Life of Captain John Smith

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1846. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V. The hurt under which our Captain still suffered in some degree contributed to the return of the voyagers. But for this they might still have loitered along the route for further discoveries. Once fairly under weigh, Smith contrived to extract from his men all the services of which they were capable. Their arrival at the Indian settlement of Kecoughtan (Hampton) was a subject of surprise to the savages, who "seeing our Captain hurt, and another bloody by breaking his shinne,--our number of bovves, arrowes, swords, mantles and furrs, would needes imagine we had beene at warres." The simple statement of the truth would not satisfy them, and finding them resolved on believing nothing less than they fancied, they were fooled by our voyagers to the top of their bent. "Finding their aptnesse to beleeve, we fay led not (as a great secret) to tell them anything which might affright them,--what spoyle we had got and made of the Massawomeks." In the same spirit, disguising their bark with painted streamers and other devices, our voyagers appeared before the people of Jamestown as a Spanish frigate, and filled them with terror for a season. They reached the colony on the 21st of July, having been absent twenty days Smith's return to the colony was always seasonable. As usual he found things in evil condition. The last comers from Europe were all sick; of the rest some were lame and bruised, and all unhappy--all complaining of the President. That weak and vicious person had resumed N his evil practices, had riotously consumed the public stores, had been guilty of needless cruelties, and had completed the measure of his follies and offences by tasking the labor of the people in building a sort of pleasurehouse in the woods for his personal indulgence. But for Smith...