King Powhatan comands Smith to be favne, has daughter Pokahontas beggs his life hus thankfullness and how he subiected 39 of their kings readey hitery

Engraved from the original as Published by CAP SMITH himself.

Powhatan was now completely in the English interest, and almost every other day sent his daughter, Pocahontas, with victuals, to Jamestown, of which they were greatly in need. Smith had told Powhatan that a great chief, which was Captain Newport, would arrive from England about that time, which coming to pass as he had said, greatly increased his admiration of the wisdom of the English, and he was ready to do as they desired in every thing; and, but for the vanity and ostentation of Newport, matters would have gone on well, and trade flourished greatly to their advantage. But he lavished so many presents upon Powhatan, that he was in no way inclined to trade, and soon began to show his haughtiness, by demanding five times the value of an article, or his contempt for what was offered.

By Newport's imprudence and folly, what had cost Smith so much toil and pains to achieve, was blown away by a single breath of vanity. Nevertheless, his great mind, continually exercised in difficult matters, brought the subtle chief again to his own terms. Himself, with Newport, and about 20 others, went to Powhatan's residence to trade with him. "Wherein Powhatan carried himself so proudly, yet discreetly, (in his salvage manner,) as made us all to admire his natural gifts." He pretended that it was far beneath his dignity to trade as his men did. Thus his craft to obtain from Newport his goods for whatever he pleased to give in return. Smith saw through Powhatan's craft, and told Newport how it would turn out, but being determined to show himself as dignified as the Indian chief, repented of his folly, like too many others, when it was too late. Smith was the interpreter in the business, and Newport the chief. Powhatan made a speech to him, when they were about to enter upon trading. He said, "Captain Newport, it is not agreeable to my greatness, in this peddling manner, to trade for trifles; and I esteem you also a great werowance. Therefore, lay me down all your commodities together; what I like I will take, and in recompense give you what I think fitting their value." Accordingly, Newport gave him all his goods, and received in return only about three bushels of corn; whereas they expected to have obtained 20 hogsheads. This transaction created some hard thoughts between Smith and Newport.

If it add to raise Powhatan in our admiration, it can detract nothing from the character of Smith, to say, that he was as wily as the great Indian chief. For, with a few blue beads, which he pretended that he had shown him only by accident, and which he would hardly part with, as he pretended, because they were of great price, and worn only by great kings, he completely got his end, at this time, answered. Tantalization had the desired effect, and Powhatan was so infatuated with the lure, that he was almost beside himself, and was ready to give all he had, to possess them. "So that, ere we departed," says my relation, “for a pound or two of blew beades, he brought over my king for 2 or 300 bushells of corne."

An English boy was left with Powhatan, by Captain Newport, to learn the language, manners, customs and geography of his country; and, in return, Powhatan gave him Namontack, one of his servants, of a shrewd and subtle capacity; whom he afterwards carried to England. Powhatan became offended with Captain Smith, when Newport left the country, in 1608; at whose departure he sent him 20 turkeys, and demanded, in return, 20 swords, which were granted. Shortly after, he sent the same number to Smith, expecting the like return; but, being disappointed, ordered his men to seize the English wherever they could find them. This caused difficulty-many of the English being robbed of their swords, in the vicinity of their forts. They continued their depredations until Smith surprised a number of them, from whom he learned that Powhatan was endeavoring to get all the arms in his power, to be able to massacre the

English. When he found that his plot was discovered, he sent Pocahontas, with presents, to excuse himself, and pretended that the mischief was done by some of his ungovernable chiefs. He directed her to endeavor to effect the release of his men that were prisoners, which Smith consented to, wholly, as he pretended, on hér account; and thus peace was restored, which had been continually interrupted for a considerable time before.

On the 10th of September, 1608, Smith was elected governor of Virginia. Newport, going often to England, had a large share in directing the affairs of the colony, from his interest with the proprietors. He arrived about this time, and, among other baubles, brought over a crown for Powhatan, with directions for his coronation; which had the ill effect to make hin value himself more than ever. Newport was instructed to discover the country of the Monacans, a nation with whom Powhatan was at war, and whom they would assist him against, if he would aid in the business. Captain Smith was sent to him to invite him to Jamestown to receive presents, and to trade for corn. On arriving at Werowocomoco, and delivering his message to the old chief, he replied, “If your king have sent me presents, I also am a king, and this is my land. Eight days I will stay to receive them. Your father [meaning Newport] is to come to me, not I to him, nor yet to your fort-neither will I bite at such a bate. As for the Monacans, I can revenge my own injuries; and as for Atquanachuck, where you say your brother was slain, it is a contrary way from those parts you suppose it; but, for any salt water beyond the mountains, the relations you have had from my people are false." Some of the Indians had made the English believe that the South Sea, now called the Pacific Ocean, was but a short distance back. To show Smith the absurdity of the story, he drew a map of the country, upon the ground. Smith returned as wise as he went.

