a single individual too often involves in a quarrel all of the citizens of the little communities: nothing is extenuated, and nothing is attributed to accident; but suspicion in the injured party supplies the place of malice in the aggressor. These difficulties made the colonists feel more anxiously their dependence upon England, and forced upon them a melancholy foreboding, that without frequent and effectual assistance from the mother country, they could not long sustain themselves in a strange and distant land, the natives. of which had become bitterly hostile. Under this impression, when their last ship was about to depart from England, they forced their reluctant governor, by excessive importunity, to desert his charge, in order that he might lend his personal aid and influence in sending them succor from home. He sailed with the Aug. 27. ship, but not until after his daughter, Eleanor Dare, the wife of one of the assistant governors, had presented him with the first white child born on the continent of North America. Aug. 18. This child was christened Virginia Dare, and, with her mother, was esteemed a sufficient pledge of the exertions of the governor in aid of the colony, and of his speedy return. White found all England engaged in anxious preparation to meet the threatened Spanish invasion, but this did not pre1588. vent the generous Raleigh from dispatching him with two ships of supplies for the relief of the colony. But the spirit of gain overcame the spirit of humanity, and even the tender ties of parental affection: instead of going at once to the coloApril 22. ny, he employed himself in taking Spanish prizes, and was at last himself overcome and rifled, which compelled him to return to England, much to the chagrin of the noble proprietor, and probably the destruction of the neglected colony.

The Invincible Armada of Spain had to be overcome, and the safety of England herself to be secured, before another effort could be made to succor the little colony at Roanoke; and when this was accomplished, leisure found the noble patron of the enterprise too much impoverished by his previous unprofitable exertions to fit out, at his own expense, another expedition. He was obliged to assign an extensive portion of his powers to a company of merchants and others who might carry his schemes into execution; but with his profuse liberality, the active spring which had quickened previous expeditions was gone, the spirit of gain rather than of glory presided over the destinies of infant America, and it was not until another year had elapsed, that White was 1590. sent in quest of his subjects and his daughter.

When he arrived the colony was gone; an inscription on the bark of a tree, indicating Croatan as the place whither they had gone, was the last record of their existence seen by a civilized eye. Conjecture has pointed to an amalgamation with the tribe of Hatteras Indians as the history of their destiny, and old Indian traditions and the physical characteristics of that tribe are said to confirm the idea; but while humanity may indulge a hope,

credulity itself must entertain a doubt of the truth of the hypothesis.

White returned to England as soon as, he found out that the colony was gone, and Raleigh is said to have sent five several times in vain, to search for his liege-men, but no tidings were ever received of their existence or their fate. Thus terminated the attempts at settlement on the coast of North Carolina, then called Virginia; the scene next opens upon the broad bosom of the "mother of the waters."*

CHAPTER II.

OF THE COLONISTS-ADVEN

SETTLEMENT AT JAMESTOWN-SUFFERINGS

TURES OF SMITH.

New Company raised-its charter.-Jamestown.-Machinations against Smith.-Dif. ficulties of the colony.-Smith taken prisoner—his release.—Arrival of Newport.— Discovery of earth believed to be gold.-Departure of Newport.-Survey of the Chesapeake and its waters by Smith.-Smith made president.-Second arrival of Newport.— Judicious conduct of Smith.-New charter.-New arrival of emigrants.-Budness of the selection.-New settlements.-Accident to Smith-his departure—his character.

We have now approached the period in which the British were destined to make a permanent settlement in America. England already possessed a population considered redundant, in consequence of the inadequate means of support afforded by her limited commerce and inefficient agriculture. The pacific and timid character of James I. threw out of employment many of the brave spirits who had served under Elizabeth, and left them the choice of only two means of acquiring wealth or distinction,-and these were either to draw a mercenary sword in the quarrels of strangers, or to serve their king and country by transplanting their energy and enterprise to a new world.

BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD chose the latter. He was a person of rank and intelligence, and had already acquired distinction by his courage and skill in arms. He solicited his friends for aid for many years in vain, but at length attracted the attention of the distinguished adventurer Capt. JOHN SMITH, EDWARD MARIA WINGFIELD, a merchant, and ROBERT HUNT, a clergyman, who, after taking a year for reflection, entered zealously into his projects.

Nothing, however, could be effected until persons of wealth and distinction could be found to patronise by their favor and aid by

66

Chesapeake," but Chilly west of the Mississippi,

This is the translation usually given of the Indian name McIntosh, the celebrated Georgia Creek chief, now removed with his tribe, told the writer another meaning, which he said was the true one, but which the writer has forgotten; but which was, however, not so unlike the one given above but that the same word might well convey the two different impressions, in dif rent idioms of the same language.

their capital the enthusiasm of the adventurers. Sir FERDINAND GORGES, a man of wealth, rank, and influence, had been informing himself, by conversation with several American Indians who had been carried to England by previous voyages, and by every other means in his power, of the nature of the country; and from the information he obtained became exceedingly anxious to possess a domain on the western side of the Atlantic. He persuaded Sir JOHN POPHAM, lord chief-justice of England, to unite in his views. RICHARD HACKLYT, the distinguished compiler of narratives of maritime adventures, and one of the assignees of Raleigh, had not yet relinquished his hopes of a permanent settlement in America, notwithstanding the frequent previous discouraging failures, and cheerfully joined in this new scheme of American colonization. The exertions of these energetic and distinguished individuals speedily raised a company, and procured a charter from King James.

As this was the first charter under which a permanent settlement was made, it may be worth attention to notice some of its prominent features. The charter bears date on the tenth of April, sixteen hundred and six.* It grants all the country from four-andthirty to five-and-forty degrees of north latitude, and all islands within one hundred miles of the coast. This immense extent of country was divided by the charter between two companies, for the more speedy accomplishment of their purpose,-which have been ever since designated as the London and the Plymouth companies. The London company wished to establish a colony between the 34th and 41st degrees of latitude, and the Plymouth between the 38th and 45th, and the grants were made in conformity to their wishes. But as there was room for collision between the 38th and 41st degrees of latitude, the colony which first settled was to possess the land for fifty miles north and south of its location, and the other colony was forbidden to settle within one hundred miles of the colony first planted. Each of the colonies was to be governed by a council of thirteent persons, under the management and direction of a council of thirteen in England, which was to regulate both colonies. The council in the colonies were to govern according to laws, ordinances, and instructions prescribed by the king himself. The colonies had full power given to search for and work mines, paying to the king a fifth part of the gold and silver obtained, and a fifteenth of the copper; and they were further allowed to coin money to pass current in the colonies. They were also empowered to levy a duty of two and a half per cent. upon the property of the king's subjects trading within their limits, and five per cent. upon all others so trading, for the use of the colony for twenty-one years, and afterwards for the use of the king.

Certain articles of necessity were allowed to be carried to the colonies from any part of the king's dominions free of duty for the first seven years; and the colonists and their descendants were to have forever the privileges, franchises, and immunities of native-born Englishmen.

The English council was to have power to name the persons who were to compose the colonial council, and the latter elected their own president, and supplied vacancies in their own body. The religion of the church of England was established; lands were to descend as at common law; manslaughter, adultery, and dangerous tumults and seditions, were to be punished with death. The president and council constituted the supreme tribunal in all cases. The property of the colonists was to continue in joint stock for five years.

One hundred and nine years from the discovery of the North Dec. 19, 1606. American continent by Cabot, three small vessels, whose joint tonnage amounted to only one hundred

* See this charter preserved in Stith,-Henning's Stat. at Large, p. 60, and in T. Rynier.

+ It appears afterwards that only seven were appointed; no reason is assigned for the change.