The first permanent settlement made in the original thirteen States was at Jamestown, Virginia, by the English in the spring of 1607. The settlers were at once brought in contact with two famous Indians, to whom we must now give attention.

The London Company, formed for the planting of colonies in the New World, sent three ships across the ocean in the month of December, 1606. They carried one hundred and five men, but no women, and were in charge of Captain Christopher Newport. They sailed up the Chesapeake Bay, and were charmed by the soft breezes, the fragrant wild flowers and the beautiful scenery. They halted at a peninsula (now an island), about fifty miles from the mouth of the James, so named in honor of their king, and began putting up cabins. Thus Jamestown was founded on the 13th of May, 1607.

At that time the country from the Allegheny to the ocean, and from the southern James to the Patuxent River, was inhabited by three families of Indians, each composed of a number of tribes. With two of them we have nothing to do.

The Powhatans lived in the lowland region, reaching from the Carolinas on the south to the Patuxent on the north, and between the sea to the falls of the rivers. They had more tribes than either of the other families, ten being between the Potomac and the Rappahannock; five between the Rappahannock and the York; eight between the York and James; and five between the James and the Carolinas.

The Powhatan League was one of the most powerful on the continent and occupied what is now Henrico county, on the shores of the James, and about two days' journey from Jamestown.

You will see that the head of this league or confederacy ruled over thousands of warriors, most of whom he had conquered and compelled to accept him as sovereign, whose will the bravest under-chief dared not dispute. In order to give him his proper importance, historians generally refer to him as "Emperor," a title which it would seem was proper. He is known as Powhatan, which is the same as his special tribe, or rather as his chief seat or capital. This old town had a dozen houses which stood a short distance below the present city of Richmond, on the banks of the river. Fronting it were three islets.

At the time of the settlement of Jamestown, Powhatan was about sixty years old. He was gaunt and tall, and as vigorous in body and mind as a man of half his years, and the gray hair, which was plentifully sprinkled through the black locks, gave a majesty to his looks. His head-dress was made of a mass of feathers, and his robe of state was of raccoon skins. The wooden bench or form upon which he was accustomed to sit, might be taken as a throne, and his reign over many tribes, most of whom he had conquered, gave a certain fitness to the name of emperor. It should be noted that never did his son follow to the throne, but instead his brothers, then his sisters, and then the heirs of the oldest sister, all in turn were to inherit power.

Powhatan usually kept two-score of his bravest warriors as a body-guard about him, but when he learned of the coming of the pale faces to the mouth of the river, he made the number two hundred. He had favorite places where he passed the different seasons, a fashion that was often followed by the Indian chiefs in New England.

The settlement of Jamestown brings forward the name of the most remarkable pioneer connected with our early history, Captain John Smith, the "Father of Virginia." Could we believe one-half that this man told about himself, we should have to admit that he was one of the greatest heroes in history. He was a great boaster, and many of the things he told were simple invention. More than one of the most daring exploits that he claimed to have performed in the Old World have been proved impossible. None the less, Captain John Smith was brave, enterprising, unselfish, tactful, industrious and far-seeing, and but for him Jamestown would have perished from the earth within a few months after building the first cabins. Enough of him is known to prove that he was not only the founder, but the saviour of Jamestown.

Smith was a native of Lincolnshire, England, and when he reached Virginia, was not thirty years old. He had a powerful physique, and did not hide his disgust with the "gentlemen" of the colony, who thought themselves too good to work. He gave them the choice of working or starving, and he set the good example of toiling as hard as any of them. The settlers with whom he came did not reach Virginia until the planting season was over, and, before long, all were suffering for food. The only thing left to do was to get it from the Indians, and Smith set out to do so. But the red men knew of the needs of the pale faces, and despised them therefor Smith tried to get them to sell, but they refused, or at the most would give but a handful of corn for a gun or a sword. Seeing no other means left, Smith and his men opened fire on the churlish fellows, drove them into the woods, and marching into their village, carried a good supply of corn back to Jamestown.

