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.

SETTLEMENT AT JAMESTOWN-SUFFERINGS OF THE COLONISTS-ADVENTURES 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.—Badness 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

*This is the translation usually given of the Indian name "Chesapeake," but Chilly McIntosh, the celebrated Georgia Creek chief, now removed west of the Mississippi, 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 difrent 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.

and sixty tons burden, sailed for the coast of Virginia with a colony of one hundred and five men. They were detained for six weeks in sight of England by adverse winds. The voyage was prosecuted under the command of Captain Newport, who sailed by the old route of the Canaries and the West India islands; thus consuming the valuable time and provisions of the colonists, in a voyage unnecessarily long and circuitous. He did not arrive in the Chesapeake until the 26th of April.

Dissensions had sprung up in the course of the voyage, which there was no competent authority to quell, as the absurd affectation of diplomatic mystery on the part of King James had sealed up his instructions, and the names of those who were to constitute the council, in a box which was not to be opened until after they arrived in Virginia.

The southern cape of the Chesapeake received the name of Henry, and the northern that of Charles, after the names of the sons of James. After landing on Cape Henry, the box of instructions was opened, and Smith* was found to be named as one of the council, but he was excluded by the jealous malignity of the rest. Wingfield was chosen president.

Soon after passing the capes, they reached the mouth of a large and beautiful river, which they named after their sovereign James, but which the natives called Powhatan. About fifty miles from the mouth of this river, they selected a spot for their settlement, to which they gave the name of James Town. There May 13. could not, perhaps, be a company more unfitted for the duty which it had to perform, than that which now commenced the foundation of the British empire in America. The colonists were in a wilderness, surrounded by savages, without a fortification to repel their incursions, possessed of a scanty supply of provisions, without means of planting, and without a habitation to protect them from the weather, save such as they might themselves erect; yet in the whole company there were but four carpenters, and twelve laborers, to fifty-four gentlemen. At first, however, this rare collection of pioneers fell to work with spirit, each to his appropriate duty. The president, who seems to have been a very weak man, and ill-suited for his station, was too jealous of his own men to allow exercises at arms, or a fortification to be erected; and the only protection provided, was a sort of halfmoon formed of the boughs of trees, by the exertions of Kendall. Newport, Smith, and twenty others were sent to discover the head of the river. In six days they arrived at a town called Powhatan, belonging to King Powhatan, situated at the falls of the river, near the site of the present city of Richmond. They were kindly treated by the Indians. When the expedition returned, they found that Jamestown had been attacked by the savages, and seventeen

The council named, was Bart. Gosnold, John Smith, Edward Wingfield, Christo. pher Newport, John Ratcliffe, John Martin, and George Kendall.

men wounded, and a boy killed. They were attacked while at work, and their arms out of order; so that the whole were only saved from destruction by the timely aid of the vessels. After this experience of his folly, the president permitted the place to be fortified; and the labor necessary to effect this, with so small a force, while it was necessary, at the same time, to guard their workmen by day, to watch by night, to prepare ground for corn, and lumber to relade the ships, may be better conceived than described. After a stay of six weeks, Newport prepared to depart, and the council affecting a tender regard for the character of Smith, whom they had falsely accused of a treacherous design to usurp royal authority in the colony, and kept out of his seat in the council under these charges, now proposed, that he might not be utterly ruined by a trial, to send him home to the council, to be disposed of as they might think proper. But Smith, conscious of innocence of the absurd charge, boldly defied them, and demanded a trial. His accusers suborned witnesses, who, instead of answering the expectations of their employers, only exposed the subornation. The company were so incensed at the infamous conduct of his accusers, that they condemned the president to pay him £200, which, when received, he generously threw into the common stock. Newport sailed on the 15th of June, leaving one hundred men in Virginia.

