pioneers of the old south-第4章

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twenty　split　into　opposed　camps。　The　several　groups　nursed　all　manner　of
jealousies。　Accusations　flew　between　like　shuttlecocks。　The　sealed　box　that
they　carried　proved　a　manner　of　Ate's　apple。　All　knew　that　seven　on　board
were　councilors　and　rulers；　with　one　of　the　number　President；　but　they　knew
not　which　were　the　seven。　Smith　says　that　this　uncertainty　wrought　much
mischief；　each　man　of　note　suggesting　to　himself；　〃I　shall　be
Presidentor；　at　least；　Councilor！〃　The　ships　became　cursed　with　a　pest　of
factions。　A　prime　quarrel　arose　between　John　Smith　and　Edward…Maria
Wingfield；　two　whose　temperaments　seem　to　have　been　poles　apart。　There
arose　a　〃scandalous　report；　that　Smith　meant　to　reach　Virginia　only　to
usurp　the　Government；　murder　the　Council；　and　proclaim　himself　King。　The
bickering　deepened　into　forthright　quarrel；　with　at　last　the　expected
explosion。　Smith　was　arrested；　was　put　in　irons；　and　first　saw　Virginia　as
a　prisoner。

On　the　twenty…sixth　day　of　April；　1607；　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；
and　the　Discovery　entered　Chesapeake　Bay。　They　came　in　between　two　capes；
and　one　they　named　Cape　Henry　after　the　then　Prince　of　Wales；　and　the　other
Cape　Charles　for　that　brother　of　short…lived　Henry　who　was　to　become
Charles　the　First。　By　Cape　Henry　they　anchored；　and　numbers　from　the　ships
went　ashore。　〃But；〃　says　George　Percy's　Discourse；　〃we　could　find　nothing
worth　the　speaking　of；　but　faire　meadows　and　goodly　tall　Trees；　with　such
Fresh…waters　running　through　the　woods　as　I　was　almost　ravished　at　the
first　sight　thereof。　At　night；　when　wee　were　going　aboard；　there　came　the
Savages　creeping　upon　all　foure　from　the　Hills　like　Beares；　with　their
Bowes　in　their　mouths；　charged　us　very　desperately　in　the　faces；　hurt
Captaine　Gabriel　Archer　in　both　his　hands；　and　a　sayler　in　two　places　of
the　body　very　dangerous。　After　they　had　spent　their　Arrowes　and　felt　the
sharpnesse　of　our　shot；　they　retired　into　the　Woods　with　a　great　noise；　and
so　left　us。〃

That　very　night；　by　the　ships'　lanterns；　Newport；　Gosnold；　and　Ratcliffe
opened　the　sealed　box。　The　names　of　the　councilors　were　found　to　be
Christopher　Newport；　Bartholomew　Gosnold；　John　Ratcliffe；　Edward…Maria
Wingfield；　John　Martin；　John　Smith；　and　George　Kendall；　with　Gabriel　Archer
for　recorder。　From　its　own　number；　at　the　first　convenient　time；　this
Council　was　to　choose　its　President。　All　this　was　now　declared　and
published　to　all　the　company　upon　the　ships。　John　Smith　was　given　his
freedom　but　was　not　yet　allowed　place　in　the　Council。　So　closed　an　exciting
day。　In　the　morning　they　pressed　in　parties　yet　further　into　the　land；　but
met　no　Indiansonly　came　to　a　place　where　these　savages　had　been　roasting
oysters。　The　next　day　saw　further　exploring。　〃We　marched　some　three　or
foure　miles　further　into　the　Woods　where　we　saw　great　smoakes　of　fire。　Wee
marched　to　those　smoakes　and　found　that　the　Savages　had　beene　there　burning
downe　the　grasse　。　。　。　。We　passed　through　excellent　ground　full　of　Flowers
of　divers　kinds　and　colours；　anal　as　goodly　trees　as　I　have　seene；　as
cedar；　cipresse　and　other　kindes；　going　a　little　further　we　came　into　a
little　plat　of　ground　full　of　fine　and　beautifull　strawberries；　foure　times
bigger　and　better　than　ours　in　England。　All　this　march　we　could　neither　see
Savage　nor　Towne。〃*

*　Percy's　〃Discourse。〃


The　ships　now　stood　into　those　waters　which　we　call　Hampton　Roads。　Finding
a　good　channel　and　taking　heart　therefrom；　they　named　a　horn　of　land　Point
Comfort。　Now　we　call　it　Old　Point　Comfort。　Presently　they　began　to　go　up　a
great　river　which　they　christened　the　James。　To　English　eyes　it　was　a　river
hugely　wide。　They　went　slowly；　with　pauses　and　waitings　and　adventures。
They　consulted　their　paper　of　instructions；　they　scanned　the　shore　for　good
places　for　their　fort；　for　their　town。　It　was　May；　and　all　the　rich　banks
were　in　bloom。　It　seemed　a　sweet…scented　world　of　promise。　They　saw
Indians；　but　had　with　these　no　untoward　encounters。　Upon　the　twelfth　of　May
they　came　to　a　point　of　land　which　they　named　Archer's　Hope。　Landing　here；
they　saw　〃many　squirels；　conies；　Black　Birds　with　crimson　wings；　and　divers
other　Fowles　and　Birds　of　divers　and　sundrie　colours　of　crimson；　watchet；
Yellow；　Greene；　Murry；　and　of　divers　other　hewes　naturally　without　any　art
using　。　。　。　store　of　Turkie　nests　and　many　Egges。〃　They　liked　this　place；
but　for　shoal　water　the　ships　could　not　come　near　to　land。　So　on　they　went；
eight　miles　up　the　river。

