pioneers of the old south-第2章

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Giver　of　all　Goodness；　for　every　plantation　which　our　Heavenly　Father　hath
not　planted　shall　be　rooted　out。〃

Nor　did　they　lack　verses　to　go　by；　as　their　enterprise　itself　did　not　lack
poetry。　Michael　Drayton　wrote　for　them：

Britons；　you　stay　too　long；
Quickly　aboard　bestow　you；
　　　And　with　a　merry　gale；
　　　Swell　your　stretched　sail；
With　vows　as　strong
As　the　winds　that　blow　you。

Your　course　securely　steer；
West　and　by　South　forth　keep；
　　　Rocks；　lee　shores　nor　shoals；
　　　Where　Eolus　scowls；
You　need　not　fear；

So　absolute　the　deep。
And　cheerfully　at　sea
　　　Success　you　still　entice；
　　　To　get　the　pearl　and　gold；
And　ours　to　hold
VIRGINIA；
Earth's　only　paradise！　。　。　。

And　in　regions　far
Such　heroes　bring　ye　forth
　　　As　those　from　whom　we　came；
　　　And　plant　our　name
Under　that　star
Not　known　unto　our　north。

See　the　parting　upon　Thames's　side；　Englishmen　going；　English　kindred；
friends；　and　neighbors　calling　farewell；　waving　hat　and　scarf；　standing
bare…headed　in　the　gray　winter　weather！　To　Virginiathey　are　going　to
Virginia！　The　sails　are　made　upon　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and
the　Discovery。　The　last　wherry　carries　aboard　the　last　adventurer。　The
anchors　are　weighed。　Down　the　river　the　wind　bears　the　ships　toward　the
sea。　Weather　turning　against　them；　they　taste　long　delay　in　the　Downs；　but
at　last　are　forth　upon　the　Atlantic。　Hourly　the　distance　grows　between
London　town　and　the　outgoing　folk；　between　English　shores。　and　where　the
surf　breaks　on　the　pale　Virginian　beaches。　Far　awayfar　away　and　long
agoyet　the　unseen；　actual　cables　hold；　and　yesterday　and　today　stand
embraced；　the　lips　of　the　Thames　meet　the　lips　of　the　James；　and　the　breath
of　England　mingles　with　the　breath　of　America。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　ADVENTURERS

What　was　this　Virginia　to　which　they　were　bound？　In　the　sixteenth　and　early
seventeenth　centuries　the　name　stood　for　a　huge　stretch　of　littoral；
running　southward　from　lands　of　long　winters　and　fur…bearing　animals　to
lands　of　the　canebrake；　the　fig；　the　magnolia；　the　chameleon；　and　the
mockingbird。　The　world　had　been　circumnavigated；　Drake　had　passed　up　the
western　coastand　yet　cartographers；　the　learned；　and　those　who　took　the
word　from　the　learned；　strangely　visualized　the　North　American　mainland　as
narrow　indeed。　Apparently；　they　conceived　it　as　a　kind　of　extended　Central
America。　The　huge　rivers　puzzled　them。　There　existed　a　notion　that　these
might　be　estuaries；　curling　and　curving　through　the　land　from　sea　to　sea。
IndiaCathayspices　and　wonders　and　Orient　wealthlay　beyond　the　South
Sea；　and　the　South　Sea　was　but　a　few　days'　march　from　Hatteras　or
Chesapeake。　The　Virginia　familiar　to　the　mind　of　the　time　lay　extended；　and
she　was　very　slender。　Her　right　hand　touched　the　eastern　ocean；　and　her
left　hand　touched　the　western。

Contact　and　experience　soon　modified　this　general　notion。　Wider　knowledge；
political　and　economic　considerations；　practical　reasons　of　all　kinds；　drew
a　different　physical　form　for　old　Virginia。　Before　the　seventeenth　century
had　passed　away；　they　had　given　to　her　northern　end　a　baptism　of　other
names。　To　the　south　she　was　lopped　to　make　the　Carolinas。　Only　to　the　west；
for　a　long　time；　she　seemed　to　grow；　while　like　a　mirage　the　South　Sea　and
Cathay　receded　into　the　distance。

This　narrative；　moving　with　the　three　ships　from　England；　and　through　a
time　span　of　less　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　years；　deals　with　a　region　of
the　western　hemisphere　a　thousand　miles　in　length；　several　hundred　in
breadth；　stretching　from　the　Florida　line　to　the　northern　edge　of
Chesapeake　Bay；　and　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Appalachians。　Out　of　this
Virginia　there　grow　in　succession　the　ancient　colonies　and　the　modern
States　of　Virginia；　Maryland；　South　and　North　Carolina；　and　Georgia。

