the complete writings-3-第62章

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hes　（the　smoke　of　which　made　them　sick）　and　sit　down　and　eat。　　Smith；　on　his　guard；　compelled　them　to　taste　each　dish；　and　then　sent　them　back　to　Powhatan。　　All　night　the　whites　watched；　but　though　the　savages　lurked　about；　no　attack　was　made。　　Leaving　the　four　Dutchmen　to　build　Powhatan's　house；　and　an　Englishman　to　shoot　game　for　him；　Smith　next　evening　departed　for　Pamaunky。

No　sooner　had　he　gone　than　two　of　the　Dutchmen　made　their　way　overland　to　Jamestown；　and；　pretending　Smith　had　sent　them；　procured　arms；　tools；　and　clothing。　　They　induced　also　half　a　dozen　sailors；　〃expert　thieves；〃　to　accompany　them　to　live　with　Powhatan；　and　altogether　they　stole；　besides　powder　and　shot；　fifty　swords；　eight　pieces；　eight　pistols；　and　three　hundred　hatchets。　　Edward　Boynton　and　Richard　Savage；　who　had　been　left　with　Powhatan；　seeing　the　treachery；　endeavored　to　escape；　but　were　apprehended　by　the　Indians。

At　Pamaunky　there　was　the　same　sort　of　palaver　with　Opechancanough；　the　king；　to　whom　Smith　the　year　before　had　expounded　the　mysteries　of　history；　geography；　and　astronomy。　　After　much　fencing　in　talk；　Smith；　with　fifteen　companions；　went　up　to　the　King's　house；　where　presently　he　found　himself　betrayed　and　surrounded　by　seven　hundred　armed　savages；　seeking　his　life。　　His　company　being　dismayed；　Smith　restored　their　courage　by　a　speech；　and　then；　boldly　charging　the　King　with　intent　to　murder　him；　he　challenged　him　to　a　single　combat　on　an　island　in　the　river；　each　to　use　his　own　arms；　but　Smith　to　be　as　naked　as　the　King。　　The　King　still　professed　friendship；　and　laid　a　great　present　at　the　door；　about　which　the　Indians　lay　in　ambush　to　kill　Smith。　　But　this　hero；　according　to　his　own　account；　took　prompt　measures。　　He　marched　out　to　the　King　where　he　stood　guarded　by　fifty　of　his　chiefs；　seized　him　by　his　long　hair　in　the　midst　of　his　men；　and　pointing　a　pistol　at　his　breast　led；　him　trembling　and　near　dead　with　fear　amongst　all　his　people。　　The　King　gave　up　his　arms；　and　the　savages；　astonished　that　any　man　dare　treat　their　king　thus；　threw　down　their　bows。　　Smith；　still　holding　the　King　by　the　hair；　made　them　a　bold　address；　offering　peace　or　war。　　They　chose　peace。

In　the　picture　of　this　remarkable　scene　in　the　〃General　Historie；〃　the　savage　is　represented　as　gigantic　in　stature；　big　enough　to　crush　the　little　Smith　in　an　instant　if　he　had　but　chosen。　　Having　given　the　savages　the　choice　to　load　his　ship　with　corn　or　to　load　it　himself　with　their　dead　carcasses；　the　Indians　so　thronged　in　with　their　commodities　that　Smith　was　tired　of　receiving　them；　and　leaving　his　comrades　to　trade；　he　lay　down　to　rest。　　When　he　was　asleep　the　Indians；　armed　some　with　clubs；　and　some　with　old　English　swords；　entered　into　the　house。　　Smith　awoke　in　time；　seized　his　arms；　and　others　coming　to　his　rescue；　they　cleared　the　house。

While　enduring　these　perils；　sad　news　was　brought　from　Jamestown。　Mr。　Scrivener；　who　had　letters　from　England　（writes　Smith）　urging　him　to　make　himself　Caesar　or　nothing；　declined　in　his　affection　for　Smith；　and　began　to　exercise　extra　authority。　　Against　the　advice　of　the　others；　he　needs　must　make　a　journey　to　the　Isle　of　Hogs；　taking　with　him　in　the　boat　Captain　Waldo；　Anthony　Gosnoll　（or　Gosnold；　believed　to　be　a　relative　of　Captain　Bartholomew　Gosnold）；　and　eight　others。　　The　boat　was　overwhelmed　in　a　storm；　and　sunk；　no　one　knows　how　or　where。　　The　savages　were　the　first　to　discover　the　bodies　of　the　lost。　　News　of　this　disaster　was　brought　to　Captain　Smith　（who　did　not　disturb　the　rest　by　making　it　known）　by　Richard　Wiffin；　who　encountered　great　dangers　on　the　way。　　Lodging　overnight　at　Powhatan's；　he　saw　great　preparations　for　war；　and　found　himself　in　peril。　　Pocahontas　hid　him　for　a　time；　and　by　her　means；　and　extraordinary　bribes；　in　three　days'　travel　he　reached　Smith。

