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〃Two　or　three　Sunday　mornings；　the　Indians　gave　us　allarums　at　our　towne。　　By　that　tymes　they　weare　answered；　the　place　about　us　well　discovered；　and　our　devyne　service　ended；　the　daie　was　farr　spent。　The　preacher　did　aske　me　if　it　were　my　pleasure　to　have　a　sermon：　hee　said　hee　was　prepared　for　it。　　I　made　answere；　that　our　men　were　weary　and　hungry；　and　that　he　did　see　the　time　of　the　daie　farr　past　（for　at　other　tymes　bee　never　made　such　question；　but；　the　service　finished　he　began　his　sermon）；　and　that；　if　it　pleased　him；　wee　would　spare　him　till　some　other　tyme。　　I　never　failed　to　take　such　noates　by　wrighting　out　of　his　doctrine　as　my　capacity　could　comprehend；　unless　some　raynie　day　hindred　my　endeavor。　　My　mynde　never　swelled　with　such　ympossible　mountebank　humors　as　could　make　me　affect　any　other　kingdome　than　the　kingdom　of　heaven。

〃As　truly　as　God　liveth；　I　gave　an　ould　man；　then　the　keeper　of　the　private　store；　2　glasses　with　sallet　oyle　which　I　brought　with　me　out　of　England　for　my　private　stoare；　and　willed　him　to　bury　it　in　the　ground；　for　that　I　feared　the　great　heate　would　spoile　it。　Whatsoever　was　more；　I　did　never　consent　unto　or　know　of　it；　and　as　truly　was　it　protested　unto　me；　that　all　the　remaynder　before　mencioned　of　the　oyle；　wyne；　&c。；　which　the　President　receyved　of　me　when　I　was　deposed　they　themselves　poored　into　their　owne　bellyes。

〃To　the　President's　and　Counsell's　objections　I　saie　that　I　doe　knowe　curtesey　and　civility　became　a　governor。　　No　penny　whittle　was　asked　me；　but　a　knife；　whereof　I　have　none　to　spare　The　Indyans　had　long　before　stoallen　my　knife。　　Of　chickins　I　never　did　eat　but　one；　and　that　in　my　sicknes。　　Mr。　Ratcliff　had　before　that　time　tasted　Of　4　or　5。　　I　had　by　my　owne　huswiferie　bred　above　37；　and　the　most　part　of　them　my　owne　poultrye；　of　all　which；　at　my　comyng　awaie；　I　did　not　see　three　living。　　I　never　denyed　him　（or　any　other）　beare；　when　I　had　it。　　The　corne　was　of　the　same　which　we　all　lived　upon。

〃Mr。　Smyth；　in　the　time　of　our　hungar；　had　spread　a　rumor　in　the　Collony；　that　I　did　feast　myself　and　my　servants　out　of　the　comon　stoare；　with　entent　（as　I　gathered）　to　have　stirred　the　discontented　company　against　me。　　I　told　him　privately；　in　Mr。　Gosnold's　tent；　that　indeede　I　had　caused　half　a　pint　of　pease　to　be　sodden　with　a　peese　of　pork；　of　my　own　provision；　for　a　poore　old　man；　which　in　a　sicknes　（whereof　he　died）　he　much　desired；　and　said；　that　if　out　of　his　malice　he　had　given　it　out　otherwise；　that　hee　did　tell　a　leye。　It　was　proved　to　his　face；　that　he　begged　in　Ireland　like　a　rogue；　without　a　lycence。　　To　such　I　would　not　my　nam　should　be　a　companyon。〃

The　explanation　about　the　Bible　as　a　part　of　his　baggage　is　a　little　far…fetched；　and　it　is　evident　that　that　book　was　not　his　daily　companion。　　Whether　John　Smith　habitually　carried　one　about　with　him　we　are　not　informed。　　The　whole　passage　quoted　gives　us　a　curious　picture　of　the　mind　and　of　the　habits　of　the　time。　　This　allusion　to　John　Smith's　begging　is　the　only　reference　we　can　find　to　his　having　been　in　Ireland。　　If　he　was　there　it　must　have　been　in　that　interim　in　his　own　narrative　between　his　return　from　Morocco　and　his　going　to　Virginia。　　He　was　likely　enough　to　seek　adventure　there；　as　the　hangers…on　of　the　court　in　Raleigh's　day　occasionally　did；　and　perhaps　nothing　occurred　during　his　visit　there　that　he　cared　to　celebrate。　　If　he　went　to　Ireland　he　probably　got　in　straits　there；　for　that　was　his　usual　luck。

