pioneers of the old south-第6章

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grew　older；　and　the　speech　on　Jamestown　Island　is　still　English。

*　Op。　cit。；　vol。　1；　p。　127。


Christopher　Newport　was　gone；　no　shipsthe　last　refuges；　the　last
possibilities　for　hometurning；　should　the　earth　grow　too　hard　and　the　sky
too　blackrode　upon　the　river　before　the　fort。　Here　was　the　summer　heat。　A
heavy　breath　rose　from　immemorial　marshes；　from　the　ancient　floor　of　the
forest。　When　clouds　gathered　and　storms　burst；　they　amazed　the　heart　with
their　fearful　thunderings　and　lightnings。　The　colonists　had　no　well；　but
drank　from　the　river；　and　at　neither　high　nor　low　tide　found　the　water
wholesome。　While　the　ships　were　here　they　had　help　of　ship　stores；　but　now
they　must　subsist　upon　the　grain　that　they　had　in　the　storehouse；　now　scant
and　poor　enough。　They　might　fish　and　hunt；　but　against　such　resources　stood
fever　and　inexperience　and　weakness；　and　in　the　woods　the　lurking　savages。
The　heat　grew　greater；　the　water　worse；　the　food　less。　Sickness　began。　Work
became　toil。　Men　pined　from　homesickness；　then；　coming　together；　quarreled
with　a　weak　violence；　then　dropped　away　again　into　corners　and　sat
listlessly　with　hanging　heads。

〃The　sixth　of　August　there　died　John　Asbie　of　the　bloodie　Flixe。　The　ninth
day　died　George　Flowre　of　the　swelling。　The　tenth　day　died　William　Bruster
gentleman；　of　a　wound　given　by　the　Savages　。。。。　The　fourteenth　day　Jerome
Alikock；　Ancient；　died　of　a　wound；　the　same　day　Francis　Mid…winter；　Edward
Moris；　Corporall；　died　suddenly。　The　fifteenth　day　their　died　Edward　Browne
and　Stephen　Galthrope。　The　sixteenth　day　their　died　Thomas　Gower　gentleman。
The　seventeenth　day　their　died　Thomas　Mounslie。　The　eighteenth　day　theer
died　Robert　Pennington　and　John　Martine　gentlemen。　The　nineteenth　day　died
Drue　Piggase　gentleman。

〃The　two　and　twentieth　day　of　August　there　died　Captain　Bartholomew　Gosnold
one　of　our　Councell；　he　was　honourably　buried　having　all　the　Ordnance　in
the　Fort　shot　off；　with　many　vollies　of　small　shot　。。。。

〃The　foure　and　twentieth　day　died　Edward　Harrington　and　George　Walker　and
were　buried　the　same　day。　The　six　and　twentieth　day　died　Kenelme
Throgmortine。　The　seven　and　twentieth　day　died　William　Roods。　The　eight　and
twentieth　day　died　Thomas　Stoodie；　Cape　Merchant。　The　fourth　day　of
September　died　Thomas　Jacob；Sergeant。　The　fifth　day　there　died　Benjamin
Beast　。　。　。　。〃*

*　Percy's　〃Discourse。〃


Extreme　misery　makes　men　blind；　unjust；　and　weak　of　judgment。　Here　was
gross　wretchedness；　and　the　colonists　proceeded　to　blame　A　and　B　and　C；
lost　all　together　in　the　wilderness。　It　was　this　councilor　or　that
councilor；　this　ambitious　one　or　that　one；　this　or　that　almost　certainly
ascertained　traitor！　Wanting　to　steal　the　pinnace；　the　one　craft　left　by
Newport；　wanting　to　steal　away　in　the　pinnace　and　leave　the　masssmall
enough　mass　now！without　boat　or　raft　or　straw　to　cling　to；　made　the
favorite　accusation。　Upon　this　count；　early　in　September；　Wingfield　was
deposed　from　the　presidency。　Ratcliffe　succeeded　him；　but　presently
Ratcliffe　fared　no　better。　One　councilor　fared　worse；　for　George　Kendall；
accused　of　plotting　mutiny　and　pinnace　stealing；　was　given　trial；　found
guilty；　and　shot。

〃The　eighteenth　day　＇of　September＇　died　one　Ellis　Kinistone　。　。　。。　The　same
day　at　night　died　one　Richard　Simmons。　The　nineteenth　day　there　died　one
Thomas　Mouton　。　。　。　。〃

What　went　on；　in　Virginia；　in　the　Indian　mind；　can　only　be　conjectured。　As
little　as　the　white　mind　could　it　foresee　the　trend　of　events　or　the
ultimate　outcome　of　present　policy。　There　was　exhibited　a　see…saw　policy；
or　perhaps　no　policy　at　all；　only　the　emotional　fit　as　it　came　hot　or　cold。
The　friendly　act　trod　upon　the　hostile；　the　hostile　upon　the　friendly。
Through　the　miserable　summer　the　hostile　was　uppermost；　then　with　the
autumn　appeared　the　friendly　mood；　fortunate　enough　for　〃the　most　feeble
wretches〃　at　Jamestown。　Indians　came　laden　with　maize　and　venison。　The　heat
was　a　thing　of　the　past；　cool　and　bracing　weather　appeared；　and　with　it
great　flocks　of　wild　fowl；　〃swans；　geese；　ducks　and　cranes。〃　Famine
vanished；　sickness　decreased。　The　dead　were　dead。　Of　the　hundred　and　four
persons　left　by　Newport　less　than　fifty　had　survived。　But　these　may　be
thought　of　as　indeed　seasoned。



