BOOK II Settlement of America CHAPTER VI Captain John Smith and Pocahontas Formation of the London Company-Conditions of its Charter-Departure of the First Colony-Quarrels During the Voyage-Arrival in the Chesapeake—Settlement of Jamestown—Formation of the Government-Character of Captain John Smith-Exploration of the James River-Newport and Smith Visit Powhatan-Smith Admitted to the Government-Explores the Chickahominy-Is Captured and Sentenced to Death-Is Saved by Pocahontas-Gains the Friendship of Powhatan for the Colony-Returns to Jamestown-His Decisive Measures-Return of Newport-Smith Explores the Chesapeake Bay-The New Emigrants-Smith Compels Them to Labor-Smith is Wounded and Compelled to Return to England-Disasters to the Colony-Arrival of Sir Thomas Gates-Jamestown Abandoned-Ar rival of Lord Delaware—The Return to Jamestown—A Change for the Better-New Settlements-Sir Thomas Gates Arrives With Reinforcements-Capture of Pocahontas by Captain Argall—She is Baptized—Marries John Rolfe-Sir Thomas Dale's Administration-Yeardley Governor-The First Legislative Assembly-Representative Government Established in America-The Colonists Obtain Wives-Changes in the Government. Τ siasm, and men who had money to invest, and were somewhat inclined to indulge in speculation, were ready to aid any scheme that promised to be lucrative and advantageous to themselves. HE favorable reports which had been brought back to England by the voyagers to the new world had prevented the interest of Englishmen in America from entirely dying out, and some ardent spirits still believed it possible Sir Ferdinand Gorges, a wealthy gentle to make that continent the seat of a pros- man and Governor of Plymouth, had been perous dominion dependent upon England. greatly interested in America by the accounts The former assistants of Raleigh, in particu- of Waymouth, who had given him two of lar, held to the convictions which their chief the Indians he had brought to England. had entertained to the day of his death. The These succeeded in interesting others in their selfish and timid policy of King James hav- plans, and the result was that early in the ing made it impossible for men to acquire reign of King James two companies were distinction by naval exploits, as in the days formed in England for the colonization of of Elizabeth, the more adventurous classes America. One of these was the "London lent a willing ear to the plans for colonizing Company," composed chiefly of noblemen America, which were discussed in various and merchants residing in London. The parts of the kingdom. Bartholomew Gos- other was the "Plymouth Company," comnold, who had explored the New England posed of "knights, gentlemen and mer coast, was especially active in seeking to chants," residing in the west of England. induce capitalists to send out a colony King James divided Virginia into two parts. to it. His glowing accounts of the New To the London Company he granted "South World awakened a good deal of enthu- | Virginia," extending from Cape Fear, in North Carolina, to the Potomac. To the Plymouth Company he gave "North Virginia," stretching from the Hudson to Newfoundland. The region between the Potomac and the Hudson he left as a broad belt of neutral land to keep the companies from encroaching upon each other's domains. Either was at liberty to form settlements in this region within fifty miles of its own border. The London Company was the first to settle the country assigned it. A liberal charter was granted the company: the lands in the new world were to be held by it on the simple conditions of homage and the payment to the crown of one-fifth of the gold and silver and one-fifteenth of the copper that should be discovered. A general council, residing in England, was to have authority over the whole province, and the members of this council were to be appointed and removed by the king at his good pleasure. Each separate colony was to be under the control of a colonial council residing within its own limits, and the king retained the right to direct the appointment or removal of the members of these councils at his pleasure. Laws of the London Company. The king also reserved the supreme legislative authority over the colonies, and framed for their government a code of laws—“an exercise of royal legislation which has been pronounced in itself illegal." The colonists were placed by this code under the rule of the superior and local councils we have named, in the choice of which they had no voice. The religion of the Church of England was established as that of the colony, and conformity to it was secured by severe penalties. Death was the punishment for murder, manslaughter, adultery, dangerous seditions and tumults. In all cases not affecting life and limb offenders might be tried by a magistrate, but for capital offences trial by jury was secured. In the former cases the punishment of the offender was at the discretion of the president and council. The Indians were to be treated with kindness, and efforts were to be made for their conversion to Christianity. For five years at least the affairs of the colonists were to be conducted in a joint stock. The right to impose future legislation upon the province was reserved by the king. The Settlers