d, and he declared that he would willingly give up his life for
sake of doing her a service.

Miantomah having performed his duty, returned to Port Algernon,
promising ere long to visit his new friends at James Town. The arrival
of Mistress Audley induced Captain Layton to change his intention of
returning to England, and the _Rainbow_, accompanied by the
_Perseverance_ and _Patience_, proceeded up to James Town, situated
about fifty miles from the mouth of the river.

The settlers had expected to see a well laid-out town, with broad
streets and good-sized houses, instead of which rows of huts alone were
visible, with here and there a cottage of somewhat larger size; the
whole surrounded by stockades. It was situated on the borders of the
river, which here made a sharp angle, another stream running in on one
side. Thus the land on which it stood was almost an island, and
consequently protected from any sudden attack by foes not possessed of
boats or canoes.

The owner of one of the larger cottages was willing to dispose of it to
Mistress Audley; and Captain Layton having concluded the arrangement for
her, she and her family took up their abode there. It faced the river,
with a garden reaching to the water in front. On each side there was a
broad verandah, affording shelter from the hot rays of the sun.
Mistress Audley, as might be expected, invited Cicely to reside at the
cottage, while Captain Layton and Roger were engaged in building a house
near at hand; they, in the mean time, living on board the ship. The
unfriendly disposition of the natives compelled the settlers thus to
concentrate themselves in a town, instead of forming farms scattered
over the country some distance from each other, by which means corn and
other productions might, in that fertile region, have quickly been
obtained. As it was, they had to depend on the chase, and on such
provisions as they could purchase from the natives, who, though at first
willing enough to part with food in exchange for the articles brought by
the English, had of late brought in but a scanty supply. The state of
the settlement also was in other respects unsatisfactory; the chief
persons in authority had quarrelled with each other, and Captain Smith,
the only man who had exhibited wisdom and energy, had lately started on
an exploring expedition up the country, in the hopes of forming friendly
relations with the chiefs and some of the more powerful tribes to the
no