pioneers of the old south-第3章

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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　curved　the　skythey　had　time　enough　indeed　to　plan　for　marvels！　If
they　could　have　seen　ahead；　what　pictures　of　things　to　come　they　might　have
beheld　rising；　falling；　melting　we　into　another！

Certain　of　the　men　upon　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and　the
Discovery　stand　out　clearly；　etched　against　the　sky。

Christopher　Newport　might　be　forty　years　old。　He　had　been　of　Raleigh's
captains　and　was　chosen；　a　very　young　man；　to　bring　to　England　from　the
Indies　the　captured　great　carrack；　Madre　de　Dios；　laden　with　fabulous
treasure。　In　all；　Newport　was　destined　to　make　five　voyages　to　Virginia；
carrying　supply　and　aid。　After　that；　he　would　pass　into　the　service　of　the
East　India　Company；　know　India；　Java；　and　the　Persian　Gulf；　would　be
praised　by　that　great　company　for　sagacity；　energy；　and　good　care　of　his
men。　Ten　years'　time　from　this　first　Virginia　voyage；　and　he　would　die　upon
his　ship；　the　Hope；　before　Bantam　in　Java。

Bartholomew　Gosnold；　the　captain　of　the　Goodspeed；　had　sailed　with　thirty
others；　five　years　before；　from　Dartmouth　in　a　bark　named　the　Concord。　He
had　not　made　the　usual　long　sweep　southward　into　tropic　waters；　there　to
turn　and　come　northward；　but　had　gone；　arrowstraight；　across　the　north
Atlanticone　of　the　first　English　sailors　to　make　the　direct　passage　and
save；　many　a　weary　sea　league。　Gosnold　and　his　men　had　seen　Cape　Ann　and
Cape　Cod；　and　had　built　upon　Cuttyhunk；　among　the　Elizabeth　Islands；　a
little　fort　thatched　with　rushes。　Then；　hardships　thronging　and　quarrels
developing；　they　had　filled　their　ship　with　sassafras　and　cedar；　and　sailed
for　home　over　the　summer　Atlantic；　reaching　England；　with　〃not　one　cake　of
bread〃　left　but　only　〃a　little　vinegar。〃　Gosnold；　guiding　the　Goodspeed；　is
now　making　his　last　voyage；　for　he　is　to　die　in　Virginia　within　the　year。

George　Percy；　brother　of　the　Earl　of　Northumberland；　has　fought　bravely　in
the　Low　Countries。　He　is　to　stay　five　years　in　Virginia；　to　serve　there　a
short　time　as　Governor；　and　then；　returning　to　England；　is　to　write　〃A
Trewe　Relacyion〃；　in　which　he　begs　to　differ　from　John　Smith's　〃Generall
Historie。〃　Finally；　he　goes　again　to　the　wars　in　the　Low　Countries；　serves
with　distinction；　and　dies；　unmarried；　at　the　age　of　fifty…two。　His
portrait　shows　a　long；　rather　melancholy　face；　set　between　a　lace　collar
and　thick；　dark　hair。

A　Queen　and　a　CardinalMary　Tudor　and　Reginald　Polehad　stood　sponsors
for　the　father　of　Edward…Maria　Wingfield。　This　man；　of　an　ancient　and
honorable　stock；　was　older　than　most　of　his　fellow　adventurers　to　Virginia。
He　had　fought　in　Ireland；　fought　in　the　Low　Countries；　had　been　a　prisoner
of　war。　Now　he　was　presently　to　become　〃the　first　president　of　the　first
council　in　the　first　English　colony　in　America。　〃And　then；　miseries
increasing　and　wretched　men　being　quick　to　impute　evil；　it　was　to　be　held
with　other　assertions　against　him　that　he　was　of　a　Catholic　family；　that　he
traveled　without　a　Bible；　and　probably　meant　to　betray　Virginia　to　the
Spaniard。　He　was　to　be　deposed　from　his　presidency；　return　to　England；
and　there　write　a　vindication。　〃I　never　turned　my　face　from　daunger；　or
hidd　my　handes　from　labour；　so　watchful　a　sentinel　stood　myself　to　myself。〃
With　John　Smith　he　had　a　bitter　quarrel。

Upon　the　Discovery　is　one　who　signed　himself　〃John　Radclyffe；　comenly
called；〃　and　who　is　named　in　the　London　Company's　list　as　〃Captain　John
Sicklemore；　alias　Ratcliffe。　〃He　will　have　a　short　and　stormy　Virginian
life；　and　in　two　years　be　done　to　death　by　Indians。　John　Smith　quarreled
with　him　also。　〃A　poor　counterfeited　Imposture！〃　said　Smith。　Gabriel　Archer
is　a　lawyer；　and　first　secretary　or　recorder　of　the　colony。　Short；　too；　is
his　life。　His　name　lives　in　Archer's　Hope　on　the　James　River　in　Virginia。
John　Smith　will　have　none　of　him！　George　Kendall's　life　is　more　nearly　spun
than　Ratcliffe's　or　Archer's。　He　will　be　shot　for　treason　and　rebellion。
Robert　Hunt　is　the　chaplain。　Besides　those　whom　the　time　dubbed
〃gentlemen；〃　there　are　upon　the　three　ships　English　sailors；　English
laborers；　six　carpenters；　two　bricklayers；　a　blacksmith；　a　tailor；　a
barber；　a　drummer；　other　craftsmen；　and　nondescripts。　Up　and　down　and　to
and　fro　they　pass　in　their　narrow　quarters；　microscopic　upon　the　bosom　of
the　ocean。