Whatever　is　the　truth　about　Mr。　Wingfield's　inefficiency　and　embezzlement　of　corn　meal；　Communion　sack；　and　penny　whittles；　his　enemies　had　no　respect　for　each　other　or　concord　among　themselves。　It　is　Wingfield's　testimony　that　Ratcliffe　said　he　would　not　have　been　deposed　if　he　had　visited　Ratcliffe　during　his　sickness。　　Smith　said　that　Wingfield　would　not　have　been　deposed　except　for　Archer；　that　the　charges　against　him　were　frivolous。　　Yet；　says　Wingfield；　〃I　do　believe　him　the　first　and　only　practiser　in　these　practices；〃　and　he　attributed　Smith's　hostility　to　the　fact　that　〃his　name　was　mentioned　in　the　intended　and　confessed　mutiny　by　Galthrop。〃　　Noother　reference　is　made　to　this　mutiny。　　Galthrop　was　one　of　those　who　died　in　the　previous　August。

One　of　the　best　re…enforcements　of　the　first　supply　was　Matthew　Scrivener；　who　was　appointed　one　of　the　Council。　　He　was　a　sensible　man；　and　he　and　Smith　worked　together　in　harmony　for　some　time。　　They　were　intent　upon　building　up　the　colony。　　Everybody　else　in　the　camp　was　crazy　about　the　prospect　of　gold：　there　was；　says　Smith；　〃no　talk；　no　hope；　no　work；　but　dig　gold；　wash　gold；　refine　gold；　load　gold；　such　a　bruit　of　gold　that　one　mad　fellow　desired　to　be　buried　in　the　sands；　lest　they　should　by　their　art　make　gold　of　his　bones。〃　He　charges　that　Newport　delayed　his　return　to　England　on　account　of　this　gold　fever；　in　order　to　load　his　vessel　（which　remained　fourteen　weeks　when　it　might　have　sailed　in　fourteen　days）　with　gold…dust。　Captain　Martin　seconded　Newport　in　this；　Smith　protested　against　it；　he　thought　Newport　was　no　refiner；　and　it　did　torment　him　〃to　see　all　necessary　business　neglected；　to　fraught　such　a　drunken　ship　with　so　much　gilded　durt。〃　　This　was　the　famous　load　of　gold　that　proved　to　be　iron　pyrites。

In　speaking　of　the　exploration　of　the　James　River　as　far　as　the　Falls　by　Newport；　Smith；　and　Percy；　we　have　followed　the　statements　of　Percy　and　the　writer　of　Newport's　discovery　that　they　saw　the　great　Powhatan。　　There　is　much　doubt　of　this。　　Smith　in　his　〃True　Relation　〃does　not　say　so；　in　his　voyage　up　the　Chickahominy　he　seems　to　have　seen　Powhatan　for　the　first　time；　and　Wingfield　speaks　of　Powhatan；　on　Smith's　return　from　that　voyage；　as　one　〃of　whom　before　we　had　no　knowledge。〃　　It　is　conjectured　that　the　one　seen　at　Powhatan's　seat　near　the　Falls　was　a　son　of　the　〃Emperor。〃　　It　was　partly　the　exaggeration　of　the　times　to　magnify　discoveries；　and　partly　English　love　of　high　titles；　that　attributed　such　titles　as　princes；　emperors；　and　kings　to　the　half…naked　barbarians　and　petty　chiefs　of　Virginia。

In　all　the　accounts　of　the　colony　at　this　period；　no　mention　is　made　of　women；　and　it　is　not　probable　that　any　went　over　with　the　first　colonists。　　The　character　of　the　men　was　not　high。　　Many　of　them　were　〃gentlemen〃　adventurers；　turbulent　spirits；　who　would　not　work；　who　were　much　better　fitted　for　piratical　maraudings　than　the　labor　of　founding　a　state。　　The　historian　must　agree　with　the　impression　conveyed　by　Smith；　that　it　was　poor　material　out　of　which　to　make　a　colony。




