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　more　than　paraphrases　of　his　story　as　told　by　himself。　　But　within　the　last　twenty　years　some　new　contemporary　evidence　has　come　to　light；　and　special　scholars　have　expended　much　critical　research　upon　different　portions　of　his　career。　　The　result　of　this　modern　investigation　has　been　to　discredit　much　of　the　romance　gathered　about　Smith　and　Pocahontas；　and　a　good　deal　to　reduce　his　heroic　proportions。　　A　vague　report　of…　…these　scholarly　studies　has　gone　abroad；　but　no　effort　has　been　made　to　tell　the　real　story　of　Smith　as　a　connected　whole　in　the　light　of　the　new　researches。

This　volume　is　an　effort　to　put　in　popular　form　the　truth　about　Smith's　adventures；　and　to　estimate　his　exploits　and　character。　　For　this　purpose　I　have　depended　almost　entirely　upon　original　contemporary　material；　illumined　as　it　now　is　by　the　labors　of　special　editors。　　I　believe　that　I　have　read　everything　that　is　attributed　to　his　pen；　and　have　compared　his　own　accounts　with　other　contemporary　narratives；　and　I　think　I　have　omitted　the　perusal　of　little　that　could　throw　any　light　upon　his　life　or　character。　　For　the　early　part　of　his　careerbefore　he　came　to　Virginiathere　is　absolutely　no　authority　except　Smith　himself；　but　when　he　emerges　from　romance　into　history；　he　can　be　followed　and　checked　by　contemporary　evidence。　　If　he　was　always　and　uniformly　untrustworthy　it　would　be　less　perplexing　to　follow　him；　but　his　liability　to　tell　the　truth　when　vanity　or　prejudice　does　not　interfere　is　annoying　to　the　careful　student。

As　far　as　possible　I　have　endeavored　to　let　the　actors　in　these　pages　tell　their　own　story；　and　I　have　quoted　freely　from　Capt。　Smith　himself；　because　it　is　as　a　writer　that　he　is　to　be　judged　no　less　than　as　an　actor。　　His　development　of　the　Pocahontas　legend　has　been　carefully　traced；　and　all　the　known　facts　about　that　Indianor　Indese；　as　some　of　the　old　chroniclers　call　the　female　North　Americanshave　been　consecutively　set　forth　in　separate　chapters。　The　book　is　not　a　history　of　early　Virginia；　nor　of　the　times　of　Smith；　but　merely　a　study　of　his　life　and　writings。　　If　my　estimate　of　the　character　of　Smith　is　not　that　which　his　biographers　have　entertained；　and　differs　from　his　own　candid　opinion；　I　can　only　plead　that　contemporary　evidence　and　a　collation　of　his　own　stories　show　that　he　was　mistaken。　　I　am　not　aware　that　there　has　been　before　any　systematic　effort　to　collate　his　different　accounts　of　his　exploits。　　If　he　had　ever　undertaken　the　task；　he　might　have　disturbed　that　serene　opinion　of　himself　which　marks　him　as　a　man　who　realized　his　own　ideals。

The　works　used　in　this　study　are；　first；　the　writings　of　Smith；　which　are　as　follows：

〃A　True　Relation；〃　etc。；　London；　1608。

〃A　Map　of　Virginia；　Description　and　Appendix；〃　Oxford；　1612。

〃A　Description　of　New　England；〃　etc。；　London；　1616。

〃New　England's　Trials；〃　etc。；　London；　1620。　　Second　edition；　enlarged；　1622。

〃The　Generall　Historie；〃　etc。；　London；　1624。　　Reissued；　with　date　of　title…page　altered；　in　1626；　1627；　and　twice　in　1632。

〃An　Accidence：　or；　The　Pathway　to　Experience；〃　etc。；　London；　1626。

〃A　Sea　Grammar；〃　etc。；　London；　1627。　　Also　editions　in　1653　and　1699。

〃The　True　Travels；〃　etc。；　London；　1630。

〃Advertisements　for　the　Unexperienced　Planters　of　New　England；〃　etc。；　London；　1631。


Other　authorities　are：

〃The　Historie　of　Travaile　into　Virginia；〃　etc。；　by　William　Strachey；　Secretary　of　the　colony　1609　to　1612。　　First　printed　for　the　Hakluyt　Society；　London；　1849。

