pioneers of the old south-第12章

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the　nineteenth　century。　And　law　had　cruel　and　idiot　faces　as　well　as　faces
just　and　wise。　Hitherto　the　colony　possessed　no　written　statutes。　The
Company　now　resolved　to　impose　upon　the　wayward　an　iron　restraint。　It　fell
to　Dale　to　enforce　the　regulations　known　as　〃Lawes　and　Orders；　dyvine；
politique；　and　martiall　for　the　Colonye　of　Virginia〃not　English　civil　law
simply；　but　laws　〃chiefly　extracted　out　of　the　Lawes　for　governing　the　army
in　the　Low　Countreys。〃　The　first　part　of　this　code　was　compiled　by　William
Strachey；　the　latter　part　is　thought　to　have　been　the　work　of　Sir　Edward
Cecil；　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　and　Dale　himself；　approved　and　accepted　by　the
Virginia　Company。　Ten　years　afterwards；　defending　itself　before　a　Committee
of　Parliament；　the　Company　through　its　Treasurer　declared　〃the　necessity　of
such　laws；　in　some　cases　ad　terrorem；　and　in　some　to　be　truly　executed。〃

Seventeenth…century　English　law　herself　was　terrible　enough　in　all
conscience；　but　〃Dale's　Laws〃　went　beyond。　Offences　ranged　from　failure　to
attend　church　and　idleness　to　lese　majeste。　The　penalties　were　grosscruel
whippings；　imprisonments；　barbarous　puttings　to　death。　The　High　Marshal
held　the　unruly　down　with　a　high　hand。

But　other　factors　than　this　Draconian　code　worked　at　last　toward　order　in
this　English　West。　Dale　was　no　small　statesman；　and　he　played　ferment
against　ferment。　Into　Virginia　now　first　came　private　ownership　of　land。；；
So　much　was　given　to　each　colonist；　and　care　of　this　booty　became　to　each　a
preoccupation。　The　Company　at　home　sent　out　more　and　more　settlers；　and
more　and　more　of　the　industrious；　peace…loving　sort。　By　1612　the　English　in
America　numbered　about　eight　hundred。　Dale　projected　another　town；　and
chose　for　its　site　the　great　horseshoe　bend　in　the　river　a　few　miles　below
the　Falls　of　the　Far　West；　at　a　spot　we　now　call　Dutch　Gap。　Here　Dale　laid
out　a　town　which　he　named　Henricus　after　the　Prince　of　Wales；　and　for　its
citizens　he　drafted　from　Jamestown　three　hundred　persons。　To　him　also　are
due　Bermuda　and　Shirley　Hundreds　and　Dale's　Gift　over　on　the　Eastern　Shore。
As　the　Company　sent　over　more　colonists；　there　began　to　show；　up　and　down
the　James　though　at　far　intervals；　cabins　and　clearings　made　by　white　men；
set　about　with　a　stockade；　and　at　the　river　edge　a　rude　landing　and　a
fastened　boat。　The　restless　search　for　mines　of　gold　and　silver　now
slackened。　Instead　eyes　turned　for　wealth　to　the　kingdom　of　the　Dlant　and
tree；　and　to　fur　trade　and　fisheries。

*　Hitherto　there　had　been　no　trading　or　landholding　by　individuals。　All　the
colonists　contributed　the　products　of　their　toil　to　the　common　store　and
received　their　supplies　from　the　Company。　The　adventurers　（stockholders）
contributed　money　to　the　enterprise；　the　colonists；　themselves　and　their
labor。


Those　ships　that　brought　colonists　were　in　every　instance　expected　to
return　to　England　laden　with　the　commodities　of　Virginia。　At　first　cargoes
of　precious　ores　were　looked　for。　These　failing；　the　Company　must　take　from
Virginia　what　lay　at　hand　and　what　might　be　suited　to　English　needs。　In
1610　the　Company　issued　a　paper　of　instructions　upon　this　subject　of
Virginia　commodities。　The　daughter　was　expected　to；　send　to　the　mother
country　sassafras　root；　bay　berries；　puccoon；　sarsaparilla；　walnut；
chestnut；　and　chinquapin　oil；　wine；　silk　grass；　beaver　cod；　beaver　and
otter　skins；　clapboard　of　oak　and　walnut；　tar；　pitch；　turpentine；　and
powdered　sturgeon。

It　might　seem　that　Virginia　was　headed　to　become　a　land　of　fishers；　of
foresters；　and　vine　dressers；　perhaps　even；　when　the　gold　should　be　at　last
discovered；　of　miners。　At　home；　the　colonizing　merchants　and　statesmen
looked　for　some　such　thing。　In　return　for　what　she　laded　into　ships；
Virginia　was　to　receive　English…made　goods；　and　to　an　especial　degree
woolen　goods；　〃a　very　liberall　utterance　of　our　English　cloths　into　a　maine
country　described　to　be　bigger　than　all　Europe。〃　There　was　to　be　direct
trade；　country　kind　for　country　kind；　and　no　specie　to　be　taken　out　of
England。　The　promoters　at　home　doubtless　conceived　a　hardy　and　simple
trans…Atlantic　folk　of　their　own　kindred；　planters　for　their　own　needs；
steady　consumers　of　the　plainer　sort　of　English　wares；　steady　gatherers；　in
return；　of　necessaries　for　which　England　otherwise　must　trade　after　a
costly　fashion　with　lands　which　were　not　always　friendly。　A　simple；　sturdy；
laborious　Virginia；　white　men　and　Indians　if　this　was　their　dream；　reality
was　soon　to　modify　it。


