charming and picturesque scene in the whole range of American annals. Its heroine, "the darling of history," (then only a child of ten,) still warmly lives in the love and remembrance of a whole people, and stands, the redeeming spirit of her race, to hallow it with a kinder memory than that of warfare and revenge. In the language of an elegant author,* "The universal sympathies of mankind, and the best feelings of the human heart, have redeemed this scene from the obscurity which, in the progress of time, gathers over all but the most important events. It has pointed a thousand morals and adorned a thousand tales. Innumerable bosoms have throbbed and are yet to throb with generous admiration for this daughter of a people, whom we have been too ready to underrate. Had we known nothing of her, but what is related of her in this incident, she would deserve the eternal gratitude of the inhabitants of this country; for the fate of the colony may be said to have hung upon the arms of Smith's executioners. He was its life and soul, and, without the magic influence of his personal qualities, it would have abandoned, in despair, the project of permanently settling the country, and sailed to England by the first opportunity." Not only was the life of our hero spared, but his freedom was generously restored. "Two dayes after," he tells us, "Powhatan having disguised himselfe in the most fearefullest manner he could, caused Capt. Smith to be brought forth to a great house in the woodes, and there vpon a mat by the fire to be left alone" (another experiment on his nerves). "Not long after, from behinde a mat that divided the house, was made the most dolefullest noyse he ever heard; then Powhatan, more like a devill than a man, with some two hundred more as blacke as himselfe, came vnto him and told him now they were friends, and presently he should goe to Iames Towne, to send him two great gunnes and a gryndstone, for which he would giue him the country of Capahowosick, and for ever esteeme him as his son Nantaquoud. So to Iames Towne with 12 guides Powhatan sent him." Mr. George S. Hilliard. Great was the rejoicing at his arrival, and his Indian companions were kindly used; but being showed "two demi-culverins and a millstone, they found them somewhat too heavy," and were dismissed, contented with presents better suited to transportation. CHAPTER VI. CONDITION OF THE COLONY-KINDNESS OF POCAHONTAS-SECOND AR- COURSE WITH THE INDIANS-HIS RETURN. DURING the captivity of their intrepid and sagacious commander, (lasting for six weeks) the colonists, as usual, had taken to evil courses. All Jamestown "was in combustion." Smith was again forced to keep the pinnace, at the point of his guns, from deserting the colony. A miserable plot was next hatched up to execute him for the loss of his two companions, for whose death, according to the Levitical law, he was said to be responsible-"but he quickly took such order with such Lawyers that he layd them by the heeles,” (¿. e., in prison) "till he sent some of them prisoners for England. Now ever once in foure or fiue dayes, Pocahontas, with her attendants, brought him so much provision that saved many of their liues, that els for all this had starved with hunger." Imitating her generous example, many of the neighboring Indians brought supplies of food as presents, and when they traded, made the captain name his own prices, “so had he inchanted these poore soules, being their prisoner." Two ships had been dispatched from England to the aid of the colony, with a reinforcement of an hundred men. One of these was dismasted, and blown to the West Indies-the other, commanded by Newport, in the latter part of the year 1607, arrived at Jamestown, with plentiful supplies. A brisk but indiscreetly liberal traffic was now carried on with the Indians, and Powhatan, forming an exalted idea of the wealth and greatness of the new comer, requested a visit from him. He went accordingly, with Smith and a small guard; and was received with much distinction; "Powhatan strained himselfe to the vtmost of his greatnesse to entertaine them, with great shouts of ioy, Orations of protestation; and with the most plentie of victualls he could provide to feast them." "With many pretty discourses to renew their old acquaintance, this great King and our Captaine" (Smith) "spent the time." Newport presented the chief with a boy, named Salvage, and received in return from Powhatan, "Namontack, his trustie servant, and one of a shrewd subtill capacitie. Three or foure dayes more we spent in feasting, dauncing, and trading, wherein Powhatan carried himselfe so proudly, yet discreetly, (in his salvage manner) as made vs all admire his naturall gifts." In their traffic, however, the wily savage proved too much for Newport, whom, it seems, he artfully bespoke as follows: "Captaine Newport, it is not agreeable to my greatnesse, in this pedling manner to trade for trifles; and I