pioneers of the old south-第8部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


overmuch　in　the　larder　with　which　to　do　it。　Smith　with　George　Percy　and
Francis　West　and　others　went　again　to　the　Indians　for　corn。　Christmas　found
them　weather…bound　at　Kecoughtan。　〃Wherever　an　Englishman　may　be；　and　in
whatever　part　of　the　world；　he　must　keep　Christmas　with　feasting　and
merriment！　And；　indeed；　we　were　never　more　merrie；　nor　fedde　on　more
plentie　of　good　oysters；　fish；　flesh；　wild　fowle　and　good　bread；　nor　never
had　better　fires　in　England　than　in　the　drie；　smokie　houses　of　Kecoughtan！〃

But　despite　this　Christmas　fare；　there　soon　began　quarrels；　many　and
intricate；　with　Powhatan　and　his　brother　Opechancanough。



CHAPTER　V。　THE　〃SEA　ADVENTURE〃

Experience　is　a　great　teacher。　That　London　Company　with　Virginia　to
colonize　had　now　come　to　see　how　inadequate　to　the　attempt　were　its　means
and　strength。　Evidently　it　might　be　long　before　either　gold　mines　or　the
South　Sea　could　be　found。　The　company's　ships　were　too　slight　and　few；
colonists　were　going　by　the　single　handful　when　they　should　go　by　the
double。　Something　was　at　fault　in　the　management　of　the　enterprise。　The
quarrels　in　Virginia　were　too　constant；　the　disasters　too　frequent。　More
money；　more　persons　interested　with　purse　and　mind；　a　great　company　instead
of　a　small；　a　national　cast　to　the　enterprise　these　were　imperative　needs。
In　the　press　of　such　demands　the　London　Company　passed　away。　In　1609　under
new　letters　patent　was　born　the　Virginia　Company。

The　members　and　shareholders　in　this　corporation　touch　through　and　through
the　body　of　England　at　that　day。　First　names　upon　the　roll　come　Robert
Cecil；　Thomas　Howard；　Henry　Wriothesley；　William　Herbert；　Henry　Clinton；
Richard　Sackville；　Thomas　Cecil；　Philip　HerbertEarls　of　Salisbury；
Suffolk；　Southampton；　Pembroke；　Lincoln；　Dorset；　Exeter；　and　Montgomery。
Then　follow　a　dozen　peers；　the　Lord　Bishop　of　Bath　and　Wells；　a　hundred
knights；　many　gentlemen；　one　hundred　and　ten　merchants；　certain　physicians
and　clergymen；　old　soldiers　of　the　Continental　wars；　sea…captains　and
mariners；　and　a　small　host　of　the　unclassified。　In　addition　shares　were
taken　by　fifty…six　London　guilds　or　industrial　companies。　Here　are　the
Companies　of　the　Tallow　and　Wax　Chandlers；　the　Armorers　and　Girdlers；
Cordwayners　and　Carpenters；　Masons；　Plumbers；　Founders；　Poulterers；　Cooks；
Coopers；　Tylers　and　Brick　Layers；　Bowyers　and　Vinters；　Merchant　Taylors；
Blacksmiths　and　Weavers；　Mercers；　Grocers；　Turners；　Gardeners；　Dyers；
Scriveners；　Fruiterers；　Plaisterers；　Brown　Bakers；　Imbroiderers；　Musicians；
and　many　more。

The　first　Council　appointed　by　the　new　charter　had　fifty…two　members；
fourteen　of　whom　sat　in　the　English　House　of　Lords；　and　twice　that　number
in　the　Commons。　Thus　was　Virginia　well　linked　to　Crown　and　Parliament。

