the complete writings-3-第70章

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xcitement　in　London；　and　a　panic　and　stoppage　of　subscriptions　in　the　company。　　Lord　Delaware；　a　man　of　the　highest　reputation　for　courage　and　principle；　determined　to　go　himself；　as　Captain…General；　to　Virginia；　in　the　hope　of　saving　the　fortunes　of　the　colony。　　With　three　ships　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　persons；　mostly　artificers；　he　embarked　on　the　1st　of　April；　1610；　and　reached　the　Chesapeake　Bay　on　the　5th　of　June；　just　in　time　to　meet　the　forlorn　company　of　Gates　and　Somers　putting　out　to　sea。

They　turned　back　and　ascended　to　Jamestown；　when　landing　on　Sunday；　the　10th；　after　a　sermon　by　Mr。　Buck；　the　commission　of　Lord　Delaware　was　read；　and　Gates　turned　over　his　authority　to　the　new　Governor。　He　swore　in　as　Council；　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　Lieutenant…General；　Sir　George　Somers；　Admiral；　Captain　George　Percy；　Sir　Ferdinando　Wenman；　Marshal；　Captain　Christopher　Newport；　and　William　Strachey；　Esq。；　Secretary　and　Recorder。

On　the　19th　of　June　the　brave　old　sailor；　Sir　George　Somers；　volunteered　to　return　to　the　Bermudas　in　his　pinnace　to　procure　hogs　and　other　supplies　for　the　colony。　　He　was　accompanied　by　Captain　Argall　in　the　ship　Discovery。　　After　a　rough　voyage　this　noble　old　knight　reached　the　Bermudas。　　But　his　strength　was　not　equal　to　the　memorable　courage　of　his　mind。　　At　a　place　called　Saint　George　he　died；　and　his　men；　confounded　at　the　death　of　him　who　was　the　life　of　them　all；　embalmed　his　body　and　set　sail　for　England。　　Captain　Argall；　after　parting　with　his　consort；　without　reaching　the　Bermudas；　and　much　beating　about　the　coast；　was　compelled　to　return　to　Jamestown。

Captain　Gates　was　sent　to　England　with　despatches　and　to　procure　more　settlers　and　more　supplies。　　Lord　Delaware　remained　with　the　colony　less　than　a　year；　his　health　failing；　he　went　in　pursuit　of　it；　in　March；　1611；　to　the　West　Indies。　　In　June　of　that　year　Gates　sailed　again；　with　six　vessels；　three　hundred　men；　one　hundred　cows；　besides　other　cattle；　and　provisions　of　all　sorts。　　With　him　went　his　wife；　who　died　on　the　passage；　and　his　daughters。　　His　expedition　reached　the　James　in　August。　　The　colony　now　numbered　seven　hundred　persons。　Gates　seated　himself　at　Hampton；　a　〃delicate　and　necessary　site　for　a　city。〃

Percy　commanded　at　Jamestown；　and　Sir　Thomas　Dale　went　up　the　river　to　lay　the　foundations　of　Henrico。

We　have　no　occasion　to　follow　further　the　fortunes　of　the　Virginia　colony；　except　to　relate　the　story　of　Pocahontas　under　her　different　names　of　Amonate；　Matoaka；　Mrs。　Rolfe；　and　Lady　Rebecca。




XV

THE　STORY　OF　POCAHONTAS

The　simple　story　of　the　life　of　Pocahontas　is　sufficiently　romantic　without　the　embellishments　which　have　been　wrought　on　it　either　by　the　vanity　of　Captain　Smith　or　the　natural　pride　of　the　descendants　of　this　dusky　princess　who　have　been　ennobled　by　the　smallest　rivulet　of　her　red　blood。

That　she　was　a　child　of　remarkable　intelligence；　and　that　she　early　showed　a　tender　regard　for　the　whites　and　rendered　them　willing　and　unwilling　service；　is　the　concurrent　evidence　of　all　contemporary　testimony。　　That　as　a　child　she　was　well…favored；　sprightly；　and　prepossessing　above　all　her　copper…colored　companions；　we　can　believe；　and　that　as　a　woman　her　manners　were　attractive。　　If　the　portrait　taken　of　her　in　Londonthe　best　engraving　of　which　is　by　Simon　de　Passein　1616；　when　she　is　said　to　have　been　twenty…one　years　old；　does　her　justice；　she　had　marked　Indian　features。

The　first　mention　of　her　is　in　〃The　True　Relation；〃　written　by　Captain　Smith　in　Virginia　in　1608。　　In　this　narrative；　as　our　readers　have　seen；　she　is　not　referred　to　until　after　Smith's　return　from　the　captivity　in　which　Powhatan　used　him　〃with　all　the　kindness　he　could　devise。〃　　Her　name　first　appears；　toward　the　close　of　the　relation；　in　the　following　sentence：

