he might know, by the experience of a year, the hardships and privations of colonial life. But Newport made suitable apology, and Smith was appeased, and forgave.

It is hardly possible for us to award to Smith that meed of respect and admiration which is his due, because it is hardly possible for us to estimate the variety and weight of burdens which none could shoulder but himself, the hinderances which beset him, the enmity and rascality which balked his best endeavors. One thing is certain, however,— he never flagged under the most harassing annoyances. In addition to other difficulties, he was now contending against secret villany, which greatly hindered the mercantile prosperity of the Company. Newport and his sailors traded on their own account, through their private factors or accomplices in the settlement. These pilfered the tools, the powder, the shot, the pike-heads, and other vendible effects belonging to the Company, which they secretly exchanged "with the salvages for furres, baskets, mussanaks, young beasts, or such like"; and these commodities they again "exchanged with the saylers for butter, cheese, beefe, porke, aqua vita, beere," and other ship-stores of the Company, and which "they would fain was all sent them by their friends" in England. Thus, "though the Company got no furs from Virginia, yet the master [Newport] got so many by this indirect meanes as he confessed to have sold in England for thirty pounds." To such an extent was this peculation carried, "that, within six or seaven weakes, of two or three hundred axes, chisels, hows [hoes], and pickaxes, scarce twentie could be found." Thus the

Company received no returns, save the avails of Smith's honest and indefatigable toil, and were at the same time freely swindled by their own servants. So completely was the ship stripped of her stores by this abominable traffic, that Smith, out of his meagre supplies, was obliged to furnish three hogsheads of corn to victual her homeward. The Company had reason to complain; but they complained only of their faithful servant. Yet he would not desert their service, though he manfully and keenly retorted their complaints.

It was a relief when Newport was gone, although there were two hundred colonists to be fed, eightynine of whom were lame and sick in consequence of his journey of discovery, — and they were reduced, after victualling the ship, to a pint of corn a day to a man. In addition to this, the new-comers were nearly all mere consumers, fifty-six of the seventy being gentlemen, tradesmen, glass and potash makers, boys and women. Captain Smith sent home with Newport the late President, Radcliffe, "a poore counterfeited imposture now called Sicklemore, least the company [at Jamestown] should cut his throat."

The slender harvest of the colonists had been seriously injured by imperfect shelter, and the favorable time for purchasing the newly gathered harvest of the Indians had been squandered by the moonshine adventures of Newport. In addition, it was evident that the Indians were unwilling to supply their wants. Under these circumstances, Captain Smith was seri

Smith's letter to the Council in England is contained entire in Simms, and an abstract of it may be found in Hillard.

ously apprehensive of famine, and now devoted his whole energies to avert it. He went upon repeated excursions to purchase corn. They were successful only to a limited degree; and only by resorting to threats, and even to some violence, after persuasion had been tried in vain. Powhattan had issued positive orders to his subjects not to sell their corn to the English. Winter had set in. The ground was frozen hard, and covered with snow. Yet Smith and the men who accompanied him were obliged to sleep in the open woods. To keep themselves alive, they would clear away the snow, build a generous fire upon the spot, remove the embers, and thus provide a warm bed for a while. When the ground grew cold, they would wake up, make another fire, and have a warm bed again. Thus did they make shift for many a cold night; yet they "were always in health, lusty, and fat." Notwithstanding hardships

and ill success, Smith was not discouraged; but he resolved, through the necessity of the case, upon another and bold expedient.

About this time occurred the first English marriage in Virginia, John Laydon with Anne Burras.

CHAPTER XI.

THE ANGEL BY NIGHT.-SINGLE COMBATS.

ANARCHY.

PEACE.

In one of the most spacious huts of the royal village of Werowocomoco, and but a short distance from the bank of the river, a party of nineteen Englishmen were gathered around a generous fire on the morning of the 14th day of January, 1609. They had just partaken of a bounteous breakfast of venison, turkeys, and maize, which Powhattan had provided with his usual liberality. The ground was covered with snow, and the ice extended nearly half a mile into the river, at less than musket-shot from which point lay the English pinnace and two barges, having on board twenty-eight men, in plain sight from the door of the hut. The snow-clad pine-tops had glistened but a little while under the rays of the sun, when the English finished their meal. They were all stout men, and stout-hearted too; or they would not have volunteered as they had done to enter the lion's den, knowing that he thirsted for their blood. They all seemed in good spirits, except three or four drowsy ones who had kept the night-watch. It is almost needless to say that the whole party were armed, and that Captain Smith was one of their number.

They had arrived on the 12th. The next day had

been consumed in an unavailing talk between Smith and Powhattan, which consisted chiefly of reproaches on the part of the chief that his "friend" should have come with an armed retinue, and on the part of the other that his "friend" produced no corn, after having invited him thither under promise of a boat-load. Just before receiving the invitation, Smith had determined upon the excursion for the purpose of attempting the capture of Powhattan, as the only means of procuring food for the colony, and as a security for his own life. Powhattan had sent the invitation expressly for the purpose of compassing his death; and of this Smith, in addition to what he knew before of Powhattan's general hostility and designs, had received positive information just after leaving Jamestown. The chief also had received positive information of Smith's purpose, through some traitorous Germans whom he had sent to build a house which

his Indian "friend" had requested. Thus singu larly were they situated, each knowing the hostile intent of the other, each supposing his own intent unknown, and each adopting the speech and courtesies of friends.

"It is useless," said Smith, as his men gathered closer to the fire, "to dally longer with this suspicious old chief. We must do our best to seize him to-day, if we would save our people from starvation and ourselves from massacre."

"We only await your orders, sir," said John Russel. "Have you any plan of proceeding?"

"I see no chance for stratagem. Powhattan is too much upon his guard. He will soon be here for another talk. You only must remain with me, Mr.