self king of Virginia. He was therefore rigorously confined during the remainder of the voyage.

On their arrival in the country he was liberated, but could not obtain a trial, although in the tone of conscious integrity, he repeatedly demanded it. The infant colony was soon involved in perplexity and danger. Notwithstanding Smith had been calumniated, and his honour deeply wounded, his was not the spirit to remain idle when his services were needed. Nobly disdaining revenge, he offered his assistance, and by his talents, experience and indefatigable zeal furnished important aid to the infant colony.

Continuing to assert his innocence, and to demand a trial, the time at length arrived when his enemies could postpone it no longer. After a fair hearing of the case, he was honourably acquitted of the charges alleged against him, and soon after took his seat in the council.

The affairs of the colony becoming more settled, the active spirit of Smith prompted him to explore the neighbouring country. In an attempt to ascertain the source of Chickahoming river, he ascended in a barge as far as the stream was uninterrupted. Designing to proceed still further, he left the barge in the keeping of the crew, with strict injunctions, on no account to leave her, and with two Englishmen, and two Indians left the party. But no sooner was he out of view, than the crew, impatient of restraint, repaired on board the barge, and proceeding some distance down the stream, landed at a place where a body of Indians lay in ambush, by whom they were seized.

By means of the crew, the route of Smith was ascertained, and a party of Indians were immediately dispatched to take him. On their coming up with him, they fired, killed the Englishmen, and wounded himself. With great presence of mind, he now tied his Indian guide to his left arm, as a shield from the enemies' arrows, while with his musket he dispatched three of the most forward of the assailants.

In this manner he continued to retreat towards his canoe, while the Indians, struck with admiration of his bravery followed with respectful caution. Unfortunately coming to a sunken spot filled with mire, while engrossed with eyeing his pursuers, he sunk so deep as to be unable to extricate himself, and was forced to surrender.

Fruitful in expedients, to avert immediate death, he presented an ivory compass to the chief, whose attention was

arrested by the vibrations of the needle. Taking advantage of the impression which he had thus made, partly by signs, and partly by language, he excited their wonder still more by telling them of its singular powers.

Their wonder however seemed soon to abate, and their attention returned to their prisoner. He was now bound, and tied to a tree, and the savages were preparing to direct their arrows at his breast. At this instant the chief, holding up the compass, they laid down their arms, and led him in triumph to Powhatan their king.

Powhatan and his council doomed him to death, as a man whose courage and genius were peculiarly dangerous to the Indians. Preparations were accordingly made, and when the time arrived, Smith was led out to execution. His head was laid upon a stone, and a club presented to Powhatan, who himself claimed the honour of becoming the executioner. The savages in silence were circling round, and the giant arm of Powhatan had already raised the club to strike the fatal blow, when to his astonishment the young and beautiful Pocahontas, his daughter, with a shriek of terror, rushed from the throng, and threw herself upon the body of Smith. At the same time she cast an imploring look towards her furious, but astonished father, and in all the eloquence of mute, but impassioned sorrow, besought his life.

The remainder of the scene was honourable to Powhatan. The club of the chief was still uplifted, but a father's pity had touched his heart, and the eye that had at first kindled with wrath was now fast losing its fierceness. He looked round as if to collect his fortitude, or perhaps to find an excuse for his weakness, in the pity of the attendants. A similar sympathy had melted the savage throng, and seemed to join in the petition, which the weeping Pocahontas felt, but durst not utter, " My father let the prisoner live." Powhatan raised his daughter, and the captive, scarcely yet assured of safety, from the earth.

Shortly after Powhatan dismissed Capt. Smith with assurances of friendship, and the next morning, accompanied with a guard of twelve men, he arrived safely at Jamestown, after a captivity of seven weeks.*

In 1609, circumstances having arisen to interrupt the friendly dispositions of Powhatan towards the colony, he

* Burk's Virginia.

plotted their entire destruction. His design was to attack them unapprised, and to cut them off at a blow.

In a dark and stormy night, the heroick Pocahontas hastened alone to Jamestown, and disclosed the inhuman pløt of her father. The colony were thus put on their guard, and their ruin averted.

It may be interesting to add concerning Pocahontas, that some time after this, she was married to an English gentleman, by the name of Rolfe, with whom she visited England. She embraced the Christian religion, and was baptized by the name of Rebecca. She left one son, who had several daughters, the descendants of whom inherited her lands in Virginia, and are among the most respectable families in that State.

Sec. 2. In the early part of this year, 1609, the Lon- ́ don Company surrendered their rights to the King, and obtained a new charter. Under this charter, Sir Thomas West, Lord Delaware, was appointed governour for life.

