morning that she saw their
fathers and friends come quietly and in good terms to entreat their
liberty."

Opechancanough (the King of "Pamauk") also sent asking the release of
two that were his friends; and others, apparently with confidence in the
whites, came begging for the release of the prisoners. "In the afternoon
they being gone, we guarded them [the prisoners] as before to the
church, and after prayer gave them to Pocahuntas, the King's daughter,
in regard to her father's kindness in sending her: after having well fed
them, as all the time of their imprisonment, we gave them their bows,
arrows, or what else they had, and with much content sent them packing;
Pocahuntas, also, we requited with such trifles as contented her, to
tell that we had used the Paspaheyans very kindly in so releasing them."

This account would show that Pocahontas was a child of uncommon dignity
and self-control for her age. In his letter to Queen Anne, written in
1616, he speaks of her as aged twelve or thirteen at the time of his
captivity, several months before this visit to the fort.

The colonists still had reasons to fear ambuscades from the savages
lurking about in the woods. One day a Paspahean came with a glittering
mineral stone, and said he could show them great abundance of it. Smith
went to look for this mine, but was led about hither and thither in the
woods till he lost his patience and was convinced that the Indian was
fooling him, when he gave him twenty lashes with a rope, handed him his
bows and arrows, told him to shoot if he dared, and let him go. Smith
had a prompt way with the Indians. He always traded "squarely" with
them, kept his promises, and never hesitated to attack or punish them
when they deserved it. They feared and respected him.

The colony was now in fair condition, in good health, and contented; and
it was believed, though the belief was not well founded, that they would
have lasting peace with the Indians. Captain Nelson's ship, the Phoenix,
was freighted with cedar wood, and was despatched for England June 8,
1608. Captain Martin, "always sickly and unserviceable, and desirous
to enjoy the credit of his supposed art of finding the gold mine," took
passage. Captain Nelson probably carried Smith's "True Relation."

X. DISCOVERY OF THE CHESAPEAKE

On the same, day that Nelson sailed for England, Smith set out to
explore the Chesapeake, accompanying the Phoenix as far as Cape Henry,
in a barge