The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-08-30
C0MA;UNICA7ICN, 70 TIE EDITOR,
FROM A VENERABLE FRIEND.

II you could publifh fome extracts from Burkcs
Hhory Is Virginia in the Enquirer, think you
would gratify many Of your readers and do jutiee
MIR Burte's n:er'.
Such ipeenens ci his work, as you might felet,
would gain him appiaui, .noreaie of consqnenee
the number Of his iubierbers, and animate him 10
Proivcute his undertaking With aiacr,y, ana to bei
the i.bonr and attention. which srea, n,-
portsnce requires, indeed think tliat with proper
lie render it rival Of tire be'' hii
ttrics in the Erghii language. For, If without iucE
powerful incite,nent from few incidents apparently
uiiinportant, and happening in time re:Lote from
CAV, he has produced hinory, containing many
inrereArg evet,s eulve; Cd by many Grihig offer
vatous and d,ierlptons, We may reafonaby iuppo'e
that il proper. animated by public appiarfc, he Will
give from tie oopous materials which later peri
obs hav. furnin.t,,. and from niereiing
vents which have happened wShn own reeol-
lsaion, an hiilo,y highly valuable to Us, and our
poaeri,y.
His exhibitions Of Smith, Powhatan, Opeehan1o-
pough and Pocahontas, give reaion expect from
him Gne portraits Of tho!e i,luiirious perions who
niuf have attracted his attention, III the ipte-
reaing and all Important periods of our hihory.
The feelings which he eAcites in rhe breon of
his readers when he defcribcs the rit dawnnes IL IL
berty III country, may iuitify expectation
that when he ita deicribe its meridian flan. Re viii
make their b" hears burn within them" Aud If AZ
another time he makes tren bic the thoughts OF
what might have been the conf.qusrce to Mankind
had not the coloniHs who embarked at Jan .itown,
been prevented bv The arrival of Lord Delaware from
ABANDONING he country, and carr, ing of tJ- si,.
eaa6e dsis o" liberty, re c.,,v et brm1r bahri2rG"
efhe facre fire WHICH fhall animate the world, what
may furpofe viii be the glow of his expreili-
on, and the cut!luiiafin with which he will defcribe
the critical ftuatior in which ,hofe deninies were
placed when anariuousbutg glorious refance wasmaIe
by Virginia, the Tremendous power exercd by Bri-
4 IL. If
extnguihing Tor eyer the facred fame of liberty?
Memoirs Of poea'on'aS. fran N. Voi. Of I3yks
Siaoyy Of Nagiaia.
l6o7-tfter making the tour of almon all
the trihes, WHO acknowledged the authority of
Powlatan, cant. Smith was at ier 9Th brought
Tito the preience Of the en- peror, at IVeru,po-
comoco.
Werowoccmoco lay on the north fidc of York
river, in Gourefer county, nearly oppoii;e 10
the mouth of Olcen's creek, about twenty-five
miles below the fork Of the river. II was at
that time Powhatar's principal place of ref
dcnce although afterwards, not adn,iripe the
reighbourhood of the Engllh, he retired to O.
rsIrsIes.
Here the fame ceremonies were repeated and
the fare attention was paid TO The comfort and
accommodation of the prifoner. Pu: he right
drawn in his favor from thofe fympto,ns, nor
from the paft forbearance Of this people: on the
Contrary, he concludcd, lie had been feared
merely 10 crafty the court by the pageant of A
triumph, and to give folcmnity to bis e ntence,
by hayiRg it pronounced by the mouth of their
monarch.
This celebrated chicftain, who, By his velour
aad addreis, had reduced under his power, the
Numerous tribes, who inhahii the fpacious
.t,
the falls; and the falls of all the great rivers, O.
YER Potowmac, even-to Patuxen, IN Mai iand
and Whole na.ne iuck terror to the pstions bor-
dering on the lakes; was at this time about tx
~ years old, Of marked and penetrating coun-
tenance and maeftic deportmenr. On the en-
trance If Smith, he was drefied in cloak made
az the h.ins of the racoon, and was elevated on
wooden throne. fonewhat in fhapt, reiembIing
a bedGead, before large fire. On either lisnt!
Of the CHEF, fat two young girls, HE daughters
his councillors, adorned with iheIls and feathers,
we're ranged on each iide of the kouie, With an
equal nnTber of woTen Handing heFiud them.
On Smiths entrance, the attendants OF Powha-
tan thoute1 The queen OF Appdulattox was
Appointed 10 bring him water 10 waih Whit
another dried his hands with bunch Of fca-
Tiers.
A caafllta.ion cf the emperor and his coun-
Gil having taken place, it was adjudged expedi-
perior courage and genius made him peculiarly
dangerous 10 the fafety of the Indians. The
deciion being made Known TO the attendants of
tine empero-, preparations Immediately com
nenced for carrying i INFO execution, BY means
as impie AMI fdmmaIy the nature oe The tr-
al.
Two large ltunes were brought in, AID placed
at the feet of the emperor; and on them was
laid the head vf The prifoner: next 4 large club
was brought in, with which Pcwhatan, for
whom, out Of refpea, was ref,ry. this honor,
prepared 10 cIuih the head OF his captive. The
aGemblv looked on with fenfaIions Of awe, pro.
badly not unmSed with pity for the fate of an
enemy, whofe b avery had conn anded heir al
nira.ion and in whole misfortunes, their ba-
tired was ponity forgotten.
The fatal c'ob was upiftsd The breafs Of
tie company already by multiplication, {, !. the
dreadful Grail, which was 10 hereave the
wrct2hcd victim of fife; when the young aud
beautiful PocaEOntas, the beloved daughter Of
the emperor, With Ilrieh of terror ard agonY,
threw her(elf on the body Of Sniitb. Her hair
was ioote, ard her eyes fream;,ig with tears.
whijc her whole nnsnnsr befpokC the deep dit
irefs AID agony o. her bofom. She CAT A be-
ieecng look her furious and aitoaihed IA
tier, dcprecatiog his wrath, aud inpioring his