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the　disturbers　in　the　colony　in　charge　of　affairs；　and　become　his　accusers。　　Even　at　this　distance　we　can　read　the　account　with　little　patience；　and　should　have　none　at　all　if　the　account　were　not　edited　by　Smith　himself。　His　revenge　was　in　his　good　fortune　in　setting　his　own　story　afloat　in　the　current　of　history。　　The　first　narrative　of　these　events；　published　by　Smith　in　his　Oxford　tract　of　1612；　was　considerably　remodeled　and　changed　in　his　〃General　Historie〃　of　1624。　　As　we　have　said　before；　he　had　a　progressive　memory；　and　his　opponents　ought　to　be　thankful　that　the　pungent　Captain　did　not　live　to　work　the　story　over　a　third　time。

It　is　no　doubt　true；　however；　that　but　for　the　accident　to　our　hero；　he　would　have　continued　to　rule　till　the　arrival　of　Gates　and　Somers　with　the　new　commissions；　as　he　himself　says；　〃but　had　that　unhappy　blast　not　happened；　he　would　quickly　have　qualified　the　heat　of　those　humors　and　factions；　had　the　ships　but　once　left　them　and　us　to　our　fortunes；　and　have　made　that　provision　from　among　the　salvages；　as　we　neither　feared　Spaniard；　Salvage；　nor　famine：　nor　would　have　left　Virginia　nor　our　lawful　authority；　but　at　as　dear　a　price　as　we　had　bought　it；　and　paid　for　it。〃

He　doubtless　would　have　fought　it　out　against　all　comers；　and　who　shall　say　that　he　does　not　merit　the　glowing　eulogy　on　himself　which　he　inserts　in　his　General　History？　　〃What　shall　I　say　but　this；　we　left　him；　that　in　all　his　proceedings　made　justice　his　first　guide；　and　experience　his　second；　ever　hating　baseness；　sloth；　pride；　and　indignity；　more　than　any　dangers；　that　upon　no　danger　would　send　them　where　he　would　not　lead　them　himself；　that　would　never　see　us　want　what　he　either　had　or　could　by　any　means　get　us；　that　would　rather　want　than　borrow；　or　starve　than　not　pay；　that　loved　action　more　than　words；　and　hated　falsehood　and　covetousness　worse　than　death；　whose　adventures　were　our　lives；　and　whose　loss　our　deaths。〃

A　handsomer　thing　never　was　said　of　another　man　than　Smith　could　say　of　himself；　but　he　believed　it；　as　also　did　many　of　his　comrades；　we　must　suppose。　　He　suffered　detraction　enough；　but　he　suffered　also　abundant　eulogy　both　in　verse　and　prose。　　Among　his　eulogists；　of　course；　is　not　the　factious　Captain　Ratcliffe。　　In　the　English　Colonial　State　papers；　edited　by　Mr。　Noel　Sainsbury；　is　a　note；　dated　Jamestown；　October　4；　1609；　from　Captain　〃John　Radclyffe　comenly　called；〃　to　the　Earl　of　Salisbury；　which　contains　this　remark　upon　Smith's　departure　after　the　arrival　of　the　last　supply：　〃They　heard　that　all　the　Council　were　dead　but　Capt。　＇John＇　Smith；　President；　who　reigned　sole　Governor；　and　is　now　sent　home　to　answer　some　misdemeanor。〃

Captain　Archer　also　regards　this　matter　in　a　different　light　from　that　in　which　Smith　represents　it。　　In　a　letter　from　Jamestown；　written　in　August；　he　says：

〃In　as　much　as　the　President　＇Smith＇；　to　strengthen　his　authority；　accorded　with　the　variances　and　gave　not　any　due　respect　to　many　worthy　gentlemen　that　were　in　our　ships；　wherefore　they　generally；　with　my　consent；　chose　Master　West；　my　Lord　De　La　Ware's　brother；　their　Governor　or　President　de　bene　esse；　in　the　absence　of　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　or　if　he　be　miscarried　by　sea；　then　to　continue　till　we　heard　news　from　our　counsell　in　England。　　This　choice　of　him　they　made　not　to　disturb　the　old　President　during　his　term；　but　as　his　authority　expired；　then　to　take　upon　him　the　sole　government；　with　such　assistants　of　the　captains　or　discreet　persons　as　the　colony　afforded。

〃Perhaps　you　shall　have　it　blamed　as　a　mutinie　by　such　as　retaine　old　malice；　but　Master　West；　Master　Piercie；　and　all　the　respected　gentlemen　of　worth　in　Virginia；　can　and　will　testify　otherwise　upon　their　oaths。　　For　the　King's　patent　we　ratified；　but　refused　to　be　governed　by　the　Presidentthat　is；　after　his　time　was　expired　and　only　subjected　ourselves　to　Master　West；　whom　we　labor　to　have　next　President。〃


