bout it many of their cornefields,
the place is very pleasant, and strong by nature ... To this place
the river is navigable: but higher within a mile, by reason of the
rockes and isles, there is not passage for a small boat, this they
call the Falles.

Newport's shallop could go no further. Then, as reported, "upon one of
the little iletts at the mouth of the falls ... [Newport] sett up a
crosse with this inscription _Jacobus Rex_. 1607. and his owne name
below: At the erecting hereof we prayed for our king and our owne
prosperous succes in this his action, and proclaimed him king, with a
greate showte."

And so it was for more than two years. It was in the late summer of 1609
that Smith sent Capt. Francis West out from Jamestown to establish a
settlement at the Falls. He left with 140 men and a six months food
supply "to inhabitt there." He secured a site that proved too low in
elevation being subject to inundation in times of high water. When Smith
went up to look over the new post, he negotiated with the Indians to
take over their fortified settlement on a point of high ground. This
included lodgings and "300 acres of ground readie to plant," a place
which Smith called "Nonsuch."

The shift of site was made in West's absence and when he returned he was
not happy with the situation. He preferred the site of his choice and
the settlers returned again "to the open aire of West Fort," abandoning
"Nonsuch." Indian attack followed and the settlement became untenable.
In the fall West returned with his men to Jamestown having lost a goodly
number at the "Falles" as well as eleven men and a boat at "Arsetocke" a
few miles downstream. One more settlement had temporarily failed.

Lord De La Warr attempted to re-establish the post here in 1610 and
built "Laware's Fort" from which he planned to search for minerals in
the coming spring. This, too, failed when illness caused him to return
to Jamestown, the same sickness, perhaps, that led him to quit Virginia
a little later.

FALLING CREEK (15)

In 1619 the Company sent 150 persons to Virginia "to set up three iron
works" in view of the fact of "proofe having been made of the
extraordinary goodnesse of that iron." This was further manifestation of
the continuing interest in Virginia resources, particularly iron. This
apparently led to the establishment at Falling Creek of the first
regular ironworks within the Colony.

These workmen, equipped "with all