CHAPTER　IV。　JOHN　SMITH

With　the　cool　weather　began　active　exploration；　the　object　in　chief　the
gathering　from　the　Indians；　by　persuasion　or　trade　or　show　of　force；　food
for　the　approaching　winter。　Here　John　Smith　steps　forward　as　leader。

There　begins　a　string　of　adventures　of　that　hardy　and　romantic　individual。
How　much　in　Smith's　extant　narrations　is　exaggeration；　how　much　is
dispossession　of　others'　merits　in　favor　of　his　own；　it　is　difficult　now　to
say。*　A　thing　that　one　little　likes　is　his　persistent　depreciation　of　his
fellows。　There　is　but　one　Noble　Adventurer；　and　that　one　is　John　Smith。　On
the　other　hand　evident　enough　are　his　courage　and　initiative；　his
ingenuity；　and　his　rough；　practical　sagacity。　Let　us　take　him　at　something
less　than　his　own　valuation；　but　yet　as　valuable　enough。　As　for　his
adventures；　real　or　fictitious；　one　may　see　in　them　epitomized　the
adventures　of　many　and　many　men；　English；　French；　Spanish；　Dutch；　blazers
of　the　material　path　for　the　present　civilization。

*　Those　who　would　strike　John　Smith　from　the　list　of　historians　will
commend　the　author's　caution　to　the　reader　before　she　lets　the　Captain　tell
his　own　tale。　Whatever　Smith　may　not　have　been；　he　was　certainly　a
consummate　raconteur。　He　belongs　with　the　renowned　story…tellers　of　the
world；　if　not　with　the　veracious　chroniclers。Editor。


In　December；　rather　autumn　than　winter　in　this　region；　he　starts　with　the
shallop　and　a　handful　of　men　up　a　tributary　river　that　they　have　learned　to
call　the　Chickahominy。　He　is　going　for　corn；　but　there　is　also　an　idea　that
he　may　hear　news　of　that　wished…for　South　Sea。

The　Chickahominy　proved　itself　a　wonderland　of　swamp　and　tree…choked
streams。　Somewhere　up　its　chequered　reaches　Smith　left　the　shallop　with　men
to　guard　it；　and；　taking　two　of　the　party　with　two　Indian　guides；　went　on
in　a　canoe　up　a　narrower　way。　Presently　those　left　with　the　boat
incautiously　go　ashore　and　are　attacked　by　Indians。　One　is　taken；　tortured；
and　slain。　The　others　get　back　to　their　boat　and　so　away；　down　the
Chickahominy　and　into　the　now　somewhat　familiar　James。　But　Smith　with　his
two　men；　Robinson　and　Emry；　are　now　alone　in　the　wilderness；　up　among
narrow　waters；　brown　marshes；　fallen　and　obstructing　tree　trunks。　Now　come
the　men…hunting　Indians…the　King　of　Pamaunck；　says　Smith；　with　two　hundred
bowmen。　Robinson　and　Emry　are　shot　full　of　arrows。　Smith　is　wounded；　but
with　his　musket　deters　the　foe；　killing　several　of　the　savages。　His　eyes
upon　them；　he　steps　backward；　hoping　he　may　beat　them　off　till　he　shall
recover　the　shallop；　but　meets　with　the　ill　chance　of　a　boggy　and　icy
stream　into　which　he　stumbles；　and　here　is　taken。

See　him　now　before　〃Opechancanough；　King　of　Pamaunck！〃　Savages　and
procedures　of　the　more　civilized　with　savages　have；　the　world　over；　a
family　resemblance。　Like　many　a　man　before　him　and　after；　Smith　casts　about
for　a　propitiatory　wonder。　He　has　with　him；　so　fortunately；　〃a　round　ivory
double…compass　dial。〃　This；　with　a　genial　manner；　he　would　present　to
Opechancanough。　The　savages　gaze；　cannot　touch　through　the　glass　the　moving
needle；　grunt　their　admiration。　Smith　proceeds；　with　gestures　and　what
Indian　words　he　knows；　to　deliver　a　scientific　lecture。　Talking　is　best
anyhow；　will　give　them　less　time　in　which　to　think　of　those　men　he　shot。　He
tells　them　that　the　world　is　round；　and　discourses　about　the　sun　and　moon
and　stars　and　the　alternation　of　day　and　night。　He　speaks　with　eloquence　of
the　nations　of　the　earth；　of　white　men；　yellow　men；　black　men；　and　red　men；
of　his　own　country　and　its　grandeurs；　and　would　explain　antipodes。

Apparently　all　is　waste　breath　and　of　no　avail；　for　in　an　hour　see　him
bound　to　a　tree；　a　sturdy　figure　of　a　man；　bearded　and　moustached；　with　a
high　forehead；　clad　in　shirt　and　jerkin　and　breeches　and　hosen　and　shoon；
all　by　this　time；　we　may　be　sure；　profoundly　in　n