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the complete writings-3-第58部分

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hatan; in 1614; said he had sold another favorite daughter of his; whom Sir Thomas Dale desired; and who was not twelve years of age; to be wife to a great chief。  The term 〃private Captain〃 might perhaps be applied to an Indian chief。  Smith; in his 〃General Historie;' says the Indians have 〃but few occasions to use any officers more than one commander; which commonly they call Werowance; or Caucorouse; which is Captaine。〃  It is probably not possible; with the best intentions; to twist Kocoum into Caucorouse; or to suppose that Strachey intended to say that a private captain was called in Indian a Kocoum。  Werowance and Caucorouse are not synonymous terms。  Werowance means 〃chief;〃 and Caucorouse means〃 talker〃 or 〃orator;〃 and is the original of our word 〃caucus。〃

Either Strachey was uninformed; or Pocahontas was married to an Indiana not violent presumption considering her age and the fact that war between Powhatan and the whites for some time had cut off intercourse between themor Strachey referred to her marriage with Rolfe; whom he calls by mistake Kocoum。  If this is to be accepted; then this paragraph must have been written in England in 1616; and have referred to the marriage to Rolfe it 〃some two years since;〃 in 1614。

That Pocahontas was a gentle…hearted and pleasing girl; and; through her acquaintance with Smith; friendly to the whites; there is no doubt; that she was not different in her habits and mode of life from other Indian girls; before the time of her kidnapping; there is every reason to suppose。  It was the English who magnified the imperialism of her father; and exaggerated her own station as Princess。  She certainly put on no airs of royalty when she was 〃cart…wheeling〃 about the fort。  Nor does this detract anything from the native dignity of the mature; and converted; and partially civilized woman。

We should expect there would be the discrepancies which have been noticed in the estimates of her age。  Powhatan is not said to have kept a private secretary to register births in his family。  If Pocahontas gave her age correctly; as it appears upon her London portrait in 1616; aged twenty…one; she must have been eighteen years of age when she was captured in 1613 This would make her about twelve at the time of Smith's captivity in 1607…8。  There is certainly room for difference of opinion as to whether so precocious a woman; as her intelligent apprehension of affairs shows her to have been; should have remained unmarried till the age of eighteen。  In marrying at least as early as that she would have followed the custom of her tribe。  It is possible that her intercourse with the whites had raised her above such an alliance as would be offered her at the court of Werowocomoco。

We are without any record of the life of Pocahontas for some years。 The occasional mentions of her name in the 〃General Historie〃 are so evidently interpolated at a late date; that they do not aid us。  When and where she took the name of Matoaka; which appears upon her London portrait; we are not told; nor when she was called Amonata; as Strachey says she was 〃at more ripe yeares。〃  How she was occupied from the departure of Smith to her abduction; we can only guess。  To follow her authentic history we must take up the account of Captain Argall and of Ralph Hamor; Jr。; secretary of the colony under Governor Dale。

Captain Argall; who seems to have been as bold as he was unscrupulous in the execution of any plan intrusted to him; arrived in Virginia in September; 1612; and early in the spring of 1613 he was sent on an expedition up the Patowomek to trade for corn and to effect a capture that would bring Powhatan to terms。  The Emperor; from being a friend; had become the most implacable enemy of the English。  Captain Argall says: 〃I was told by certain Indians; my friends; that the great Powhatan's daughter Pokahuntis was with the great King Potowomek; whither I presently repaired; resolved to possess myself of her by any stratagem that I could use; for the ransoming of so many Englishmen as were prisoners with Powhatan; as also to get such armes and tooles as he and other Indians had got by murther and stealing some others of our nation; with some quantity of corn for the colonies relief。〃

By the aid of Japazeus; King of Pasptancy; an old acquaintance and friend of Argall's; and the connivance of the King of Potowomek; Pocahontas was enticed on board Argall's ship and secured。  Word was sent to Powhatan of the capture and the terms on which his daughter would be released; namely; the return of the white men he held in slavery; the tools and arms he had gotten and stolen; and a great quantity of corn。  Powhatan; 〃much grieved;〃 replied that if Argall would use his daughter well; and bring the ship into his river and release her; he would accede to all his demands。  Therefore; on the 13th of April; Argall repaired to Governor Gates at Jamestown; and delivered his prisoner; and a few days after the King sent home some of the white captives; three pieces; one broad…axe; a long whip…saw; and a canoe of corn。  Pocahontas; however; was kept at Jamestown。