〃Newport's　Relatyon；〃　1607。　　Am。　　Ant。　　Soc。；　Vol。　　4。

〃Wingfield's　Discourse；〃　etc。；　1607。　　Am。　　Ant。　　Soc。；　Vol。　4。

〃Purchas　his　Pilgrimage；〃　London；　1613。

〃Purchas　his　Pilgrimes；〃　London；　1625…6。

〃Ralph　Hamor's　True　Discourse；〃　etc。；　London；　1615。

〃Relation　of　Virginia；〃　by　Henry　Spelman；　1609。　　First　printed　by　J。　F。　Hunnewell；　London；　1872。

〃History　of　the　Virginia　Company　in　London；〃　by　Edward　D。　　Neill；　Albany；　1869。

〃William　Stith's　History　of　Virginia；〃　1753；　has　been　consulted　for　the　charters　and　letters…patent。　The　Pocahontas　discussion　has　been　followed　in　many　magazine　papers。　　I　am　greatly　indebted　to　the　scholarly　labors　of　Charles　Deane；　LL。D。；　the　accomplished　editor　of　the　〃True　Relation；〃　and　other　Virginia　monographs。　　I　wish　also　to　acknowledge　the　courtesy　of　the　librarians　of　the　Astor；　the　Lenox；　the　New　York　Historical；　Yale；　and　Cornell　libraries；　and　of　Dr。　J。　Hammond　Trumbull；　the　custodian　of　the　Brinley　collection；　and　the　kindness　of　Mr。　S。　L。　M。　Barlow　of　New　York；　who　is　ever　ready　to　give　students　access　to　his　rich　〃Americana。〃

C。　　D。　　W。　HARTFORD；　June；　1881






CAPTAIN　JOHN　SMITH




BIRTH　AND　TRAINING

Fortunate　is　the　hero　who　links　his　name　romantically　with　that　of　a　woman。　　A　tender　interest　in　his　fame　is　assured。　　Still　more　fortunate　is　he　if　he　is　able　to　record　his　own　achievements　and　give　to　them　that　form　and　color　and　importance　which　they　assume　in　his　own　gallant　consciousness。　　Captain　John　Smith；　the　first　of　an　honored　name；　had　this　double　good　fortune。

We　are　indebted　to　him　for　the　glowing　picture　of　a　knight…errant　of　the　sixteenth　century；　moving　with　the　port　of　a　swash…buckler　across　the　field　of　vision；　wherever　cities　were　to　be　taken　and　heads　cracked　in　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa；　and；　in　the　language　of　one　of　his　laureates

　　　　　　　　　〃To　see　bright　honor　sparkled　all　in　gore。〃

But　we　are　specially　his　debtor　for　adventures　on　our　own　continent；　narrated　with　naivete　and　vigor　by　a　pen　as　direct　and　clear…cutting　as　the　sword　with　which　he　shaved　off　the　heads　of　the　Turks；　and　for　one　of　the　few　romances　that　illumine　our　early　history。

Captain　John　Smith　understood　his　good　fortune　in　being　the　recorder　of　his　own　deeds；　and　he　preceded　Lord　Beaconsfield　（in　〃Endymion〃）　in　his　appreciation　of　the　value　of　the　influence　of　women　upon　the　career　of　a　hero。　　In　the　dedication　of　his　〃General　Historie〃　to　Frances；　Duchess　of　Richmond；　he　says：

〃I　have　deeply　hazarded　myself　in　doing　and　suffering；　and　why　should　I　sticke　to　hazard　my　reputation　in　recording？　　He　that　acteth　two　parts　is　the　more　borne　withall　　if　he　come　short；　or　fayle　in　one　of　them。　　Where　shall　we　looke　to　finde　a　Julius　Caesar　whose　atchievments　shine　as　cleare　in　his　owne　Commentaries；　as　they　did　in　the　field？　　I　confesse；　my　hand　though　able　to　wield　a　weapon　among　the　Barbarous；　yet　well　may　tremble　in　handling　a　Pen　among　so　many　judicious；　especially　when　I　am　so　bold　as　to　call　so　piercing　and　so　glorious　an　Eye；　as　your　Grace；　to　view　these　poore　ragged　lines。　Yet　my　comfort　is　that　heretofore　honorable　and　vertuous　Ladies；　and　comparable　but　amongst　themselves；　have　offered　me　rescue　and　protection　in　my　greatest　dangers：　even　in　forraine　parts；　I　have　felt　reliefe　from　that　sex。　　The　beauteous　Lady　Tragabigzanda；　when　I　was　a　slave　to　the　Turks；　did　all　she　could　to　secure　me。　　When　I　overcame　the　Bashaw　of　Nalbrits　in　Tartaria；　the　charitable　Lady　Callamata　supplyed　my　necessities。　　In　the　utmost　of　my　extremities；　that　blessed　Pokahontas；　the　great　King's　daughter　of　Virginia；　oft　saved　my　life。　　When　I　escaped　the　cruelties　of　Pirats　and　most　furious　stormes；　a　long　time　alone　in　a　small　Boat　at　Sea；　and　driven　ashore　in　France；　the　good　Lady　Chanoyes　bountifully　assisted　me。〃