This　great　commercial　company　had　sovereign　powers　within　Virginia。　The
King　should　have　his　fifth　part　of　all　ore　of　gold　and　silver；　the　laws　and
religion　of　England　should　be　upheld；　and　no　man　let　go　to　Virginia　who　had
not　first　taken　the　oath　of　supremacy。　But　in　the　wide　field　beside　all
this　the　Presidentcalled　the　Treasurer　…and　the　Council；　henceforth　to　be
chosen　out　of　and　by　the　whole　body　of　subscribers；　had　full　sway。　No
longer　should　there　be　a　second　Council　sitting　in　Virginia；　but　a　Governor
with　power；　answerable　only　to　the　Company　at　home。　That　Company　might　tax
and　legislate　within　the　Virginian　field；　punish　the　ill…doer　or　〃rebel；〃
and　wage　war；　if　need　be；　against　Indian　or　Spaniard：

〃One　of　the　first　actions　of　the　newly　constituted　body　was　to　seek　remedy
for　the　customary　passage　by　way　of　the　West　Indies　…so　long　and　so　beset
by　dangers。　They　sent　forth　a　small　ship　under　Captain　Samuel　Argall；　with
instructions　〃to　attempt　a　direct　and　cleare　passage；　by　leaving　the
Canaries　to　the　East；　and　from　thence　to　run　a　straight　westerne　course　。　。
。　。　And　so　to　make　an　experience　of　the　Winds　and　Currents　which　have
affrighted　all　undertakers　by　the　North。〃

This　Argall；　a　young　man　with　a　stirring　and　adventurous　life　behind　him
and　before　him；　took　his　ship　the　indicated　way。　He　made　the　voyage　in　nine
weeks；　of　which　two　were　spent　becalmed；　and　upon　his　return　reported　that
it　might　be　made　in　seven；　〃and　no　apparent　inconvenience　in　the　way。〃　He
brought　to　the　great　Council　of　the　Company　a　story　of　necessity　and
distress　at　Jamestown；　and　the　Council　lays　much　of　the　blame　for　that　upon
〃the　misgovernment　of　the　Commanders；　by　dissention　and　ambition　among
themselves；〃　and　upon　the　idleness　of　the　general　run；　〃active　in　nothing
but　adhearing　to　factions　and　parts。〃　The　Council；　sitting　afar　from　a
savage　land；　is　probably　much　too　severe。　But　the　〃factions　and　parts〃
cannot　easily　be　denied。

Before　Argall's　return；　the　Company　had　commissioned　as　Governor　of
Virginia　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　and　had　gathered　a　fleet　of　seven　ships　and　two
pinnaces　with　Sir　George　Somers　as　Admiral；　in　the　ship　called　the　Sea
Adventure；　and　Christopher　Newport　as　Vice…Admiral。　All　weighed　anchor　from
Falmouth　early　in　June　and　sailed　by　the　newly　tried　course；　south　to　the
Canaries　and　then　across。　These　seven　ships　carried　five　hundred　colonists；
men；　women；　and　children。

On　St。　James's　day　there　rose　and　broke　a　fearsome　storm。　Two　days　and
nights　it　raged；　and　it　scattered　that　fleet　of　seven。　Gates；　Somers；　and
Newport　with　others　of　〃rancke　and　quality〃　were　upon　the　Sea　Adventure。
How　fared　this　ship　with　one　attendant　pinnace　we　shall　come　to　see
presently。　But　the　other　ships；　driven　to　and　fro；　at　last　found　a
favorable　wind；　and　in　August　they　sighted　Virginia。　On　the　eleventh　of
that　month　they　came；　storm…beaten　and　without　Governor　or　Admiral　or　Sea
Adventure；　into　〃our　Bay〃　and　at　last　to　〃the　King's　River　and　Town。〃　Here
there　swarmed　from　these　ships　nigh　three　hundred　persons；　meeting　and　met
by　the　hundred　dwelling　at　Jamestown。　This　was　the　third　supply；　but　it
lacked　the　hundred　or　so　upon　the　Sea　Adventure　and　the　pinnace；　and　it
lacked　a　head。　〃Being　put　ashore　without　their　Governor　or　any　order　from
him　（all　the　Commissioners　and　principal　persons　being　aboard　him）　no　man
would　acknowledge　a　superior。〃

