Barlow furnished in his report to Raleigh much interesting information.* Here we have the first impressions of English voyagers to the homes of the red men whom English colonists were before long to drive from their fairest haunts in order that English America might be founded. Barlow tells how, very soon after their first landing, one of the natives, "never making any show of fear or doubt," came up to welcome them. "And after he had spoken many things not understood by us, we brought him, with his own good liking, aboard the ships, and gave him a shirt, a hat, and some other things, and made him taste of our wine and our meat, which he liked very well; and after having viewed both barks, he departed, and went to his own boat again, which he had left in a little cave or creek adjoining. As soon as he was two bowshots into the water, he fell to fishing, and in less than half an hour he had laden his boat as deep as it could swim, with which he came again to the point of the land, and there he divided the fish into two parts, appointing one part to the ship and the other to the pinnace. Then after he had, as much as he might, requited the former benefits received, he departed out of our sight."

* Barlow's narrative, in HAKLUYT, vol. iii., pp. 246-251, is my only guide to the story of this expedition. Most of the information given later in this chapter is also derived from HAKLUYT, vol. iii., which includes Barlow's account of the second voyage (pp. 251-253); Lane's and Hariot's memoir of the first settlement, 1585-6 (pp. 254-264; 266 -280); an account of the third voyage (p. 265); an account of the fourth voyage (pp. 280–287); and an account of the fifth voyage (pp. 287-295). The authorities for information not drawn from these sources will be cited in their places.

1584.] First Intercourse with North American Indians. 203

There was like kindly intercourse between the English and the Indians all through the time of this visit. On the following day a brother of the chief of the tribe resident in the district, with about forty followers, "very handsome and goodly people, and in their behaviour as mannerly and civil as any of Europe," came in boats to the shore off which the English barks were anchored. "When he came to the place," we are told, "his servants spread a long mat upon the ground, on which he sat down, and at the other end of the mat four others of his company did the like. The rest of his men stood round about him, somewhat afar off. When we came to the shore to him with our weapons, he never moved from his place, nor any of the other four, nor ever mistrusted any harm to be offered from us; but, sitting still, he beckoned us to come and sit by him, which we performed; and being set, he made all signs of joy and welcome, striking on his head and his breast, and afterwards on ours, to show we were all one, smiling and making show, the best he could, of all love and familiarity. After he had made a long speech unto us, we presented him with divers things, which he received very joyfully and thankfully. None of the company durst speak one word all the time;, only the four which were at the other end spake one in the other's ear very softly. After we had presented him with such things as we thought he liked, we likewise gave somewhat to the others that sat with him on the mat; but presently he rose and took all from them and put it into his own basket, making signs and tokens that

all things ought to be delivered unto him, and the rest were but his servants and followers."

Out of that present-giving barter soon grew. The red men brought great numbers of choice skins, which they gladly exchanged for English commodities. A copper kettle was valued at fifty deer skins worth a crown apiece, and the chief's brother gave twenty skins for a bright tin dish," which he presently took up and clapped before his breast, and after made a hole in the brim thereof and hung it about his neck, making signs that it would defend him against his enemies' arrows." The Indians bought all the hatchets and axes and knives that could be spared by the English, and offered any number of skins for the swords that could not be spared.

After further friendly intercourse on shore the chief's brother visited the ships and showed great delight at the way in which he was entertained. "And after a few days overpast he brought his wife with him to the ships, his daughter, and two or three children. His wife was very well-favoured, of mean stature, and very bashful. She had on her back a long cloak of leather, with the fur side next to her body, and before her a piece of the same. About her forehead she had a band of white coral. In her ears she had bracelets of pearls hanging down to her middle, and those were of the bigness of good peas. The rest of her women of the better sort had pendants of copper hanging in either And some of the children had five or six in either ear. The King's brother had upon his head a

ear.

1584.]

The Natives of Roanoke Island.

205

broad plate of gold or copper. His apparel was as his wife's; only the women wear their hair long on both sides, and the men but on one."

After the natives had paid several visits to the ships, Captain Barlow and seven other Englishmen took boat and went for about twenty miles along the shore to Roanoke Island. "At the north end thereof," says our intelligent voyager, "was a village of nine houses, built of cedar, and fortified round about with sharp trees, to keep out their enemies, and the entrance into it made like a turnpike, very artificially. When we came towards it, standing near unto the waterside, the wife of the King's brother came running out to meet us, very cheerfully and friendly, her husband being not then in the village. Some of her people she commanded to draw our boat on shore; others she appointed to carry us on their backs to the dry ground; and others to bring our oars into the house for fear of stealing. When we were come into the outer room, having five rooms in her house, she caused us to sit down by a great fire, and after took off our clothes and washed them and dried them again. Some of the women plucked off our stockings and washed them. Some washed our feet in warm water; and she herself took great pains to see all things ordered in the best manner she could, making great haste to dress some meat for us to eat. After we had thus dried ourselves, she brought us into the inner room, where she set on the board standing along the house some wheat like furmenty, sodden venison and roast, fish sodden, boiled

and roasted, melons raw and sodden, roots of divers kinds, and divers fruits. Their drink is commonly water, but while the grape lasteth they drink wine. We were entertained with all love and kindness, and with as much bounty, after their manner, as they could possibly devise. We found the people most gentle, loving, and faithful, void of all guile and treason, and such as live after the manner of the golden age. The people only care how to defend themselves from the cold in their short winter, and to feed themselves with such meat as the soil affordeth. Their meat is very well sodden, and they make broth very sweet and savory. Their vessels are earthen pots, very large, white, and sweet. Their dishes are wooden platters of sweet timber. Within the place where they feed was their lodging, and within that their idol, which they worship, of whom they speak incredible things. While we were at meat, there came in at the gate two or three men with their bows and arrows from hunting; whom when we espied, we began to look one towards another, and offered to reach our weapons. But as soon as she espied our mistrust, she was very much moved, and caused some of her men to run out and take away their bows and arrows and break them, and withal beat the poor fellows out of the gate again. When we departed in the evening, and would not tarry all night, she was very sorry, and gave us into our boat our supper half dressed, pots and all, and brought us to our boat side, in which we lay all night, removing the same a pretty distance from the shore. She, perceiving