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ned　to　the　open　air　at　West's　Fort。　　On　his　way　down；　Smith　met　with　the　accident　that　suddenly　terminated　his　career　in　Virginia。

While　he　was　sleeping　in　his　boat　his　powder…bag　was　accidentally　fired；　the　explosion　tore　the　flesh　from　his　body　and　thighs；　nine　or　ten　inches　square；　in　the　most　frightful　manner。　　To　quench　the　tormenting　fire；　frying　him　in　his　clothes；　he　leaped　into　the　deep　river；　where；　ere　they　could　recover　him；　he　was　nearly　drowned。　　In　this　pitiable　condition；　without　either　surgeon　or　surgery；　he　was　to　go　nearly　a　hundred　miles。

It　is　now　time　for　the　appearance　upon　the　scene　of　the　boy　Henry　Spelman；　with　his　brief　narration；　which　touches　this　period　of　Smith's　life。　　Henry　Spelman　was　the　third　son　of　the　distinguished　antiquarian；　Sir　Henry　Spelman；　of　Coughan；　Norfolk；　who　was　married　in　1581。　　It　is　reasonably　conjectured　that　he　could　not　have　been　over　twenty…one　when　in　May；　1609；　he　joined　the　company　going　to　Virginia。　　Henry　was　evidently　a　scapegrace；　whose　friends　were　willing　to　be　rid　of　him。　　Such　being　his　character；　it　is　more　than　probable　that　he　was　shipped　bound　as　an　apprentice；　and　of　course　with　the　conditions　of　apprenticeship　in　like　expeditions　of　that　periodto　be　sold　or　bound　out　at　the　end　of　the　voyage　to　pay　for　his　passage。　　He　remained　for　several　years　in　Virginia；　living　most　of　the　time　among　the　Indians；　and　a　sort　of　indifferent　go　between　of　the　savages　and　the　settlers。　　According　to　his　own　story　it　was　on　October　20；　1609；　that　he　was　taken　up　the　river　to　Powhatan　by　Captain　Smith；　and　it　was　in　April；　1613；　that　he　was　rescued　from　his　easy…setting　captivity　on　the　Potomac　by　Captain　Argall。　　During　his　sojourn　in　Virginia；　or　more　probably　shortly　after　his　return　to　England；　he　wrote　a　brief　and　bungling　narration　of　his　experiences　in　the　colony；　and　a　description　of　Indian　life。　　The　MS。　was　not　printed　in　his　time；　but　mislaid　or　forgotten。　　By　a　strange　series　of　chances　it　turned　up　in　our　day；　and　was　identified　and　prepared　for　the　press　in　1861。　　Before　the　proof　was　read；　the　type　was　accidentally　broken　up　and　the　MS。　again　mislaid。　　Lost　sight　of　for　several　years；　it　was　recovered　and　a　small　number　of　copies　of　it　were　printed　at　London　in　1872；　edited　by　Mr。　James　F。　Hunnewell。

Spelman's　narration　would　be　very　important　if　we　could　trust　it。　　He　appeared　to　have　set　down　what　he　saw；　and　his　story　has　a　certain　simplicity　that　gains　for　it　some　credit。　　But　he　was　a　reckless　boy；　unaccustomed　to　weigh　evidence；　and　quite　likely　to　write　as　facts　the　rumors　that　he　heard。　　He　took　very　readily　to　the　ways　of　Indian　life。　　Some　years　after；　Spelman　returned　to　Virginia　with　the　title　of　Captain；　and　in　1617　we　find　this　reference　to　him　in　the　〃General　Historie〃：　〃　Here；　as　at　many　other　times；　we　are　beholden　to　Capt。　Henry　Spilman；　an　interpreter；　a　gentleman　that　lived　long　time　in　this　country；　and　sometimes　a　prisoner　among　the　Salvages；　and　done　much　good　service　though　but　badly　rewarded。〃　　Smith　would　probably　not　have　left　this　on　record　had　he　been　aware　of　the　contents　of　the　MS。　that　Spelman　had　left　for　after…times。

Spelman　begins　his　Relation；　from　which　I　shall　quote　substantially；　without　following　the　spelling　or　noting　all　the　interlineations；　with　the　reason　for　his　emigration；　which　was；　〃being　in　displeasure　of　my　friends；　and　desirous　to　see　other　countries。〃　　After　a　brief　account　of　the　voyage　and　the　joyful　arrival　at　Jamestown；　the　Relation　continues：

