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the complete writings-3-第47部分

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ovisions had been spoiled by rain。  Thus the summer was consumed; and nothing had been accomplished except Smith's discovery。




XI

SMITH'S PRESIDENCY AND PROWESS

On the 10th of September; by the election of the Council and the request of the company; Captain Smith received the letters…patent; and became President。  He stopped the building of Ratcliffe's 〃palace;〃 repaired the church and the storehouse; got ready the buildings for the supply expected from England; reduced the fort to a 〃five square form;〃 set and trained the watch and exercised the company every Saturday on a plain called Smithfield; to the amazement of the on…looking Indians。

Captain Newport arrived with a new supply of seventy persons。  Among them were Captain Francis West; brother to Lord Delaware; Captain Peter Winne; and Captain Peter Waldo; appointed on the Council; eight Dutchmen and Poles; and Mistress Forest and Anne Burrows her maid; the first white women in the colony。

Smith did not relish the arrival of Captain Newport nor the instructions under which he returned。  He came back commanded to discover the country of Monacan (above the Falls) and to perform the ceremony of coronation on the Emperor Powhatan。

How Newport got this private commission when he had returned to England without a lump of gold; nor any certainty of the South Sea; or one of the lost company sent out by Raleigh; and why he brought a 〃fine peeced barge〃 which must be carried over unknown mountains before it reached the South Sea; he could not understand。  〃 As for the coronation of Powhatan and his presents of basin and ewer; bed; bedding; clothes; and such costly novelties; they had been much better well spared than so ill spent; for we had his favor and better for a plain piece of copper; till this stately kind of soliciting made him so much overvalue himself that he respected us as much as nothing at all。〃  Smith evidently understood the situation much better than the promoters in England; and we can quite excuse him in his rage over the foolishness and greed of most of his companions。 There was little nonsense about Smith in action; though he need not turn his hand on any man of that age as a boaster。

To send out Poles and Dutchmen to make pitch; tar; and glass would have been well enough if the colony had been firmly established and supplied with necessaries; and they might have sent two hundred colonists instead of seventy; if they had ordered them to go to work collecting provisions of the Indians for the winter; instead of attempting this strange discovery of the South Sea; and wasting their time on a more strange coronation。  〃Now was there no way;〃 asks Smith; 〃to make us miserable;〃 but by direction from England to perform this discovery and coronation; 〃to take that time; spend what victuals we had; tire and starve our men; having no means to carry victuals; ammunition; the hurt or the sick; but on their own backs?〃

Smith seems to have protested against all this nonsense; but though he was governor; the Council overruled him。  Captain Newport decided to take one hundred and twenty men; fearing to go with a less number and journey to Werowocomoco to crown Powhatan。  In order to save time Smith offered to take a message to Powhatan; and induce him to come to Jamestown and receive the honor and the presents。  Accompanied by only four men he crossed by land to Werowocomoco; passed the Pamaunkee (York) River in a canoe; and sent for Powhatan; who was thirty miles off。  Meantime Pocahontas; who by his own account was a mere child; and her women entertained Smith in the following manner:

〃In a fayre plaine they made a fire; before which; sitting upon a mat; suddenly amongst the woods was heard such a hydeous noise and shreeking that the English betook themselves to their armes; and seized upon two or three old men; by them supposing Powhatan with all his power was come to surprise them。  But presently Pocahontas came; willing him to kill her if any hurt were intended; and the beholders; which were men; women and children; satisfied the Captaine that there was no such matter。  Then presently they were presented with this anticke: Thirty young women came naked out of the woods; only covered behind and before with a few greene leaves; their bodies all painted; some of one color; some of another; but all differing; their leader had a fayre payre of Bucks hornes on her head; and an Otters skinne at her girdle; and another at her arme; a quiver of arrows at her backe; a bow and arrows in her hand; the next had in her hand a sword; another a club; another a pot…sticke: all horned alike; the rest every one with their several devises。  These fiends with most hellish shouts and cries; rushing from among the trees; cast themselves in a ring about the fire; singing and dancing with most excellent ill…varietie; oft falling into their infernal passions; and solemnly again to sing and dance; having spent nearly an hour in this Mascarado; as they entered;in like manner they departed。