Why Pocahontas had left Werowocomoco and gone to stay with Patowomek we can only conjecture。  It is possible that Powhatan suspected her friendliness to the whites; and was weary of her importunity; and it may be that she wanted to escape the sight of continual fighting; ambushes; and murders。  More likely she was only making a common friendly visit; though Hamor says she went to trade at an Indian fair。

The story of her capture is enlarged and more minutely related by Ralph Hamor; Jr。; who was one of the colony shipwrecked on the Bermudas in 1609; and returned to England in 1614; where he published (London; 1615) 〃A True Discourse of Virginia; and the Success of the Affairs there till the 18th of June; 1614。〃  Hamor was the son of a merchant tailor in London who was a member of the Virginia company。 Hamor writes:

〃It chanced Powhatan's delight and darling; his daughter Pocahuntas (whose fame has even been spread in England by the title of Nonparella of Firginia) in her princely progresse if I may so terme it; tooke some pleasure (in the absence of Captaine Argall) to be among her friends at Pataomecke (as it seemeth by the relation I had); implored thither as shopkeeper to a Fare; to exchange some of her father's commodities for theirs; where residing some three months or longer; it fortuned upon occasion either of promise or profit; Captaine Argall to arrive there; whom Pocahuntas; desirous to renew her familiaritie with the English; and delighting to see them as unknown; fearefull perhaps to be surprised; would gladly visit as she did; of whom no sooner had Captaine Argall intelligence; but he delt with an old friend Iapazeus; how and by what meanes he might procure her caption; assuring him that now or never; was the time to pleasure him; if he intended indeede that love which he had made profession of; that in ransome of hir he might redeeme some of our English men and armes; now in the possession of her father; promising to use her withall faire and gentle entreaty; Iapazeus well assured that his brother; as he promised; would use her courteously; promised his best endeavors and service to accomplish his desire; and thus wrought it; making his wife an instrument (which sex have ever been most powerful in beguiling inticements) to effect his plot which hee had thus laid; he agreed that himself; his wife and Pocahuntas; would accompanie his brother to the water side; whither come; his wife should faine a great and longing desire to goe aboorde; and see the shippe; which being there three or four times before she had never seene; and should be earnest with her husband to permit herhe seemed angry with her; making as he pretended so unnecessary request; especially being without the company of women; which denial she taking unkindly; must faine to weepe (as who knows not that women can command teares) whereupon her husband seeming to pitty those counterfeit teares; gave her leave to goe aboord; so that it would pleese Pocahuntas to accompany her; now was the greatest labour to win her; guilty perhaps of her father's wrongs; though not knowne as she supposed; to goe with her; yet by her earnest persuasions; she assented: so forthwith aboord they went; the best cheere that could be made was seasonably provided; to supper they went; merry on all hands; especially Iapazeus and his wife; who to expres their joy would ere be treading upon Captaine Argall's foot; as who should say tis don; she is your own。  Supper ended Pocahuntas was lodged in the gunner's roome; but Iapazeus and his wife desired to have some conference with their brother; which was onely to acquaint him by what stratagem they had betraied his prisoner as I have already related: after which discourse to sleepe they went; Pocahuntas nothing mistrusting this policy; who nevertheless being most possessed with feere; and desire of returne; was first up; and hastened Iapazeus to be gon。  Capt。 Argall having secretly well rewarded him; with a small Copper kittle; and some other les valuable toies so highly by him esteemed; that doubtlesse he would have betraied his own father for them; permitted both him and his wife to returne; but told him that for divers considerations; as for that his father had then eigh '8' of our Englishe men; many swords; peeces; and other tooles; which he hid at severall times by trecherous murdering our men; taken from them which though of no use to him; he would not redeliver; he would reserve Pocahuntas; whereat she began to be exceeding pensive; and discontented; yet ignorant of the dealing of Japazeus who in outward appearance was no les discontented that he should be the meanes of her captivity; much adoe there was to pursuade her to be patient; which with extraordinary curteous usage; by little and little was wrought in her; and so to Jamestowne she was brought。〃

Smith; who condenses this account in his 〃General Historie;〃 expresses his contempt of this Indian treachery by saying: 〃The old Jew and his wife began to howle and crie as fast as Pocahuntas。〃  It will be noted that the account of the visit (apparently alone) of Pocahontas and her capture is strong evidence that she was not at this
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