VII

SMITH　TO　THE　FRONT

It　is　now　time　to　turn　to　Smith's　personal　adventures　among　the　Indians　during　this　period。　　Almost　our　only　authority　is　Smith　himself；　or　such　presumed　writings　of　his　companions　as　he　edited　or　rewrote。　　Strachey　and　others　testify　to　his　energy　in　procuring　supplies　for　the　colony；　and　his　success　in　dealing　with　the　Indians；　and　it　seems　likely　that　the　colony　would　have　famished　but　for　his　exertions。　　Whatever　suspicion　attaches　to　Smith's　relation　of　his　own　exploits；　it　must　never　be　forgotten　that　he　was　a　man　of　extraordinary　executive　ability；　and　had　many　good　qualities　to　offset　his　vanity　and　impatience　of　restraint。

After　the　departure　of　Wingfield；　Captain　Smith　was　constrained　to　act　as　Cape　Merchant；　the　leaders　were　sick　or　discontented；　the　rest　were　in　despair；　and　would　rather　starve　and　rot　than　do　anything　for　their　own　relief；　and　the　Indian　trade　was　decreasing。　　Under　these　circumstances；　Smith　says　in　his　〃True　Relation；〃　〃I　was　sent　to　the　mouth　of　the　river；　to　Kegquoughtan　＇now　Hampton＇；　an　Indian　Towne；　to　trade　for　corn；　and　try　the　river　for　fish。〃　　The　Indians；　thinking　them　near　famished；　tantalized　them　with　offers　of　little　bits　of　bread　in　exchange　for　a　hatchet　or　a　piece　of　copper；　and　Smith　offered　trifles　in　return。　　The　next　day　the　Indians　were　anxious　to　trade。　　Smith　sent　men　up　to　their　town；　a　display　of　force　was　made　by　firing　four　guns；　and　the　Indians　kindly　traded；　giving　fish；　oysters；　bread；　and　deer。　　The　town　contained　eighteen　houses；　and　heaps　of　grain。　　Smith　obtained　fifteen　bushels　of　it；　and　on　his　homeward　way　he　met　two　canoes　with　Indians；　whom　he　accompanied　to　their　villages　on　the　south　side　of　the　river；　and　got　from　them　fifteen　bushels　more。

This　incident　is　expanded　in　the　〃General　Historie。〃　　After　the　lapse　of　fifteen　years　Smith　is　able　to　remember　more　details；　and　to　conceive　himself　as　the　one　efficient　man　who　had　charge　of　everything　outside　the　fort；　and　to　represent　his　dealings　with　the　Indians　in　a　much　more　heroic　and　summary　manner。　　He　was　not　sent　on　the　expedition；　but　went　of　his　own　motion。　　The　account　opens　in　this　way：　〃The　new　President　＇Ratcliffe＇　and　Martin；　being　little　beloved；　of　weake　judgement　in　dangers；　and　loose　industrie　in　peace；　committed　the　management　of　all　things　abroad　to　Captain　Smith；　who　by　his　own　example；　good　words；　and　fair　promises；　set　some　to　mow；　others　to　binde　thatch；　some　to　builde　houses；　others　to　thatch　them；　himselfe　always　bearing　the　greatest　taske　for　his　own　share；　so　that　in　short　time　he　provided　most　of　them　with　lodgings；　neglecting　any　for　himselfe。　　This　done；　seeing　the　Salvage　superfluities　beginne　to　decrease　（with　some　of　his　workmen）　shipped　himself　in　the　Shallop　to　search　the　country　for　trade。〃

In　this　narration；　when　the　Indians　trifled　with　Smith　he　fired　a　volley　at　them；　ran　his　boat　ashore；　and　pursued　them　fleeing　towards　their　village；　where　were　great　heaps　of　corn　that　he　could　with　difficulty　restrain　his　soldiers　＇six　or　seven＇　from　taking。　　The　Indians　then　assaulted　them　with　a　hideous　noise：　〃Sixty　or　seventy　of　them；　some　black；　some　red；　some　white；　some　particoloured；　came　in　a　square　order；　singing　and　dancing　out　of　the　woods；　with　their　Okee　（which　is　an　Idol　made　of　skinnes；　stuffed　with　mosse；　and　painted　and　hung　with　chains　and　copper）　borne　before　them；　and　in　this　manner　being　well　armed　with　clubs；　targets；　bowes　and　arrowes；　they　charged　the　English　that　so　kindly　received　them　with　their　muskets　loaden　with　pistol　shot；　that　down　fell　their　God；　and　divers　lay　sprawling　on　the　ground；　the　rest　fled　againe　to　the　woods；　and　ere