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1608]

SMITH'S CAPTIVITY.

31

that Smith should be put to death. His head was laid on a large stone, to receive the fatal blow. A fierce savage stood beside

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him, war-club in hand. Just as he was about to strike, Po-cahon'-tas, a gentle Indian girl of twelve years, ran forward, threw her arms about the prisoner, and with tears besought the savages to spare his life. She was the daughter of Powhatan, and the favorite of the whole tribe. Smith had amused her during his captivity, by making her toys, and telling her about the wonders of nature. She had become fond of the stranger, and now tried to save him.

7. Moved by the tears of Pocahontas, the Indians spared

reached Powhatan's village? How was Smith saved?-7. After sparing his

Captain Smith. They even treated him kindly, and let him go back to Jamestown with promises of friendship. Pocahontas continued the firm friend of the English. She often visited them, bringing baskets of corn to relieve their wants. Once, when the Indians had formed a plot to surprise and murder all the whites, she came through the woods by night at the risk of her own life, and warned them to be on their guard.

8. On his return to Jamestown, Smith found the colonists reduced to forty men, and these were on the point of leaving in despair. He made them remain, and soon after Newport arrived with fresh settlers and supplies. Some of the new comers were goldsmiths; and, seeing some glittering sand near the town, they fancied it must be gold dust. Newport was foolish enough to load his vessel with this worthless sand, and carry it to England.

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1. Smith could not remain idle.

COLONY.

In 1608, he set out on a voyage of discovery in an open boat. He explored Chesapeake Bay, and several large rivers that flow into it. He traded with the Indians, and made a map of the whole region he visited. Soon after his return, Newport again arrived with more settlers. But they were not used to hard work. So they did the colony very little good.

2. Soon after this, Lord Delaware was appointed governor of Virginia, and nine vessels were sent out with supplies and men. Most of the ships arrived safe at Jamestown; but the one

life, how did the Indians treat Captain Smith? What services did Pocahontas render the English ?-8. In what condition did Smith find affairs at Jamestown? Who soon after arrived? What mistake did some of the new comers fall into?

1. What did Captain Smith do in 1608? What took place shortly after his return?-2. Who was soon afterwards appointed governor? How many vessels were sent out? What happened to one of these? Who managed affairs till

1609]

THE STARVING TIME.

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that contained the leaders of the party was wrecked, and it was months before they reached the colony. Meanwhile Smith had hard work to manage affairs. Those who had arrived last were idle and quarrelsome, and said he had no right to order them about.

3. There was danger, too, of starving. Powhatan, alarmed by the increasing numbers of the English, said he had no corn to spare, and would neither give nor sell them any. But Smith knew better than this. So, taking some large blue beads with him, he went to see Powhatan. Showing them as if by accident, he told the chief that in his country none but kings were allowed to wear such ornaments. When Powhatan heard this, he gladly gave several hundred bushels of corn for a few of the beads. Another time, he gave nearly a hundred bushels of corn for a little copper kettle. Do you think it was right for Smith to impose on the simple Indian in this way, even to save the lives of his countrymen?

4. In spite of all these difficulties, Captain Smith managed the colony well, till he was injured by an explosion of gunpowder. Then he had to return to England. No sooner was he gone than every thing went wrong. The colonists would not work any more, but called on the Indians to keep them supplied with corn. The Indians refused, and plotted together to destroy the whites. Several small parties were cut off. Some of the colonists seized a vessel and sailed away. The rest almost died of famine. Long was this period remembered as the starving time.

5. The arrival of Lord Delaware himself, with men and provisions, alone saved the colony. Under Delaware and his successors, Virginia flourished. Cattle and hogs were introduced from Europe. Tobacco was cultivated and exported to England. As coin was scarce, tobacco passed for money.

the leaders of the party arrived? What difficulties did he labor under?-3. What other danger was there? How did Smith manage to get some corn from Powhatan ?-4. What obliged Captain Smith to return to England? What was the consequence of his return? What was this period called ?-5. What saved the colony? What was the state of affairs under Delaware? What passed for

6. Thus far very few women had come over to America. In 1620, to make the colonists attached to their new country, the London Company sent over ninety young women. These were

soon married to the settlers, who gave a hundred pounds of tobacco apiece for the expense of bringing them over. The next year more were sent out. There was soon many a pleasant

home on the fertile fields of Virginia.

7. Perhaps you would like to know what became of Pocahontas. This lovely Indian girl, when about eighteen years old, was betrayed into the hands of a party of Englishmen. They refused to give her up unless Powhatan would ransom her. In stead of doing this, the old chief resolved on war. At this crisis, a young planter named Rolfe, who had fallen in love with the beautiful Indian, offered her his hand in marriage. She accepted it, gave up her former religion, and became a Christian. Powhatan approved of the marriage, and ever from that time remained faithful to the English.

8. Rolfe afterwards took his wife to England. She was received with much kindness. Rooms were given her in the palace, and the noblest in the land flocked to see her. Among others, came her old friend, Captain Smith, whose life she had saved. All admired her winning ways. But the climate of England was too cold for her. She was about returning to Virginia, when she died, leaving an only son. Several Virginia families trace their descent to this Indian princess.

9. Powhatan sent one of his warriors to England with Pocahontas, to see the country and find out how many people were there. When they reached England, this Indian got a long stick, thinking he would number the inhabitants by making a notch on it for every one he saw. He soon had to stop. On his return, Powhatan asked him many questions, and among the rest how many people he had seen in England. "Count

money?-6. In 1620, what was done by the London Company, to make the colonists attached to their new country? What was the price of a wife ?-7. What became of Pocahontas?-8. Where did Rolfe take his wife? How was she received? What effect had the climate of England on her?-9. What anecdote is related of one of Powhatan's warriors?

1609]

DUTCH SETTLEMENTS.

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the stars in the sky," he replied, "the leaves on the trees, or the sands on the shore, for such is the number of the English."

LESSON XI.

DUTCH SETTLEMENTS.- -HENRY HUDSON.

1. The next settlement was made in what is now the state of New York, by the Dutch. This nation traded largely with the East Indies. They thought that the voyage thither would be much shortened, if a passage could be found from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, north of America. So they sent out a navigator named Henry Hudson, to discover "a north-west passage ".

2. The chief river in New York, you remember, is the Hudson. It is so called from this same navigator, who discovered it.

Striking the coast of Maine, Hudson sailed south as far as Virginia, without finding the passage he was in search of. Then turning back and closely examining the coast, he discovered an inlet between New Jersey and Long Island. He entered it, and soon found himself in what is now the noble harbor of New York.

3. The island on which the city of New York stands, is called Manhattan. This is an Indian word, meaning the place of drunkenness. I will tell you why it was. so called. When Hudson's ship was coming up the bay, some Indians who were fishing saw it in the distance, and could not make out what it was. They called together their companions from far and near, and watched the strange object as it approached. Some thought it was a floating wigwam; others, that it was a big fish. At last they concluded that it was a huge canoe, containing the Manitou, or Good Spirit, who was about to visit them.

1. Where and by whom was the next settlement made? Why did the Dutch want to find "a north-west passage"? Whom did they send out?-2. What was called after the navigator Hudson? Give an account of Hudson's voyage. -3. What is the name of the island on which the city of New York stands ? What does this word mean? What did the Indians think when they saw Hud

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