efore, till they had twice incirculed the fire; that done, they tooke a !unch of little stickes prepared for that purpose, continuing still their devotion, and at the end of every song and 'ration, they layd downe a sticke !etwixt the divisions of +orne. 2ill night, neither he nor they did either eate or drinke, and then they feasted merrily, with the !est provisions they could make. 2hree dayes they vsed this +eremony; the meaning whereof they told him, was to know if he intended them well or no. 2he circle of meale signified their +ountry, the circles of corne the !ounds of the Sea, and the stickes his +ountry. 2hey imagined the world to !e flat and round, like a trencher, and they in the middest. fter this they !rought him a !agge of gunpowder, which they carefully preferved till the next spring, to plant as they did their corne; !ecause they would !e ac)uainted with the nature of that seede. $*it ha*am the #ings !rother invited him to his house, where, with as many platters of !read, soule, and wild !easts, as did environ him, he !id him wellcome; !ut not any of them would eate a !it with him, !ut put vp all the remainder in Baskets. t his returne to $*e han anoughs, all the #ings women, and their children, flocked a!out him for their parts, as a due !y +ustome, to !e merry with such fragments. /ut his wa%ing mind in h'deous dreames did oft see wondrous sha*es, $f )odies strange, and huge in growth, and of stu*endious ma%es( Ho# Powhatan entertained hi". Ho# Pocahontas saved his life. t last they !rought him to "erono omo o, where was .owhatan their (mperor. $ere more then two hundred of those grim +ourtiers stood wondering at him, as he had !eene a monster; till .owhatan and his trayne had put themselues in their greatest !raveries. Before a fire vpon a seat like a !edsted, he sat covered with a great ro!e, made of Rarow un skinnes, and all the tayles hanging !y. 'n either hand did sit a young wench of ?* to ?@ yeares, and along on each side the house, two rowes of men, and !ehind them as many women, with all their heads and shoulders painted red; many of their heads !edecked with the white downe of Birds; !ut every one with something, and a great chayne of white !eads a!out their necks. t his entrance !efore the #ing, all the people gaue a great shout. 2he Aueene of A**amatu % was appointed to !ring him water to wash his hands, and another !rought him a !unch of feathers, in stead of a 2owell to dry them, having feasted him after their !est !ar!arous manner they could, a long consultation was held, !ut the conclusion was, two great stones were !rought !efore .owhatan, then as many as could layd hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and !eing ready with their clu!s, to !eate out his

!raines, .o ahontas the #ings dearest daughter, when no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne vpon his to saue him from death, whereat the (mperour was contented he should liue to make him hatchets, and her !ells, !eads, and copper; for they thought him as well of all occupations as themselues. -or the #ing himselfe will make his owne ro!es, shooes, !owes, arrowes, pots; plant, hunt, or doe any thing so well as the rest. The' sa' he )ore a *leasant shew, /ut sure his heart was sad( 2or who an *leasant )e, and rest, That liues in feare and dread, And having life sus*e ted, doth It still sus*e ted lead( Ho# Powhatan sent hi" to Iames To#ne. The third proiect to abandon the Countre!. 2wo dayes after, .owhatan having disguised himselfe in the most fearefullest manner he could, caused +apt, Smith to !e !rought forth to a great house in the woods, and there vpon a mat !y the fire to !e left alone. <ot long after from !ehinde a mat that divided the house, was made the most dolefullest noyse he ever heard; then .owhatan more like a devill then a man with some two hundred more as !lacke as himselfe, came vnto him and told him now they were friends, and presently he should goe to Iames towne, to send him two great gunnes, and a gryndstone, for which he would giue him the +ountry of +a*ahowosi %, and for ever esteeme him as his sonne Nantaquoud( So to Iames towne with ?2 guides .owhatan sent him. 2hat night they )uarterd in the woods, he still expecting /as he had done all this long time of his imprisonment0 every houre to !e put to one death or other, for all their feasting. But almightie 1od /!y his divine providence0 had mollified the hearts of those sterne /ar)arians with compassion. 2he next morning !etimes they came to the -ort, where Smith having vsed the Salvages with what kindnesse he could, he shewed Rawhunt, .owhatans trusty servant two demi"+ulverings : a millstone to carry .owhatan, they found them somewhat too heavie; !ut when they did see him discharge them, !eing loaded with stones, among the !oughs of a great tree loaded with Isickles, the yce and !ranches came so tum!ling downe, that the poore Salvages ran away halfe dead with feare. But at last we regained some conference with them, and gaue them such toyes; and sent to .owhatan, his women, and children such presents, as gaue them in generall full content. <ow in Iames 2owne they were all in com!ustion, the strongest preparing once more to run away with the &innace; which with the ha%%ard of his life, with Sakrefalcon and musket shot, Smith forced now the third time to stay or sinke. Some no !etter then they should !e, had plotted with the &resident, the next day to haue put him to death !y the 3eviticall law, for the liues of Ro)inson and Emr', pretending the fault was his that had led them to their ends, !ut he )uickly tooke such order with such 3awyers, that he layd them !y the heeles till he sent some of them prisoners for England( <ow ever once in foure or fiue dayes, .o ahontas with her attendants, !rought him so much provision, that saved many of their liues, that els for all this had starved with hunger. Thus from num)e death our good God sent reliefe , The sweete asswager of all other griefe( A true proofe of $ods loue to the action. $is relation of the plenty he had seene, especially at #erawo omo o, and of the state and !ountie of .owhatan, /which till that time was vnknowne0 so revived their dead spirits /especially the loue of .o ahontas0 as all mens feare was a!andoned. 2hus you may see what difficulties still crossed any good indevour, and the good successe of the !usinesse !eing thus oft !rought to the very period of destruction; yet you see !y what strange means 1od hath still delivered it. s for the insufficiency of them admitted in +ommission, that error could not !e prevented !y the (lectors; there !eing no other choise, and all strangers to each others education, )ualities, or disposition. nd if any deeme it a shame to our <ation to haue any mention made of those inormities, let them pervse the $istories of the Spanyards ;iscoveries and &lantations, where they may see how many mutinies, disorders, and dissentions haue accompanied them, and crossed their attempts, which !eing knowne to !e particular mens offences; doth take away the generall scorne and contempt, which malice, presumption, covetousnesse, or ignorance might produce; to the scandall and reproach of those, whose actions and valiant resolutions deserue a more worthy respect. %f t#o evils the lesse #as chosen. <ow whether it had !eene !etter for +aptaine Smith, to haue concluded with any of those severall proiects, to haue a!andoned the +ountrey, with some ten or twelue of them, who were called the !etter sort,

and haue left .r Hunt our &reacher, .aster Anthon' Gosnoll, a most honest, worthy, and industrious 1entleman, .aster Thomas #otton, and some 2B others of his +ountrymen to the fury of the Salvages, famine, and all manner of mischiefes, and inconveniences, /for they were !ut fortie in all to keepe possession of this large +ountry;0 or starue himselfe with them for company, for want of lodging, or !ut adventuring a!road to make them provision, or !y his opposition to preserue the action, and saue all their liues; I leaue to the censure of all honest men to consider. But #e men imagine in our Iolitie, That 3tis all one, or good or )ad to )e( /ut then anone wee alter this againe, If ha**il' wee feele the sen e of *aine2or then we3re turn3d into a mourning vaine( 9ritten !y Thomas Studle', the first +ape .erchant in Virginia, Ro)ert 2enton, Edward Harrington, and I( S(