For many years after the discovery of America, it was thought that it was only a narrow strip of land, and that a short journey to the westward would take one to the South Sea on the other side. As late as 1609, when Henry Hudson sailed up the stream named for him, it was in the belief that he had not far to go to reach that vast body of water. Captain Smith was ordered to explore the streams in the neighborhood of Jamestown. In obedience to this command, he set out to learn the sources of the Chickahominy. He went up that stream until the waters became too shallow to allow the barge to go farther, when he stepped with two of his men and two friendly Indians into a canoe and paddled away. He told those left in the boat to stay in the middle of the stream, and forbade them to approach either bank until he came back. But he had not been gone long, when those that remained became tired of sitting motionless in the barge, knowing that their leader could not join them for many hours, and mayhap not for two or three days. Peering into the woods and listening, they saw and heard nothing to cause fear. So after talking for a little time, they paddled to shore and stepped out on land. They had hardly done so, when they were attacked by Indians and one killed, the others escaping with great difficulty. The news they took back to Jamestown made every one believe they would never again see Smith or his companions.

Meanwhile, the pioneer was pushing his way into the wilderness, with no thought of what had befallen the men left behind in the barge. The light canoe was just buoyant enough to float himself and friends, and they paddled up the narrowing stream with all possible care. The day was wearing away, and, since they had no food, Smith decided to hunt for wild fowl. Landing, he went forward alone, never dreaming that Opecancanough with a large body of warriors was tracking him through the woods. This chief came upon the two Englishmen while they were asleep and killed both. Then they hurried after Smith, who they knew could not be far away.

When the pioneer caught sight of the dusky figures flitting among the trees, firing their arrows and pressing towards him, he tried to retreat to his canoe, but soon saw that he would be cut off. He seized one of his Indian companions and swung him round in front, as a shield. The pursuers did not wish to harm a member of their own race, and Smith found for a time that the novel armor served him well. As fast as he could load his gun he fired into the swarm of warriors, who were so close together that he did not miss. He wounded a number and said he killed three, which may be true.

The doughty pioneer could give no attention to his feet, since he dared not take his eyes off his pursuers. He was slowly falling back, and hopeful of getting away, when he stepped into a marshy place into which he immediately sank above his knees. Even when in this plight, the Indians were afraid to lay hands on him. They would steal forward and then scramble in a panic for the shelter of the tree trunks, afraid he was about to fire his terrible gun at them.

Smith struggled hard to free himself from the mire, but with every effort only sank deeper. The weather was cold, and, seeing that he must perish if he staid where he was, he set free his human shield and flung away his weapons. He expected to be killed at once, but the captors drew him out of the mud and led him back to the place where the two Englishmen had been slain, and where a fire was kindled. The warmth of this brought back his vigor and hopefulness, and seeing no disposition to do him immediate harm, he asked for their chief. The famous Opecancanough came forward. The captive handed him a small compass. The chief took it in his hand while his warriors gathered around and all studied the odd-looking instrument with deep interest. The darting about of the tiny needle filled them with wonder, and for the moment no one thought of doing the white man any harm.

Smith says that through the compass he made clear to the Indians the roundness of the globe, the spheres of the sun, moon and stars, the revolution of the earth on its axis, the immensity of the land and sea, the diversity of the nations, the antipodes, "and many other such like matters, so that all stood amazed with admiration!" And yet how are we to believe that, unable as he was to speak the Indian language, Smith "explained" these strange things to the Indians, or that they could have gained any idea of his meaning! Such a feat was surely beyond his power.

The compass, however, was to serve a good purpose, for when the warriors had tied Smith to a tree and were about to fire their arrows at him, Opecancanough held up the curious instrument and they stopped. The captive was taken to the home of Powhatan, on York River, and well treated. Indeed, he was fed so much that he began to suspect they were fattening him in order that he might make a fine meal for them.

The capture of the leader of the colony sharpened the appetites of the Indians for greater deeds, and they got ready to destroy Jamestown. They tried by every means they could think of to get Smith to help them, promising him much land and the finest of their women as wives. Nothing could lead Smith to turn against his own countrymen, and he tried to show his captors that their plan was hopeless. Smith then did a slight thing of itself, which filled the Indians with wonder. Taking a blank leaf from his pocket book, he wrote upon it a brief account of the plot, and asked his friends to send him a number of articles which he named, and which he promised the Indians they could get by taking the slip of paper to Jamestown. The messengers made the journey in the face of severe weather, and brought back the things which Smith had promised. How he managed thus to talk with his friends many miles away, was a mystery which the native mind could not grasp.