It　is　stated　in　his　〃True　Travels〃　that　John　Smith　was　born　in　Willoughby；　in　Lincolnshire。　　The　year　of　his　birth　is　not　given；　but　it　was　probably　in　1579；　as　it　appears　by　the　portrait　prefixed　to　that　work　that　he　was　aged　37　years　in　1616。　　We　are　able　to　add　also　that　the　rector　of　the　Willoughby　Rectory；　Alford；　finds　in　the　register　an　entry　of　the　baptism　of　John；　son　of　George　Smith；　under　date　of　Jan。　9；　1579。　　His　biographers；　following　his　account；　represent　him　as　of　ancient　lineage：　〃His　father　actually　descended　from　the　ancient　Smiths　of　Crudley　in　Lancashire；　his　mother　from　the　Rickands　at　great　Heck　in　Yorkshire；〃　but　the　circumstances　of　his　boyhood　would　indicate　that　like　many　other　men　who　have　made　themselves　a　name；　his　origin　was　humble。　　If　it　had　been　otherwise　he　would　scarcely　have　been　bound　as　an　apprentice；　nor　had　so　much　difficulty　in　his　advancement。　　But　the　boy　was　born　with　a　merry　disposition；　and　in　his　earliest　years　was　impatient　for　adventure。　The　desire　to　rove　was　doubtless　increased　by　the　nature　of　his　native　shire；　which　offered　every　inducement　to　the　lad　of　spirit　to　leave　it。

Lincolnshire　is　the　most　uninteresting　part　of　all　England。　　It　is　frequently　water…logged　till　late　in　the　summer：　invisible　a　part　of　the　year；　when　it　emerges　it　is　mostly　a　dreary　flat。　　Willoughby　is　a　considerable　village　in　this　shire；　situated　about　three　miles　and　a　half　southeastward　from　Alford。　　It　stands　just　on　the　edge　of　the　chalk　hills　whose　drives　gently　slope　down　to　the　German　Ocean；　and　the　scenery　around　offers　an　unvarying　expanse　of　flats。　　All　the　villages　in　this　part　of　Lincolnshire　exhibit　the　same　character。　The　name　ends　in　by；　the　Danish　word　for　hamlet　or　small　village；　and　we　can　measure　the　progress　of　the　Danish　invasion　of　England　by　the　number　of　towns　which　have　the　terminal　by；　distinguished　from　the　Saxon　thorpe；　which　generally　ends　the　name　of　villages　in　Yorkshire。　The　population　may　be　said　to　be　Danish　light…haired　and　blue…eyed。　Such　was　John　Smith。　　The　sea　was　the　natural　element　of　his　neighbors；　and　John　when　a　boy　must　have　heard　many　stories　of　the　sea　and　enticing　adventures　told　by　the　sturdy　mariners　who　were　recruited　from　the　neighborhood　of　Willoughby；　and　whose　oars　had　often　cloven　the　Baltic　Sea。

Willoughby　boasts　some　antiquity。　　Its　church　is　a　spacious　structure；　with　a　nave；　north　and　south　aisles；　and　a　chancel；　and　a　tower　at　the　west　end。　　In　the　floor　is　a　stone　with　a　Latin　inscription；　in　black　letter；　round　the　verge；　to　the　memory　of　one　Gilbert　West；　who　died　in　1404。　　The　church　is　dedicated　to　St。　Helen。　　In　the　village　the　Wesleyan　Methodists　also　have　a　place　of　worship。　　According　to　the　parliamentary　returns　of　1825；　the　parish　including　the　hamlet　of　Sloothby　contained　108　houses　and　514　inhabitants。　　All　the　churches　in　Lincolnshire　indicate　the　existence　of　a　much　larger　population　who　wer