Here；　upon　the　north　side；　thirty…odd　miles　from　the　mouth；　they　came　to　a
certain　peninsula；　an　island　at　high　water。　Two　or　three　miles　long；　less
than　a　mile　and　a　half　in　breadth；　at　its　widest　place　composed　of　marsh
and　woodland；　it　ran　into　the　river；　into　six　fathom　water；　where　the　ships
might　be　moored　to　the　trees。　It　was　this　convenient　deep　water　that
determined　matters。　Here　came　to　anchor　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and
the　Discovery。　Here　the　colonists　went　ashore。　Here　the　members　of　the　Council
were　sworn；　and　for　the　first　President　was　chosen　Edward…Maria　Wingfield。
Here；　the　first　roaming　and　excitement　abated；　they　began　to　unlade　the　ships；
and　to　build　the　fort　and　also　booths　for　their　present　sleeping。　A　church；
too；　they　must　have　at　once；　and　forthwith　made　it　with　a　stretched　sail　for
roof　and　a　board　between　two　trees　whereon　to　rest　Bible　and　Book　of　Prayer。
Here；　for　the　first　time　in　all　this　wilderness；　rang　English　axe　in　American
forest；　here　was　English　law　and　an　English　town；　here　sounded　English
speech。　Here　was　placed　the　germ　of　that　physical；　mental；　and；　spiritual
power　which　is　called　the　United　States　of　America。



CHAPTER　III。　JAMESTOWN

In　historians'　accounts　of　the　first　months　at　Jamestown；　too　much；
perhaps；　has　been　made　of　faction　and　quarrel。　All　this　was　there。　Men　set
down　in　a　wilderness；　amid　Virginian　heat；　men；　mostly　young；　of　the　active
rather　than　the　reflective　type；　men　uncompanioned　by　women　and　children；
men　beset　with　dangers　and　sufferings　that　were　soon　to　tag　heavily　their
courage　and　patiencesuch　men　naturally　quarreled　and　made　up；　quarreled
again　and　again　made　up；　darkly　suspected　each　the　other；　as　they　darkly
suspected　the　forest　and　the　Indian；　then；　need　of　friendship　dominating；
embraced　each　the　other；　felt　the　fascination　of　the　forest；　and　trusted
the　Indian。　However　much　they　suspected　rebellion；　treacheries；　and
desertions；　they　practiced　fidelities；　though　to　varying　degrees；　and
there　was　in　each　man's　breast　more　or　less　of　courage　and　good　intent。
They　were　prone　to　call　one　another　villain；　but　actual　villainysave　as
jealousy；　suspicion；　and　hatred　are　villainyseems　rarely　to　have　been
present。　Even　one　who　was　judged　a　villain　and　shot…　for　his　villainy　seems
hardly　to　have　deserved　such　fate。　Jamestown　peninsula　turned　out　to　be
feverous；　fantastic　hopes　were　matched　by　strange　fears；　there　were
homesickness；　incompatibilities；　unfamiliar　food　and　water　and　sir；　class
differences　in　small　space；　some　petty　tyrannies；　and　very　certain　dangers。
The　worst　summer　heat　was　not　yet；　and　the　fort　was　building。　Trees　must　be
felled；　cabins　raised；　a　field　cleared　for　planting；　fishing　and　hunting
carried　on。　And　some　lading；　some　first　fruits；　must　go　back　in　the　ships。
No　gold　or　rubies　being　as　yet　found；　they　would　send　instead　cedar　and
sassafrashard　work　enough；　there　at　Jamestown；　in　the　Virginian
low…country；　with　May　warm　as　northern　midsummer；　and　all　the　air　charged
with　vapor　from　the　heated　river；　with　exhalations　from　the　rank　forest；
from　the　many　marshes。

〃The　first　night　of　our　landing；　about　midnight；〃　says　George　Percy　in　his
〃Discourse〃；　〃there　came　some　Savages　sayling　close　to　our　quarter；
presently　there　was　an　alarm　given；　upon　that　the　savages　ran　away　。　。　。　。
Not　long　after　there　came　two　Savages　that　seemed　to　be　Commanders；　bravely
dressed；　with　Crownes　of　coloured　haire　upon　their　heads；　which　came　as
Messengers　from　the　Werowance　of　Paspihe；　telling　us　that　their　Werowance
was　comming　and　would　be　merry　with　us　with　a　fat　Deere。　The　eighteenth　day
the　Werowance　of　Paspihe　came　himselfe　to　o