35. In Powhatan's Country[141]
BY RAPHE HAMOR (1613-1614)
MUCH ado there was to persuade Pocahontas to be
patient. With extraordinary courteous usage they
accomplished this little by little, and so to Jamestown she
was brought, and a messenger to her father was forewith
despatched to tell him that his only daughter was in the
hands and possession of the English. There she was to be
kept until such time as he would ransom her with our men,
swords, arms, and other tools treacherously taken from us.
The news was unwelcome and troublesome to him, partly for the
love he bare to his daughter and partly to the love he bare to our men
his prisoners, of whom he made great use although with us they seemed
unfitted for any employment.[142] And those
swords and firearms of ours, though they were of no use to him,
delighted him just to look upon.
He could not without long advice and deliberation with his
council, resolve upon anything, and it is really true that we
heard nothing from him till three months afterwards. Then
by persuasion of others he returned seven of our men, and
with each of them an unserviceable musket. By them he sent
us word that whenever we pleased to deliver his daughter, he
would give us in satisfaction of the injuries he had done to
us, and for the rest of our firearms broken and stolen from
him, would pay five hundred bushels of corn and be forever
friends with us.
The men and arms we received in part payment, and
returned to him for an answer that his daughter was very
weld, and was kindly treated, and should be
well treated, however he dealt with us: but we could not
believe that the rest of our arms were either lost or stolen
from him and therefore until he returned them all, we would
not by any means deliver his daughter Then it should be at
his choice whether he would establish peace or continue
enemies with us
This answer as it seemed did not please him very
well for we heard no more from him till last March Then
with Captain Argall's ship and some other vessels belonging
to the colony, Sir Thomas Dale with an hundred and fifty
men well equipped went up into Powhatan's river, where his
chief habitations were We carried with us his daughter,
either to move them to fight for her, if such were their
courage and boldness, or to restore the remainder of our
goods, that is our swords, arms, and tools.
We proceeded and had entered the narrows of the river,
where the channel lay within shot of the shore, when from an
ambush they let their arrows fly amongst us in our ship. We
were justly provoked, and forthwith manned our boats, went
ashore and burned in that very place some forty houses; and
of the things we found therein, we made free booty and
pillage. As they themselves afterwards confessed us, we
wounded and killed five or six of their men. With this
revenge, we satisfied ourselves for their presumption in
shooting at us.
The critical time now came; we went the higher up the river,
and anchored near Powhatan's residence. Here at a town
called Matchot were assembled about four hundred men well
appointed with their bows and arrows to welcome us. They
dared us to come ashore, a thing which we had planned
before; so ashore we went.
[[141]]
A continuation of the previous story.
[[142]]
Probably they had run away to the Indians.