With　this　multitude　appeared　once　more　in　Virginia　the　three　ancient
councilorsRatcliffe；　Archer；　and　Martin。　Apparently　here　came　fresh　fuel
for　factions。　Who　should　rule；　and　who　should　be　ruled？　Here　is　an
extremely　old　and　important　question；　settled　in　history　only　to　be
unsettled　again。　Everywhere　it　rises；　dust　on　Time's　road；　and　is　laid　only
to　rise　again。

Smith　was　still　President。　Who　was　in　the　right　and　who　in　the　wrong　in
these　ancient　quarrels；　the　recital　of　which　fills　the　pages　of　Smith　and
of　other　men；　is　hard　now　to　be　determined。　But　Jamestown　became　a　place　of
turbulence。　Francis　West　was　sent　with　a　considerable　number　to　the　Falls
of　the　Far　West　to　make　there　some　kind　of　settlement。　For　a　like　purpose
Martin　and　Percy　were　dispatched　to　the　Nansemond　River。　All　along　the　line
there　was　bitter　falling　out。　The　Indians　became　markedly　hostile。　Smith
was　up　the　river；　quarreling　with　West　and　his　men。　At　last　he　called　them
〃wrongheaded　asses；〃　flung　himself　into　his　boat；　and　made　down　the　river
to　Jamestown。　Yet　even　so　e　found　no　peace；　for；　while　he　was　asleep　in　the
boat；　by　some　accident　or　other　a　spark　found　its　way　to　his　powder　pouch。
The　powder　exploded。　Terribly　hurt；　he　leaped　overboard　into　the　river；
whence　he　was　with　difficulty　rescued。

Smith　was　now　deposed　by　Ratcliffe；　Archer；　and　Martin；　because；　〃being　an
ambityous；　onworthy；　and　vayneglorious　fellowe；〃　say　his　detractors；　〃he
wolde　rule　all　and　ingrose　all　authority　into　his　own　hands。〃　Be　this　as　it
may；　Smith　was　put　on　board　one　of　the　ships　which　were　about　to　sail　for
England。　Wounded；　and　with　none　at　Jamestown　able　to　heal　his　hurt；　he　was
no　unwilling　passenger。　Thus　he　departed；　and　Virginia　knew　Captain　John
Smith　no　more。　Some　liked　him　and　his　ways；　some　liked　him　not　nor　his　ways
either。　He　wrote　of　his　own　deeds　and　praised　them　highly；　and　saw　little
good　in　other　mankind；　though　here　and　there　he　made　an　exception。　Evident
enough　are　faults　of　temper。　But　he　had　great　courage　and　energy　and　at
times　a　lofty　disinterestedness。

Again　winter　drew　on　at　Jamestown；　and　with　it　misery　on　misery。　George
Percy；　now　President；　lay　ill　and　unable　to　keep　order。　The　multitude；
〃unbridled　and　heedless；〃　pulled　this　way　and　that。　Before　the　cold　had
well　begun；　what　provision　there　was　in　the　storehouse　became　exhausted。
That　stream　of　corn　from　the　Indians　in　which　the　colonists　had　put
dependence　failed　to　flow。　The　Indians　themselves　began　systematically　to
spoil　and　murder。　Ratcliffe　and　fourteen　with　him　met　death　while　loading
his　barge　with　corn　upon　the　Pamunkey。　The　cold　grew　worse。　By　midwinter
there　was　famine。　The　four　hundredalready　noticeably　dwindleddwindled
fast　and　faster。　The　cold　was　severe；　the　Indians　were　in　the　woods；　the
weakened　bodies　of　the　white　men　pined　and　shivered。　They　broke　up　the
empty　houses　to　make　fires　to　warm　themselves。　They　began　to　die　of　hunger
as　well　as　by　Indian　arrows。　On　went　the　winter；　and　every　day