The Story of American History for Elementary SchoolsBlaisdell, Albert F. (Albert Franklin)
History
The Story of American History for Elementary Schools
Blaisdell, Albert F. (Albert Franklin)
United States -- History
=28. His Romantic Adventures.=--Our bold adventurer now went farther east
and enlisted in the Austrian army to fight against the Turks. In that
service he soon became well known as a brave and dashing fellow, and
before long he was made a captain of cavalry. After a battle in which
the Austrians were defeated, Smith, badly wounded, lay a while among the
dead. But he was found and cared for. After his wounds had healed, he
was taken to Constantinople and sold to the Turks as a slave. A Turkish
lady showed him great kindness.
Then he was sent to Russia. There, at a place about a mile from the
house of his cruel master, he was set to threshing grain. One day his
owner rode up and shamefully abused him. Stung by his insolence, Smith
killed the man with a flail, exchanged his own slave garments for his
victim's clothes, hid the body in the straw, mounted a horse, and
started off. He traveled over Russia, Austria, France, and Spain, and at
last, after many stirring adventures, drifted back to his old home in
England again.
All these stories and many more Captain John tells us in his book of
travels. Perhaps they are true, and perhaps we may conclude with some
other persons that Smith was a daring fellow at telling stories as well
as at fighting Turks!
=29. Captain John begins his Career in the New World.=--When our
adventurer arrived in England, all the talk was about the wonderful
western world. Although he had roamed so widely and had fared so hard,
he was then less than thirty years old and was ready for new adventures.
All of his previous life seemed a preparation for a career of romance
and heroism in the New World. So he joined an expedition which sailed
for Virginia in the early part of 1607.
On the voyage his superior talents and experience were so evident that
his comrades became jealous of him, and on some pretext caused him to be
put in chains. They had a long and stormy voyage. It was as late as
April when they reached Chesapeake Bay. They were so glad to leave the
stormy ocean and find a place of rest that they named the land near
their first anchorage Point Comfort, a name it still bears.
They entered between two capes, which they called Charles and Henry from
the king's two sons. From their king, James the First, they named the
river up which they sailed the James, and they called the village that
they built Jamestown. Thus was laid in the year 1607 the foundations of
the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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