John　Smith　looms　large　among　them。　John　Smith　has　a　mantle　of　marvelous
adventure。　It　seems　that　he　began　to　make　it　when　he　was　a　boy；　and　for
many　years　worked　upon　it　steadily　until　it　was　stiff　as　cloth　of　gold　and
voluminous　as　a　puffed…out　summer　cloud。　Some　think　that　much　of　it　was
such　stuff　as　dreams　are　made　of。　Probably　some　breadths　were　the　fabric　of
vision。　Still　it　seems　certain　that　he　did　have　some　kind　of　an
extraordinary　coat　or　mantle。　The　adventures　which　he　relates　of　himself
are　those　of　a　paladin。　Born　in　1579　or　1580；　he　was　at　this　time　still　a
young　man。　But　already　he　had　fought　in　France　and　in　the　Netherlands；　and
in　Transylvania　against　the　Turks。　He　had　known　sea…fights　and　shipwrecks
and　had　journeyed；　with　adventures　galore；　in　Italy。　Before　Regal；　in
Transylvania；　he　had　challenged　three　Turks　in　succession；　unhorsed　them；
and　cut　off　their　heads；　for　which　doughty　deed　Sigismund；　a　Prince　of
Transylvania；　had　given　him　a　coat　of　arms　showing　three　Turks'　heads　in　a
shield。　Later　he　had　been　taken　in　battle　and　sold　into　slavery；　whereupon
a　Turkish　lady；　his　master's　sister；　had　looked　upon　him　with　favor。　But　at
last　he　slew　the　Turk　and　escaped；　and　after　wandering　many　days　in　misery
came　into　Russia。　〃Here；　too；　I　found；　as　I　have　always　done　when　in
misfortune；　kindly　help　from　a　woman。〃　He　wandered　on　into　Germany　and　thence
into　France　and　Spain。　Hearing　of　wars　in　Barbary；　he　crossed　from　Gibraltar。
Here　he　met　the　captain　of　a　French　man…of…war。　One　day　while　he　was　with　this
man　there　arose　a　great　storm　which　drove　the　ship　out　to　sea。　They　went
before　the　wind　to　the　Canaries；　and　there　put　themselves　to　rights　and　began
to　chase　Spanish　barks。　Presently　they　had　a　great　fight　with　two　Spanish　men…
of…war；　in　which　the　French　ship　and　Smith　came　off　victors。　Returning　to
Morocco；　Smith　bade　the　French　captain　good…bye　and　took　ship　for　England；　and
so　reached　home　in　1604。　Here　he　sought　the　company　of　like…minded　men；　and　so
came　upon　those　who　had　been　to　the　New　World〃and　all　their　talk　was　of　its
wonders。〃　So　Smith　joined　the　Virginia　undertaking；　and　so　we　find　him　headed
toward　new　adventures　in　the　western　world。

On　sailed　the　three　shipslittle　shipssailing…ships　with　a　long　way　to　go。

〃The　twelfth　day　of　February　at　night　we　saw　a　blazing　starre　and　presently
a　storme　。　。　。　。　The　three　and　twentieth　day　＇of　March＇　we　fell　with　the
Iland　of　Mattanenio　in　the　West　Indies。　The　foure　and　twentieth　day　we
anchored　at　Dominico；　within　fourteene　degrees　of　the　Line；　a　very　faire
Iland；　full　of　sweet　and　good　smells；　inhabited　by　many　Savage　Indians　。。。。
The　six　and　twentieth　day　we　had　sight　of　Marigalanta；　and　the　next　day　wee
sailed　with　a　slacke　sail　alongst　the　Ile　of　Guadalupa　。　。　。　。　We　sailed　by
many　Ilands；　as　Mounserot　and　an　Iland　called　Saint　Christopher；　both
uninhabited；　about　two　a　clocke　in　the　afternoone　wee　anchored　at　the　Ile
of　Mevis。　There　the　Captaine　landed　all　his　men　。　。　。　。　We　incamped
ourselves　on　this　Ile　six　days　。　。　。　。　The　tenth　day　＇April＇　we　set　saile
and　disimboged　out　of　the　West　Indies　and　bare　our　course　Northerly　。。。。
The　six　and　twentieth　day　of　Aprill；　about　foure　a　clocke　in　the　morning；
wee　descried　the　Land　of　Virginia。〃*

*　Percy's　〃Discourse　in　Purchas；　His　Pilgrims；　vol。　IV；　p。　1684。
Also　given　in　Brown's　〃Genesis　of　the　United　States〃；　vol。　I；　p。　152。


During　the　long　months　of　this　voyage；　cramped　in　the　three　ships；　these
men；　most　of　them　young　and　of　the　hot…blooded；　physically　adventurous
sort；　had　time　to　develop　strong　likings　and　dislikings。　The　hundred　and
twenty　split　into　opposed　camps。　The　several　groups　nursed　all　manner　of
jealousies。　Accusati