the complete writings-3-第51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！


；　his　wounds　were　dressed；　and　the　brothers　with　presents　of　copper　were　sent　away　well　contented。　　This　was　spread　among　the　savages　for　a　miracle；　that　Smith　could　make　a　man　alive　that　was　dead。　　He　narrates　a　second　incident　which　served　to　give　the　Indians　a　wholesome　fear　of　the　whites：　〃Another　ingenious　savage　of　Powhatan　having　gotten　a　great　bag　of　powder　and　the　back　of　an　armour　at　Werowocomoco；　amongst　a　many　of　his　companions；　to　show　his　extraordinary　skill；　he　did　dry　it　on　the　back　as　he　had　seen　the　soldiers　at　Jamestown。　　But　he　dried　it　so　long；　they　peeping　over　it　to　see　his　skill；　it　took　fire；　and　blew　him　to　death；　and　one　or　two　more；　and　the　rest　so　scorched　they　had　little　pleasure　any　more　to　meddle　with　gunpowder。〃

〃These　and　many　other　such　pretty　incidents；〃　says　Smith；　〃so　amazed　and　affrighted　Powhatan　and　his　people　that　from　all　parts　they　desired　peace；〃　stolen　articles　were　returned；　thieves　sent　to　Jamestown　for　punishment；　and　the　whole　country　became　as　free　for　the　whites　as　for　the　Indians。

And　now　ensued；　in　the　spring　of　1609；　a　prosperous　period　of　three　months；　the　longest　season　of　quiet　the　colony　had　enjoyed；　but　only　a　respite　from　greater　disasters。　　The　friendship　of　the　Indians　and　the　temporary　subordination　of　the　settlers　we　must　attribute　to　Smith's　vigor；　shrewdness；　and　spirit　of　industry。　　It　was　much　easier　to　manage　the　Indian's　than　the　idle　and　vicious　men　that　composed　the　majority　of　the　settlement。

In　these　three　months　they　manufactured　three　or　four　lasts　（fourteen　barrels　in　a　last）　of　tar；　pitch；　and　soap…ashes；　produced　some　specimens　of　glass；　dug　a　well　of　excellent　sweet　water　in　the　fort；　which　they　had　wanted　for　two　years；　built　twenty　houses；　repaired　the　church；　planted　thirty　or　forty　acres　of　ground；　and　erected　a　block…house　on　the　neck　of　the　island；　where　a　garrison　was　stationed　to　trade　with　the　savages　and　permit　neither　whites　nor　Indians　to　pass　except　on　the　President's　order。　　Even　the　domestic　animals　partook　the　industrious　spirit：　〃of　three　sowes　in　eighteen　months　increased　60　and　od　Pigs；　and　neare　500　chickings　brought　up　themselves　without　having　any　meat　given　them。〃　　The　hogs　were　transferred　to　Hog　Isle；　where　another　block　house　was　built　and　garrisoned；　and　the　garrison　were　permitted　to　take　〃exercise〃　in　cutting　down　trees　and　making　clapboards　and　wainscot。　　They　were　building　a　fort　on　high　ground；　intended　for　an　easily　defended　retreat；　when　a　woful　discovery　put　an　end　to　their　thriving　plans。

Upon　examination　of　the　corn　stored　in　casks；　it　was　found　half…　rotten；　and　the　rest　consumed　by　rats；　which　had　bred　in　thousands　from　the　few　which　came　over　in　the　ships。　　The　colony　was　now　at　its　wits　end；　for　there　was　nothing　to　eat　except　the　wild　products　of　the　country。　　In　this　prospect　of　famine；　the　two　Indians；　Kemps　and　Tussore；　who　had　been　kept　fettered　while　showing　the　whites　how　to　plant　the　fields；　were　turned　loose；　but　they　were　unwilling　to　depart　from　such　congenial　company。　　The　savages　in　the　neighborhood　showed　their　love　by　bringing　to　camp；　for　sixteen　days；　each　day　at　least　a　hundred　squirrels；　turkeys；　deer；　and　other　wild　beasts。　　But　without　corn；　the　work　of　fortifying　and　building　had　to　be　abandoned；　and　the　settlers　dispersed　to　provide　victuals。　　A　party　of　sixty　or　eighty　men　under　Ensign　Laxon　were　sent　down　the　river　to　live　on　oysters；　some　twenty　went　with　Lieutenant　Percy　to　try　fishing　at　Point　Comfort；　where　for　six　weeks　not　a　net　was　cast；　owing　to　the　sickness　of　Percy；　who　had　been　burnt　with　gunpowder；　and　another　party；　going　to　the　Falls　with　Master　West；　found　nothing　to　eat　but　a　few　acorns。