It　is　clear　from　this　statement　that　the　attempt　was　made　to　supersede　Smith　even　before　his　time　expired；　and　without　any　authority　（since　the　new　commissions　were　still　with　Gates　and　Somers　in　Bermuda）；　for　the　reason　that　Smith　did　not　pay　proper　respect　to　the　newly　arrived　〃gentlemen。〃　　Smith　was　no　doubt　dictatorial　and　offensive；　and　from　his　point　of　view　he　was　the　only　man　who　understood　Virginia；　and　knew　how　successfully　to　conduct　the　affairs　of　the　colony。　　If　this　assumption　were　true　it　would　be　none　the　less　disagreeable　to　the　new…comers。

At　the　time　of　Smith's　deposition　the　colony　was　in　prosperous　condition。　　The　〃General　Historie　〃　says　that　he　left　them　〃with　three　ships；　seven　boats；　commodities　ready　to　trade；　the　harvest　newly　gathered；　ten　weeks'　provision　in　store；　four　hundred　ninety　and　odd　persons；　twenty…four　pieces　of　ordnance；　three　hundred　muskets；　snaphances　and　fire…locks；　shot；　powder；　and　match　sufficient；　curats；　pikes；　swords；　and　morrios；　more　than　men；　the　Salvages；　their　language　and　habitations　well　known　to　a　hundred　well…trained　and　expert　soldiers；　nets　for　fishing；　tools　of　all　kinds　to　work；　apparel　to　supply　our　wants；　six　mules　and　a　horse；　five　or　six　hundred　swine；　as　many　hens　and　chickens；　some　goats；　some　sheep；　what　was　brought　or　bred　there　remained。〃　　Jamestown　was　also　strongly　palisaded　and　contained　some　fifty　or　sixty　houses；　besides　there　were　five　or　six　other　forts　and　plantations；　〃not　so　sumptuous　as　our　succerers　expected；　they　were　better　than　they　provided　any　for　us。〃

These　expectations　might　well　be　disappointed　if　they　were　founded　upon　the　pictures　of　forts　and　fortifications　in　Virginia　and　in　the　Somers　Islands；　which　appeared　in　De　Bry　and　in　the　〃General　Historie；〃　where　they　appear　as　massive　stone　structures　with　all　the　finish　and　elegance　of　the　European　military　science　of　the　day。

Notwithstanding　these　ample　provisions　for　the　colony；　Smith　had　small　expectation　that　it　would　thrive　without　him。　　〃They　regarding　nothing；〃　he　says；　〃but　from　hand　to　mouth；　did　consume　what　we　had；　took　care　for　nothing　but　to　perfect　some　colorable　complaint　against　Captain　Smith。〃

Nor　was　the　composition　of　the　colony　such　as　to　beget　high　hopes　of　it。　　There　was　but　one　carpenter；　and　three　others　that　desired　to　learn；　two　blacksmiths；　ten　sailors；　those　called　laborers　were　for　the　most　part　footmen；　brought　over　to　wait　upon　the　adventurers；　who　did　not　know　what　a　day's　work　wasall　the　real　laborers　were　the　Dutchmen　and　Poles　and　some　dozen　others。　　〃For　all　the　rest　were　poor　gentlemen；　tradesmen；　serving　men；　libertines；　and　such　like；　ten　times　more　fit　to　spoil　a　commonwealth　than　either　begin　one　or　help　to　maintain　one。　　For　when　neither　the　fear　of　God；　nor　the　law；　nor　shame；　nor　displeasure　of　their　friends　could　rule　them　here；　there　is　small　hope　ever　to　bring　one　in　twenty　of　them　to　be　good　there。〃　　Some　of　them　proved　more　industrious　than　was　expected；　〃but　ten　good　workmen　would　have　done　more　substantial　work　in　a　day　than　ten　of　them　in　a　week。〃

The　disreputable　character　of　the　majority　of　these　colonists　is　abundantly　proved　by　other　contemporary　testimony。　　In　the　letter　of　the　Governor　and　Council　of　Virginia　to　the　London　Company；　dated　Jamestown；　July　7；　1610；　signed　by　Lord　De　La　Ware；　Thomas　Gates；　George　Percy；　Ferd。　Wenman；　and　William　Strachey；　and　probably　composed　by　Strachey；　after　speaking　of　the　bountiful　capacity　of　the　country；　the　writer　exclaims：　〃Only　let　me　truly　acknowledge　there　are　not　one　hundred　or　two　of　deboisht　hands；　dropt　forth　by　year　after　year；　with　penury　and　leysure；　ill　provided　for　before　they　come；　and　worse　governed　when　they　are　here；　men　of　such　distempered　bodies　and　infected　minds；　whom　no　examples　daily　before　their　eyes；　either　of　goodness　or　punishment；　can　deterr　from　their　habituall　impieties；　or　terrifie　from　a　shameful　death；　that　must　be　the　carpenters　and　workmen　in　this　so　glorious　a　building。〃

