A Modernized Excerpt from John Smith’s

General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles (1624)

[Note: John Smith refers to himself in the third person throughout this account.]

            Smith, . . . being got to the marshes at the river’s head, twenty miles in the desert, [left] his two men . . . sleeping by the canoe, whilst himself, by fowling, sought them victual.  The savages followed him with three hundred bowmen conducted by the king of Pamaunkee, who, in divisions searching the turnings of the river, found Robinson and Emry by the fireside.  Those they shot full of arrows and slew.  [Smith] defending himself with the aid of a savage his guide, whom he bound to his arm with his garters and used him as a buckler [shield], three of them being slain and divers others so galled [wounded], all the rest would not come near him.  Thinking thus to have returned to his boat, regarding them, as he marched, more than his way, [he] slipped up to his middle in an oozy creek and his savage with him, yet durst they not come to him till, being near dead with cold, he threw away his arms.  Then according to their composition, they drew him forth and led him to the fire where his men were slain.  Diligently they chafed his benumbed limbs.

            He, demanding for their captain, they showed him Opechankanough, king of Pamaunkee, to whom he gave a round ivory double-compass dial.  Much they marveled at the playing of the fly and needle, which they could see so plainly and yet not touch, because of the glass that covered them.  But when he demonstrated by that globe-like jewel the roundness of the earth and skies, the sphere of the sun, moon, and stars, and how the sun did chase the nights round about the world continually; the greatness of the land and sea, the diversity of nations, variety of complexions, and how we were to them Antipodes, and many other such matters; they all stood amazed with admiration.  Notwithstanding, within an hour after, they tied him to a tree, and as many as could stood about him prepared to shoot him; but the king, holding up the compass in his hand, they all laid down their bows and arrows, and in a triumphant manner led him to Orapake, where he was, after their manner, kingly feasted and well used. . . .

            Drawing themselves all in file, the king in the midst had all their [guns] and swords borne before them.  Captain Smith was led after them by three great savages, holding him fast by each arm; and on his side six went with their arrows nocked.  But arriving at the town (which was but only thirty or forty hunting houses made of mats, which they remove as they please, as we our tents), all the women and children staring to behold him, the soldiers first of all in file performed the form of a bison so well as could be; and on each flank, officers, as sergeants, to see them keep their order.  A good time they continued this exercise and then cast themselves in a ring, dancing in several postures and singing and yelling out hellish notes and screeches; being strangely painted, everyone his quiver of arrows and at his back a club; on his arm, a fox or an otter’s skin . . . ; their heads and shoulders painted red . . . , which scarlet-like color made an exceedingly handsome show; his bow in his hand and the skin of a bird with her wings abroad, dried, tied on his head, a piece of copper, a white shell, a long feather, with a small rattle growing at the tails of their snakes, tied to it, or some such-like toy.

            All this while, Smith and the king stood in the midst, guarded, . . . and after three dances they all departed.  Smith they conducted to a long house, where thirty or forty tall fellows did guard him, and ere long more bread and venison was brought him than would have served twenty men.  (I think his stomach at that time was not very good.)  What he left, they put in baskets and tied over his head.  About midnight they set the meat again before him.  All this time, not one of them would eat a bite with him; till the next morning, they brought him as much more, and then did they eat all the old and reserved the new as they had done the other, which made him think they would fat him to eat him.  Yet in this desperate state, to defend him from the cold, one Maocassater brought him his gown, in requital of some beads and toys Smith had given him at his first arrival in Virginia. . . .

            They led him . . . over all those rivers and back again by divers other several nations to the king’s habitation at Pamaunkee, where they entertained him with most strange and fearful conjurations. . . .

            Early in the morning, a great fire was made in a long house and a mat spread on the one side, as on the other.  One the one, they caused him to sit, and all the guard went out of the house.  Presently came skipping in a great grim fellow, all painted over with coal mingled with oil, and many snakes’ and weasels’ skins stuffed with moss, and all their tails tied together so as they met on the crown of his head in a tassel; and round about the tassel was a coronet of feathers, the skins hanging round about his head, back, and shoulders, and in a manner covered his face; with a hellish voice, and a rattle in his hand.  With most strange gestures and passions, he began his invocation and environed the fire with a circle of meal; which done, three more such-like devils came rushing in with the like antic tricks, painted half black, half red; but all their eyes were painted white, and some red strokes, like Mutchato’s, along their cheeks.  Round about him those fiends danced a pretty while, and then came in three more as ugly as the rest, with red eyes and white strokes over their black faces.

            At last they all sat down right against him, three of them on the one hand of the chief priest and three on the other.  Then all with their rattles began a song; which ended, the chief priest laid down five wheat corns.  Then straining his arms and hands with such violence that he sweated and his veins swelled, he began a short oration.  At the conclusion, they all gave a short groan and then laid down three grains more.  After that, began their song again, and then another oration, ever laying down so many corns as before, till they had twice encircled the fire.  That done, they took a bunch of little sticks prepared for that purpose, continuing still their devotion, and at the end of every song and oration they laid down a stick betwixt the divisions of the corn.  Till night, neither he nor they did either eat or drink, and then they feasted merrily, with the best provisions they could make.

            Three days they used this ceremony; the meaning whereof, they told him, was to know if he intended them well or no.  The circle of meal signified their country, the circles of corn the bounds of the sea, and the sticks, his country.  They imagined the world to be flat and round, like a [plate], and they in the midst.

            After this, they brought him a bag of gunpowder, which they carefully preserved till the next spring, to plant as they did their corn; because they would be acquainted with the nature of that seed.

            Opitchapam, the king’s brother, invited him to his house, where, with as many platters of bread, fowls, and wild beasts as did environ him, he bade him welcome; but not any of them would eat a bite with him but put up all the remainder in baskets.  At his return to Opechankanough’s, all the king’s women and their children flocked about him for their parts, as a due by custom, to be merry with such fragments.

            At last they brought him to Meronocomoco, where was Powhatan, their emperor.  Here, more than two hundred of those grim courtiers stood wondering at him, as he had been a monster; till Powhatan and his train had put themselves in their greatest braveries.  Before a fire upon a seat like a bedstead, he sat covered with a great robe made of raccoon skins, and all the tails hanging by.  One either hand did sit a young wench of sixteen or eighteen years, and along on each side of the house, two rows of men and, behind them, as many women, with all their heads and shoulders painted red; many of their heads bedecked with the white down of birds, but everyone with something: and a great chain of white beads about their necks.

            At his entrance before the king, all the people gave a great shout.  The queen of Appamatuck was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands, and another brought him a bunch of feathers, instead of a towel, to dry them.  Having feasted him after their best barbarous manner they could, a long a consultation was held.  But the conclusion was, two great stones were brought before Powhatan.  Then as many as could laid hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, being ready with their clubs to beat his brains out.  Pocahontas, the king’s dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevail, got his head in her arms and laid her own upon his to save him from death.  Whereat the emperor was contented he should live to make them hatchets, and her, bells, beads, and copper.