President Wingfield appears to have taken soldierly precautions, but
Smith was not at all pleased with him from the first. He says “the
President's overweening jealousy would admit of no exercise at arms, or
fortifications but the boughs of trees cast together in the form of a
half-moon by the extraordinary pains and diligence of Captain Kendall.”
He also says there was contention between Captain Wingfield and Captain
Gosnold about the site of the city.
The landing was made at Jamestown on the 14th of May, according to
Percy. Previous to that considerable explorations were made. On the 18th
of April they launched a shallop, which they built the day before,
and “discovered up the bay.” They discovered a river on the south side
running into the mainland, on the banks of which were good stores
of mussels and oysters, goodly trees, flowers of all colors, and
strawberries. Returning to their ships and finding the water shallow,
they rowed over to a point of land, where they found from six to twelve
fathoms of water, which put them in good comfort, therefore they named
that part of the land Cape Comfort. On the 29th they set up a cross on
Chesapeake Bay, on Cape Henry, and the next day coasted to the Indian
town of Kecoughton, now Hampton, where they were kindly entertained.
When they first came to land the savages made a doleful noise, laying
their paws to the ground and scratching the earth with their nails. This
ceremony, which was taken to be a kind of idolatry, ended, mats were
brought from the houses, whereon the guests were seated, and given
to eat bread made of maize, and tobacco to smoke. The savages also
entertained them with dancing and singing and antic tricks and grimaces.
They were naked except a covering of skins about the loins, and many
were painted in black and red, with artificial knots of lovely colors,
beautiful and pleasing to the eye. The 4th of May they were entertained
by the chief of Paspika, who favored them with a long oration, making
a foul noise and vehement in action, the purport of which they did not
catch. The savages were full of hospitality. The next day the weroance,
or chief, of Rapahanna sent a messenger to invite them to his seat. His
majesty received them in as modest a proud fashion as if he had been a
prince of a civil government. His body was painted in crimson and his
face in blue, and he wore a chain of beads about his neck and in his
ears bracelets of pearls and a bird's claw. The 8th of May they went up
the river to the country Apomatica, where the natives received them in
hostile array, the chief, with bow and arrows in one hand, and a pipe of
tobacco in the other, offering them war or peace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account