pioneers of the old south-第4节

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cedar；　cipresse　and　other　kindes；　going　a　little　further　we　came　into　a
little　plat　of　ground　full　of　fine　and　beautifull　strawberries；　foure　times
bigger　and　better　than　ours　in　England。　All　this　march　we　could　neither　see
Savage　nor　Towne。〃*

*　Percy's　〃Discourse。〃


The　ships　now　stood　into　those　waters　which　we　call　Hampton　Roads。　Finding
a　good　channel　and　taking　heart　therefrom；　they　named　a　horn　of　land　Point
Comfort。　Now　we　call　it　Old　Point　Comfort。　Presently　they　began　to　go　up　a
great　river　which　they　christened　the　James。　To　English　eyes　it　was　a　river
hugely　wide。　They　went　slowly；　with　pauses　and　waitings　and　adventures。
They　consulted　their　paper　of　instructions；　they　scanned　the　shore　for　good
places　for　their　fort；　for　their　town。　It　was　May；　and　all　the　rich　banks
were　in　bloom。　It　seemed　a　sweet…scented　world　of　promise。　They　saw
Indians；　but　had　with　these　no　untoward　encounters。　Upon　the　twelfth　of　May
they　came　to　a　point　of　land　which　they　named　Archer's　Hope。　Landing　here；
they　saw　〃many　squirels；　conies；　Black　Birds　with　crimson　wings；　and　divers
other　Fowles　and　Birds　of　divers　and　sundrie　colours　of　crimson；　watchet；
Yellow；　Greene；　Murry；　and　of　divers　other　hewes　naturally　without　any　art
using　。　。　。　store　of　Turkie　nests　and　many　Egges。〃　They　liked　this　place；
but　for　shoal　water　the　ships　could　not　come　near　to　land。　So　on　they　went；
eight　miles　up　the　river。

Here；　upon　the　north　side；　thirty…odd　miles　from　the　mouth；　they　came　to　a
certain　peninsula；　an　island　at　high　water。　Two　or　three　miles　long；　less
than　a　mile　and　a　half　in　breadth；　at　its　widest　place　composed　of　marsh
and　woodland；　it　ran　into　the　river；　into　six　fathom　water；　where　the　ships
might　be　moored　to　the　trees。　It　was　this　convenient　deep　water　that
determined　matters。　Here　came　to　anchor　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and
the　Discovery。　Here　the　colonists　went　ashore。　Here　the　members　of　the　Council
were　sworn；　and　for　the　first　President　was　chosen　Edward…Maria　Wingfield。
Here；　the　first　roaming　and　excitement　abated；　they　began　to　unlade　the　ships；
and　to　build　the　fort　and　also　booths　for　their　present　sleeping。　A　church；
too；　they　must　have　at　once；　and　forthwith　made　it　with　a　stretched　sail　for
roof　and　a　board　between　two　trees　whereon　to　rest　Bible　and　Book　of　Prayer。
Here；　for　the　first　time　in　all　this　wilderness；　rang　English　axe　in　American
forest；　here　was　English　law　and　an　English　town；　here　sounded　English
speech。　Here　was　placed　the　germ　of　that　physical；　mental；　and；　spiritual
power　which　is　called　the　United　States　of　America。



CHAPTER　III。　JAMESTOWN

In　historians'　accounts　of　the　first　months　at　Jamestown；　too　much；
perhaps；　has　been　made　of　faction　and　quarrel。　All　this　was　there。　Men　set
down　in　a　wilderness；　amid　Virginian　heat；　men；　mostly　young；　of　the　active
rather　than　the　reflective　type；　men　uncompanioned　by　women　and　children；
men　beset　with　dangers　and　sufferings　that　were　soon　to　tag　heavily　their
courage　and　patiencesuch　men　naturally　quarreled　and　made　up；　quarreled
again　and　again　made　up；　darkly　suspected　each　the　other；　as　they　darkly
suspected　the　forest　and　the　Indian；　then；　need　of　friendship　dominating；
embraced　each　the　other；　felt　the　fascination　of　the　forest；　and　trusted
the　Indian。　However　much　they　suspected　rebellion；　treacheries；　and
desertions；　they　practiced　fidelities；　though　to　varying　degrees；　and
there　was　in　each　man's　breast　more　or　less　of　courage　and　good　intent。
They　were　prone　to　call　one　another　villain；　but　actual　villainysave　as
jealousy；　suspicion；　and　hatred　are　villainyseems　rarely　to　have　been
present。　Even　one　who　was　judged　a　villain　and　shot…　for　his　villainy　seems
hardly　to　have　deserved　such　fate。　Jamestown　peninsula　turned　out　to　be
feverous；　fantastic　hopes　were　matched　by　strange　fears；　there　were
homesickness；　incompatibilities；　unfamiliar　food　and　water　and　sir；　class
differences　in　small　space；　some　petty　tyrannies；　and　very　certain　dangers。
The　worst　summer　heat　was　not　yet；　and　the　fort　was　building。　Trees　must　be
felled；　cabins　raised；　a　field　cleared　for　planting；　fishing　and　hunting
carried　on。　And　some　lading；　some　first　fruits；　must　go　back　in　the　ships。
No　gold　or　rubies　being　as　yet　found；　they　would　send　instead　cedar　and
sassafrashard　work　enough；　there　at　Jamestown；　in　the　Virginian
low…country；　with　May　warm　as　northern　midsummer；　and　all　the　air　charged
with　vapor　from　the　heated　river；　with　exhalations　from　the　rank　forest；
from　the　many　marshes。