The condition of the men thus left, was the most melancholy that can well be imagined. They consisted, for the most part, of men entirely unused to labor or hardship; who were doomed to encounter every kind of difficulty, in the midst of summer, in a hot and sickly climate. In ten days from the departure of Newport, scarce ten men could stand, from sickness and weakness. The food was scanty in quantity, and of the most unwholesome quality. The allowance of each man was half a pint of wheat, and as much barley, boiled in water, which was served out from a common kettle, and which having been closely stowed in the ship's hold for twenty-six weeks, in a warm and moist atmosphere, was reduced to a condition any thing but tempting. Smith, the narrator of these sufferings, humorously remarks: "If we had been as free from all sins, as from gluttony and drunkenness, we might have been canonized for saints." As might be supposed in such an unfortunate state of affairs, great mortality prevailed, and fifty were buried between May and September; and those that survived relied principally for their subsistence upon sturgeon and sea-crabs. The suffering, in this state of affairs, must have been greatly aggravated by the knowledge that the president was indulging himself in every luxury which the stores afforded-and his detection in an attempt to escape in the pinnace, from the suffering colony. This last act of treachery was more than the little colony could endure; and weak as it was, it deposed him, and Kendall, his accomplice. Ratcliffe was made president. The council do not seem to have exercised the power granted them in their charter, of filling up vacancies, and it was now reduced to three-Ratcliffe, Smith, and Martin; Gosnold had perished, Newport sailed for England, and Wingfield and Kendall had been deposed.

The president and Martin being unpopular men, and very deficient in judgment and energy, committed the control of affairs nearly entirely to Smith, who, by his example and his skill in managing men, speedily reduced affairs to order, induced the men to work, and provided comfortable habitations. His next object was to obtain a supply of corn for the immediate necessity of the people, which he did effectually, by frightening the people of

Kecoughtan, an Indian village, situated near the site of the present town of Hampton-after first trying every means to purchase their provision. Smith now constituted the only hope, not only for the existence of the colony, as such, but for the lives of the individuals of whom it consisted. Their recent wretchedness was not a sufficient warning to them to preserve order, and to husband their resources with prudence, now that plenty was provided; but they lived as wastefully as if they had boundless magazines at command. Smith, seeing this, caused the pinnace to be fitted up for a cruise; and, in the mean time, availed himself of the opportunity to become acquainted with the country lying on the Chickahominy.

During one of these temporary absences of Smith, Wingfield and Kendall, who had lived in disgrace since they were deposed, laid a plot to carry off the pinnace to England, which the fortunate return of Smith, before they had time to effect their purpose, prevented. But not even then were they defeated without firing on the pinnace, by which means Kendall lost his life.

Smith having gained possession of the pinnace, ascended the Chickahominy, and procured an abundance of corn. Winter coming on soon after, afforded an amply supply of game and wild fowl, so that plenty was once more restored. and thought no longer entertained of going to England.

Little souls cannot look upon the greatest exploits of nobler creatures, without suffering a captious and jealous malignity to detract from their merit. The very beings whom Smith had preserved by his good conduct, now murmured against him their absurd complaints-because he had not discovered the head of the Chickahominy, although he had returned only to supply them with food. His spirit could not brook reproach, however undeserved, for any thing which was yet possible to be accomplished. He again ascended the Chickahominy as far as was practicable in the pinnace, and leaving it in a position which he supposed to be safe, he advanced yet higher, with two whites and two Indians, in a canoe. He left his men with his little boat, and taking only his Indian guide, advanced into the forest with his gun to procure them provision. Unfortunately, in disobedience to his orders, the men in the pinnace went ashore, and one of them was taken by the Indians, who learned from their prisoner whither the captain had gone. The savages pursued him, and slew the men left with the canoe while they slept. They next sought Smith, but found him no easy prey; for, tying his guide to his arm as a buckler to keep off their arrows, he defended himself so gallantly that they dared not approach him, until, falling accidentally into a marsh, he was at length forced by cold and fatigue to surrender. The sayages conducted him to their chief, Opechankanough, king of Pamunkee. Smith endeavored to impress the king with a high idea of his powers, by presenting him with a mariner's compass, explaining its uses, and instructing him in the rudiments of astron