〃Having　here　unloaded　our　goods　and　bestowed　some　senight　or　fortnight　in　viewing　the　country；　I　was　carried　by　Capt。　Smith；　our　President；　to　the　Falls；　to　the　little　Powhatan；　where；　unknown　to　me；　he　sold　me　to　him　for　a　town　called　Powhatan；　and；　leaving　me　with　him；　the　little　Powhatan；　he　made　known　to　Capt。　West　how　he　had　bought　a　town　for　them　to　dwell　in。　　Whereupon　Capt。　West；　growing　angry　because　he　had　bestowed　cost　to　begin　a　town　in　another　place；　Capt。　Smith　desiring　that　Capt。　West　would　come　and　settle　himself　there；　but　Capt。　West；　having　bestowed　cost　to　begin　a　town　in　another　place；　misliked　it；　and　unkindness　thereupon　arising　between　them；　Capt。　Smith　at　that　time　replied　little；　but　afterward　combined　with　Powhatan　to　kill　Capt。　　West；　which　plot　took　but　small　effect；　for　in　the　meantime　Capt。　Smith　was　apprehended　and　sent　aboard　for　England。〃

That　this　roving　boy　was　〃thrown　in〃　as　a　makeweight　in　the　trade　for　the　town　is　not　impossible；　but　that　Smith　combined　with　Powhatan　to　kill　Captain　West　is　doubtless　West's　perversion　of　the　offer　of　the　Indians　to　fight　on　Smith's　side　against　him。

According　to　Spelman's　Relation；　he　stayed　only　seven　or　eight　days　with　the　little　Powhatan；　when　he　got　leave　to　go　to　Jamestown；　being　desirous　to　see　the　English　and　to　fetch　the　small　articles　that　belonged　to　him。　　The　Indian　King　agreed　to　wait　for　him　at　that　place；　but　he　stayed　too　long；　and　on　his　return　the　little　Powhatan　had　departed；　and　Spelman　went　back　to　Jamestown。　　Shortly　after；　the　great　Powhatan　sent　Thomas　Savage　with　a　present　of　venison　to　President　Percy。　　Savage　was　loath　to　return　alone；　and　Spelman　was　appointed　to　go　with　him；　which　he　did　willingly；　as　victuals　were　scarce　in　camp。　　He　carried　some　copper　and　a　hatchet；　which　he　presented　to　Powhatan；　and　that　Emperor　treated　him　and　his　comrade　very　kindly；　seating　them　at　his　own　mess…table。　　After　some　three　weeks　of　this　life；　Powhatan　sent　this　guileless　youth　down　to　decoy　the　English　into　his　hands；　promising　to　freight　a　ship　with　corn　if　they　would　visit　him。　　Spelman　took　the　message　and　brought　back　the　English　reply；　whereupon　Powhatan　laid　the　plot　which　resulted　in　the　killing　of　Captain　Ratcliffe　and　thirty…eight　men；　only　two　of　his　company　escaping　to　Jamestown。　　Spelman　gives　two　versions　of　this　incident。　　During　the　massacre　Spelman　says　that　Powhatan　sent　him　and　Savage　to　a　town　some　sixteen　miles　away。　　Smith's　〃General　Historie〃　says　that　on　this　occasion　〃Pocahuntas　saved　a　boy　named　Henry　Spilman　that　lived　many　years　afterward；　by　her　means；　among　the　Patawomekes。〃　　Spelman　says　not　a　word　about　Pocahuntas。　　On　the　contrary；　he　describes　the　visit　of　the　King　of　the　Patawomekes　to　Powhatan；　says　that　the　King　took　a　fancy　to　him；　that　he　and　Dutch　Samuel；　fearing　for　their　lives；　escaped　from　Powhatan's　town；　were　pursued；　that　Samuel　was　killed；　and　that　Spelman；　after　dodging　about　in　the　forest；　found　his　way　to　the　Potomac；　where　he　lived　with　this　good　King　Patomecke　at　a　place　called　Pasptanzie　for　more　than　a　year。　　Here　he　seems　to　have　passed　his　time　agreeably；　for　although　he　had　occasional　fights　with　the　squaws　of　Patomecke；　the　King　was　always　his　friend；　and　so　much　was　he　attached　to　the　boy　that　he　would　not　give　him　up　to　Captain　Argall　without　some　copper　in　exchange。