A　new　commodity　of　unsuspected　commercial　value　began　now　to　be　grown　in
garden…plots　along　the　James　the　〃weed〃　par　excellence；　tobacco。　That　John
Rolfe　who　had　been　shipwrecked　on　the　Sea　Adventure　was　now　a　planter　in
Virginia。　His　child　Bermuda　had　died　in　infancy；　and　his　wife　soon　after
their　coming　to　Jamestown。　Rolfe　remained；　a　young　man；　a　good　citizen；　and
a　Christian。　And　he　loved　tobacco。　On　that　trivial　fact　hinges　an　important
chapter　in　the　economic　history　of　America。　In　1612　Rolfe　planted　tobacco
in　his　own　garden；　experimented　with　its　culture；　and　prophesied　that　the
Virginian　weed　would　rank　with　the　best　Spanish。　It　was　now　a　shorter
plant；　smaller…leafed　and　smaller…flowered；　but　time　and　skilful　gardening
would　improve　it。

England　had　known　tobacco　for　thirty　years；　owing　its　introduction　to
Raleigh。　At　first　merely　amused　by　the　New　World　rarity；　England　was　now　by
general　use　turning　a　luxury　into　a　necessity。　More　and　more　she　received
through　Dutch　and　Spanish　ships　tobacco　from　the　Indies。　Among　the　English
adventurers　to　Virginia　some　already　knew　the　uses　of　the　weed；　others　soon
learned　from　the　Indians。　Tobacco　was　perhaps　not　indigenous　to　Virginia；
but　had　probably　come　through　southern　tribes　who　in　turn　had　gained　it
from　those　who　knew　it　in　its　tropic　habitat。　Now；　however；　tobacco　was
grown　by　all　Virginia　Indians；　and　was　regarded　as　the　Great　Spirit's　best
gift。　In　the　final　happy　hunting…ground；　kings；　werowances；　and　priests
enjoyed　it　forever。　When；　in　the　time　after　the　first　landing；　the　Indians
brought　gifts　to　the　adventurers　as　to　beings　from　a　superior　sphere；　they
offered　tobacco　as　well　as　comestibles　like　deer…meat　and　mulberries。
Later；　in　England　and　in　Virginia；　there　was　some　suggestion　that　it　might
be　cultivated　among　other　commodities。　But　the　Company；　not　to　be　diverted
from　the　path　to　profits；　demanded　from　Virginia　necessities　and　not
new…fangled　luxuries。　Nevertheless；　a　little　tobacco　was　sent　over　to
England；　and　then　a　little　more；　and　then　a　larger　quantity。　In　less　than
five　years　it　had　become　a　main　export；　and　from　that　time　to　this
profoundly　has　it　affected　the　life　of　Virginia　and；　indeed；　of　the　United
States。

This　then　is　the　wide　and　general　event　with　which　John　Rolfe　is　connected。
But　there　is　also　a　narrower；　personal　happening　that　has　pleased　all　these
centuries。　Indian　difficulties　yet　abounded；　but　Dale；　administrator　as
well　as　man　of　Mars；　wound　his　way　skilfully　through　them　all。　Powhatan
brooded　to　one　side；　over　there　at　Werowocomoco。　Captain　Samuel　Argall　was
again　in　Virginia；　having　brought　over　sixty…two　colonists　in　his　ship；　the
Treasurer。　A　bold　and　restless　man；　explorer　no　less　than　mariner；　he　again
went　trading　up　the　Potomac；　and　visited　upon　its　banks　the　village　of
Japazaws；　kinsman　of　Powhatan。　Here　he　found　no　less　a　personage　than
Powhatan's　daughter　Pocahontas。　An　idea　came　into　Argall's　active　and
somewhat　unscrupulous　brain。　He　bribed　Japazaws　with　a　mighty　gleaming
copper　kettle；　and　by　that　chief's　connivance　took　Pocahontas　from　the
village　above　the　Potomac。　He　brought　her　captive　in　his　boat　down　the
Chesapeake　to　the　mouth　of　the　James　and　so　up　the　river　to　Jamestown；　here
to　be　held　hostage　for　an　Indian　peace。　This　was　in　1613。

Pocahontas　stayed　by　the　James；　in　the　rude　settlers'　town；　which　may　have
seemed　to　the　Indian　girl　stately　and　wonderful　enough。　Here　Rolfe　made　her
acquaintance；　here　they　talked　together；　and　here；　after　some　scruples　on
his　part　as　to　〃heathennesse；〃　they　were　married。　He　writes　of　〃her　desire
to　be　taught　and　instructed　in　the　knowledge　o