Up　to　this　time　the　whole　colony　was　fed　by　the　labors　of　thirty　or　forty　men：　there　was　more　sturgeon　than　could　be　devoured　by　dog　and　man；　it　was　dried；　pounded；　and　mixed　with　caviare；　sorrel；　and　other　herbs；　to　make　bread；　bread　was　also　made　of　the　〃Tockwhogh〃　root；　and　with　the　fish　and　these　wild　fruits　they　lived　very　well。　　But　there　were　one　hundred　and　fifty　of　the　colony　who　would　rather　starve　or　eat　each　other　than　help　gather　food。　　These　〃distracted；　gluttonous　loiterers〃　would　have　sold　anything　they　hadtools；　arms；　and　their　housesfor　anything　the　savages　would　bring　them　to　eat。　Hearing　that　there　was　a　basket　of　corn　at　Powhatan's；　fifty　miles　away；　they　would　have　exchanged　all　their　property　for　it。　　To　satisfy　their　factious　humors；　Smith　succeeded　in　getting　half　of　it：　〃they　would　have　sold　their　souls；〃　he　says；　for　the　other　half；　though　not　sufficient　to　last　them　a　week。

The　clamors　became　so　loud　that　Smith　punished　the　ringleader；　one　Dyer；　a　crafty　fellow；　and　his　ancient　maligner；　and　then　made　one　of　his　conciliatory　addresses。　　Having　shown　them　how　impossible　it　was　to　get　corn；　and　reminded　them　of　his　own　exertions；　and　that　he　had　always　shared　with　them　anything　he　had；　he　told　them　that　he　should　stand　their　nonsense　no　longer；　he　should　force　the　idle　to　work；　and　punish　them　if　they　railed；　if　any　attempted　to　escape　to　Newfoundland　in　the　pinnace　they　would　arrive　at　the　gallows；　the　sick　should　not　starve；　every　man　able　must　work；　and　every　man　who　did　not　gather　as　much　in　a　day　as　he　did　should　be　put　out　of　the　fort　as　a　drone。

Such　was　the　effect　of　this　speech　that　of　the　two　hundred　only　seven　died　in　this　pinching　time；　except　those　who　were　drowned；　no　man　died　of　want。　　Captain　Winne　and　Master　Leigh　had　died　before　this　famine　occurred。　　Many　of　the　men　were　billeted　among　the　savages；　who　used　them　well；　and　stood　in　such　awe　of　the　power　at　the　fort　that　they　dared　not　wrong　the　whites　out　of　a　pin。　　The　Indians　caught　Smith's　humor；　and　some　of　the　men　who　ran　away　to　seek　Kemps　and　Tussore　were　mocked　and　ridiculed；　and　had　applied　to　them　Smith's　law　of　〃who　cannot　work　must　not　eat；〃　they　were　almost　starved　and　beaten　nearly　to　death。　　After　amusing　himself　with　them；　Kemps　returned　the　fugitives；　whom　Smith　punished　until　they　were　content　to　labor　at　home；　rather　than　adventure　to　live　idly　among　the　savages；　〃of　whom；〃　says　our　shrewd　chronicler；　〃there　was　more　hope　to　make　better　christians　and　good　subjects　than　the　one　half　of　them　that　counterfeited　themselves　both。〃　　The　Indians　were　in　such　subjection　that　any　who　were　punished　at　the　fort　would　beg　the　President　not　to　tell　their　chief；　for　they　would　be　again　punished　at　home　and　sent　back　for　another　round。

We　hear　now　of　the　last　efforts　to　find　traces　of　the　lost　colony　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh。　　Master　Sicklemore　returned　from　the　Chawwonoke　（Chowan　River）　with　no　tidings　of　them；　and　Master　Powell；　and　Anas　Todkill　who　had　been　conducted　to　the　Mangoags；　in　the　regions　south　of　the　James；　could　learn　nothing　but　that　they　were　all　dead。　　The　king　of　this　country　was　a　very　proper；　devout；　and　friendly　man；　he　acknowledged　that　our　God　exceeded　his　as　much　as　our　guns　did　his　bows　and　arrows；　and　asked　the　President　to　pray　his　God　for　him；　for　all　the　gods　of　the　Mangoags　were　angry。