When　Smith　returned　wounded　to　Jamestown；　he　was　physically　in　no　condition　to　face　the　situation。　　With　no　medical　attendance；　his　death　was　not　improbable。　　He　had　no　strength　to　enforce　discipline　nor　organize　expeditions　for　supplies；　besides；　he　was　acting　under　a　commission　whose　virtue　had　expired；　and　the　mutinous　spirits　rebelled　against　his　authority。　　Ratcliffe；　Archer；　and　the　others　who　were　awaiting　trial　conspired　against　him；　and　Smith　says　he　would　have　been　murdered　in　his　bed　if　the　murderer's　heart　had　not　failed　him　when　he　went　to　fire　his　pistol　at　the　defenseless　sick　man。　　However；　Smith　was　forced　to　yield　to　circumstances。　　No　sooner　had　he　given　out　that　he　would　depart　for　England　than　they　persuaded　Mr。　Percy　to　stay　and　act　as　President；　and　all　eyes　were　turned　in　expectation　of　favor　upon　the　new　commanders。　　Smith　being　thus　divested　of　authority；　the　most　of　the　colony　turned　against　him；　many　preferred　charges；　and　began　to　collect　testimony。　　〃The　ships　were　detained　three　weeks　to　get　up　proofs　of　his　ill…conduct〃〃time　and　charges；〃　says　Smith；　dryly；　〃that　might　much　better　have　been　spent。〃

It　must　have　enraged　the　doughty　Captain；　lying　thus　helpless；　to　see　his　enemies　triumph；　the　most　factious　of　the　disturbers　in　the　colony　in　charge　of　affairs；　and　become　his　accusers。　　Even　at　this　distance　we　can　read　the　account　with　little　patience；　and　should　have　none　at　all　if　the　account　were　not　edited　by　Smith　himself。　His　revenge　was　in　his　good　fortune　in　setting　his　own　story　afloat　in　the　current　of　history。　　The　first　narrative　of　these　events；　published　by　Smith　in　his　Oxford　tract　of　1612；　was　considerably　remodeled　and　changed　in　his　〃General　Historie〃　of　1624。　　As　we　have　said　before；　he　had　a　progressive　memory；　and　his　opponents　ought　to　be　thankful　that　the　pungent　Captain　did　not　live　to　work　the　story　over　a　third　time。

It　is　no　doubt　true；　however；　that　but　for　the　accident　to　our　hero；　he　would　have　continued　to　rule　till　the　arrival　of　Gates　and　Somers　with　the　new　commissions；　as　he　himself　says；　〃but　had　that　unhappy　blast　not　happened；　he　would　quickly　have　qualified　the　heat　of　those　humors　and　factions；　had　the　ships　but　once　left　them　and　us　to　our　fortunes；　and　have　made　that　provision　from　among　the　salvages；　as　we　neither　feared　Spaniard；　Salvage；　nor　famine：　nor　would　have　left　Virginia　nor　our　lawful　authority；　but　at　as　dear　a　price　as　we　had　bought　it；　and　paid　for　it。〃

He　doubtless　would　have　fought　it　out　against　all　comers；　and　who　shall　say　that　he　does　not　merit　the　glowing　eulogy　on　himself　which　he　inserts　in　his　General　History？　　〃What　shall　I　say　but　this；　we　left　him；　that　in　all　his　proceedings　made　justice　his　first　guide；　and　experience　his　second；　ever　hating　baseness；　sloth；　pride；　and　indignity；　more　than　any　dangers；　that　upon　no　danger　would　send　them　where　he　would　not　lead　them　himself；　that　would　never　see　us　want　what　he　either　had　or　could　by　any　means　get　us；　that　would　rather　want　than　borrow；　or　starve　than　not　pay；　that　loved　action　more　than　words；　and　hated　falsehood　and　covetousness　worse　than　death；　whose　adventures　were　our　lives；　and　whose　loss　our　deaths。〃

A　handsomer　thing　never　was　said　of　another　man　than　Smith　could　say　of　himself；　but　he　believed　it；　as　also　did　many　of　his　comrades；　we　must　suppose。　　He　suffered　detraction　enough；