Since the red men had to give up their plan of capturing Jamestown, they tried to impress him with their own greatness. He was taken from place to place, among the different tribes, and finally brought back to Opecancanough. He was feasted again, the Indians looking upon him as a sort of god. He was next led into the presence of the mighty Powhatan, where, after a time, it was decided to put him to death.

This brings us to the incident which is the most famous in the history of Captain John Smith. He says his head was laid upon two large stones and the warriors were about to beat out his brains, when Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of Powhatan, and not more than ten or twelve years old, threw her arms around the prisoner's neck, and prayed her father to spare him. He could not refuse the pleadings of his loved child.

Whether such an incident ever took place will never be known. While it is not impossible, many doubt its truth. It seems to have been an afterthought of the grim boaster, for years passed without anyone hearing a reference of it, and it was not until the death of Pocahontas that Captain Smith told how he had passed through such a strange experience.

Powhatan seemed to think that since he had spared the life of the Englishman, the latter should be turned to account. He made him help in forming bows and arrows, moccasins, robes and copper trinkets. A son of the chieftain became friendly to Smith, and did him many kindnesses during his captivity. The Englishman rapidly learned the tongue of his captors, and this knowledge afterwards proved of great help to him. Finally he was sent back to Jamestown. The guard who went with him were treated with great kindness, and a number of presents were sent through them to Powhatan. This seems to have won the friendship of the old chief, who sent his daughter Pocahontas every few days to the settlement with food, where it was sorely needed. Everything would have gone well but for the foolish course of Captain Newport, who soon after arrived from a voyage to England. He gave Powhatan so many presents, that the emperor was puffed up with his own importance, and refused to part with any of his goods without being paid five or six times their value. When Newport had offered about all he had to offer, Powhatan sneeringly gave only two or three bushels of corn in return. Then it was that Smith proved himself as shrewd as the chieftain. He managed, as if by accident, to let Powhatan see a number of shining beads of blue glass. The chief's eye was caught, and he asked for them. Smith said they were of great value, and only worn by great kings. This fired the envy of the chief, who was determined to own them, for who had a better right than he to wear the jewels of a mighty monarch? With much seeming unwillingness, Smith parted with the beads for more than two hundred bushels of corn.

Powhatan began to fear that the continual coming of new emigrants meant danger to himself and people. He began plotting to massacre the settlers, but the prompt vigor of Smith scared him, and he sent Pocahontas to Jamestown with a message that the evil plot was due to some of his fiery chiefs. Smith, who had taken several prisoners, thereupon released them, and all remained tranquil for a time.

Captain Newport's silly course with Powhatan came to a head in the autumn of 1608, when he arrived again from England, just after Smith had been elected governor of the colony. Newport brought a gilded crown for Powhatan, and had the whole programme arranged for his coronation. At the same time settlers were to offer to aid Powhatan against a tribe with which he was at war. When this message was sent to him, the haughty old leader told the English that since he was a king he would not go to Jamestown, and as for the offered help, he did not wish it, as he knew how to manage his own affairs.

The Battle of the Little Big Horn Run, fought in 1876, by General Custer, in command of United States troops against the Sioux Indians, resulted in the entire destruction of the troops and their brave commander. It was the last great battle with the Indians in America.

Among the emigrants who came over with Newport were three Germans, who believed because of the woful state of the colony that it could not last much longer. They gave their views to Powhatan, and were base enough to offer to help him in putting all the English to death. The old chief fell in with the plan, and agreed that the first step necessary was to "remove" Captain Smith. Powhatan tried many tricks to get him in his power, but that wise man outwitted him every time. The chief warned his warriors that if they failed to kill Smith he would have them slain. About this time a strange accident brought safety to the sturdy governor. One of Powhatan's men had by some means got hold of a quantity of gunpowder, which he told his friends he could handle as well as the whites themselves. Several gathered round to watch him, when the stuff suddenly blew up and killed the Indian and two of his companions. Powhatan and the others were terrified, and filled with a desire for peace. They brought back many stolen articles, and, in 1609, sent half their crop of corn to the settlers. About this time, Captain Smith was so shockingly burned by the burning of his powder bags, that he went to England for surgical aid and never returned to Virginia. It should be added that of the three wicked Germans, one died miserably, and the others were slain by order of Powhatan, because of their deception.

