Richard of Jamestown : a Story of the Virginia Colony

by James Otis

  Some of our people, who were too lazy to search for knots, split thewood into small sticks, each about the size of a goose quill, and,standing three or four in a vessel filled with sand, gained as much inthe way of light as might be had from one pine knot.

  Of course, those who were overly particular, would find fault with thesmoke from this candle wood, and complain of the tar which oozed fromit; but one who lives in the wilderness must not expect to have all theluxuries that can be procured in London.

  THE VISIT OF POCAHONTAS

  We had a visitor from the village of Powhatan very soon after CaptainSmith took command of Jamestown to such an extent that the gentlemenwere forced to work and to speak without oaths, through fear of gettingtoo much cold water inside the sleeves of their doublets.

  This visitor was the same Indian girl I had seen making bread, and quiteby chance our house was the first she looked into, which caused memuch pride, for I believed she was attracted to it because it was morecleanly than many of the others.

  We were all at home when she came, being about to partake of the noondaymeal, which was neither more nor less than a big turkey weighing morethan two score pounds, and roasted to a brownness which would cause ahungry person's mouth to water.

  Although she who had halted to look in at our door was only a girl,Captain Smith treated her as if she were the greatest lady in the world,himself leading her inside to his own place at the trencher board, whileshe, in noways shy, began to help herself to the fattest pieces of meat,thereby besmearing herself with grease until there was enough runningdown her chin to have made no less than two rushlights, so NathanielPeacock declared.

  Of course, being a savage, she could not speak in our language, butthe master, who had studied diligently since coming to this world ofVirginia to learn the speech of the Indians, made shift to get from hersome little information, she being the daughter of Powhatan, the kingconcerning whom I have already set down many things.

  At first Captain Smith was of the belief that she had come on someerrand; but after much questioning, more by signs than words, it cameout, as we understood the matter, that the girl was in Jamestown for noother purpose than to see what we white people were like.

  Captain Smith was minded that she should be satisfied, so far as hercuriosity was concerned, for when the dinner had come to an end, and Ihad given this king's daughter some dry, sweet grass on which to wipeher hands and mouth, he conducted her around the village, allowing thatshe look in upon the tents and houses at her pleasure.

  She stayed with us until the sun was within an hour of setting, and thendarted off into the forest as does a startled pheasant, stopping for asingle minute when she had got among the trees, to wave her hand, as ifbidding us goodbye, or in plain mischief.

  CAPTAIN KENDALL'S PLOT

  It is not possible my memory will serve me to tell of all that was doneby us in Jamestown after we were come to our senses through the effortsof my master; but the killing of Captain Kendall is one of the manyterrible happenings in Virginia, which will never be forgotten so longas I shall live.

  After our people were relieved from the famine through the gifts fromthe Indians and the coming of wild fowl, Captain Smith set about makingsome plans to provide us with food during the winter, and to that endhe set off in the shallop to trade with the savages, taking with himsix men. He had a goodly store of beads and trinkets with which to makepayment for what he might be able to buy, for these brown men are overlyfond of what among English people would be little more than toys.

  While he was gone, Master Wingfield and Captain Kendall were muchtogether, for both were in a certain way under disgrace since the plotwith which they charged my master had been shown to have been of theirown evil imaginings. They at once set about making friends with some ofthe serving men, and this in itself was so strange that Nathaniel and Ikept our eyes and ears open wide to discover the cause.

  It was not many days before we came to know that there was a plan onfoot, laid by these two men who should have been working for the good ofthe colony instead of to further their own base ends, to seize upon ourpinnace, which lay moored to the shore, and to sail in her to England.

  How that would have advantaged them I cannot even so much as guess; butcertain it was that they carried on board the pinnace a great store ofwild fowl, which had been cooked with much labor, and had filled twocasks with water, as if believing such amount would serve to save themfrom thirst during the long voyage.

  These wicked ones had hardly gone on board the vessel when Captain Smithcame home in the shallop, which was loaded deep with Indian corn he hadbought from the savages, and, seeing the pinnace being got under way,had little trouble in guessing what was afoot.

  THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN KENDALL

  If ever a man moved swiftly, and with purpose, it was our master when hethus came to understand what Master Wingfield and Captain Kendall woulddo. He was on shore before those in the pinnace could hoist the sails,and, calling upon all who remained true to the London Company to givehim aid, had three of our small cannon, which were already loaded withshot, aimed at the crew of mutineers.

  Five men, each with a matchlock in his hand, stood ready to fire uponthose who would at the same time desert and steal from us, and CaptainSmith gave the order for Captain Kendall and Master Wingfield to come onshore without delay.

  For reply Captain Kendall discharged his firearm, hoping to kill mymaster, and then those on the bank emptied their matchlocks with sucheffect that Captain Kendall was killed by the first volley, causingMaster Wingfield to scuttle on shore in a twinkling lest he suffer alike fate.

