the complete writings-3-第32部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


first　portion　of　it；　which　is　descriptive　of　the　territory　of　Virginia；　is　this　important　passage：　〃At　Peccarecamek　and　Ochanahoen；　by　the　relation　of　Machumps；　the　people　have　houses　built　with　stone　walls；　and　one　story　above　another；　so　taught　them　by　those　English　who　escaped　the　slaughter　of　Roanoke。　　At　what　time　this　our　colony；　under　the　conduct　of　Captain　Newport；　landed　within　the　Chesapeake　Bay；　where　the　people　breed　up　tame　turkies　about　their　houses；　and　take　apes　in　the　mountains；　and　where；　at　Ritanoe；　the　Weroance　Eyanaco；　preserved　seven　of　the　English　alivefour　men；　two　boys；　and　one　young　maid　（who　escaped　＇that　is　from　Roanoke＇　and　fled　up　the　river　of　Chanoke）；　to　beat　his　copper；　of　which　he　hath　certain　mines　at　the　said　Ritanoe；　as　also　at　Pamawauk　are　said　to　be　store　of　salt　stones。〃

This；　it　will　be　observed；　is　on　the　testimony　of　Machumps。　　This　pleasing　story　is　not　mentioned　in　Captain　Newport's　〃Discoveries　〃　（May；　1607）。　　Machumps；　who　was　the　brother　of　Winganuske；　one　of　the　many　wives　of　Powhatan；　had　been　in　England。　　He　was　evidently　a　lively　Indian。　　Strachey　had　heard　him　repeat　the　〃Indian　grace；〃　a　sort　of　incantation　before　meat；　at　the　table　of　Sir　Thomas　Dale。　　If　he　did　not　differ　from　his　red　brothers　he　had　a　powerful　imagination；　and　was　ready　to　please　the　whites　with　any　sort　of　a　marvelous　tale。　　Newport　himself　does　not　appear　to　have　seen　any　of　the　〃apes　taken　in　the　mountains。〃　　If　this　story　is　to　be　accepted　as　true　we　have　to　think　of　Virginia　Dare　as　growing　up　to　be　a　woman　of　twenty　years；　perhaps　as　other　white　maidens　have　been；　Indianized　and　the　wife　of　a　native。　　But　the　story　rests　only　upon　a　romancing　Indian。　　It　is　possible　that　Strachey　knew　more　of　the　matter　than　he　relates；　for　in　his　history　he　speaks　again　of　those　betrayed　people；　〃of　whose　end　you　shall　hereafter　read　in　this　decade。〃　　But　the　possessed　information　is　lost；　for　it　is　not　found　in　the　remainder　of　this　〃decade〃　of　his　writing；　which　is　imperfect。　　Another　reference　in　Strachey　is　more　obscure　than　the　first。　　He　is　speaking　of　the　merciful　intention　of　King　James　towards　the　Virginia　savages；　and　that　he　does　not　intend　to　root　out　the　natives　as　the　Spaniards　did　in　Hispaniola；　but　by　degrees　to　change　their　barbarous　nature；　and　inform　them　of　the　true　God　and　the　way　to　Salvation；　and　that　his　Majesty　will　even　spare　Powhatan　himself。　　But；　he　says；　it　is　the　intention　to　make　〃the　common　people　likewise　to　understand；　how　that　his　Majesty　has　been　acquainted　that　the　men；　women；　and　children　of　the　first　plantation　of　Roanoke　were　by　practice　of　Powhatan　（he　himself　persuaded　thereunto　by　his　priests）　miserably　slaughtered；　without　any　offense　given　him　either　by　the　first　planted　（who　twenty　and　odd　years　had　peaceably　lived　intermixed　with　those　savages；　and　were　out　of　his　territory）　or　by　those　who　are　now　come　to　inhabit　some　parts　of　his　distant　lands；〃　etc。

Strachey　of　course　means　the　second　plantation　and　not　the　first；　which；　according　to　the　weight　of　authority；　consisted　of　only　fifteen　men　and　no　women。

