the complete writings-3-第57节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nd　fifty　of　the　colony　who　would　rather　starve　or　eat　each　other　than　help　gather　food。　　These　〃distracted；　gluttonous　loiterers〃　would　have　sold　anything　they　hadtools；　arms；　and　their　housesfor　anything　the　savages　would　bring　them　to　eat。　Hearing　that　there　was　a　basket　of　corn　at　Powhatan's；　fifty　miles　away；　they　would　have　exchanged　all　their　property　for　it。　　To　satisfy　their　factious　humors；　Smith　succeeded　in　getting　half　of　it：　〃they　would　have　sold　their　souls；〃　he　says；　for　the　other　half；　though　not　sufficient　to　last　them　a　week。

The　clamors　became　so　loud　that　Smith　punished　the　ringleader；　one　Dyer；　a　crafty　fellow；　and　his　ancient　maligner；　and　then　made　one　of　his　conciliatory　addresses。　　Having　shown　them　how　impossible　it　was　to　get　corn；　and　reminded　them　of　his　own　exertions；　and　that　he　had　always　shared　with　them　anything　he　had；　he　told　them　that　he　should　stand　their　nonsense　no　longer；　he　should　force　the　idle　to　work；　and　punish　them　if　they　railed；　if　any　attempted　to　escape　to　Newfoundland　in　the　pinnace　they　would　arrive　at　the　gallows；　the　sick　should　not　starve；　every　man　able　must　work；　and　every　man　who　did　not　gather　as　much　in　a　day　as　he　did　should　be　put　out　of　the　fort　as　a　drone。

Such　was　the　effect　of　this　speech　that　of　the　two　hundred　only　seven　died　in　this　pinching　time；　except　those　who　were　drowned；　no　man　died　of　want。　　Captain　Winne　and　Master　Leigh　had　died　before　this　famine　occurred。　　Many　of　the　men　were　billeted　among　the　savages；　who　used　them　well；　and　stood　in　such　awe　of　the　power　at　the　fort　that　they　dared　not　wrong　the　whites　out　of　a　pin。　　The　Indians　caught　Smith's　humor；　and　some　of　the　men　who　ran　away　to　seek　Kemps　and　Tussore　were　mocked　and　ridiculed；　and　had　applied　to　them　Smith's　law　of　〃who　cannot　work　must　not　eat；〃　they　were　almost　starved　and　beaten　nearly　to　death。　　After　amusing　himself　with　them；　Kemps　returned　the　fugitives；　whom　Smith　punished　until　they　were　content　to　labor　at　home；　rather　than　adventure　to　live　idly　among　the　savages；　〃of　whom；〃　says　our　shrewd　chronicler；　〃there　was　more　hope　to　make　better　christians　and　good　subjects　than　the　one　half　of　them　that　counterfeited　themselves　both。〃　　The　Indians　were　in　such　subjection　that　any　who　were　punished　at　the　fort　would　beg　the　President　not　to　tell　their　chief；　for　they　would　be　again　punished　at　home　and　sent　back　for　another　round。

We　hear　now　of　the　last　efforts　to　find　traces　of　the　lost　colony　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh。　　Master　Sicklemore　returned　from　the　Chawwonoke　（Chowan　River）　with　no　tidings　of　them；　and　Master　Powell；　and　Anas　Todkill　who　had　been　conducted　to　the　Mangoags；　in　the　regions　south　of　the　James；　could　learn　nothing　but　that　they　were　all　dead。　　The　king　of　this　country　was　a　very　proper；　devout；　and　friendly　man；　he　acknowledged　that　our　God　exceeded　his　as　much　as　our　guns　did　his　bows　and　arrows；　and　asked　the　President　to　pray　his　God　for　him；　for　all　the　gods　of　the　Mangoags　were　angry。

The　Dutchmen　and　one　Bentley；　another　fugitive；　who　were　with　Powhatan；　continued　to　plot　against　the　colony；　and　the　President　employed　a　Swiss；　named　William　Volday；　to　go　and　regain　them　with　promises　of　pardon。　　Volday　turned　out　to　be　a　hypocrite；　and　a　greater　rascal　than　the　others。　　Many　of　the　discontented　in　the　fort　were　brought　into　the　scheme；　which　was；　with　Powhatan's　aid；　to　surprise　and　destroy　Jamestown。　　News　of　this　getting　about　in　the　fort；　there　was　a　demand　that　the　President　should　cut　off　these　Dutchmen。　　Percy　and　Cuderington；　two　gentlemen；　volunteered　to　do　it；　but　Smith　sent　instead　Master　Wiffin　and　Jeffrey　Abbot；　to　go　and　stab　them　or　shoot　them。　　But　the　Dutchmen　were　too　shrewd　to　be　caught；　and　Powhatan　sent　a　conciliatory　message　that　he　did　not　detain　the　Dutchmen；　nor　hinder　the　slaying　of　them。

While　this　plot　was　simmering；　and　Smith　was　surrounded　by　treachery　inside　the　fort　and　outside；　and　the　savages　were　being　taught　that　King　James　would　kill　Smith　because　he　had　used　the　Indians　so　unkindly；　Captain　Argall　and　Master　Thomas　Sedan　arrived　out　in　a　well…furnished　vessel；　sent　by　Master　Cornelius　to　trade　and　fish　for　sturgeon。　　The　wine　and　other　good　provision　of　the　ship　were　so　opportune　to　the　necessities　of　the　colony　that　the　President　seized　them。　　Argall　lost　his　voyage；　his　ship　was　revictualed　and　sent　back　to　England；　but　one　may　be　sure　that　this　event　was　so　represented　as　to　increase　the　fostered　dissatisfaction　with　Smith　in　London。　　For　one　reason　or　another；　most　of　the　persons　who　returned　had　probably　carried　a　bad　report　of　him。　　Argall　brought　to　Jamestown　from　London　a　report　of　great　complaints　of　him　for　his　dealings　with　the　savages　and　not　returning　ships　freighted　with　the　products　of　the　country。　Misrepresented　in　London；　and　unsupported　and　conspired　against　in　Virginia；　Smith　felt　his　fall　near　at　hand。　　On　the　face　of　it　he　was　the　victim　of　envy　and　the　rascality　of　incompetent　and　bad　men；　but　whatever　his　capacity　for　dealing　with　savages；　it　must　be　confessed　that　he　lacked　something　which　conciliates　success　with　one's　own　people。　　A　new　commission　was　about　to　be　issued；　and　a　great　supply　was　in　preparation　under　Lord　De　La　Ware。




