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POCAHONTAS.

THIS celebrated princess, so intimately connected with some of the most interesting events in the early history of Virginia, was born about the year 1594. Her father, Powhatan, was called Emperor of Virginia, being the most powerful and famous of all the Indian chiefs in that quarter. His dominions extended from James' river, called originally Powhatan river, north to the Patuxent, and also comprised a portion of the territory on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Captain John Smith, whose adventures have already been made familiar to the reader, paid a visit to Powhatan in 1607, while on an exploring expedition up James' river, in company with Captain Newport and a small party of men. The English were at peace with the savages, and were received by them in a friendly manner. The residence of Powhatan was then at a small town on the bank of the river, in front of three islets, just below the spot where Richmond now stands. The Virginian emperor was then about sixty years of age, gray-headed, and of a lofty demeanor. He was dressed in racoon skins, and bore a crown of feathers. At the entertainment given to Smith's party, some of the Indians expressed their apprehensions of the English, and counselled hostilities against them; but they were silenced by Powhatan. "The strangers," said he, "want but a little ground, which we can easily spare. Why should we

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object to their coming into our territory?" Supposing this language to have been sincere-the Virginian emperor had, among his advisers, men who possessed more shrewdness and foresight than himself.

Whether Pocahontas was present at this interview, we are not told; nor is there any mention of her till the occurrence by which she is best known to the world, the saving of Smith's life. Powhatan, it is said, was a great dissembler, and even while addressing his visitors in the language of peace and friendship, and interchanging presents with them, was plotting a scheme for their destruction. Hostilities broke out shortly after, and before Smith and Newport could return to Jamestown, that settlement was attacked by a strong body of the Indians. The English were quite defenceless, having no arms at hand, as their imbecile governor, Wingfield, fearing a conspiracy of the people, had locked up their guns and prohibited military exercises. Jamestown would have been taken, and the inhabitants massacred, but for a fortunate accident. A cannon shot, from a vessel in the river, cut off the branch of a tree, which fell among a party of the Indians who were rushing to the assault. This so terrified them that they fled in all directions and abandoned the undertaking.

A treaty of peace followed, and Smith, with a party of men, made several excursions into the interior to obtain supplies of provisions. The rivers were covered with innumerable flocks of wild fowl, and the woods abounded with deer and turkeys. The necessities of the colonists were soon relieved, but the restless activity of Smith, and a desire to silence the

murmurs of some of his countrymen, who asserted that he had not made sufficient endeavors to explore the head streams of the Chickahominy, induced him to continue his enterprises during the season of plenty. In the winter of 1607, he collected a small number of followers, and proceeded once more in a barge up that river as far as it was navigable. Having left the barge in a wide bay, out of the reach of the Indians, with positive orders that none of the crew should leave her on any account, he rowed farther up, in a small canoe, attended by two Englishmen and two friendly Indians. He was scarcely out of sight, when the crew of the barge, impatient of restraint, disobeyed his orders and went on shore.

At the very spot where they landed, a body of three hundred savages, headed by Opechancanough, brother to Powhatan, were lying in ambush, watching for a favorable opportunity to attack the barge. One of the Englishmen, straying from the rest, fell into their hands, and from him they extorted information of the object and route of Smith. They immediately put the captive to death in a cruel manner, and followed Smith with all their force and with the utmost caution. Twenty miles up the river, they discovered his two English companions fast asleep by a fire in the woods: they immediately shot them with their arrows, and then followed on the track of Smith, who had gone to shoot some wild fowl for provisions. Smith was proceeding up the bank of the river, not far from his canoe, when he discovered the savages close upon him. He endeavored to retreat, and, finding the enemy pressing hard upon him, shielded himself by

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tying his Indian guide to his left arm, while he exercised the right in his defence. In this manner he contrived to load and fire his musket, and ward off the arrows of his assailants, while he retreated slowly toward the water. He shot three of them dead, wounded several others, and, in this manner, of facing one way and walking another, kept the enemy, who were astonished at his bravery and skill, at a safe distance. But, not being able to pay close attention to his steps, he sank, at last, into a miry spot, so deep that, owing to his embarrassing connection with his guide, he was unable to extricate himself. Here he remained a considerable time, the savages not daring to attack him so long as he held the musket. But, the cold having benumbed his limbs, he could make no further exertion; yet no man dared to lay hands on him, and those who made the nearest approach to him were observed to tremble with fear. He at length threw down his arms, and made signs that he had surrendered.

The Indians now pulled him out of the mud and took him to the fire where his two companions had been killed. They chafed his benumbed limbs and restored them to activity. He called for their chief, and Opechancanough appeared. Smith, with perfect selfpossession, entered into such conversation with him as could be carried on by signs. He had an ivory pocket-compass with him, which he showed to Opechancanough and his attendants. "Much they marvelled," says the narrative, "at the playing of the fly and needle, which they could see so plainly and yet not touch, because of the glass that covered them.

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