As Newport had settled his men on land owned by the Paspaheghs, that
tribe was the first to hold intercourse with the colonists. Before the
landing, when Captain Newport was exploring the river, the chief, or
"werowance," of the Paspaheghs had come down to the bank playing on a
flute made of reed to welcome him. His body was painted all over with
crimson puccoon,[17] his sole garment a chain of beads around his neck,
and bracelets of pearl on his arms. His face was painted blue, besprinkled
with shining powder, which Newport's men mistook for silver. A bird's
claw was in each ear and feathers in his hair. We can imagine him piping a
welcome to the wonderful white man whom he had not yet been commanded by
the great Emperor Powhatan to hate. He could utter but two intelligible
words, one, "wingapoh," with gestures which interpreted the word to mean
"friends"; and his own name, "Wochinchopunck"; but he made the Englishmen
understand that he desired to entertain them at his own "palace," and
conducted them thither with great ceremony, through "fine paths[18] having
most pleasant springs which issued from the mountains, and through the
goodliest cornfields ever seen in any country. Arrived at the palace"
(which is not described), "he received them in a modest, proud fashion, as
though he had been a prince of civil government, holding his countenance
without laughter or any such ill-behaviour. He caused his mat to be spread
on the ground where he sate down with a great majesty." How little could
he foresee a not distant day when he would fiercely resent the intrusion
upon his own land--land to which he now welcomed the strangers with
every gesture and expression of friendship, and yet another day when the
avenging sword of the Englishmen would reach his own heart!
A week later the colonists were busy clearing their ground, strengthening
their half-moon barricade of brushwood, laying off ground for corn and
vegetables, making seines for catching fish, felling trees and shaping
them (with only axes and hand-saws) into clapboards for freighting the
returning vessels, when they were visited by two great savages "bravely
drest" in the lightest possible summer attire--for the weather in May is
extremely warm in lower Virginia--wearing nothing whatever except crowns
of coloured deerskin. I often marvel at the long discourses which our
historians record as having occurred in the first days of their residence,
remembering that there were no interpreters, that the Indian language is
unlike any other, ancient or modern, upon the globe, and that the sign
language of a savage must have been unimaginable to an educated Briton.
However, these two "bravely drest savages" conveyed the information that
they were "messengers from the Paspaheghs, and that their Werowance
was coming" and would "be merry" with them "with a fat Deare"! As the
Englishmen had quietly settled themselves without leave or license upon
land owned by this prince, the suggestion of a surprise party bringing
its own refreshments must have been reassuring.
A few days later the werowance, Wochinchopunck, arrived, with one hundred
armed men at his back, guarding him in a very warlike manner with bows
and arrows; "thinking," says George Percy, "at that time to execute their
villany." The chief made great signs to the Englishmen to lay aside their
arms, but finding that he was regarded with some suspicion, he desisted
and made pacific gestures of good will, indicating that they were quite
welcome to the land they had taken. But unfortunately, while this was
going on one of his men contrived to steal a hatchet from one of the
Englishmen, who detected him in the act and struck him over the arm.
A fight was imminent, and the colonists took to their arms, which the
werowance perceiving, he went away with all his company in great anger,
leaving, we trust, the fat deer done to a turn on a spit before the
camp-fire.
But curiosity prevailed over distrust, and in a few days the same
werowance "sent fortie of his men with a Deere, but they came," says
Percy, "more in villany than any love they bare us. They faine would have
layne in our Fort all night but wee would not suffer them for feare of
their treachery."[19]
The Indian is proud and vain, and when the Paspaheghs saw our wonderful
firearms, they were filled with envy. Unerring aim with bow and arrow is
the Indian's great accomplishment, learned by practice from infancy. When
the Indian woman prepared breakfast for her children, she sent her boys to
practise at a mark, and the smallest boy knew he could have none unless he
had shot well. One of the Paspaheghs observed that a pistol bullet failed
to penetrate a thick target, and proudly "took from his back an arrowe
an elle long, drew it strongly to his Bowe and shot the Target a foote
through and better." An Englishman then set up a steel target; the Indian
shot again and shivered his flint arrow-head into pieces. He pulled out
another, bit it savagely with his teeth, seemed to fall into great anger,
and went away in a rage, a pathetic instance of the wounded pride of the
poor savage.