In　George　Percy's　Discourse　concerning　Captain　Newport's　exploration　of　the　River　James　in　1607　（printed　in　Purchas's　〃　Pilgrims　〃）　is　this　sentence：　〃At　Port　Cotage；　in　our　voyage　up　the　river；　we　saw　a　savage　boy；　about　the　age　of　ten　years；　which　had　a　head　of　hair　of　a　perfect　yellow；　and　reasonably　white　skin；　which　is　a　miracle　amongst　all　savages。〃　　Mr。　Neill；　in　his　〃History　of　the　Virginia　Company；〃　says　that　this　boy〃　was　no　doubt　the　offspring　of　the　colonists　left　at　Roanoke　by　White；　of　whom　four　men；　two　boys；　and　one　young　maid　had　been　preserved　from　slaughter　by　an　Indian　Chief。〃　　Under　the　circumstances；　〃no　doubt〃　is　a　very　strong　expression　for　a　historian　to　use。

This　belief　in　the　sometime　survival　of　the　Roanoke　colonists；　and　their　amalgamation　with　the　Indians；　lingered　long　in　colonial　gossip。　　Lawson；　in　his　History；　published　in　London　in　1718；　mentions　a　tradition　among　the　Hatteras　Indians；　〃that　several　of　their　ancestors　were　white　people　and　could　talk　from　a　book；　the　truth　of　which　is　confirmed　by　gray　eyes　being　among　these　Indians　and　no　others。〃

But　the　myth　of　Virginia　Dare　stands　no　chance　beside　that　of　Pocahontas。



V

FIRST　PLANTING　OF　THE　COLONY

The　way　was　now　prepared　for　the　advent　of　Captain　John　Smith　in　Virginia。　　It　is　true　that　we　cannot　give　him　his　own　title　of　its　discoverer；　but　the　plantation　had　been　practically　abandoned；　all　the　colonies　had　ended　in　disaster；　all　the　governors　and　captains　had　lacked　the　gift　of　perseverance　or　had　been　early　drawn　into　other　adventures；　wholly　disposed；　in　the　language　of　Captain　John　White；　〃to　seek　after　purchase　and　spoils；〃　and　but　for　the　energy　and　persistence　of　Captain　Smith　the　expedition　of　1606　might　have　had　no　better　fate。　　It　needed　a　man　of　tenacious　will　to　hold　a　colony　together　in　one　spot　long　enough　to　give　it　root。　　Captain　Smith　was　that　man；　and　if　we　find　him　glorying　in　his　exploits；　and　repeating　upon　single　big　Indians　the　personal　prowess　that　distinguished　him　in　Transylvania　and　in　the　mythical　Nalbrits；　we　have　only　to　transfer　our　sympathy　from　the　Turks　to　the　Sasquesahanocks　if　the　sense　of　his　heroism　becomes　oppressive。

Upon　the　return　of　Samuel　Mace；　mariner；　who　was　sent　out　in　1602　to　search　for　White's　lost　colony；　all　Raleigh's　interest　in　the　Virginia　colony　had；　by　his　attainder；　escheated　to　the　crown。　　But　he　never　gave　up　his　faith　in　Virginia：　neither　the　failure　of　nine　several　expeditions　nor　twelve　years　imprisonment　shook　it。　　On　the　eve　of　his　fall　he　had　written；　〃I　shall　yet　live　to　see　it　an　English　nation：〃　and　he　lived　to　see　his　prediction　come　true。

The　first　or　Virginian　colony；　chartered　with　the　Plymouth　colony　in　April；　1606；　was　at　last　organized　by　the　appointment　of　Sir　Thomas　Smith；　the　'Chief　of　Raleigh's　assignees；　a　wealthy　London　merchant；　who　had　been　ambassador　to　Persia；　and　was　then；　or　shortly　after；　governor　of　the　East　India　Company；　treasurer　and　president　of　the　meetings　of　the　council　in　London；　and　by　the　assignment　of　the　transportation　of　the　colony　to　Captain　Christopher　Newport；　a　mariner　of　experience　in　voyages　to　the　West　Indies　and　in　plundering　the　Spaniards；　who　had　the　power　to　appoint　different　captains　and　mariners；　and　the　sole　charge　of　the　voyage。　　No　local　councilors　were　named　for　Virginia；　but　to　Captain　Newport；　Captain　Bartholomew　Gosnold；　and　Captain　John　Ratcliffe　were　delivered　sealed　instructions；　to　be　opened　within　twenty…four　hours　after　their　arrival　in　Virginia；　wherein　would　be　found　the　names　of　the　persons　designated　for　the　Council。