  The whole bloody business was at an end in less than a quarter hour; butthe effect of it was not so soon wiped away, for from that time each manhad suspicion of his neighbor, fearing lest another attempt be made totake from us the pinnace, which we looked upon as an ark of refuge, incase the savages should come against us in such numbers that they couldnot be resisted.

  CAPTAIN SMITH'S EXPEDITION AND RETURN

  Until winter was come we had food in plenty, for one could hardly senda charge of shot toward the river without bringing down swans, ducks,or cranes, while from the savages we got sufficient for our daily wants,meal made from the corn, pumpkins, peas, and beans.

  But this did not cause Captain Smith to give over trying to buy fromthe Indians a store of corn for the winter, and shortly after CaptainKendall's death, he set off with nine white men and two Indian guides ina barge, counting to go as far as the head of the Chickahominy River.

  This time twenty-two long, dreary days went by without his return, andwe mourned him as dead, believing the savages had murdered him.

  The discontented ones were in high glee because of thinking the man whohad forced them to do that which they should, had gone out from theirworld forever, and we two lads were plunged in deepest grief, for in allthe great land of Virginia, Captain Smith was our only true friend.

  Then arrived that day when he suddenly appeared before us, havingcome to no harm, and as Master Hunt lifted up his hands in a prayer ofthanksgiving because the man who was so sadly needed in Jamestown hadreturned, I fell on my knees, understanding for the first time in mylife how good God could be to us in that wilderness.

  I would that I might describe the scene in our house that night, whenMaster Hunt was come to hear what all knew would be a story of wildestadventure, for it went without saying that my master never would haveremained so long absent from Jamestown had it been within his power toreturn sooner.

  AN EXCITING ADVENTURE

  We waited to hear the tale until he had refreshed himself after the longjourney, and then what Captain Smith told us was like unto this, as Iremember it:

  After leaving the village, he had sailed up the river until there was nolonger water enough to float the barge, when, with two white men andthe two Indians, he embarked in a canoe, continuing the voyage for adistance of twelve miles or more. There, in the wilderness, they madeready to spend the night, and with one
of the savage guides my masterwent on shore on an island to shoot some wild fowls for supper. He hadtraveled a short distance from the boat, when he heard cries of thesavages in the distance, and, looking back, saw that one of the men hadbeen taken prisoner, while the other was fighting for his life.

  At almost the very minute when he saw this terrible thing, he wassuddenly beset by more than two hundred yelling, dancing savages, whowere sweeping down upon him as if believing he was in their power beyondany chance. The Indian guide, who appeared to be terribly frightened,although it might have been that he was in the plot to murder my master,would have run away; but that Captain Smith held him fast while he firedone of his pistols to keep the enemy in check.

  Understanding that he must do battle for his life, my master first tookthe precaution to bind the Indian guide to his left arm, by means of hisbelt, in such fashion that the fellow would serve as a shield againstthe shower of arrows the savages were sending through the air.

  Protected in this manner, Captain Smith fought bravely, as he alwaysdoes, and had succeeded in killing two of the Indians with hismatchlock, when suddenly he sank knee deep into a mire. It seems that hehad been retreating toward the canoe, hoping to get on board her wherewould be some chance for shelter, and was so engaged with the savages infront of him as to give little heed to his steps.

  Once he was held prisoner by the mud, the enemy quickly surroundedhim, and he could do no better than surrender. Instead of treating himcruelly, as might have been expected, these brown men carried him fromvillage to village, as if exhibiting some strange animal.

  TAKEN BEFORE POWHATAN

  When he was first made captive, the Indians found his compass, and werestricken with wonder, because, however the instrument might be turned,the needle always pointed in the same direction. The glass whichprotected the needle caused even more amazement, and, believing him tobe a magician, they took him to Powhatan.

  After many days of traveling, the savages were come with their prisonerto Powhatan's village, where Captain Smith was held close prisoner inone of the huts, being fairly well treated and fed in abundance, untilthe king, who had been out with a hunting party, came home.

  Twice while he was thus captive did Captain Smith see the girlPocahontas, who had visited him in Jamestown; but she gave no especialheed to him, save as a child who was minded to be amused, until on theday when some of the savages gave him to understand that he was to bekilled for having come into this land of theirs, and also for havingshot to death some of their tribe.

  When he was led out of Powhatan's tent of skins, with his feet and handsbound, he had no hope of being able to save his own life, for there wasno longer any chance for him to struggle against those who had him intheir power.

  POCAHONTAS BEGS FOR SMITH'S LIFE

  He was forced down on the earth, with his head upon a great rock, whiletwo half naked savages came forward with heavy stones bound to woodenhandles, with which to beat out his brains, and these weapons werealready raised to strike, when the girl Pocahontas ran forward, throwingherself upon my master, as she asked that Powhatan give him to her.

  Now, as we afterward came to know, it is the custom among savages, thatwhen one of their women begs for the life of a prisoner, to grant theprayer, and so it was done in this case, else we had never seen mymaster again.