Oppressed. Such was the form of government first prescribed for Virginia by England, in which, as Bancroft truly says, there was not an element of popular liberty." "To the emigrants themselves it conceded not one elective franchise, not one of the rights of selfgovernment. They were to be subjected to the ordinances of a commercial corporation, of which they could not be members; to the dominion of a domestic council, in appointing which they had no voice; to the control of a superior council in England, which had no sympathy with their rights; and finally, to the arbitrary legislation of the sovereign." Under this charter the London Company prepared to send out a colony to Virginia. It was to be a commercial settlement, and the emigrants were composed altogether of men. One hundred and five persons, exclusive of the crews of the vessels, joined the expedition. Of these not twenty were farmers or mechanics. The remainder were "gentlemen," or men who had ruined themselves at home by idleness and dissipation. A fleet of three small ships, under command of Captain Newport, was assembled, and on the nineteenth of December, 1606, sailed for America. The emigrants sailed without having perfected any organization. The king had foolishly placed the names of those who were to constitute the government in a sealed box, which the adventurers were ordered not to open until they had selected a site for their settlement and were ready to form a governThis was most unfortunate, for during the long voyage dissensions arose, and there was no one in the expedition who could control the unruly spirits. These quarrels grew more intense with the lapse of time, and when the shores of Virginia were reached the seeds of many of the evils from which the colony afterwards suffered severely had been thoroughly sown. There were among the number several who were well qualified to direct the affairs of the expedition, but they were without the proper authority to do so, and there was no such thing as voluntary submission to be seen among the adventurers. The merits of the deserving merely excited the jealousy of their companions, and the great master spirit of the enterprise found from the first his disinterested efforts for the good of the expedition met by a jealous opposition. Point Comfort Named. Newport was not acquainted with the direct route, and made the old passage by way of the Canaries and the West Indies. He thus consumed the whole of the winter, and while searching for the island of Roanoke, the scene of Raleigh's colony, his fleet was driven northward by a severe storm, and forced to take refuge in the Chesapeake Bay on the twenty-sixth of April, 1607. He named the headlands of this bay Cape Henry and Cape Charles, in honor of the two sons of James I., and because of the comfortable. anchorage which he obtained in the splendid roadstead which enters the bay opposite its mouth, he gave to the northern point the name of Point Comfort, which it has since borne. Passing this, a noble river was discovered coming from the westward, and was | named the James, in honor of the English king. The country was explored with energy, and though one small tribe of Indians was found to be hostile, a treaty of peace and friendship was made with another at Hampton. The fleet ascended the river and explored it for fifty miles. A pleasant peninsula, on the left bank of the stream was selected as the site of the colony, and on the thirteenth of May, 1607, the settlement was definitely begun, and was named Jamestown, in honor of the king. Smith's Daring Deeds. The leading spirit of the enterprise was John Smith, one of the truest heroes of history, who has been deservedly called "the father of Virginia." He was still a young man, being but thirty years of age, but he was old in experience and knightly deeds. While yet a youth he had served in Holland in the ranks of the army of freedom, and had travelled through France, Egypt and Italy. Burning to distinguish himself, he had repaired to Hungary, and had won a brilliant reputation by his exploits in the ranks of the Christian army engaged in the defence of that country against the Mohammedans. He repeatedly defeated the chosen champions of the Turks in single combat, but being at length captured was sent to Constantinople and sold as a slave. The wife of his master, pitying his misfortunes, sent him to a relative in the Crimea, with a request to treat him with kindness, but contrary to her wishes he was subjected to the greatest harshness. Rendered desperate by this experience, he rose against his task-master, slew him, and seizing his horse escaped to the border of the Russian territory, where he was kindly received. He wandered across the country to Transylvania, and rejoined his old companions in arms. Then, filled with a longing to see his "own sweet country" once more, he returned to England. He arrived just as the plans for the colonization of Virginia were being matured. He readily He readily engaged in the expedition organized by the London Company, and exerted himself in a marked degree to make it a success. He was in all respects the most capable man in the whole colony, for his natural abilities were fully equal to his experience. He had studied human nature under many forms in CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. When the box containing the names of those who were to constitute the colonial government was opened, it was found that the king had appointed John Smith one of the council. Smith was at this time in confinement, having been arrested on the voyage upon the frivolous charges of sedition and treason against the crown, and his enemies, notwithstanding the royal appointment, excluded him from the council. Edward Wingfield, "a grovelling merchant of the west of England," was chosen president of the council and governor of the colony. The services of Smith could not be dispensed with, however, and he was released from his confinement, and sent with Newport and twenty others to explore the river. They ascended the James to the falls, where the city of Richmond now stands, and visited Powhatan, the principal chief of the Indian nation holding the country into which they had come. He was then dwelling at his favorite seat on the left bank of the river, a few miles below. the falls. Powhatan received them kindly, and silenced the remonstrances of his people by saying: "They hurt you not; they only want a little land." The chief was a man of powerful stature, "tall, sour and athletic." He was sixty years of age, and had under him a population of six or eight thousand souls, two thousand being warriors. Having carefully observed the river, Smith and Newport returned to Jamestown. Their presence there was needed, for Wingfield had proved himself utterly unfit to govern the colony. He would not allow the colonists to build either houses for themselves or a fortification for the common defence against the savages. While they were in this helpless condition, they were suddenly attacked by a force of four hundred Indians, | He was a man of rare merits, and, together and were saved from destruction only by the fire of the shipping, which filled the savages with terror and put them to flight. It is believed that the cause of Wingfield's singular conduct was his jealousy of Smith whose talents he feared would attract the support of the settlers. Tried and Acquitted. The fort was now built without delay, cannon were mounted, and the men trained in the exercise of arms. When the ships were in readiness to sail to England, it was intimated to Smith that he would consult his own interests by returning in them, but he refused to do so, and boldly demanded a trial upon the charges which had been preferred against him. The council did not dare to refuse him this trial, and the result was his triumphant acquittal. More than this, he succeeded so well in exposing the malice of his enemies that the president, as the originator of the charges against him, was compelled to pay him two hundred pounds damages, which sum Smith generously applied to the needs of the colony. His seat in the council could no longer be denied him, and he took his place at the board to the great gain of the colony. Newport sailed for England about the middle of June, leaving the settlement in a most pitiable condition. The provisions sent out from England had been spoiled on the voyage, and the colonists were too indolent to cultivate the land, or to seek to obtain supplies from the Indians. Sickness broke out among them, owing to the malarious character of their location, and by the begin ning of the winter more than half their number had died. Among these was Bartholomew Gosnold, the originator of the London Company, who had come out to Virginia to risk his life in the effort to settle the country. with Mr. Hunt, "the preacher," who was also one of the projectors of the company, had contributed successfully to the preservation of harmony in the colony. In the midst of these sufferings it was found that Wingfield was preparing to load the pinnace with the remainder of the stores and escape to the West Indies. He was deposed by the council, who appointed John Ratcliffe in his place. The new president was not much better than his predecessor. He was incapable of discharging the duties of his office, and was perfectly satisfied that Smith should direct the affairs of the settlement for him. From this time Smith was the actual head of the government. ment. Food was the prime necessity of the colony, and as it was now too late to raise it, Smith exerted himself to obtain it from the Indians. He purchased a supply, and towards the close of the autumn the wild fowl which frequent the region furnished an additional means of subsistence. Danger of Famine. The danger of a famine thus removed, Smith proceeded to explore the country. In one of these expeditions he ascended the Chickahominy as far as he could penetrate in his boat, and then leaving it in charge of two men, struck into the interior with an Indian guide. His men disobeyed his instructions, and were surprised and put to death by the Indians. Smith himself was taken prisoner, and deeply impressed his captors by his cool courage and self-possession. Instead of begging for his life, he set to work to convince them of his superiority over them, and succeeded so well that they regarded him with a sort of awe. He astonished them by showing them his pocket compass and explaining to them its uses, and excited their admiration by writing a letter |