〃The　first　night　of　our　landing；　about　midnight；〃　says　George　Percy　in　his
〃Discourse〃；　〃there　came　some　Savages　sayling　close　to　our　quarter；
presently　there　was　an　alarm　given；　upon　that　the　savages　ran　away　。　。　。　。
Not　long　after　there　came　two　Savages　that　seemed　to　be　Commanders；　bravely
dressed；　with　Crownes　of　coloured　haire　upon　their　heads；　which　came　as
Messengers　from　the　Werowance　of　Paspihe；　telling　us　that　their　Werowance
was　comming　and　would　be　merry　with　us　with　a　fat　Deere。　The　eighteenth　day
the　Werowance　of　Paspihe　came　himselfe　to　our　quarter；　with　one　hundred
Savages　armed　which　guarded　him　in　very　warlike　manner　with　Bowes　and
Arrowes。〃　Some　misunderstanding　arose。　〃The　Werowance；　＇seeing＇　us　take　to
our　armes；　went　suddenly　away　with　all　his　company　in　great　anger。〃　The
nineteenth　day　Percy　with　several　others　going　into　the　woods　back　of　the
peninsula　met　with　a　narrow　path　traced　through　the　forest。　Pursuing　it；
they　came　to　an　Indian　village。　〃We　Stayed　there　a　while　and　had　of　them
strawberries　and　other　thinges　。　。。　。　One　of　the　Savages　brought　us　on　the
way　to　the　Woodside　where　there　was　a　Garden　of　Tobacco　and　other　fruits
and　herbes；　he　gathered　Tobacco　and　distributed　to　every　one　of　us；　so　wee
departed。〃

It　is　evident　that　neither　race　yet　knew　if　it　was　to　be　war　or　peace。　What
the　white　man　thought　and　came　to　think　of　the　red　man　has　been　set　down
often　enough；　there　is　scantier　testimony　as　to　what　was　the　red　man's
opinion　of　the　white　man。　Here　imagination　must　be　called　upon。

Newport's　instructions　from　the　London　Council　included　exploration　before
he　should　leave　the　colonists　and　bring　the　three　ships　back　to　England。
Now；　with　the　pinnace　and　a　score　of　men；　among　whom　was　John　Smith；　he
went　sixty　miles　up　the　river　to　where　the　flow　is　broken　by　a　world　of
boulders　and　islets；　to　the　hills　crowned　today　by　Richmond；　capital　of
Virginia。　The　first　adventurers　called　these　rapid　and　whirling　waters　the
Falls　of　the　Farre　West。　To　their　notion　they　must　lie　at　least　half…way
across　the　breadth　of　America。　Misled　by　Indian　stories；　they　believed　and
wrote　that　five　or　six　days'　march　from　the　Falls　of　the　Farre　West；　even
through　the　thick　forest；　would　bring　them　to　the　South　Sea。　The　Falls　of
the　Farre　West；　where　at　Richmond　the　James　goes　with　a　roaring　sound
around　tree…crowned　isletit　is　strange　to　think　that　they　once　marked　our
frontier！　How　that　frontier　has　been　pushed　westward　is　a　romance　indeed。
And　still；　today；　it　is　but　a　five　or　six　days'　journey　to　that　South　Sea
sought　by　those　early　Virginians。　The　only　condition　for　us　is　that　we
shall　board　a　train。　Tomorrow；　with　the　airship；　the　South　Sea　may　come
nearer　yet！

The　Indians　of　this　part　of　the　earth　were　of　the　great　Algonquin　family；
and　the　tribes　with　which　the　colonists　had　now　to　do　were　drawn；　probably
by　a　polity　based　on　blood　ties；　into　a　loose　confederation　within　the
larger　mass。　Newport　was　〃　told　that　the　name　of　the　river　was　Powhatan；
the　name　of　the　chief　Powhatan；　and　the　name　of　the　people　Powhatans。　But
it　seemed　that　the　chief　Powhatan　was　not　at　this　village　but　at　another
and　a　larger　place　named　Werowocomoco；　on　a　second　great　river　in　the　back
country　to　the　north　and　east　of　Jamestown。　Newport　and　his　men　were　〃well
entreated〃　by　the　Indians。　〃But　yet；〃　says　Percy；　〃the　Savages　murmured　at
our　planting　in　the　Countrie。〃

The　party　did　not　tarry　up　the　river。　Back　came　their　boat　through　the
bright　weather；　between　the　verdurous　banks；　all　green　and　flower…tinted
save　where　might　be　seen　the　brown　of　Indian　clearings　with　bark…covered
huts　and　thin；　up…curling　blue　smoke。　Before　them　once　more　rose　Jamestown；
palisaded　now；　and　riding　before　it　the　three　ships。　And　here　there　barked
an　English　dog；　and　here　were　Englishmen　to　welcome　Englishmen。　Both
parties　had　news　to　tell；　but　the　town　had　most。　On　the　26th　of　May；
Indians　had　made　an　attack　four　hundred　of　them　with　the　Werowance　of
Paspihe。　One　Englishman　had　been　killed；　a　number　wounded。　Four　of　the
Council　had　each　man　his　wound。

Newport　must　now　lift　anchor　and　sail　away　to　England。　He　left　at　Jamestown
a　fort　〃having　three　Bulwarkes　at　every　corner　like　a　halfe　Moone；　and
foure　or　five　pieces　of　Artillerie　mounted　in　them；〃　a　street　or　two　of
reed…thatched　cabins；　a　church　to　match；　a　storehouse；　a　market…place　and
drill　ground；　and　about　all　a　stout　palisade　with　a　gate　upon　the　river
side。　He　left　corn　sown　and　springing　high；　and　some　food　in　the
storehouse。　And　he　left　a　hundred　Englishmen　who　had　now　tasted　of　the
country　fare　and　might　reasonabl