Powhatan；　according　to　Smith；　threatened　death　to　his　followers　if　they　did　not　kill　Smith。　　At　one　time　swarms　of　natives；　unarmed；　came　bringing　great　supplies　of　provisions；　this　was　to　put　Smith　off　his　guard；　surround　him　with　hundreds　of　savages；　and　slay　him　by　an　ambush。　　But　he　also　laid　in　ambush　and　got　the　better　of　the　crafty　foe　with　a　superior　craft。　　They　sent　him　poisoned　food；　which　made　his　company　sick；　but　was　fatal　to　no　one。　　Smith　apologizes　for　temporizing　with　the　Indians　at　this　time；　by　explaining　that　his　purpose　was　to　surprise　Powhatan　and　his　store　of　provisions。　　But　when　they　stealthily　stole　up　to　the　seat　of　that　crafty　chief；　they　found　that　those　〃damned　Dutchmen〃　had　caused　Powhatan　to　abandon　his　new　house　at　Werowocomoco；　and　to　carry　away　all　his　corn　and　provisions。

The　reward　of　this　wearisome　winter　campaign　was　two　hundred　weight　of　deer…suet　and　four　hundred　and　seventy…nine　bushels　of　corn　for　the　general　store。　　They　had　not　to　show　such　murdering　and　destroying　as　the　Spaniards　in　their　〃relations；〃　nor　heaps　and　mines　of　gold　and　silver；　the　land　of　Virginia　was　barbarous　and　ill…　planted；　and　without　precious　jewels；　but　no　Spanish　relation　could　show；　with　such　scant　means；　so　much　country　explored；　so　many　natives　reduced　to　obedience；　with　so　little　bloodshed。




XII

TRIALS　OF　THE　SETTLEMENT

Without　entering　at　all　into　the　consideration　of　the　character　of　the　early　settlers　of　Virginia　and　of　Massachusetts；　one　contrast　forces　itself　upon　the　mind　as　we　read　the　narratives　of　the　different　plantations。　　In　Massachusetts　there　was　from　the　beginning　a　steady　purpose　to　make　a　permanent　settlement　and　colony；　and　nearly　all　those　who　came　over　worked；　with　more　or　less　friction；　with　this　end　before　them。　　The　attempt　in　Virginia　partook　more　of　the　character　of　a　temporary　adventure。　　In　Massachusetts　from　the　beginning　a　commonwealth　was　in　view。　　In　Virginia；　although　the　London　promoters　desired　a　colony　to　be　fixed　that　would　be　profitable　to　themselves；　and　many　of　the　adventurers；　Captain　Smith　among　them；　desired　a　permanent　planting；　a　great　majority　of　those　who　went　thither　had　only　in　mind　the　advantages　of　trade；　the　excitement　of　a　free　and　licentious　life；　and　the　adventure　of　something　new　and　startling。　　It　was　long　before　the　movers　in　it　gave　up　the　notion　of　discovering　precious　metals　or　a　short　way　to　the　South　Sea。　　The　troubles　the　primitive　colony　endured　resulted　quite　as　much　from　its　own　instability　of　purpose；　recklessness；　and　insubordination　as　from　the　hostility　of　the　Indians。　　The　majority　spent　their　time　in　idleness；　quarreling；　and　plotting　mutiny。

The　ships　departed　for　England　in　December；　1608。　　When　Smith　returned　from　his　expedition　for　food　in　the　winter　of　1609；　he　found　that　all　the　provision　except　what　he　had　gathered　was　so　rotted　from　the　rain；　and　eaten　by　rats　and　worms；　that　the　hogs　would　scarcely　eat　it。　　Yet　this　had　been　the　diet　of　the　soldiers；　who　had　consumed　the　victuals　and　accomplished　nothing　except　to　let　the　savages　have　the　most　of　the　tools　and　a　good　part　of　the　arms。

Taking　stock　of　what　he　brought　in；　Smith　found　food　enough　to　last　till　the　next　harvest；　and　at　once　organized　the　company　into　bands　of　ten　or　fifteen；　and　compelled　them　to　go　to　work。　　Six　hours　a　day　were　devoted　to　labor；　and　the　remainder　to　rest　and　merry　exercises。　Even　with　this　liberal　allowance　of　pastime　a　great　part　of　the　colony　still　sulked。　　Smith　made　them　a　short　address；　exhibiting　his　power　in　the　letters…patent；　and　assuring　them　that　he　would　enforce　discipline　and　punish　the　idle　and　froward；　telling　them　that　those　that　did　not　work　should　not　eat；　and　that　the　labor　of　forty　or　fifty　industrious　men　should　not　be　consumed　to　maintain　a　hundred　and　fifty　idle　loiterers。　　He　made　a　public　table　of　good　and　bad　conduct；　but　even　with　this　inducement　the　worst　had　to　be　driven　to　work　by　punishment　or　the　fear　of　it。

The　Dutchmen　with　Powhatan　continued　to　make　trouble；　and　confederates　in　the　camp　supplied　them　with　powder　and　shot；　swords　and　tools。　　Powhatan　kept　the　whites　who　were　with　him　to　instruct　the　Indians　in　the　art　of　war。　　They　expected　other　whites　to　join　them；　and　those　not　coming；　they　sent　Francis；　their　companion；　disguised　as　an　Indian；　to　find　out　the　cause。　　He　came　to　the　Glass　ho