discharge the imputation of malicious tungs, that halfe suspected I durst not for so long delaying, some of the company as desirous as myselfe, we resolved to hire a Canowe and return with the barge to Apokant, there to leave the barge secure, and put ourselves uppon the adventure: the country onely a vast and wilde wilderness and but onely that Towne. Within three or foure mile we hired a Canowe and two Indians to row us ye next day a fowling: having made such provision for the barge as was needful, I left her there to ride, with expresse charge not any to goe ashore til my returne. Though some wise men may condemn this too bould attempt of too much indiscretion, yet if they well consider the friendship of the Indians, in conducting me, the desolateness of the country, the probabilitie of some lacke, and the malicious judges of my actions at home, as also to have some matters of worth to incourage our adventurers in England, might well have caused any honest minde to have done the like, as well for his owne discharge as for the publike good. Having two Indians for my guide and two of our own company, I set forward, leaving seven in the barge; having discovered twenty miles further in this desart, the river still kept his depth and bredth, but much more combred with trees: here we went ashore (being some twelve miles higher than ye barge had bene) to refresh our selves, during the boyling of our victuals. One of the Indians I took with me to see the nature of the soile, and to crosse the boughts of the river, the other Indian I left with Mr. Robinson and Thomas Emry, with their matches light 5 and order to discharge a peece, for my retreat at the first sight of any Indian, but within a quarter of an houre I heard a loud cry and a hollowing of Indians, but no warning peece. Supposing them surprised, and that the Indians had betraid us, presently I seazed him and bound his arme fast to my hand in a garter, with my pistoll ready bent to be revenged on him: he advised me to fly and seemed ignorant of what was done, but as we went discoursing, I was struck with an arrow on the right thigh but without harme. Upon this occasion I espied two Indians drawing their bowes, which I prevented in discharging a French pistoll: by that I had charged againe, three or four more did the like, for the first fell downe and fled: at my discharge they did the like, my hinde 8 I made my barricado, who offered not to strive. Twenty or thirty arrowes were shot at me but short, three or four times I had discharged my pistoll ere the King of Pamaunck called Opeckankenough, with two hundred men, environed me, eache drawing their bowe, which done they laid them upon the ground, yet without shot, my hinde treated betwixt them and me of conditions of peace, he discovered me to be the Captaine, my request was to retire to ye boate, they demaunded my armes, the rest they saide were slaine, only me they would reserve; the Indian importuned me not to shoot. In retiring, being in the midst of a low quagmire, and minding them more then my steps, I stept fast into the quagmire, and also the Indian in drawing me forth: thus surprised, I resolved to trie their mercies, my armes I caste from me, til which none durst approach me. 9 Being ceazed on me, they drew me out and led me to the King; I presented him with a compasse diall, describing by my best meanes the use thereof, whereat he so amazedly admired, as he suffered me to proceed in a discourse of the roundness of the earth, the course of the sunne, moone, starres, and plannets. With kinde speeches and bread he requited me, conducting me where the Canow lay and John Robbinson slaine, with twenty or thirty arrowes in him. Emry I saw not, I perceived by the aboundance of fires all over the woods, at each place I expected when they would execute me, yet they used me with what kindnes they could: approaching their Towne, which was within six miles where I was taken, onely made as arbors and covered with mats, which they remove as occasion requires: all the women and children, being advertised of this accident, came foorth to meet them, the King well guarded with twenty bowmen, five flanck and rear, and each flanck before him a sword and a peece, after him the like, then a bowman. then I, on each hande a bowman, the reste in file in the reare. On eache flanck a sargeant, the one running alwaies towards the front, the other towards the reare, each a true pace and in exceeding good order. This being a good time continued, they caste themselves in a ring with a daunce, and so eache man departed to his lodging, the Captain conducting me to his lodging. A quarter of Venison and some ten pound of bread I had for supper; what I left was reserved for me, and sent with me to my lodging: each morning three women presented me three greate platters of fine bread, more venison than ten men could devour I had; my gowne, points 10 and garters, my compas and a tablet they gave me againe. Though eight ordinarily guarded me, I wanted not what they could devise to content me: and still our longer acquaintance increased our better affection. Much they threatened to assalt our forte, as they were solicited by the King of Paspahegh, who shewed at our forte great signes of sorrow for this mischance. . . I desired he 11 would send a messenger to Paspahegh,12 with a letter I would write, by which they shold understand how kindly they used me, and that I was wel, least they should revenge my death: this he granted, and sent three men in such weather, as in reason were unpossible, by any naked to be indured. Their cruell mindes towards the fort I had deverted in describing the ordnances and the mines in the fields, as also the revenge Captain Newport would take of them, at his return; their intent, I incerted the fort, the people of Ocanahonum and the back sea: 13 this report they after found divers Indians that confirmed. The next day after my letter, came a salvage to my lodging, with his sword to have slaine me, but being by my guard intercepted, with a bowe and arrow he offred to have effected his purpose: the cause I knew not til the King understanding thereof came and told me of a man dying, wounded with my pistoll: he told me also of another I had slayne, yet the most concealed they had any hurte: this was the father of