This　colony；　which　was　accompanied　by　the　prayers　and　hopes　of　London；　left　the　Thames　December　19；　1606；　in　three　vesselsthe　Susan　Constant；　one　hundred　tons；　Captain　Newport；　with　seventy…one　persons；　the　God…Speed；　forty　tons；　Captain　Gosnold；　with　fifty…two　persons；　and　a　pinnace　of　twenty　tons；　the　Discovery；　Captain　Ratcliffe；　with　twenty　persons。　　The　Mercure　Francais；　Paris；　1619；　says　some　of　the　passengers　were　women　and　children；　but　there　is　no　other　mention　of　women。　　Of　the　persons　embarked；　one　hundred　and　five　were　planters；　the　rest　crews。　　Among　the　planters　were　Edward　Maria　Wingfield；　Captain　John　Smith；　Captain　John　Martin；　Captain　Gabriel　Archer；　Captain　George　Kendall；　Mr。　Robert　Hunt；　preacher；　and　Mr。　George　Percie；　brother　of　the　Earl　of　Northumberland；　subsequently　governor　for　a　brief　period；　and　one　of　the　writers　from　whom　Purchas　compiled。　　Most　of　the　planters　were　shipped　as　gentlemen；　but　there　were　four　carpenters；　twelve　laborers；　a　blacksmith；　a　sailor；　a　barber；　a　bricklayer；　a　mason；　a　tailor；　a　drummer；　and　a　chirurgeon。

The　composition　of　the　colony　shows　a　serious　purpose　of　settlement；　since　the　trades　were　mostly　represented；　but　there　were　too　many　gentlemen　to　make　it　a　working　colony。　　And；　indeed；　the　gentlemen；　like　the　promoters　of　the　enterprise　in　London；　were　probably　more　solicitous　of　discovering　a　passage　to　the　South　Sea；　as　the　way　to　increase　riches；　than　of　making　a　state。　　They　were　instructed　to　explore　every　navigable　river　they　might　find；　and　to　follow　the　main　branches；　which　would　probably　lead　them　in　one　direction　to　the　East　Indies　or　South　Sea；　and　in　the　other　to　the　Northwest　Passage。　　And　they　were　forcibly　reminded　that　the　way　to　prosper　was　to　be　of　one　mind；　for　their　own　and　their　country's　good。

This　last　advice　did　not　last　the　expedition　out　of　sight　of　land。　They　sailed　from　Blackwell；　December　19；　1606；　but　were　kept　six　weeks　on　the　coast　of　England　by　contrary　winds。　　A　crew　of　saints　cabined　in　those　little　caravels　and　tossed　about　on　that　coast　for　six　weeks　would　scarcely　keep　in　good　humor。　　Besides；　the　position　of　the　captains　and　leaders　was　not　yet　defined。　　Factious　quarrels　broke　out　immediately；　and　the　expedition　would　likely　have　broken　up　but　for　the　wise　conduct　and　pious　exhortations　of　Mr。　Robert　Hunt；　the　preacher。　　This　faithful　man　was　so　ill　and　weak　that　it　was　thought　he　could　not　recover；　yet　notwithstanding　the　stormy　weather；　the　factions　on　board；　and　although　his　home　was　almost　in　sight；　only　twelve　miles　across　the　Downs；　he　refused　to　quit　the　ship。　　He　was　unmoved；　says　Smith；　either　by　the　weather　or　by　〃the　scandalous　imputations　（of　some　few　little　better　than　atheists；　of　the　greatest　rank　amongst　us）。〃　　With　〃the　water　of　his　patience〃　and　〃his　godly　exhortations〃　he　quenched　the　flames　of　envy　and　dissension。

They　took　the　old　route　by　the　West　Indies。　　George　Percy　notes　that　on　the　12th　of　February　they　saw　a　blazing　star；　and　presently。　　a　storm。　　They　watered　at　the　Canaries；　traded　with　savages　at　San　Domingo；　and　spent　three　weeks　refreshing　themselves　among　the　islands。　　The　quarrels　revived　before　they　reached　the　Canaries；　and　there　Captain　Smith　was　seized　and　put　in　close　confinement　for　thirteen　weeks。

We　get　little　light　from　contemporary　writers　on　this　quarrel。　　Smith　does　not　mention　the　arrest　in　his　〃True　Relation；〃　but　in　his　〃General　Historie；〃　writing　of　the　time　when　they　had　been　six　weeks　in　Virginia；　he　says：　〃Now　Captain　Smith　who　all　this　time　from　the