XIII

SMITH'S　LAST　DAYS　IN　VIRGINIA

The　London　company　were　profoundly　dissatisfied　with　the　results　of　the　Virginia　colony。　　The　South　Sea　was　not　discovered；　no　gold　had　turned　up；　there　were　no　valuable　products　from　the　new　land；　and　the　promoters　received　no　profits　on　their　ventures。　　With　their　expectations；　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　they　were　still　further　annoyed　by　the　quarreling　amongst　the　colonists　themselves；　and　wished　to　begin　over　again。

A　new　charter；　dated　May　23；　1609；　with　enlarged　powers；　was　got　from　King　James。　　Hundreds　of　corporators　were　named；　and　even　thousands　were　included　in　the　various　London　trades　and　guilds　that　were　joined　in　the　enterprise。　　Among　the　names　we　find　that　of　Captain　John　Smith。　　But　he　was　out　of　the　Council；　nor　was　he　given　then　or　ever　afterward　any　place　or　employment　in　Virginia；　or　in　the　management　of　its　affairs。　　The　grant　included　all　the　American　coast　two　hundred　miles　north　and　two　hundred　miles　south　of　Point　Comfort；　and　all　the　territory　from　the　coast　up　into　the　land　throughout　from　sea　to　sea；　west　and　northwest。　　A　leading　object　of　the　project　still　being　（as　we　have　seen　it　was　with　Smith's　precious　crew　at　Jamestown）　the　conversion　and　reduction　of　the　natives　to　the　true　religion；　no　one　was　permitted　in　the　colony　who　had　not　taken　the　oath　of　supremacy。

Under　this　charter　the　Council　gave　a　commission　to　Sir　Thomas　West；　Lord　Delaware；　Captain…General　of　Virginia；　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　Lieutenant…General；　Sir　George　Somers；　Admiral；　Captain　Newport；　Vice…Admiral；　Sir　Thomas　Dale；　High　Marshal；　Sir　Frederick　Wainman；　General　of　the　Horse；　and　many　other　officers　for　life。

With　so　many　wealthy　corporators　money　flowed　into　the　treasury；　and　a　great　expedition　was　readily　fitted　out。　　Towards　the　end　of　May；　1609；　there　sailed　from　England　nine　ships　and　five　hundred　people；　under　the　command　of　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　Sir　George　Somers；　and　Captain　Newport。　　Each　of　these　commanders　had　a　commission；　and　the　one　who　arrived　first　was　to　call　in　the　old　commission；　as　they　could　not　agree；　they　all　sailed　in　one　ship；　the　Sea　Venture。

This　brave　expedition　was　involved　in　a　contest　with　a　hurricane；　one　vessel　was　sunk；　and　the　Sea　Venture；　with　the　three　commanders；　one　hundred　and　fifty　men；　the　new　commissioners；　bills　of　lading；　all　sorts　of　instructions；　and　much　provision；　was　wrecked　on　the　Bermudas。　　With　this　company　was　William　Strachey；　of　whom　we　shall　hear　more　hereafter。　　Seven　vessels　reached　Jamestown；　and　brought；　among　other　annoyances；　Smith's　old　enemy；　Captain　Ratcliffe；　alias　Sicklemore；　in　command　of　a　ship。　　Among　the　company　were　also　Captains　Martin；　Archer；　Wood；　Webbe；　Moore；　King；　Davis；　and　several　gentlemen　of　good　means；　and　a　crowd　of　the　riff…raff　of　London。　Some　of　these　Captains　whom　Smith　had　sent　home；　now　returned　with　new　pretensions；　and　had　on　the　voyage　prejudiced　the　company　against　him。　　When　the　fleet　was　first　espied；　the　President　thought　it　was　Spaniards；　and　prepared　to　defend　himself；　the　Indians　promptly　coming　to　his　assistance。

This　hurricane　tossed　about　another　expedition　still　more　famous；　that　of　Henry　Hudson；　who　had　sailed　from　England　on　his　third　voyage　toward　Nova　Zembla　March　25th；　and　in　July　and　August　was　beating　down　the　Atlantic　coast。　　On　the　18th　of　August　he　entered　the　Capes　of　Virginia；　and　sailed　a　little　way　up　the　Bay。　　He　knew　he　was　at　the　mouth　of　the　James　River；　〃where　our　Englishmen　are；〃　as　he　says。　The　next　day　a　gale　from　the　northeast　made　him　fear　being　driven　aground　in　the　shallows；　and　he　put　to　sea。　　The　storm　continued　for　several　days。　　On　the　21st　〃a　sea　broke　over　the　fore…course　and　split　it；〃　and　that　night　something　more　ominous　occurred：　〃that　night　＇the　chronicle　records＇　our　cat　ran　crying　from　one　side　of　the　ship　to　the　other；　looking　overboard；　which　made　us　to　wonder；　but　we　saw　nothing。〃　　On　the　26th　they　were　again　off　the　bank　of　Virginia；　and　in　the　very　bay