A house was built for Powhatan, about this time, by some Germans, who came over with Newport. These men, thinking that the English could not subsist in the country, wantonly betrayed all the secrets of the English to Powhatan, which was again the source of much trouble. They even urged him to put all the English to death, agreeing to live with him, and assist him in the execution of the horrible project. Powhatan was pleased at the proposition, and thought, by their assistance, to effect what he had formerly hoped to do by engaging Smith in such an enterprise. Their first object was to kill Captain Smith; by which act, the chief obstacle to success would be removed; and, accordingly, they took every means in their power to effect it.

In the first place, he invited him to come and trade for corn, hoping an opportunity, in that business, would offer. That his design might not be mistrusted, Powhatan promised to load his ship with corn, if he would bring him a grindstone, 50 swords, some muskets, a cock and a hen, and a quantity of copper and beads. Smith went accordingly, but guarded, as though sure of meeting an enemy.

In their way, the English stopped at Warrasqueake, and were informed, by the sachem of that place, of Powhatan's intentions. That sachem kindly entertained them, and, when they departed, furnished them with guides. On account of extreme bad weather, they were obliged to spend near a week at Kicquotan. This obliged them to keep their Christmas among the Indians, and, according to our authorities, a merry Christmas it was; having been "never more merry in their lives, lodged by better fires, or fed with greater plenty of good bread, oysters, fish, flesh and wild fowl."

Having arrived at Werowocomoco, after much hardship, they sent to Powhatan for provisions, being in great want, not having taken but three or four days' supply along with them. The old chief sent them immedi

ately a supply of bread, turkeys and venison, and soon after made a feast for them, according to custom.

Meanwhile, Powhatan pretended he had not sent for the English; telling them he had no corn, "and his people much less,"* and, therefore, intimated that he wished they would go off again. But Smith produced the messenger that he had sent, and so confronted him; Powhatan then laughed heartily, and thus it passed for a joke. He then asked for their commodities, "but he liked nothing, except guns and swords, and valued a basket of corn higher than a basket of copper; saying, he could rate his corn, but not the copper." Capt. Smith then made a speech to him, in which he endeavored to work upon his feelings and sense of honor; said he had sent his men to build him a house while his own was neglected; that, because of his promising to supply him with corn, he had neglected to supply himself with provisions when he might have done it. Finally, Smith reproached him of divers negligences, deceptions and prevarications, but the main cause of Powhatan's refusing to trade seems to have been because the English did not bring the articles he most wanted.

When Smith had done, Powhatan answered him as follows:-" We have but little corn, but what we can spare shall be brought two days hence. As I am told, by to your coming here, I have some doubt about the reason of it.

my men, that you came, not to trade, but to invade my people, and to possess my country. This makes me less ready to relieve you, and frightens my people from bringing in their corn. And, therefore, to relieve them of that fear, leave your arms aboard your boats, since they are needless here, where we are all friends, and forever Powhatans."

In these, and other speeches of like amount, they spent the first day. "But, whilst they expected the coming in of the country, they wrangled Powhatan out of 80 bushels of corn, for a copper kettle; which the president seeing him much affect, [value,] he told him it was of much greater value; yet, in regard of his scarcity, he would accept that quantity at present; provided he should have as much more the next year, or the Manakin country," were that condition not complied with.

This transaction will equal any thing of the kind in the history of N. England, but we will leave the reader to make his own comment.

At the same time, Powhatan made another speech, in which were some very singular passages, as reported by Smith. One was that he had seen the death of all his people three times; and that none of those three generations was then living, except himself. This was evidently only to make the English think him something more than human. The old chief then went on and said,

"I am now grown old, and must soon die; and the succession must descen 1, in order, to my brothers, Opitchapan, Opekankanough and Catataugh, and then to my two sisters, and their two daughters. I wish their experience was equal to mine; and that your love to us might not be less than ours to you. Why should you take by force that from us which you can have by love? Why should you destroy us, who have provided you with food? What can you get by war? We can hide our provisions, and fly into the woods; and then you must consequently famish by wronging your friends. What is the cause of your jealousy? You see us unarmed, and willing to supply your wants, if you will come in a friendly manner, and not with swords and guns, as to invade an enemy. I am not so simple, as not to know it is better to eat good meat, lie well, and sleep quietly with my women and children; to laugh

*The reader may wonder how this could be, but it is so in the old history, by Stith, 86. Catanaugh, Stith.