esteeme you also a great Werowance" (chieftain). "Therefore, lay me downe all your commodities together; what I like I will take, and in recompence giue you what I think fitting their value." Newport, scorning to be outdone in magnanimity by an Indian, complied; and the result was, that for all his goods he received but a miserable pittance of corn-scarce four bushels where all had counted on at least twenty hogsheads. But the astuteness and policy of Smith redeemed the day, and saved the character of the European trafficker from the discredit of being even for once outdone in fraud and cunning by a savage. As if by accident, he contrived to "glance in the eyes of Powhatan," several flashy ornaments, and his majesty "presently fixt his humor vpon a few blew beades. A long time he importunately desired them, but Smith seemed so much the more to affect them, as being composed of a most rare substance of the colour of the skyes, and not to be worne but by the greatest kings in the world. This made him halfe madde to be the owner of such strange Iewells; so that ere we departed, for a pound or two of blew beades, he brought ouer my king for 2 or 300 Bushells of corne; yet parted good friends." The royal house of Pamunkey and other native dynasties were supplied with crown-jewels at similar rates, and the blue beads were held in such estimation, that none but the kings and their families dared to wear them. Soon after their return to the town, a fire broke out, which occasioned much damage. "Good Master Hunt, our Preacher, lost all his liberary, and all he had but the cloathes on his backe; yet none neuer heard him repine at his losse." The patience, cheerfulness, and manly spirit of this worthy divine are frequently alluded to. A worse misfortune befell the colony in the supposed discovery of a great bed of gold, (probably yellow mica or iron pyrites,) to the raking up of which nearly all, with insane eagerness, betook themselves. In vain did Smith, wiser by experience, passionately remonstrate. "Neuer any thing did more torment him than to see all necessary busines neglected to fraught such a drunken ship," (Newport's) "with so much guilded durt." As the spring of 1608 came on, the colonists, stimulated by the activity of their leader, set themselves vigorously at planting and building; and were soon cheered by the arrival of the missing vessel, (the Phoenix,) from the West Indies, with an abundant supply of provisions. She was sent home with a load of cedar, despite the remonstrances of the foolish Martin, who went in her, and who wished to freight her with "guilded durt" like the other. The duplicity of Powhatan, who, by theft or barter, was continually striving to supply his people with English arms, was their chief source of annoyance; but the depredators finally "well chanced to meddle with Captaine Smith," who bestirred himself with such energy, that in a short time he had seven of them prisoners, and gave them "what correction he saw fit." Powhatan, dissembling his anger, sent messengers, and with them "his dearest daughter, Pocahontas with presents to excuse him of the iniuries done by some rash vntoward captaines, his subiects, desiring their liberties for this time, with the assurance of his loue for ever." For the sake of his kind deliverer, Smith complied. On the 2d of June, he set out in a small barge, with fourteen companions, on the arduous enterprise of exploring Chesapeake Bay. Some visions of a South Sea to be attained, and a new channel opened to the wealthy regions of India, may have mingled, it is probable, with the more practical intention of reducing these great waters and their shores within the dominion of geography. Carefully surveying the eastern coast, the voyagers suffered much from tempests and foul weather, and were forced to use their shirts in repairing the sail of their little craft. They ascended several rivers, meeting with alternate kindness and hostility from the Indians. At one village, says the writer, "the people ran as amazed, in troups, from place to place, and diuers got into the tops of trees, they were not sparing of their arrowes, nor the greatest passion they could expresse of their anger. Long they shot, we still ryding at an anchor without their reatch, making all the signes of friendship we could." Muskets were finally discharged at them, and they fled into the reeds. The next day, however, a friendly intercourse ensued, and great numbers, with presents, anxious for European trifles, clustered around their barge. At the mouth of the Patapsco, the crew, wearied with a fortnight's incessant labor and exposure, and alarmed at the state of their supplies, vehemently protested against proceeding any farther. Smith diligently endeavored to raise their spirits-setting before their eyes the honorable conduct of the company of Lane, who, in a like excursion, had clamored for further exploration, "seeing they had yet a dog, that being |