LITERARY STUDIES

From The General History of Virginia     by Captain John Smith

The Third Book                   Chapter I

It might well be thought a country so fair (as Virginia is) and a people so tractable (as the Indians are) would long ere this have been quietly possessed, to the satisfaction of the adventurers and the eternizing of the memory of those that effected it. But because the world does see a defailment, this following treatise shall give satisfaction to all indifferent readers how the business has been carried whereby no doubt they will easily understand an answer to their question…

Captain Bartolomeo Gosnold, one of the first movers of this plantation, having many years solicited many of his friends but found small assistance, at last prevailed with some gentlemen, as Captain John Smith, Master Edward Maria Wingfield, Master Robert Hunt, and divers others, who depended a year upon his projects; but nothing could be effected till by their great charge and industry it came to be apprehended by certain of the nobility, gentry and merchants, so that his Majesty by his letter patent gave commission for establishing councils to direct here, and to govern and to execute there.

On the 19^th of December, 1606 we set sail from Blackwall …

We watered at the Canaries; we traded with the savages at Dominica; three weeks we spent in refreshing ourselves among these West India isles; in Guadaloupe we found a bath so hot as in it we boiled pork as well as over the fire. And at a little isle called Monito, we took from the bushes with our hands nearly two hogsheads full of birds in three or four hours. In Nevis, Mona and the Virgin isles, we spent some time, where, with a loathsome beast like a crocodile, called an iguana, tortoises, pelicans, parrots and fishes, we daily feasted.

Gone from thence in search of Virginia … the first land they made they called Cape Henry, where thirty of them recreating themselves on shore were assaulted by five savages who hurt two of the English very dangerously.

Newport, Smith and twenty others were sent to discover the head of the river. By divers small habitations they passed; in six days they arrived at a town called Powhatan, consisting of some twelve houses pleasantly seated on a hill, before it three fertile isles, about it many of their cornfields; the place is very pleasant and strong by nature; of this place the prince is called Powhatan and his people Powhatans. To this place the river is navigable, but higher within a mile, by reason of the rocks and isles, there is not passage for a small boat; this they call the Falls. The people in all parts kindly entreated them, till being returned within twenty miles of Jamestown.

Chapter II

The new president and Martin, being little beloved, of weak judgement in dangers, and less industry in peace, committed the managing of all things abroad to Captain Smith, who, by his own example, good words, and fair promises, set some to mow, others to bind thatch, some to build houses, others to thatch them, himself always bearing the greatest task for his own share, so that in short time he provided most of them lodgings, neglecting any for himself.

The Spaniards never more greedily desired gold than he (Smith) victual, nor his soldiers more to abandon the country than he to keep it. But (he found ) plenty of corn in the river of Chickahominy, where hundreds of savages in divers places stood with baskets expecting his coming. And now the winter approaching, the rivers became so covered with swans, geese, ducks, and cranes that we daily feasted with good bread , Virginia peas, pumpkins, and persimmons, fish, fowl, and divers sorts of wild beasts as fat as we could eat them, so that none of our tuftaffaty humorists desired to go for England.