〃Having reaccommodated themselves; they solemnly invited him to their lodgings; where he was no sooner within the house; but all these Nymphs more tormented him than ever; with crowding; pressing; and hanging about him; most tediously crying; 'Love you not me?  Love you not me?'  This salutation ended; the feast was set; consisting of all the Salvage dainties they could devise: some attending; others singing and dancing about them: which mirth being ended; with fire brands instead of torches they conducted him to his lodging。〃

The next day Powhatan arrived。  Smith delivered up the Indian Namontuck; who had just returned from a voyage to Englandwhither it was suspected the Emperor wished him to go to spy out the weakness of the English tribeand repeated Father Newport's request that Powhatan would come to Jamestown to receive the presents and join in an expedition against his enemies; the Monacans。

Powhatan's reply was worthy of his imperial highness; and has been copied ever since in the speeches of the lords of the soil to the pale faces: 〃If your king has sent me present; I also am a king; and this is my land: eight days I will stay to receive them。  Your father is to come to me; not I to him; nor yet to your fort; neither will I bite at such a bait; as for the Monacans; I can revenge my own injuries。〃

This was the lofty potentate whom Smith; by his way of management; could have tickled out of his senses with a glass bead; and who would infinitely have preferred a big shining copper kettle to the misplaced honor intended to be thrust upon him; but the offer of which puffed him up beyond the reach of negotiation。  Smith returned with his message。  Newport despatched the presents round by water a hundred miles; and the Captains; with fifty soldiers; went over land to Werowocomoco; where occurred the ridiculous ceremony of the coronation; which Smith describes with much humor。  〃The next day;〃 he says; 〃was appointed for the coronation。  Then the presents were brought him; his bason and ewer; bed and furniture set up; his scarlet cloke and apparel; with much adoe put on him; being persuaded by Namontuck they would not hurt him。  But a foule trouble there was to make him kneel to receive his Crown; he not knowing the majesty nor wearing of a Crown; nor bending of the knee; endured so many persuasions; examples and instructions as tyred them all。  At last by bearing hard on his shoulders; he a little stooped; and three having the crown in their hands put it on his head; when by the warning of a pistoll the boats were prepared with such a volley of shot that the king start up in a horrible feare; till he saw all was well。  Then remembering himself to congratulate their kindness he gave his old shoes and his mantell to Captain Newport!〃

The Monacan expedition the King discouraged; and refused to furnish for it either guides or men。  Besides his old shoes; the crowned monarch charitably gave Newport a little heap of corn; only seven or eight bushels; and with this little result the absurd expedition returned to Jamestown。

Shortly after Captain Newport with a chosen company of one hundred and twenty men (leaving eighty with President Smith in the fort) and accompanied by Captain Waldo; Lieutenant Percy; Captain Winne; Mr。 West; and Mr。 Scrivener; who was eager for adventure; set off for the discovery of Monacan。  The expedition; as Smith predicted; was fruitless: the Indians deceived them and refused to trade; and the company got back to Jamestown; half of them sick; all grumbling; and worn out with toil; famine; and discontent。

Smith at once set the whole colony to work; some to make glass; tar; pitch; and soap…ashes; and others he conducted five miles down the river to learn to fell trees and make clapboards。  In this company were a couple of gallants; lately come over; Gabriel Beadle and John Russell; proper gentlemen; but unused to hardships; whom Smith has immortalized by his novel cure of their profanity。  They took gayly to the rough life; and entered into the attack on the forest so pleasantly that in a week they were masters of chopping: 〃making it their delight to hear the trees thunder as they fell; but the axes so often blistered their tender fingers that many times every third blow had a loud othe to drown the echo; for remedie of which sinne the President devised how to have every man's othes numbered; and at night for every othe to have a Canne of water powred downe his sleeve; with which every offender was so washed (himself and all); that a man would scarce hear an othe in a weake。〃  In the clearing of our country since; this excellent plan has fallen into desuetude; for want of any pious Captain Smith in the logging camps。

These gentlemen; says Smith; did not spend their time in wood…logging like hirelings; but entered into it with such spirit that thirty of them would accomplish more than a hundred of the sort that had to be driven to work; yet; he sagaciously adds; 〃twenty good workmen had been better than them all。〃

Returning to the fort; Smith; as usual; found the time consumed and no provisions got; and Newport's ship lying idle at a great charge。 With Percy he set out on an expedition for corn to the Chickahominy; which the insolent Indians; knowing thei
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