On[20] the 4th of June, Newport, Smith, and twenty others were despatched
to discover the head of the river on which they had planted themselves.
The natives everywhere were delighted to exchange their bread, fish,
and strawberries for the wonderful things Newport gave them, needles and
pins, bells, small mirrors, and beads, and they followed him all the way
from place to place. At last they reached a town of twelve wigwams called
Powhatan. It was situated on a bold range of hills overlooking the river,
with three islets in front. This spot, on which a colonial mansion was
afterward erected, is still known as Powhatan.
The voyagers were in every way delighted with the river. Percy says,
"This River[21] which wee have discovered is one of the famousest Rivers
that ever was found by any Christian." "They were so ravisht with the
admirable sweetnesse of the streame and with the pleasant land trending
along on either side that their joy exceeded, and with great admiration
they praised God."
On a high hill was the habitation of the great "King Pawatah"[22] (a son
of Powhatan). There, on Whitsunday, they feasted the king, giving him
beer, aqua vitæ, and sack, and making him so ill he feared he had been
poisoned. They also "saw a Savage Boy about the age of ten yeeres which
had a head of haire of a perfect yellow and a reasonable white skinne."
Was this a descendant of Ellinor Dare, or some other of the lost colony?
Alas, nobody inquired.
Leaving "Pawatah" very drunk, Newport visited one of the islets at the
mouth of the falls in the river, where Richmond now stands, and there
erected a cross with this inscription, JACOBUS REX, 1607, and his own
name beneath. They then prayed for their King, for their own prosperous
success in his service, and proclaimed his majesty King of the country
"with a greate showte." Of course the Indians wished to know the meaning
of all this, but they were satisfied with the explanation that the upright
staff connected and bound in friendship the two arms: one the English, the
other the Indian nation. That night Newport returned to the sick king,
and found him still suffering and attributing his "greefe" to the "hot
drinks," but he was all right next morning.
The personal accounts of this pleasant excursion are all interesting. The
adventurers turned their faces homeward full of hope, and much refreshed
and reassured by the apparent kindness of the natives. But just here they
learned their first lesson of savage perfidy. There is very little doubt
that the King Powhatan had commanded an assault upon Jamestown, while its
force was weakened by Newport's absence. Two hundred Indians had attacked
it fiercely, killed one boy, and wounded seventeen men, including the
greater part of the Council. During the assault a cross-bar shot from one
of Newport's little vessels had struck down a bough of a tree among the
assailants and caused them to retire, but for which all the settlers would
probably have been massacred, as they were, at the time of the attack,
planting corn and without arms. Wingfield, who had contended that the
Indians might be suspicious and estranged if the fort were palisaded, now
consented to put it in fighting order, with cannon mounted and men armed
and exercised. From that time attacks and ambuscades on the part of the
natives were frequent. The English, by their careless straggling, were
often wounded, while the fleet-footed savages easily escaped.
Newport was now about to return to England. All this time John Smith had
been under a cloud of suspicion. His enemies had never slept. They now
proposed, affecting pity, to refer his case to the Council in England
rather than overwhelm him on the spot by an exposure of his criminal
designs; but he defied their malice, defeated their base machinations,
and all saw his innocence and the malignity of his enemies. Says Thomas
Studley, "He publicly defied the uttermost of their cruelty. Hee wisely
prevented their pollicies, though he could not suppresse their envies."
He demanded trial at Jamestown,--there was the charter,--and in this,
the first trial by a jury of his countrymen in the new home, he was
triumphantly acquitted, and a fine enacted from his enemies, which he
turned over to Studley for the good of the colony. "Many[23] were the
mischiefs that daily sprong from their ignorant (yet ambitious spirits),
but the good doctrine and exhortation of our preacher Maister Hunt
reconciled them and caused Captain Smith to be admitted to the Council."
The next day all received the Communion. The day following some of the
savages voluntarily desired peace, and tendered their friendship and
support as allies. On June 21 Captain Newport dined with the colonists,
partaking of their "dyet from the common Kettell," and on the 22d, "having
set things in order he set saile for England, leaving provision for 13 or
14 weeks."