from the rest, and very rude; but they on the river Acohannock, with forty men; and they of Acomack, eighty men, doth equalize any of the territories of Powhatan, and speak his language, who, over all those, doth rule as king. Southward we went to some part of Chowonock, and the Mangoags to search for them, left by Mr. White. Among those people, are thus many nations of sundry languages, that environs Powhatan's territory. The Chawonockes, the Mangoags, the Manacans, the Mannahokes, the Masawamekes, the Powhatans, the Susquesahanocke, the Alquanachukes, the Tochwoghes, and the Kuscarawaokes. All those, not any one understands one another, but by interpreters. Their several habitations are more plainly described by this annexed map, which will present to the eye the way of the mountains and current of the rivers, with their several turnings, bays, shoals, isles, inlets, and creeks, the breadth of the waters, the distance of places and such like. In which map, observe this, that as far as you see the little crosses on rivers, mountains, or other places, have been discovered; the rest was had by information of the savages, and are set down according to their instructions. Thus have I walked a wayless way, with uncouth pace, Which yet no Christian man did ever trace; Which ears doth hear, as that which eyes do find. LETTER To the most high and virtuous princess, Queene Anne of Great Britaine. "Most admired Queene-The loue I beare my God, my king and countrie, hath so oft emboldened mee in the worst of extreme dangers, that now honestie doth constraine mee to presume thus farre beyond my selfe, to present your Majestie this short discourse: if ingratitude be a deadly poyson to all honest vertues, I must bee guiltie of that crime if I should omit any means to be thankfull. So it is, "That some ten yeeres agoe being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the power of Powhatan their cheife king, I receiued from this great saluage exceeding great courtisie, especially from his sonne Nataquaus, the most manliest, comliest, boldest spirit, I euer saw in a saluage, and his sister Pocahontas, the king's most dear and well beloued daughter, being but a childe of twelue or thirteene yeeres of age, whose compassionate pitiful heart, of my desperate estate, gaue me much cause to respect her; I being the first Christain this proud king and his grim attendants ever saw : and thus inthralled in their barbarous power, I cannot say I felt the least occasion of want that was in the power of those my mortal foes to preuent, notwithstanding all their threats. After some six weeks fatting amongst those saluage courtiers, at the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her owne braines to saue mine, and not only that, but so preuailed with her father, that I was safely con ducted to James towne, where I found about eight and thirtie miserable poore and sicke creatures, to keep possesion of all those large territories of Virginia, such was the weaknesse of this poor commonwealth, as had the saluages not fed us, we directly had starued. "And this reliefe, most gracious Queene was, commonly brought vs by this lady Pocahontas, notwithstanding all these passages when inconstant Fortune turned our peace to warre, this tender virgin would still not spare to dare to uisit vs, and by her our iarres haue oft beene appeased, and our wants still supplied; were it the policie of her father thus to employ her, or the ordinance of God thus to make her his instrument, or her extraordinarie affection to our nation, I know not; but of this I am sure, when her father, with the vtmost policie and power, sought to surprize mee, hauing but eighteene with mee, the darke nighte could not affright her from comming through the irksome woods, and with watered eies gaue mee intelligence, with her best aduice to escape his furie, which had hee knowne, he had surely slaine her. Iames towne with her wilde traine she as freely frequented, as her fathers habitation; and during the time of two or three years, she next vnder God, was still the instrument to preserue this colonie from death, famine and vtter confusion, which if in those times had been dissolued, Virginia might have line as it was at our first arriual to this day.Since then, this business having beene turned and uaried by many accidents from that I left it at ; it is most certaine, after a long and troublesome warre after my departure, betwixt her father and our colonie, all which time she was not heard of, about two yeeres after shee her selfe was taken prisoner, being so detained neere two yeeres longer, the colonie by that means was relieued, peace concluded, and at last reiecting her barbarous condition, was married to an English gentleman, with whom at this present she is in England; the first Christian euer of that nation, the first Virginian euer spake in English, or had a child in marriage by an Englishman, a matter surely, if my meaning bee truly considered and well vnderstood, worthy a princess vnderstanding. "Thus most gracious Lady, I haue related to your Maiestie, what at your best leasure our approued histories will account you at large, and done in the time your Maiesties life, and howeuer this might be presented you from a more worthy pen, it cannot from a more honest heart; as yet I neuer begged any thing of the state, or any, and it is my want of abilitie and her exceeding desert, your birth, meanes and authoritie, her birth, virtue, want and simplicitie, doth make mee thus bold, to beseech your Maiestie to take this knowledge of her, though it be from one so unworthy to be the reporter, as my self, her husbands estate not being able to make her fit to attend your Maiestie; the most and least I can doe, is to tell you this, because none so oft hath tried it as my selfe, and the rather being of so great a spirit, however her stature: if she should not be well received, seeing this kingdome may rightly haue a kinddome by her meanes; her present loue to vs, and Christianitie, might 66 turne to such scorne and furie, as to diuert all this good to the worst of euil, where finding so great a Queene should doe her some honour more than she can imagine, for being so kind to your seruants and subjects would so rauish her with content, as endeare her dearest bloud to effect that your Maiestie and all the kings honest subjects most earnestly desire. And I so humbly kisse your gracious hands." Being about this time preparing to set saile for New-England, I could not stay to doe her that seruice I desired, and shee well deserued; but hearing shee was at Brauford with diuers of my friends; I went to see her: After a modest salutation, without any word, she turned about, obscured her face, as not seeming well contented; and in that humour her husband, with diuers others, we all left her two or three hours, repenting my selfe to have writ she could speak English. But not long after, she began to talk and remembered me well what courtesies shee had done: saying, You did promise Powhatan what was yours should bee his, be the like to you: you called him father, being in his land a stranger, and by the same reason must I doe you: which though I have excused, 1 durst not allow of that title, because shee was a kings daughter with a well set countenance, she said, Were you not afraid to come into my fathers countrie, and caused feare in him and all his people (but mee) and feare you here I should call you father: I tell you then I will, and you shall call me childe, and so I will be for euer and euer your countrieman. They did tell vs alwaies you were dead, and I knew no other till I came to Plimoth; yet Pow : |