the complete writings-3-第48章

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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　long　sent　men　of　their　Quiyoughkasoucks　＇conjurors＇　to　offer　peace　and　redeeme　the　Okee。〃　　Good　feeling　was　restored；　and　the　savages　brought　the　English　〃venison；　turkies；　wild　fowl；　bread　all　that　they　had；　singing　and　dancing　in　sign　of　friendship　till　they　departed。〃　　This　fantastical　account　is　much　more　readable　than　the　former　bare　narration。

The　supplies　which　Smith　brought　gave　great　comfort　to　the　despairing　colony；　which　was　by　this　time　reasonably　fitted　with　houses。　　But　it　was　not　long　before　they　again　ran　short　of　food。　　In　his　first　narrative　Smith　says　there　were　some　motions　made　for　the　President　and　Captain　Arthur　to　go　over　to　England　and　procure　a　supply；　but　it　was　with　much　ado　concluded　that　the　pinnace　and　the　barge　should　go　up　the　river　to　Powhatan　to　trade　for　corn；　and　the　lot　fell　to　Smith　to　command　the　expedition。　　In　his　〃General　Historie〃　a　little　different　complexion　is　put　upon　this。　　On　his　return；　Smith　says；　he　suppressed　an　attempt　to　run　away　with　the　pinnace　to　England。　　He　represents　that　what　food　〃he　carefully　provided　the　rest　carelessly　spent；〃　and　there　is　probably　much　truth　in　his　charges　that　the　settlers　were　idle　and　improvident。　　He　says　also　that　they　were　in　continual　broils　at　this　time。　　It　is　in　the　fall　of　1607；　just　before　his　famous　voyage　up　the　Chickahominy；　on　which　he　departed　December　10ththat　he　writes：　〃The　President　and　Captain　Arthur　intended　not　long　after　to　have　abandoned　the　country；　which　project　was　curbed　and　suppressed　by　Smith。　　The　Spaniard　never　more　greedily　desired　gold　than　he　victual；　nor　his　soldiers　more　to　abandon　the　country　than　he　to　keep　it。　　But　finding　plenty　of　corn　in　the　river　of　Chickahomania；　where　hundreds　of　salvages　in　divers　places　stood　with　baskets　expecting　his　coming；　and　now　the　winter　approaching；　the　rivers　became　covered　with　swans；　geese；　ducks；　and　cranes；　that　we　daily　feasted　with　good　bread；　Virginia　peas；　pumpions；　and　putchamins；　fish；　fowls；　and　divers　sorts　of　wild　beasts　as　fat　as　we　could　eat　them；　so　that　none　of　our　Tuftaffaty　humorists　desired　to　go　to　England。〃

While　the　Chickahominy　expedition　was　preparing；　Smith　made　a　voyage　to　Popohanock　or　Quiyoughcohanock；　as　it　is　called　on　his　map；　a　town　on　the　south　side　of　the　river；　above　Jamestown。　　Here　the　women　and　children　fled　from　their　homes　and　the　natives　refused　to　trade。　They　had　plenty　of　corn；　but　Smith　says　he　had　no　commission　to　spoil　them。　　On　his　return　he　called　at　Paspahegh；　a　town　on　the　north　side　of　the　James；　and　on　the　map　placed　higher　than　Popohanock；　but　evidently　nearer　to　Jamestown；　as　he　visited　it　on　his　return。　　He　obtained　ten　bushels　of　corn　of　the　churlish　and　treacherous　natives；　who　closely　watched　and　dogged　the　expedition。

Everything　was　now　ready　for　the　journey　to　Powhatan。　　Smith　had　the　barge　and　eight　men　for　trading　and　discovery；　and　the　pinnace　was　to　follow　to　take　the　supplies　at　convenient　landings。　　On　the　9th　of　November　he　set　out　in　the　barge　to　explore　the　Chickahominy；　which　is　described　as　emptying　into　the　James　at　Paspahegh；　eight　miles　above　the　fort。　　The　pinnace　was　to　ascend　the　river　twenty　miles　to　Point　Weanock；　and　to　await　Smith　there。　　All　the　month　of　November　Smith　toiled　up　and　down　the　Chickahominy；　discovering　and　visiting　many　villages；　finding　the　natives　kindly　disposed　and　eager　to　trade；　and　possessing　abundance　of　corn。　　Notwithstanding　this　abundance；　many　were　still　mutinous。　　At　this　time　occurred　the　President's　quarrel　with　the　blacksmith；　who；　for　assaulting　the　President；　was　condemned　to　death；　and　released　on　disclosing　a　conspiracy　of　which　Captain　Kendall　was　principal；　and　the　latter　was　executed　in　his　place。　　Smith　returned　from　a　third　voyage　to　the　Chickahominy　with　more　supplies；　only　to　find　the　matter　of　sending　the　pinnace　to　England　still　debated。

This　project；　by　the　help　of　Captain　Martin；　he　again　quieted　and　at　last　set　forward　on　his　famous　voyage　into　the　country　of　Powhatan　and　Pocahontas。




VIII

THE　FAMOUS　CHICK