But　for　many　a　year　Virginia　itself　was　the　only　settlement　and　the　only
name。　This　Virginia　was　a　country　favored　by　nature。　Neither　too　hot　nor
too　cold；　it　was　rich…soiled　and　capable　of　every　temperate　growth　in　its
sunniest　aspect。　Great　rivers　drained　it；　flowing　into　a　great　bay；　almost
a　sea；　many…armed　as　Briareus；　affording　safe　and　sheltered　harbors。
Slowly；　with　beauty；　the　land　mounted　to　the　west。　The　sun　set　behind
wooded　mountains；　long　wave…lines　raised　far　back　in　geologic　time。　The
valleys　were　many　and　beautiful；　watered　by　sliding　streams。　Back　to　the
east　again；　below　the　rolling　land；　were　found　the　shimmering　levels；　the
jewel…green　marshes；　the　wide；　slow　waters；　and　at　last　upon　the　Atlantic
shore　the　thunder　of　the　rainbow…tinted　surf。　Various　and　pleasing　was　the
country。　Springs　and　autumns　were　long　and　balmy；　the　sun　shone　bright；　there
was　much　blue　sky；　a　rich　flora　arid　fauna。　There　were　mineral　wealth　and
water　power；　and　breadth　and　depth　for　agriculture。　Such　was　the　Virginia
between　the　Potomac　and　the　Dan；　the　Chesapeake　and　the　Alleghanies。

This；　and　not　the　gold…bedight　slim　neighbor　of　Cathay；　was　now　the　lure　of
the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and　the　Discovery。　But　those　aboard；
obsessed　by　Spanish　America；　imperfectly　knowing　the　features　and　distances
of　the　orb；　yet　clung　to　their　first　vision。　But　they　knew　there　would　be
forest　and　Indians。　Tales　enough　had　been　told　of　both！

What　has　to　be　imaged　is　a　forest　the　size　of　Virginia。　Here　and　there；
chiefly　upon　river　banks；　show　small　Indian　clearings。　Here　and　there　are
natural　meadows；　and　toward　the　salt　water　great　marshes；　the　home　of
waterfowl。　But　all　these　are　little　or　naught　in　the　whole；　faint
adornments　sewed　upon　a　shaggy　garment；　green　in　summer；　flame…hued　in
autumn；　brown　in　winter；　green　and　flower…colored　in　the　spring。　Nor　was
the　forest　to　any　appreciable　extent　like　much　Virginian　forest　of　today；
second　growth；　invaded；　hewed　down；　and　renewed；　to　hear　again　the　sound　of
the　axe；　set　afire　by　a　thousand　accidents；　burning　upon　its　own　funeral
pyres；　all　its　primeval　glory　withered。　The　forest　of　old　Virginia　was
jocund　and　powerful；　eternally　young　and　eternally　old。　The　forest　was
Despot　in　the　landwas　Emperor　and　Pope。

With　the　forest　went　the　Indian。　They　had　a　pact　together。　The　Indians
hacked　out　space　for　their　villages　of　twenty　or　thirty　huts；　their　maize
and　bean　fields　and　tobacco　patches。　They　took　saplings　for　poles　and　bark
to　cover　the　huts　and　wood　for　fires。　The　forest　gave　canoe　and　bow　and
arrow；　household　bowls　and　platters；　the　sides　of　the　drum　that　was　beaten
at　feasts。　It　furnished　trees　serviceable　for　shelter　when　the　foe　was
stalked。　It　was　their　wall　and　roof；　their　habitat。　It　was　one　of　the　Four
Friends　of　the　Indiansthe　Ground；　the　Waters；　the　Sky；　the　Forest。　The
forest　was　everywhere；　and　the　Indians　dwelled　in　the　forest。　Not
unnaturally；　they　held　that　this　world　was　theirs。

Upon　the　three　ships；　sailing；　sailing；　moved　a　few　men　who　could　speak
with　authority　of　the　forest　and　of　Indians。　Christopher　Newport　was　upon
his　first　voyage　to　Virginia；　but　he　knew　the　Indies　and　the　South　American
coast。　He　had　sailed　and　had　fought　under　Francis　Drake。　And　Bartholomew
Gosnold　had　explored　both　for　himself　and　for　Raleigh。　These　two　could　tell
others　what　to　look　for。　In　their　company　there　was　also　John　Smith。　This
gentleman；　it　is　true；　had　not　wandered；　fought；　and　companioned　with
romance　in　America；　but　he　had　done　so　everywhere　else。　He　had　as　yet　no
experience　with　Indians；　but　he　could　conceive　that　rough　experiences　were
rough　experiences；　whether　in　Europe；　Asia；　Africa；　or　America。　And　as　he
knew　there　was　a　family　likeness　among　dangerous　happenings；　so　also　he
found　one　among　remedies；　and　he　had　a　bag　full　of　stories　of　strange
happenings　and　how　they　should　be　met。

They　were　going　the　old；　long　West　Indies　sea　road。　There　was　time　enough
for　talking；　wondering；　considering　the　past；　fantastically　building　up　the
future。　Meeting　in　the　ships'　cabins　over　ale　tankards；　pacing　up　and　down
the　small　high…raised　poop…decks；　leaning　idle　over　the　side；　watching
the　swirling　dark…blue　waters　or　the　stars　of　night；　lying　idle　upon　the
deck；　propped　by　the　mast　while　the　trade…winds　blew　and　up　beyond　sail　and
rigging　cur