e colours of crimson, watchet,
Yellow, Greene, Murry, and of divers other hewes naturally without any
art using... store of Turkie nests and many Egges." They liked this
place, but for shoal water the ships could not come near to land. So on
they went, eight miles up the river.

Here, upon the north side, thirty-odd miles from the mouth, they came to
a certain peninsula, an island at high water. Two or three miles long,
less than a mile and a half in breadth, at its widest place composed of
marsh and woodland, it ran into the river, into six fathom water, where
the ships might be moored to the trees. It was this convenient deep
water that determined matters. Here came to anchor the Susan Constant,
the Goodspeed, and the Discovery. Here the colonists went ashore. Here
the members of the Council were sworn, and for the first President was
chosen Edward-Maria Wingfield. Here, the first roaming and excitement
abated, they began to unlade the ships, and to build the fort and also
booths for their present sleeping. A church, too, they must have at
once, and forthwith made it with a stretched sail for roof and a board
between two trees whereon to rest Bible and Book of Prayer. Here, for
the first time in all this wilderness, rang English axe in American
forest, here was English law and an English town, here sounded English
speech. Here was placed the germ of that physical, mental, and,
spiritual power which is called the United States of America.

CHAPTER III. JAMESTOWN

In historians' accounts of the first months at Jamestown, too much,
perhaps, has been made of faction and quarrel. All this was there. Men
set down in a wilderness, amid Virginian heat, men, mostly young, of the
active rather than the reflective type, men uncompanioned by women and
children, men beset with dangers and sufferings that were soon to tag
heavily their courage and patience--such men naturally quarreled and
made up, quarreled again and again made up, darkly suspected each the
other, as they darkly suspected the forest and the Indian; then, need of
friendship dominating, embraced each the other, felt the fascination
of the forest, and trusted the Indian. However much they suspected
rebellion, treacheries, and desertions, they practiced fidelities,
though to varying degrees, and there was in each man's breast more or
less of courage and good intent. They were prone to call one another
villain, but actual villainy--save as jealousy, suspicion, an