Out of the occurrences at this new settlement grew many of the charges
which were preferred against Smith. According to the “General Historie”
the company of Ratcliffe and Archer was a disorderly rabble, constantly
tormenting the Indians, stealing their corn, robbing their gardens,
beating them, and breaking into their houses and taking them prisoners.
The Indians daily complained to the President that these “protectors”
he had given them were worse enemies than the Monacans, and desired
his pardon if they defended themselves, since he could not punish their
tormentors. They even proposed to fight for him against them. Smith says
that after spending nine days in trying to restrain them, and showing
them how they deceived themselves with “great guilded hopes of the South
Sea Mines,” he abandoned them to their folly and set sail for Jamestown.
No sooner was he under way than the savages attacked the fort, slew
many of the whites who were outside, rescued their friends who were
prisoners, and thoroughly terrified the garrison. Smith's ship happening
to go aground half a league below, they sent off to him, and were glad
to submit on any terms to his mercy. He “put by the heels” six or seven
of the chief offenders, and transferred the colony to Powhatan, where
were a fort capable of defense against all the savages in Virginia, dry
houses for lodging, and two hundred acres of ground ready to be planted.
This place, so strong and delightful in situation, they called Non-such.
The savages appeared and exchanged captives, and all became friends
again.
At this moment, unfortunately, Captain West returned. All the victuals
and munitions having been put ashore, the old factious projects were
revived. The soft-hearted West was made to believe that the rebellion
had been solely on his account. Smith, seeing them bent on their own
way, took the row-boat for Jamestown. The colony abandoned the pleasant
Non-such and returned 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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