The colonists told the chief that Smith was dead, but he would not believe it, and some time later sent one of his chiefs, Tomocomo, to England, to learn what had become of him. Tomocomo was also ordered to find out all he could about the country, and to learn how many white people were there. The faithful servant began his duty by carrying a long stick into which he cut a notch every time he met a stranger. Needless to say that this means of taking the census proved a failure. When he came back to Virginia and Powhatan asked as to the population on the other side of the deep water, Tomocomo made his famous answer: "Count the stars in the sky, the leaves on the trees, and the sand upon the seashore, for such is the number of people in England."

Powhatan had many broils with the English, but it is only just to say the fault lay more often with the latter than with him. The most shameful of all outrages was that of Captain Argall, who while cruising up the James, invited Pocahontas to visit his ship under the escort of a squaw that had been bribed to betray her. Argall made Pocahontas a prisoner, and took her to Jamestown. He believed Powhatan would hasten to ransom her for a large amount of corn which the settlement needed, but the enraged parent hastily prepared to go to war. During these evil days, John Rolfe and the dusky maiden fell in love with each other, and were married in the quaint old chapel at Jamestown in the month of April, 1613. This pleasing event made Powhatan the friend of the white man and as such he died five years later.

We recall that Pocahontas and her husband visited England in 1616. She received much attention from the court and the leading people of the kingdom, but when about to sail for her native land fell ill and died. She left an infant son Thomas, who was educated in London by his uncle Henry Rolfe.

He settled in Virginia after reaching manhood, became wealthy, and was one of the foremost members of the colony. His only daughter married Colonel Robert Bolling; their son, Major John Bolling, was the father of a number of children. One of the daughters married Colonel Richard Randolph, who was the ancestor of the famous John Randolph of Roanoke,—a fact of which he was always very proud. Thus the blood of Pocahontas flows to-day in some of the leading families of the Old Dominion.

Now, no one would think the life of Captain John Smith complete without the story of Pocahontas. Its romance lends it a pleasing interest, despite the doubt that must always linger as to its truth. But have you ever heard that his life was saved by another Indian maiden, and that a different section of the country produced its Pocahontas to serve her merciful purpose? The story is a sad one, because the beautiful and heroic girl was killed as you shall hear.

In the month of March, 1905, Robert H. Gardiner, of Bangor, Maine, in rummaging through some old papers bearing upon the early history of Kennebec River, found proof that in the summer of 1614 Smith sailed up the river to the chief village of the Cabassas tribe of Indians, which stood on the present site of Gardiner. The daughter of the chief, Saboois by name, so liked the manner and looks of Smith, that she formed a strong attachment for him. He was so interested with important matters, however, that he gave no encouragement to her. The visit to the chief was very friendly, but when Smith was about to leave, one of his lieutenants, named Hunt, headed a mutiny, and, with several others, set out on a new expedition, taking several of the Cabassas tribe with him as captives. Not knowing of the division of the party, the chief called his warriors together, and started in pursuit of Smith, with the resolve to destroy the white men for the outrage of which he believed all were equally guilty.

Knowing the danger of Captain Smith and his friends, Saboois ran ahead and warned them. She overtook the party just as they had encamped for the night a few miles down the river. The chief and his warriors were close behind, and, at the moment the Cabassas maiden flung her arms around Captain Smith, a shower of arrows poured into the camp. One of these pierced the girl's breast, while shielding the captain, who was thereby saved at the cost of the life of his devoted friend.

The horrified chief stopped hostilities. This gave Smith the chance to explain that it was the mutineers who had kidnapped his people. The Indians carried the body of Saboois back to their village, and sorrowfully laid it away near what is now Randolph churchyard, and then started in pursuit of Hunt and his party. They were overtaken and all slain near Norridgewock, after which the rescued captives returned home with their countrymen.

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