The Coming of the White Men: Stories of How Our Country Was DiscoveredWade, Mary Hazelton Blanchard
History
The Coming of the White Men: Stories of How Our Country Was Discovered
Wade, Mary Hazelton Blanchard
America -- Discovery and exploration -- Juvenile fiction; Discoveries in geography -- Juvenile fiction
"He was not disappointed this time. It was all he had hoped.
"When the people of Virginia heard that Catholics wished to settle
among them, they sent word to the king of England that they did not
like the plan at all. Then the king said:
"'I will give the land north of Virginia to Lord Baltimore.'
"When the second party was ready to leave England, their good friend
was dead. His son took his place as governor.
"'How beautiful this place is!' thought the travelers as they sailed up
the Potomac River after a long and dangerous voyage.
"'You should call the country I have given you Maryland, or the Land
of Mary,' the king had told them. This was in honor of the Queen
Henrietta Maria.
"It was because of this that their new home was called Maryland.
"The party landed first on an island. A large cross was set up in the
ground and the priests gave thanks to God for bringing them all safely
across the ocean.
"As they sailed up the river, they saw Indians along the shores. The
Red Men did not look kindly at the strangers. They seemed ready to make
war. The governor thought:
"'This will never do. We must not fight if we can help it. We must show
the savages that we wish to be friends.'
"He acted so wisely that fear and anger left the hearts of the savages.
They put their bows and arrows aside and began to help the newcomers.
"One day as some of the settlers were out on an excursion, a stranger
appeared among them. His skin was so dark, and he was dressed so
strangely, they thought at first that he was an Indian.
"He spoke to them in English, however, and explained who he was. His
name was Captain Henry Fleet. He had been living among the Red Men.
He had once been their prisoner. He gave the strangers good advice. He
said to them:
"'Do not settle on the island where you are now living. I know another
place you would like much better. It is on the shore of the main land.
Some Indians have a village there. They are kind and gentle. I think
they will be willing to sell their home to you.'
"It was a good plan. The white people went to the place and were much
pleased with it. It was in a lovely valley near the shore. Springs of
cool water bubbled up here and there. Groves of nut and oak trees gave
a pleasant shade. No fierce wild animals roamed through the forest near
by. They must find out at once if the Indians would be willing to sell
such a pleasant home.
"They brought cloth, tools, and beads to the Red Men. They said:
"'We will give you all these things in return for your village place.'
"The eyes of the Indians sparkled with delight. Cloth, tools, and beads
were the very things they most wished for. They were quite ready to
move away if they could have all these. They said to the strangers:
"'We will share our village with you till the harvest is ripe. Then we
will gather it and go somewhere else and leave you here alone.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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