ny-knives, shears,
and toys, and he invited them to visit him at one of his seats called
Powhatan, which was within a mile of the Falls, where now stands the
city of Richmond. All along the shore the inhabitants stood in clusters,
offering food to the strangers. The habitation of Powhatan was situated
on a high hill by the water side, with a meadow at its foot where was
grown wheat, beans, tobacco, peas, pompions, flax, and hemp.

Powhatan served the whites with the best he had, and best of all with
a friendly welcome and with interesting discourse of the country. They
made a league of friendship. The next day he gave them six men as guides
to the falls above, and they left with him one man as a hostage.

On Sunday, the 24th of May, having returned to Powhatan's seat, they
made a feast for him of pork, cooked with peas, and the Captain and King
ate familiarly together; "he eat very freshly of our meats, dranck of
our beere, aquavite, and sack." Under the influence of this sack and
aquavite the King was very communicative about the interior of the
country, and promised to guide them to the mines of iron and copper; but
the wary chief seems to have thought better of it when he got sober, and
put them off with the difficulties and dangers of the way.

On one of the islets below the Falls, Captain Newport set up a cross
with the inscription "Jacobus, Rex, 1607," and his own name beneath, and
James was proclaimed King with a great shout. Powhatan was displeased
with their importunity to go further up the river, and departed with all
the Indians, except the friendly Navirans, who had accompanied them from
Arahatic. Navirans greatly admired the cross, but Newport hit upon
an explanation of its meaning that should dispel the suspicions of
Powhatan. He told him that the two arms of the cross signified King
Powhatan and himself, the fastening of it in the middle was their
united league, and the shout was the reverence he did to Powhatan. This
explanation being made to Powhatan greatly contented him, and he came
on board and gave them the kindest farewell when they dropped down the
river. At Arahatic they found the King had provided victuals for them,
but, says Newport, "the King told us that he was very sick and not able
to sit up long with us." The inability of the noble red man to sit up
was no doubt due to too much Christian sack and aquavite, for on "Monday
he came to the water side, and we went ashore with him again. He tol