The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Settlers, by William H. G. Kingston

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Title: The Settlers
A Tale of Virginia

Author: William H. G. Kingston

Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21482]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SETTLERS ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Settlers, A Tale of Virginia, by William H G Kingston.

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A book of moderate length, six and a half hours to read aloud, in which
we meet several persons well known to our history books, such as the
Indian Princess, Pocahontas. Lots of activity. Dated in Jacobean
times.

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THE SETTLERS, A TALE OF VIRGINIA, BY WILLIAM H G KINGSTON.

CHAPTER ONE.

The abode of Captain Amyas Layton overlooked the whole of Plymouth
Sound. It stood on the eastern side near its northern end, on the
wood-covered heights which rise above that magnificent estuary. From
the windows could be seen the town of Plymouth, with its inner harbour,
on which floated many a stout bark of varied rig and size; some engaged
in the coasting trade, others just arrived from foreign voyages, and
others destined to carry the flag of England to far-off lands. In front
of the house had been set up a tall flagstaff, which the captain was
wont on high days and holidays to deck with gay banners, or at other
times to employ in making signals to vessels in the Sound. The grounds
were surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge, above which was a gateway
adorned with curiously carved images once serving as the figure-heads of
two Spanish galleys. The house itself, constructed chiefly of a
framework of massive timber, filled in with stone or brick, had no
pretensions to architectural beauty, albeit its wide, projecting eaves,
its large chimneys, and latticed windows, with its neat, well-kept
garden full of gay flowers, gave it a picturesque and quaint appearance.
Above the low wall on the inner side of the moat, was planted a battery
of brass cannon, elaborately ornamented, and evidently also taken from