〃Powhatan　understanding　we　detained　certain　salvages；　sent　his　daughter；　a　child　of　tenne　yeares　old；　which　not　only　for　feature；　countenance；　and　proportion；　much　exceedeth　any　of　the　rest　of　his　people；　but　for　wit　and　spirit　the　only　nonpareil　of　his　country：　this　hee　sent　by　his　most　trusty　messenger；　called　Rawhunt；　as　much　exceeding　in　deformitie　of　person；　but　of　a　subtill　wit　and　crafty　understanding；　he　with　a　long　circumstance　told　mee　how　well　Powhatan　loved　and　respected　mee；　and　in　that　I　should　not　doubt　any　way　of　his　kindness；　he　had　sent　his　child；　which　he　most　esteemed；　to　see　mee；　a　Deere；　and　bread；　besides　for　a　present：　desiring　mee　that　the　Boy　＇Thomas　Savage；　the　boy　given　by　Newport　to　Powhatan＇　might　come　again；　which　he　loved　exceedingly；　his　little　Daughter　he　had　taught　this　lesson　also：　not　taking　notice　at　all　of　the　Indians　that　had　been　prisoners　three　daies；　till　that　morning　that　she　saw　their　fathers　and　friends　come　quietly；　and　in　good　termes　to　entreate　their　libertie。

〃In　the　afternoon　they　＇the　friends　of　the　prisoners＇　being　gone；　we　guarded　them　＇the　prisoners＇　as　before　to　the　church；　and　after　prayer；　gave　them　to　Pocahuntas　the　King's　Daughter；　in　regard　of　her　father's　kindness　in　sending　her：　after　having　well　fed　them；　as　all　the　time　of　their　imprisonment；　we　gave　them　their　bows；　arrowes；　or　what　else　they　had；　and　with　much　content；　sent　them　packing：　Pocahuntas；　also　we　requited　with　such　trifles　as　contented　her；　to　tel　that　we　had　used　the　Paspaheyans　very　kindly　in　so　releasing　them。〃

The　next　allusion　to　her　is　in　the　fourth　chapter　of　the　narratives　which　are　appended　to　the　〃　Map　of　Virginia；〃　etc。　　This　was　sent　home　by　Smith；　with　a　description　of　Virginia；　in　the　late　autumn　of　1608。　　It　was　published　at　Oxford　in　1612；　from　two　to　three　years　after　Smith's　return　to　England。　　The　appendix　contains　the　narratives　of　several　of　Smith's　companions　in　Virginia；　edited　by　Dr。　Symonds　and　overlooked　by　Smith。　　In　one　of　these　is　a　brief　reference　to　the　above…quoted　incident。

This　Oxford　tract；　it　is　scarcely　necessary　to　repeat；　contains　no　reference　to　the　saving　of　Smith's　life　by　Pocahontas　from　the　clubs　of　Powhatan。

The　next　published　mention　of　Pocahontas；　in　point　of　time；　is　in　Chapter　X。　　and　the　last　of　the　appendix　to　the　〃Map　of　Virginia；〃　and　is　Smith's　denial；　already　quoted；　of　his　intention　to　marry　Pocahontas。　　In　this　passage　he　speaks　of　her　as　〃at　most　not　past　13　or　14　years　of　age。〃　　If　she　was　thirteen　or　fourteen　in　1609；　when　Smith　left　Virginia；　she　must　have　been　more　than　ten　when　he　wrote　his　〃True　Relation；〃　composed　in　the　winter　of　1608；　which　in　all　probability　was　carried　to　England　by　Captain　Nelson；　who　left　Jamestown　June　2d。

The　next　contemporary　authority　to　be　consulted　in　regard　to　Pocahontas　is　William　Strachey；　who；　as　we　have　seen；　went　with　the　expedition　of　Gates　and　Somers；　was　shipwrecked　on　the　Bermudas；　and　reached　Jamestown　May　23　or　24；　1610；　and　was　made　Secretary　and　Recorder　of　the　colony　under　Lord　Delaware。　　Of　the　origin　and　life　of　Strachey；　who　was　a　person　of　importance　in　Virginia；　little　is　known。　　The　better　impression　is　that　he　was　the　William　Strachey　of　Saffron　Walden；　who　was　married　in　1588　and　was　living　in　1620；　and　that　it　was　his　grandson　of　the　same　name　who　was　subsequently　connected　with　the　Virginia　colony。　　He　was；　judged　by　his　writings；　a　man　of　considerable　education；　a　good　deal　of　a　pedant；　and　shared　the　credulity　and　fondness　for　embellishment　of　the　writers　of　his　time。　　His　connection　with　Lord　Delaware；　and　his　part　in　framing　the　code　of　laws　in　Virginia；　which　may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　he　first　published　them；　show　that　he　was　a　trusted　and　capable　man。

William　Strachey　left　behind　him　a　manuscript　entitled　〃The　Historie　of　Travaile　into　Virginia　Britanica；　&c。；　gathered　and　observed　as　well　by　those　who　went　first　thither；　as　collected　by　William　Strachey；　gent。；　three　years　thither；　employed　as　Secretaire　of　State。〃　　How　long　he　remained　in　Virginia　is　uncertain；　but　it　could　not　have　been　〃three　years；〃　though　he　may　have　been　continued　Secretary　for　that　period；　for　he　was　in　London　in　1612；　in　which　year　he　published　there　the　laws　of　Virginia　which　had　been　established　by　Sir　Thomas　Gates　May　24；　1610；　approved　by　Lord　Delaware　June　10；　1610；　and　enlarged　by　Sir　Thomas　Dale　June　22；　1611。