  It is also the custom, when a prisoner has thus been given to one whobegged for his life, that the captive shall always be held as slave byher; but Pocahontas desired only to let him go back to Jamestown. Thenit was she told her father how she had been treated when visiting us,and Powhatan, after keeping Captain Smith prisoner until he could tellof what he had seen in other countries of the world, set him free.

  THE EFFECT OF CAPTAIN SMITH'S RETURN

  It was well for us of Jamestown that my master returned just when hedid, for already had our gentlemen, believing him dead, refused longerto work, and even neglected the hunting, when game of all kinds was soplentiful. They had spent the time roaming around searching for gold,until we were once more in need of food.

  The sickness had come among us again, and of all our company, whichnumbered an hundred when Captain Newport sailed for England, onlythirty-eight remained alive.

  Within four and twenty hours after Captain Smith came back, matters hadso far mended that every man who could move about at will, was workingfor the common good, although from that time, until Captain Newport cameagain, we had much of suffering.

  With the coming of winter Nathaniel and I were put to it to do our workin anything like a seemly manner. What with the making of candles, orof rushlights; tanning deer hides in such fashion as Captain Smith hadtaught us; mending his doublets of leather, as well as our own; keepingthe house and ground around it fairly clean, in addition to cookingmeals which might tempt the appetite of our master, we were busy fromsunrise to sunset.

  Nor were we without our reward. On rare occasions Captain Smith wouldcommend us for attending to our duties in better fashion than he hadfancied lads would ever be able to do, and very often did Master Huntwhisper words of praise in our ears, saying again and again that hewould there were in his house two boys like us.

  This you may be sure was more of payment than we had a reasonable rightto expect, for certain it is that even at our best the work was butfairly done, as it ever must be when there are houseboys instead ofhousewives at home.

  Master Hunt had a serving man, William Rods, and he was not one wellfitted to do a woman's work, for in addition to being clumsy, even atthe expense of breaking now and then a wooden trencher bowl, he had nothought that cleanliness was, as the preacher often told us, next togodliness.

  It was he, and such as he, that caused Captain Smith and those othersof the Council who were minded to work for the common good, very much oftrouble.

  The rule, as laid down by my master, was that those living in a dwellingshould keep cleanly the land roundabout the outside for a space of fiveyards, and yet again and again have I seen William Rods throw the refusefrom the table just outside the door, meaning to take it away at afuture time, and always forgetting so to do until reminded by some onein authority.

  However, it is not for me to speak of such trifling things as these,although had you heard Captain Smith and Master Hunt in conversation,you would not have set them down as being of little importance. Thosetwo claimed that only by strict regard to cleanliness, both of personand house, would it be possible for us, when another summer came, toward off that sickness which had already carried away so many of ourcompany.

  After Captain Smith had brought matters to rights in the village,setting this company of men to building more houses, and that companyto hewing down trees for firewood, which would be needed when the winterhad come, Master Hunt made mention of a matter which I knew must havebeen very near his heart many a day.

  A NEW CHURCH

  During all the time we had been on shore, the only church in Jamestownwas the shelter beneath that square of canvas which he himself had putup. When it stormed, he had called such of the people as were inclinedto worship into one or another of the houses; but now he asked thata log building be put together, while it was yet so warm that the mencould work out of doors without suffering, and to this, much to mypleasure, for I had an exceedingly friendly feeling toward Master Hunt,Captain Smith agreed.

  Therefore it was that when the storms of October came, Master Hunt had aplace in which to receive those whom he would lead to a better life, andI believe that all our people, the men who were careless regarding thefuture life, and those who followed the preacher's teachings, felt thebetter in mind because there was at last in our village a place whichwould be used for no other purpose than that of leading us into, andhelping us to remain in, the straight path.

  CAPTAIN NEWPORT'S RETURN

  It was at the beginning of the new year, two days after my master wasset free by the savages, that Captain Newport came back to us, this timein the ship John and Francis, and with him were fifty men who had beensent to joi
n our colony.

  Fortunately for us there were but few gentlemen among them, thereforedid the work of building the village go on much more rapidly, becausethere were laborers in plenty.

  A larger building, which was called the fort, and would indeed have beena safe place for refuge had the savages made an attack, was but justcompleted at the beginning of the third month, meaning March.

  There Captain Smith had stored the supply of provisions and seed broughtin the John and Francis, and we were already saying to ourselves that bythe close of the summer we should reap a bountiful harvest.

  All these plans and hopes went for naught, however, for on a certainnight--and no man can say how it happened, save him who was the carelessone--fire fastened upon the inside of the fort, having so much headwaywhen it was discovered, that our people could do little toward checkingit.

  The flames burst out through the roof, which was thatched with driedgrass, as were all the houses in the town, and leaped from one buildingto another until it seemed as if the entire village would be destroyed.

  It is true that even the palisade, which was near to forty feet distantfrom the fort, was seized upon by the flames, and a goodly portion ofthat which had cost us so much labor was entirely destroyed.

  Out of all our houses only four remained standing when the flames haddied away. The seed which we had counted on for reaping a harvest,the store of provisions, and a large amount of clothing and othernecessaries, were thus consumed.