The Birth of the Nation, Jamestown, 1607Pryor, Sara Agnes Rice
History
The Birth of the Nation, Jamestown, 1607
Pryor, Sara Agnes Rice
Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Captain Smith, after three or four days spent in feasting and dancing,
and a little traffic in toys, at last proposed trade on a larger basis.
But Powhatan demurred. "It is not agreeable to my greatness," he said
to Newport, "to traffic for trifles in this peddling manner. You, too, I
esteem a great werowance.[40] Therefore lay me down all your commodities
together. What I like I will take, and in recompense give you what I think
their fitting value."
Captain Smith, who was acting as interpreter between the traders, at
once detected Powhatan's cunning, and implored Newport to be chary of his
goods. But Newport, wishing to express a lordly indifference to commercial
interests, offered his entire outfit of mirrors, copper, bells, hatchets,
cloth, and received in return something less than four bushels of corn!
Newport was astounded. He had expected to freight his pinnace! He lost his
temper and quarrelled with Captain Smith, in consequence probably of the
reproaches of the latter. But the captain contrived to display some blue
beads, simply as objects of interest, and not for barter, seeing "they
could be worn only by royalty." Powhatan fell neatly into the trap, and
bought them for two or three hundred bushels of corn! Blue beads rose in
value. Opechancanough was allowed to buy a few, but "none durst weare any
of them but their greate kings, their wives and children."
The outwitted Newport retired in chagrin to his pinnace. Before he sailed,
Powhatan sent a feast of bread and venison, and Nantauquas to beg Captain
Smith to visit him again, but to leave his sword and pistol behind. "But
these," said Smith, significantly, "are requests made by our enemies,
never by our friends."
The next morning there was a parting interview, with promises from
Powhatan to help avenge Newport's son (slain as reported by Smith) by an
invasion of the Monacans. After a good deal of insincere palaver, the
English proceeded on their homeward way, first making a short visit to
the arch-enemy, Opechancanough, at his urgent solicitation.
Powhatan sent thither for the party to return to him, but upon receiving
their respectful regrets, he sent again, this time by little Pocahontas.
With her, they returned for another short visit to Werowocomoco: more
courtesies, more protestations of friendship, and the loan of another
Indian (probably Machumps) with instructions to report the strength and
wealth of the white man's country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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