The　Dutchmen　and　one　Bentley；　another　fugitive；　who　were　with　Powhatan；　continued　to　plot　against　the　colony；　and　the　President　employed　a　Swiss；　named　William　Volday；　to　go　and　regain　them　with　promises　of　pardon。　　Volday　turned　out　to　be　a　hypocrite；　and　a　greater　rascal　than　the　others。　　Many　of　the　discontented　in　the　fort　were　brought　into　the　scheme；　which　was；　with　Powhatan's　aid；　to　surprise　and　destroy　Jamestown。　　News　of　this　getting　about　in　the　fort；　there　was　a　demand　that　the　President　should　cut　off　these　Dutchmen。　　Percy　and　Cuderington；　two　gentlemen；　volunteered　to　do　it；　but　Smith　sent　instead　Master　Wiffin　and　Jeffrey　Abbot；　to　go　and　stab　them　or　shoot　them。　　But　the　Dutchmen　were　too　shrewd　to　be　caught；　and　Powhatan　sent　a　conciliatory　message　that　he　did　not　detain　the　Dutchmen；　nor　hinder　the　slaying　of　them。

While　this　plot　was　simmering；　and　Smith　was　surrounded　by　treachery　inside　the　fort　and　outside；　and　the　savages　were　being　taught　that　King　James　would　kill　Smith　because　he　had　used　the　Indians　so　unkindly；　Captain　Argall　and　Master　Thomas　Sedan　arrived　out　in　a　well…furnished　vessel；　sent　by　Master　Cornelius　to　trade　and　fish　for　sturgeon。　　The　wine　and　other　good　provision　of　the　ship　were　so　opportune　to　the　necessities　of　the　colony　that　the　President　seized　them。　　Argall　lost　his　voyage；　his　ship　was　revictualed　and　sent　back　to　England；　but　one　may　be　sure　that　this　event　was　so　represented　as　to　increase　the　fostered　dissatisfaction　with　Smith　in　London。　　For　one　reason　or　another；　most　of　the　persons　who　returned　had　probably　carried　a　bad　report　of　him。　　Argall　brought　to　Jamestown　from　London　a　report　of　great　complaints　of　him　for　his　dealings　with　the　savages　and　not　returning　ships　freighted　with　the　products　of　the　country。　Misrepresented　in　London；　and　unsupported　and　conspired　against　in　Virginia；　Smith　felt　his　fall　near　at　hand。　　On　the　face　of　it　he　was　the　victim　of　envy　and　the　rascality　of　incompetent　and　bad　men；　but　whatever　his　capacity　for　dealing　with　savages；　it　must　be　confessed　that　he　lacked　something　which　conciliates　success　with　one's　own　people。　　A　new　commission　was　about　to　be　issued；　and　a　great　supply　was　in　preparation　under　Lord　De　La　Ware。




XIII

SMITH'S　LAST　DAYS　IN　VIRGINIA

The　London　company　were　profoundly　dissatisfied　with　the　results　of　the　Virginia　colony。　　The　South　Sea　was　not　discovered；　no　gold　had　turned　up；　there　were　no　valuable　products　from　the　new　land；　and　the　promoters　received　no　profits　on　their　ventures。　　With　their　expectations；　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　they　were　still　further　annoyed　by　the　quarreling　amongst　the　colonists　themselves；　and　wished　to　begin　over　again。

A　new　charter；　dated　May　23；　1609；　with　enlarged　powers；　was　got　from　King　James。　　Hundreds　of　corporators　were　named；　and　even　thousands　were　included　in　the　various　London　trades　and　guilds　that　were　joined　in　the　enterprise。　　Among　the　names　we　find　that　of　Captain　John　Smith。　　But　he　was　out　of　the　Council；　nor　was　he　given　then　or　ever　afterward　any　place　or　employment　in　Virginia；　or　in　the　management　of　its　affairs。　　The　grant　included　all　the　American　coast　two　hundred　mil