ies are much alike at the howre of our birth and the minute
of our death: seeing our good deeds or bad, by faith in Christs
merits, is all wee have to carry our soules to heaven or hell: Seeing
honour is our lives ambition, and our ambition after death to have an
honourable memory of our life; and seeing by no meanes we would be
abated of the dignitie and glory of our predecessors, let us imitate
their vertues to be worthily their successors; or at least not hinder,
if not further, them that would and doe their utmost and best
endeavour.

ASCENT OF THE JAMES RIVER, 1607.

(_From Newes from Virginia._)

The two and twenty day of Aprill [_or rather May, 1607_], Captain
_Newport_ and myself with diuers others, to the number of twenty two
persons, set forward to discouer the Riuer, some fiftie or sixtie
miles, finding it in some places broader, and in some narrower, the
Countrie (for the moste part) on each side plaine high ground, with
many freshe Springes, the people in all places kindely intreating vs,
daunsing, and feasting vs with strawberries, Mulberies, Bread, Fish,
and other their Countrie prouisions whereof we had plenty; for which
Captaine _Newport_ kindely requited their least fauors with Bels,
Pinnes, Needles, beades, or Glasses, which so contented them that his
liberallitie made them follow vs from place to place, and euer kindely
to respect vs. In the midway staying to refresh our selues in a little
Ile foure or five sauages came vnto vs which described vnto vs the
course of the Riuer, and after in our iourney, they often met vs,
trading with vs for such prouision as wee had, and arriuing at
_Arsatecke_, hee whom we supposed to bee the chiefe King of all the
rest, moste kindely entertained vs, giuing vs in a guide to go with vs
vp the Riuer to _Powhatan_, of which place their great Emperor taketh
his name, where he that they honored for King vsed vs kindely.

But to finish this discouerie, we passed on further, where within an
ile [_a mile_] we were intercepted with great craggy stones in the
midst of the riuer, where the water falleth so rudely, and with such a
violence, as not any boat can possibly passe, and so broad disperseth
the streame, as there is not past fiue or sixe Foote at a low water,
and to the shore scarce passage with a barge, the water floweth foure
foote, and the freshes by reason of the Rockes haue left markes of the
inundations 8. or 9. foote: The south side is plaine low ground, and