§ Towards the close of the year, the colony at Jamestown, amounting to five hundred inhabitants, was reduced in six months to sixty. Disheartened by this fearful calamity, they resolved to leave the country, and return to England. They therefore embarked on board some vessels, just arrived from Bermuda; but meeting lord Delaware, the new governour, with one hundred and eighty men and provisions, they returned with them to their settlement, and the affairs of the colony again began to prosper.

Sec. 3. In 1614, some Dutch adventurers built a fort at Albany, on Hudson's river. This commenced the settlement, and laid the foundation of that city. The next year, a fort was built, and a settlement begun, by the Dutch, on the Island of Manhattan, now New-York.

§ Hudson's river derived its name from Henry Hudson, who entered, and gave name to it 1608. At this time, or according to others, in 1609, he ascended the river to the place where Albany now stands. Hudson was in the service of the Dutch East India Company, or sold his claims to them. The Dutch, accordingly, took possession of the country, naming it New Netherlands. New-York, they called New Amsterdam. These names they retained, till the conquest of the country, by the English, in 1664.

Sec. 4. In 1614, Capt. John Smith sailed from Eng

land, with two ships, to America. He ranged the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod. On his return to England, he presented a Map of the country to King Charles, who named it NEW ENGLAND.

Six years from this, Dec. 22, 1620, a colony, commonly known by the name of Puritans, landed at Plymouth, in Massachusetts, and soon after began the first permanent settlement in New England. These colonists were originally from England; but were driven thence by the arm of persecution, for urging a more thorough reformation in the Church of England.

They fled from England, first to Amsterdam, in Holland, in 1607, with the Rev. Mr. Robinson, their pastor. From Amsterdam, they soon after removed to Leyden, where they continued until they embarked for America.

Among the motives which influenced them to remove to America, the prospect of enjoying "a purer worship and greater liberty of conscience," was the principal. To secure these objects, they were willing to become exiles from a civilized country, and encounter the dangers and privations which might meet them in a wilderness.

§ Having resolved on a removal to America, they concluded to settle on Hudson's river, and to live in a distinct body, under the protection of the London, or South Virginia Company.

Having with some difficulty obtained a grant from the Virginia Company, they speedily prepared for the voyage, departed from Leyden, in July, touched at South-Hampton, England, whence they sailed in August; but, on account of a leak in one of their ships, they were twice compelled to put back.

On the sixth of September following, they finally bid adieu to their country, and on the ninth of November, discovered Cape Cod. It is said, that the master of the vessel was a Dutchman, and was bribed in rolland, to carry them to the north of the Hudson, that they might not disturb the Dutch there; who, though compelled in 1614, by Capt. Argal from Jamestown, to acknowledge the supremacy of King James, and of the governour of Virginia, not long after had thrown off the British yoke.

They soon perceived themselves to be beyond the limits

of the company's patent, from which they had derived their title. But, winter being at hand, and fearing to encounter the dangers of the sea, on an unknown coast, they deter-* mined to seek a place of settlement where they were.

Before landing, "having devoutly given thanks to God for their safe arrival, they formed themselves into a body politick," forty one signing a solemn contract, according to the provisions of which they were to be governed. Mr. John Carver was elected governour for one year.

Parties were now despatched to fix upon a spot for their settlement. Several days were employed for this purpose, during which, a number of Indians were seen, who fled on being approached. They also discovered baskets of corn hid in the sand, which served for seed the ensuing spring.

At length, a suitable spot was selected for a settlement, and a house immediately erected. The colony was divided into nineteen families, each of which built its own cottage. On Lord's day, Dec. 31, they attended publick worship for the first time on shore, and named the place Plymouth.

Sec. 5. The same month, Nov. that the Puritans arrived on the coast from England, King James I. issued a patent to the Duke of Lenox, Ferdinando Gorges, and others, styling them, "The Council of Plymouth, in the county of Devon, for planting and governing New England in America." This Patent granted to them the territory between the 40th and 48th degrees of north latitude, and was the foundation of all the subsequent patents which divided the country.

Sec. 6. In March, 1621, the colony of Plymouth, through Governour Carver, entered into a league of friendship, commerce and mutual defence with Masassoit, the great sachem of the neighbouring Indians. This treaty which was strictly observed until the breaking out of Phillip's war, a period of more than fifty years, gave general peace to the colony, and laid the foundation for their intimate and amicable correspondence with the neighbouring Indian tribes.

§ The person, chiefly instrumental in bringing this event to pass was Samoset, a sagamore of the country, lying at the distance of about five days journey. He was the first visitant of the colony at Plymouth, and greatly surprised the inhabitants, by calling out as he entered their village," Wel