PART II.-THE COLONIAL PERIOD..

CHAPTER VII.

THE FIRST ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA.

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ORE than a hundred years had passed since the discovery of America and there was not yet a French, Dutch or English settlement in the New World. All the attempts made by the French and English had failed. Spain had planted a colony at St. Augustine in 1565, and though it suffered much, it alone held fast, while the rest of the vast continent, with its millions of square miles, was still a great wilderness, through which roamed the wild beasts and Indians, and from which the white men had been driven again and again.

One of the English expeditions, though it was a failure, should not be forgotten. In March, 1602, Captain Bartholomew Gosnold sailed from Falmouth with thirty-two persons, twenty of whom were to found a colony. The names of Cape Cod, of the Elizabeth Islands, and of Martha's (or, more probably, Martin's) Vineyard, all of which he gave, still keep his memory green. On the island of Cuttyhunk, one of the Elizabeth group, in Buzzards' Bay, an excavation plainly shows the spot where, probably, Gosnold's company built a rude fort. But want of provisions, which, like most of those early colonists, they had neglected to bring with them, soon compelled them to abandon their project and return to England.

But Gosnold's report of the beauty and fertility of the country aroused fresh interest in colonization. Letters patent, as the legal document was called, were granted by the king in April, 1606, to Sir George Somers, Richard Hakluyt, Edward Maria Wingfield, to this Captain Gosnold and others. By these letters, the persons named were given all the land on the American coast, between latitude 34° and 45° north, and all the islands within a hundred miles.

These patents required that two companies should be formed - the southern and the northern colony. The directors of the southern colony lived in London and it therefore came to be known as the London Company, while those of the other, being appointed from Plymouth, gave it the name of the Plymouth Company. The territory of the former extended from 34° to 38°, the domain of the Plymouth colony reached from 41° to 45°, while the territory between 38° and 41° was to be controlled by the company which first founded a colony.

It was provided that the king should name a resident council for each of the colonies, which was to elect its own presiding officer, who must not be a clergyman, and they had the power to fill any vacancies that might occur. The king, or the council in England, had the right to change or revise the laws made by the governing bodies in America. It is worth remembering that in the way of government, the people were given no power: the council passed upon every offense, unless it was very heinous, when the offender could be tried by jury. It was provided further, that for the first five years all property should be held in common, each member being furnished from the one general store. The religion established was in accordance with the doctrines and rites of the Church of England.

In 1606, the Plymouth Company sent out two ships,-the first leaving in May and the second in August. The latter fell into the hands of the Spaniards. The other cruised along the coast of Maine and took back a favorable report. A colony was dispatched the next year, but it staid only a year. This is known as the Popham Colony. The London Company sent three vessels from Blackwall, England, December 19, 1606. They contained one hundred and five men and no women. Unfortunately, about half the number were "gentlemen," who were ashamed to work. They came along to "prospect," as may be said, and to see whether there was any thing to which it was worth their while to give serious attention. There were also some soldiers and servants, and one-fifth were mechanics, thrifty and ready to toil at whatever presented itself.

The most notable man in the party was Captain John Smith, who forms a picturesque figure in the early history of our country. He was the hero of many romantic adventures among the Turks and in different parts of the world, before he joined the colonists, and some of the stories which he tells about himself are so strange that it is hard to believe them. But he was a brave and useful person in the little company, and did it a service which no other one could have done.

The fleet comprised the Sarah Constant, of one hundred tons burden, the GodSpeed, of forty, and the Discovery, a pinnace of twenty tons. Captain Christopher Newport was the commander. The season was bad, and the weather continued so stormy, that it was over a month before they left the coast. Instead of sailing straight to their destination, they went by way of the West Indies. All this was pleasant enough, but it made the voyage so exceedingly long, that their provisions ran short and the men became discontented. The London Council had given sealed letters of instruction and appointment which were not to be opened until their arrival in America. This caused much complaint, and John Smith was so outspoken that he made many enemies, some of whom believed he was desperate enough to try to murder the whole council and proclaim himself king. But it is not likely that he thought of any such thing.

The colonists were not commanded to select any particular spot on which to start a settlement. They meant to locate at or near Roanoke Island, where the Raleigh pioneers had perished, but while hunting for a harbor, they entered Chesapeake Bay. The projecting land at the south they called Cape Henry and that at the north Cape Charles, each after a son of the king.

It was the most charming season of the year, and the emigrants, who had spent so

1607.]

SETTLEMENT OF JAMESTOWN.

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many weary months on the sea, were filled with delight at sight of the land. The shores were covered with luxuriant vegetation, amid which bloomed flowers whose perfume floated across the still waters of the bay. The Indians timidly peeped from among the trees, or stood ready to fight, if the visitors sought to molest them. Every thing was so pleasing that the men were anxious to land and begin work without delay. On reaching Cape Henry, the sealed box was opened and amid breathless attention. the names of the members of the council were read. They were as follows: Bartholomew Gosnold, John Smith, Edward Wingfield, Christopher Newport, John Ratcliffe, John Martin, and George Kendall. This matter having been settled, the next and scarcely less important step was to decide where to begin the settlement. After a long and not very harmonious search, they fixed upon a spot on a peninsula, about forty miles from the mouth of the river, which they named James, for the king. There the colony was to be planted under the name of Jamestown. This was done on the 13th of May, 1607, and was the first permanent English settlement made in America.

The appointment of Smith as one of the council was so displeasing to the rest, that they would not allow him to be sworn in. He was accused of sedition and the others meant to bring him to trial, but, through the persuasions of Robert Hunt, an estimable clergyman, the prosecution was dropped, and Captain Smith took his seat as a member of the council. Edward Maria Wingfield was chosen president.

Nearly every body in Europe still believed that if some of the streams pouring into the Atlantic were followed up, they would be found to connect with the South Sea, as the Pacific Ocean was called. Had they known that when their explorers reached the eastern coast of America, they were only half way to that vast ocean, they would have been surprised indeed. The instructions to the Jamestown council were to make diligent search for the supposed opening. The settlers hardly took time to erect the rudest kind of shelter, when a party under Captain Newport sailed up the river in a shallop. They did not think they would have far to go, but at the end of a week they came back much wiser than when they started.

The cruise up the James was very interesting. They surveyed the stream for a hundred and fifty miles, and called upon several Indian chiefs, who received them cordially. They presented the red men with lots of trinkets, beads and showy playthings, which delighted the simple hearted people far more than much more valuable presents would have done. The Indians showed themselves to be quite successful farmers, and gave in return corn, dried nuts, raspberries, strawberries, pumpkins, mulberries, and many kinds of game.

The shallop stopped at the falls in the river, where the city of Richmond now stands. Much pleased with their trip, the explorers set out on their return, but, as they drew near the settlement, they noticed that the Indians were less friendly than before. The cause was learned when they reached Jamestown, where they found the savages had made an attack on the camp, killing one of the settlers and wounding several. Prudence ordered that every thing should be done to put the place in the best possible condition for defense. This being done, Newport sailed for England, June 21.

He left matters in a bad condition. It was found after the departure of the three

ships, that the supply of provisions was scant. As the Indians were continually discharging arrows at the settlers from the woods, it was not likely that any food could be

when they were forced to cut down trees and lift the heavy timbers in place, were soon overcome. At times they felt as if they should suffocate: the sun beat so pitilessly down on their heads and they were without any protection from its flaming rays.