RETURN OF NEWPORT.
During the winter and spring the little colony had not been forgotten
by the company in England. Newport, soon after his arrival in London,
was again dispatched to America in company with another vessel
commanded by Francis Nelson, both vessels freighted with everything
which could be necessary for either the colony or the crew. Newport
arrived in safety, but Nelson, when nearing the capes, was caught in
a storm and driven so far out to sea, that he was forced to put into the
West Indies, where he made the necessary repairs, and then reached
his destination. Smith and Newport decided to again visit Powhatan,
who received them in the same dignified manner as on the previous occasion;
and during the conference the chieftain exhibited so much
diplomatic skill that he was on the eve of closing a bargain with Newport
which would have been very disadvantageous to the colony; but
Smith prevented the transaction by passing some blue beads before the
eyes of the monarch; and by placing great value upon them, and impressing
him with the fact that they were only worn by the greatest personages,
succeeded in exchanging a pound or two of them for about
seven hundred bushels of corn. But no sooner had they returned to
Jamestown with this new supply to their former stock, than, as is generally
the case with ill-gotten gains, a fire broke out and consumed the
greater part of it, together with a number of their cabins and some arms
and bedding.
But this was not all; Newport, instead of returning to England
immediately, remained fourteen weeks at Jamestown, consuming the
provisions that he should have left for the defenseless and helpless
colony after his departure. His delay was occasioned by the fact that
he had brought over with him several refiners of gold who had discovered
some glittering earth near Jamestown, which they pronounced
gold. All the available force was engaged in loading the ship with
this worthless clay. The idea prevailed to such an extent that Smith
says there was no talk, no hope, no work, but dig gold, wash gold,
refine gold, load gold. The cargo was at last completed, and Newport
sailed for London. When the Phœnix, the vessel of Captain Nelson,
was to be loaded, Smith, instead of permitting it to be freighted
with "fools' gold," fitted her out with a cargo of cedar timber.
This was the first valuable shipment made from Virginia to England.
Smith accompanied the Phœnix as far as the capes, taking fourteen
men with him and two open boats, which were to be used in carrying
out his long cherished design of exploring the Chesapeake. In this
work nearly three months were consumed, and three thousand miles
of coast and river were explored and accurately mapped. The map of
the Chesapeake Bay made by Smith at this time is still preserved, and
is a marvel of exactness. It is the original upon which all subsequent
descriptions have been based.
