The General Historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles (Vol. I) Together with the True Travels, Adventures and Observations, and a Sea Grammar by John Smith

Author:John Smith [Smith, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Smith, John, 1580-1631, Navigation, Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775, New England -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775, Indians of North America -- Virginia, Bermuda Islands -- History
Published: 2018-01-08T16:00:00+00:00

An assalt by the Salvages.

The planting of Non-such. {MN}

Now no sooner was the Ship under sayle, but the Salvages assaulted those hundred and twentie in their Fort, finding some stragling abroad in the woods: they slew many, and so affrighted the rest, as their prisoners escaped, and they safely retyred, with the swords and cloakes of those they had slaine. But ere wee had sayled halfe a league, our ship grounding, gave us once more libertie to summon them to a parley; where we found them all so strangely amazed with this poore silly assault of twelve Salvages, that they submitted themselves upon any tearmes to the Presidents mercy; who presently put by the heeles sixe or seaven of the chiefe offenders: the rest he seated gallantly at Powhatan, in that Salvage Fort, readie built, and prettily fortified with poles and barkes of trees, sufficient to have defended them from all the Salvages in Virginia, dry houses for lodgings and neere two hundred accres of ground ready to be planted, {MN} and no place we knew so strong, so pleasant and delightfull in Virginia for which we called it Non-such. The Salvages also hee presently appeased, redelivering to either party their former losses. Thus all were friends.

The Salvages appeased.

New officers appointed to command, and the President againe ready to depart, at that instant arrived Captaine West, whose gentle nature, by the perswasions and compassion of those mutinous prisoners, (alledging they had onely done this for his honor) was so much abused, that to regaine their old hopes, new turboyles did arise. For they a-shore being possessed of all their victuall, munition, and every thing, grew to that height in their former factions, as the President left them to their fortunes: they returned againe to the open ayre at Wests Fort, abandoning Non-such, and he to James towne with his best expedition, but this hapned him in that Journey.

Captaine Smith blowne up with powder.

A bloudy intent. {MN}

Sleeping in his Boate, (for the ship was returned two daies before) accidentallie, one fired his powder-bag, which tore the flesh from his body and thighes, nine or ten inches square in a most pittifull manner; but to quench the tormenting fire, frying him in his cloaths he leaped over-boord into the deepe river, where ere they could recover him he was neere drowned. In this estate without either Chirurgian, or Chirurgery he was to goe neere an hundred myles. Arriving at James towne, causing all things to be prepared for peace or warres to obtaine provision, whilest those things were providing, Ratliffe, Archer, & the rest of their Confederates, being to come to their trials; their guiltie consciences, fearing a just reward for their deserts, seeing the President, unable to stand, and neere bereft of his senses by reason of his torment, they had plotted to have murdered him in his bed. {MN} But his heart did faile him that should have given fire to that mercilesse Pistoll. So not finding that course to be the best, they joyned together to usurpe the government, thereby to escape their punishment.

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