hurt Captaine Gabriel
Archer in both his hands, and a sayler in two places of the body very
dangerous. After they had spent their Arrowes and felt the sharpnesse
of our shot, they retired into the Woods with a great noise, and so left
us."

That very night, by the ships' lanterns, Newport, Gosnold, and Ratcliffe
opened the sealed box. The names of the councilors were found to be
Christopher Newport, Bartholomew Gosnold, John Ratcliffe, Edward-Maria
Wingfield, John Martin, John Smith, and George Kendall, with Gabriel
Archer for recorder. From its own number, at the first convenient time,
this Council was to choose its President. All this was now declared and
published to all the company upon the ships. John Smith was given his
freedom but was not yet allowed place in the Council. So closed an
exciting day. In the morning they pressed in parties yet further into
the land, but met no Indians--only came to a place where these savages
had been roasting oysters. The next day saw further exploring. "We
marched some three or foure miles further into the Woods where we saw
great smoakes of fire. Wee marched to those smoakes and found that the
Savages had beene there burning downe the grasse....We passed through
excellent ground full of Flowers of divers kinds and colours, anal as
goodly trees as I have seene, as cedar, cipresse and other kindes; going
a little further we came into a little plat of ground full of fine and
beautifull strawberries, foure times bigger and better than ours in
England. All this march we could neither see Savage nor Towne."*

* Percy's "Discourse."

The ships now stood into those waters which we call Hampton Roads.
Finding a good channel and taking heart therefrom, they named a horn
of land Point Comfort. Now we call it Old Point Comfort. Presently they
began to go up a great river which they christened the James. To English
eyes it was a river hugely wide. They went slowly, with pauses and
waitings and adventures. They consulted their paper of instructions;
they scanned the shore for good places for their fort, for their
town. It was May, and all the rich banks were in bloom. It seemed a
sweet-scented world of promise. They saw Indians, but had with these
no untoward encounters. Upon the twelfth of May they came to a point
of land which they named Archer's Hope. Landing here, they saw "many
squirels, conies, Black Birds with crimson wings, and divers other
Fowles and Birds of divers and sundri