him I had slayne, whose fury to prevent, the King presently conducted me to another Kingdome, upon the top of the next northerly river, called Youghtanan. Arriving at Weramocomoco,14 their Emperour proudly lying uppon a Bedstead a foote high upon tenne or twelve Mattes, richly hung with many chaynes of great Pearls about his necke, and covered with a great covering of Rahaughcums: 15 at his heade sat a woman, at his feete another, on each side sitting uppon a Matte uppon the ground were raunged his chiefe men on each side the fire, tenne in a rank, and behinde them as many young women, each a great chaine of white beades over their shoulders: their heades painted in redde, and with such a grave majesticall countenance, as drave me into admiration to see such state in a naked salvage, hee kindly welcomed me with good wordes, and great platters of sundrie victuals, assuring me his friendship, and my libertie within foure dayes. NOTES TO CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH A Few suggestions are here made to guide the student in the study of the following selections in prose. Suggestions for the study of poetry will be found under "Notes to Bryant." 1. Ascertain the circumstances under which the work in hand was written, and the purpose it was intended to subserve. How was the material obtained ? Is it fact or fiction? An acquaintance with the author's life will be helpful in answering these and other questions. 2. All discourse may be divided into four generic classes, namely: description, narration, exposition, and argumentation. Though frequently united in the same paragraph, they may generally be distinguished. In the following selections, point out what is descriptive, narrative, expository, and argumentative. 3. Sentences vary in diction, length, and form. Every author has his prevailing or characteristic type of sentence. Determine the percentage of AngloSaxon and Latin words, and also the average length of the sentences. Ascertain also the proportion of loose, balanced, and periodic sentences. The results will afford a basis of interesting comparison between the different authors. 4. The personality of the author is reflected in his work. Determine his mood or spirit in writing. .Is he grave, pathetic, humorous? Is his style formal and dignified, or easy and colloquial? Does imagination, feeling, or reason predominate in his work? What idea of his character would you form from his writing? 5. The foregoing points of investigation are not an end in themselves, but merely preliminary to an intelligent perusal of an author. It is only when the facts indicated are clearly ascertained that we can enter into full sympathy with him, or form a correct judgment of his work. This extract is taken from "A True Relation of such Occurrences and Accidents of Noate as hath Hapned in Virginia, since the First Planting of that Collony, which is now resident in the South Part thereof, till the last Returne from thence." It is the earliest history of the settlement at Jamestown, and the beginning of American literature. It covers the brief period between April 26, 1607, and June 2, 1608. It was printed in London in small quarto form. There are eight copies of the original edition in America. An inaccurate reprint appeared in the Southern Literary Messenger, February, 1845. An edition was edited by Mr. Deane in Boston in 1866. The substance of the "True Relation" is reproduced in the "Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles" (the third book), which was written in 1624. The style of the " Generall Historie" is more elevated and flowing; and the lapse of sixteen years has served to give to the nar rative something of the enchantment that distance lends to the view. While it is not necessary, perhaps, to believe in the fabrication of new matter, it is certainly true that the " Generall Historie " contains interesting statements not found in the "True Relation." The romantic story of Pocahontas, for example, is found only in the former; and its absence from the "True Relation" has been regarded by some recent critics as pretty conclusive proof that the incident was a happy afterthought. Except the punctuation and the use of capital letters, which it was thought better not to follow closely, the extract given for study is a reproduction of the original, and will therefore serve as a specimen of English prose at the beginning of the seventeenth century. As will be noticed, there is a considerable lack of uniformity in the spelling. This is attributable less to Smith's carelessness or ignorance than to the unfixed state of the English language. When he wrote the "True Relation," no dictionary of the language had yet appeared, the first being published in 1623. 1. Ye river. The letter y in ye is used for the Anglo-Saxon character representing the sound th, and in the Middle Ages, as well as at the beginning of the seventeenth century, had the same sound. Smith uses both forms of the definite article, ye and the. The river in question is the Chickahominy, which, in the "True Relation," appears as Checka Hamania, and in the "Generall Historie" as the Chickahamania. 2. Osey = oozy. A. S. wos; the word has lost its initial w. 3. All the places named in the narrative are given in Smith's well-known map of Virginia. Considering the difficulties attending his explorations, the accuracy of his map is remarkable. 4. Boughts = bends, turnings. Also spelled bout. In Milton we find: "In notes, with many a winding bout But in Spenser, speaking of the Monster Error: — = L'Allegro, 139. Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound." - Faery Queene, I. xv. 5. Light lighted. "About the beginning of the reign of Henry VII the hand-gun was improved by the addition of a cock, which was brought down by a trigger to a pan at the side of the barrel; this cock held a match which ignited a priming in the pan, the priming communicating with the charge by a small hole.' This was the matchlock, and continued in use till the middle of the seventeenth century, when it was replaced by the flintlock. = "with his garters," as stated in the "Generall Historie." 6. In a garter = 8. Hinde = servant. The d is excrescent; from A. S. hina, a domestic. 9. In the "Generall Historie" we have the following version, which is |