whatan; they found them somewhat too heavie; but when they
did see him discharge them, being loaded with stones, among the boughs
of a great tree loaded with Isickles, the yce and branches came so
tumbling downe, that the poore Salvages ran away halfe dead with feare.
But at last we regained some conference with them and gave them such
toys: and sent to Powhatan, his women, and children such presents, and
gave them in generall full content. Now in James Towne they were all
in combustion, the strongest preparing once more to run away with
the Pinnace; which with the hazard of his life, with Sakre falcon and
musketshot, Smith forced now the third time to stay or sinke. Some no
better then they should be had plotted with the President, the next
day to have put him to death by the Leviticall law, for the lives of
Robinson and Emry, pretending the fault was his that had led them to
their ends; but he quickly tooke such order with such Lawyers, that
he layed them by the heeles till he sent some of them prisoners for
England. Now ever once in four or five dayes, Pocahontas with her
attendants, brought him so much provision, that saved many of their
lives, that els for all this had starved with hunger.
'Thus from numbe death our good God sent reliefe,
The sweete asswager of all other griefe.'
"His relation of the plenty he had scene, especially at Werawocomoco,
and of the state and bountie of Powhatan (which till that time was
unknowne), so revived their dead spirits (especially the love of
Pocahontas) as all men's feare was abandoned."
We should like to think original, in the above, the fine passage,
in which Smith, by means of a simple compass dial, demonstrated the
roundness of the earth, and skies, the sphere of the sun, moon, and
stars, and how the sun did chase the night round about the world
continually; the greatness of the land and sea, the diversity of
nations, variety of complexions, and how we were to them antipodes, so
that the Indians stood amazed with admiration.
Captain Smith up to his middle in a Chickahominy swamp, discoursing
on these high themes to a Pamunkey Indian, of whose language Smith was
wholly ignorant, and who did not understand a word of English, is much
more heroic, considering the adverse circumstances, and appeals more to
the imagination, than the long-haired Iopas singing the song of Atlas,
at the banquet given to AEneas, where Trojans and Tyrians drained the
flowing bumpers whi
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