Pocahontas, -1617; Powhatan Indians -- Biography; Powhatan women -- Biography
The “Travaile” was first published by the Hakluyt Society in 1849. When
and where it was written, and whether it was all composed at one time,
are matters much in dispute. The first book, descriptive of Virginia and
its people, is complete; the second book, a narration of discoveries in
America, is unfinished. Only the first book concerns us. That Strachey
made notes in Virginia may be assumed, but the book was no doubt written
after his return to England.
[This code of laws, with its penalty of whipping and death for what are
held now to be venial offenses, gives it a high place among the Black
Codes. One clause will suffice:
“Every man and woman duly twice a day upon the first towling of the Bell
shall upon the working daies repaire unto the church, to hear divine
service upon pain of losing his or her allowance for the first omission,
for the second to be whipt, and for the third to be condemned to the
Gallies for six months. Likewise no man or woman shall dare to violate
the Sabbath by any gaming, publique or private, abroad or at home, but
duly sanctifie and observe the same, both himselfe and his familie, by
preparing themselves at home with private prayer, that they may be the
better fitted for the publique, according to the commandments of God,
and the orders of our church, as also every man and woman shall repaire
in the morning to the divine service, and sermons preached upon the
Sabbath day, and in the afternoon to divine service, and Catechism upon
paine for the first fault to lose their provision, and allowance for the
whole week following, for the second to lose the said allowance and also
to be whipt, and for the third to suffer death.”]
Was it written before or after the publication of Smith's “Map and
Description” at Oxford in 1612? The question is important, because
Smith's “Description” and Strachey's “Travaile” are page after page
literally the same. One was taken from the other. Commonly at that time
manuscripts seem to have been passed around and much read before they
were published. Purchas acknowledges that he had unpublished manuscripts
of Smith when he compiled his narrative. Did Smith see Strachey's
manuscript before he published his Oxford tract, or did Strachey enlarge
his own notes from Smith's description? It has been usually assumed
that Strachey cribbed from Smith without acknowledgment. If it were a
question to be settled by the internal evidence of the two accounts,
I should incline to think that Smith condensed his description from
Strachey, but the dates incline the balance in Smith's favor.
Strachey in his “Travaile” refers sometimes to Smith, and always with
respect. It will be noted that Smith's “Map” was engraved and published
before the “Description” in the Oxford tract. Purchas had it, for he
says, in writing of Virginia for his “Pilgrimage” (which was published
in 1613):
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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