The　chapter　in　the　〃General　Historie〃　relating　to　Smith's　last　days　in　Virginia　was　transferred　from　the　narrative　in　the　appendix　to　Smith's　〃Map　of　Virginia；〃　Oxford；　1612；　but　much　changed　in　the　transfer。　　In　the　〃General　Historie〃　Smith　says　very　little　about　the　nature　of　the　charges　against　him。　　In　the　original　narrative　signed　by　Richard　Pots　and　edited　by　Smith；　there　are　more　details　of　the　charges。　　One　omitted　passage　is　this：　〃Now　all　those　Smith　had　either　whipped　or　punished；　or　in　any　way　disgraced；　had　free　power　and　liberty　to　say　or　sweare　anything；　and　from　a　whole　armful　of　their　examinations　this　was　concluded。〃

Another　omitted　passage　relates　to　the　charge；　to　which　reference　is　made　in　the　〃General　Historie；〃　that　Smith　proposed　to　marry　Pocahontas：

〃Some　propheticall　spirit　calculated　he　had　the　salvages　in　such　subjection；　he　would　have　made　himself　a　king　by　marrying　Pocahuntas；　Powhatan's　daughter。　　It　is　true　she　was　the　very　nonpareil　of　his　kingdom；　and　at　most　not　past　thirteen　or　fourteen　years　of　age。　　Very　oft　she　came　to　our　fort　with　what　she　could　get　for　Capt。　Smith；　that　ever　loved　and　used　all　the　country　well；　but　her　especially　he　ever　much　respected；　and　she　so　well　requited　it；　that　when　her　father　intended　to　have　surprised　him；　she　by　stealth　in　the　dark　night　came　through　the　wild　woods　and　told　him　of　it。　But　her　marriage　could　in　no　way　have　entitled　him　by　any　right　to　the　kingdom；　nor　was　it　ever　suspected　he　had　such　a　thought；　or　more　regarded　her　or　any　of　them　than　in　honest　reason　and　discretion　he　might。　　If　he　would　he　might　have　married　her；　or　have　done　what　he　listed。　　For　there　were　none　that　could　have　hindered　his　determination。〃


It　is　fair；　in　passing；　to　remark　that　the　above　allusion　to　the　night　visit　of　Pocahontas　to　Smith　in　this　tract　of　1612　helps　to　confirm　the　story；　which　does　not　appear　in　the　previous　narration　of　Smith's　encounter　with　Powhatan　at　Werowocomoco　in　the　same　tract；　but　is　celebrated　in　the　〃General　Historie。〃　　It　is　also　hinted　plainly　enough　that　Smith　might　have　taken　the　girl　to　wife；　Indian　fashion。




XIV

THE　COLONY　WITHOUT　SMITH

It　was　necessary　to　follow　for　a　time　the　fortune　of　the　Virginia　colony　after　the　departure　of　Captain　Smith。　　Of　its　disasters　and　speedy　decline　there　is　no　more　doubt　than　there　is　of　the　opinion　of　Smith　that　these　were　owing　to　his　absence。　　The　savages；　we　read　in　his　narration；　no　sooner　knew　he　was　gone　than　they　all　revolted　and　spoiled　and　murdered　all　they　encountered。

The　day　before　Captain　Smith　sailed；　Captain　Davis　arrived　in　a　small　pinnace　with　sixteen　men。　　These；　with　a　company　from　the　fort　under　Captain　Ratcliffe；　were　sent　down　to　Point　Comfort。　　Captain　West　and　Captain　Martin；　having　lost　their　boats　and　half　their　men　among　the　savages　at　the　Falls；　returned　to　Jamestown。　　The　colony　now　lived　upon　what　Smith　had　provided；　〃and　now　they　had　presidents　with　all　their　appurtenances。　　President　Percy　was　so　sick　he　could　neither　go　nor　stand。　　Provisions　getting　short；　West　and　Ratcliffe　went　abroad　to　trade；　and　Ratcliffe　and　twenty…eight　of　his　men　were　slain　by　an　ambush　of　Powhatan's；　as　before　related　in　the　narrative　of　Henry　Spelman。　　Powhatan　cut　off　their　boats；　and　refused　to　trade；　so　that　Captain　West　set　sail　for　En