The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-29
Rltlmon1 Qispatth.
SATURDAY MORNING. =. SEPT. 20 1880.
THE PRINCE VIRGINIA.

The Baltimore American, in noticing tho
Official announcement that the Prince of
Wales Will visit this city on Saturday (to-day)
week, ana proceed from here TO jamestown,
the first British settlement in America, COL
lates interestingly the historical miniscsnces
which follow:
On May I3th 1907. Captain Smith and his
companions planted at Jamestown the seed of
Anglo Saxon civilization. This was one hun
dred and nine years from the discovery of the
North American Continent by Cabot and
thirteen years before the landing of the Puri-
tan Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. Captain
Smith may in some sense be called the Father
OF New England as we'll as OF Virginia, for
his arduous voyages, surveys and explorations
ia that country, and his valuable sugges tions
in regard to its advantages for fisheries, proved
ot the greatest practical benefit to those by
whom ii was settled. Its very name Of
New England was given to it by the King
at the suggestion OF Captain Smith
Jamestown is on the north side of the James
river, about nfty miles from its mouth. The
place so called is an uninhabited point of land
projecting in to the river, which seems to be
constantly gaining upon il. Ii belongs to Mr..
VIM. Allen, the wealthiest of the rich James
rlver proprietore, who raises very good wheat
on the spot where Smith found IL 50 difiicu to
initiate the colonists in agricultural labor
Nothing remains of the ancient settlement bu t
The mculdsring ruin of church tower, sur
round,d Il by church-yard. 1t is not known
precisely when the church, to which this
tower belonged, WAS built. Ten years after
the frs settlement of James town. there were
two ehsrches destroyed by fire. 1t is sur.
missed that the tower may have belonged to
the second church, and in that case IL has been
standing about TWO hundred and thirty years
In all this nelghborhood are objects OF in
terest connected with our early colonial his
tory. Seven miles from jamestown is Will
liamsburg, the second metropolis of Virginia
TO which the colonial government was re-
moved from jamestown in 1855, on account of
farh ~ hf, ,l,,.Na
IS situated on-a level plain, between the York
and the James rivers. 1t remained the capital
OF Virginia until i779 when the seat of gov overn-
ment was removed TO Richmond, fifty y-eigh h I
miles distant. In It's palmy DAYS il had a
population of about two thousand; but
though small, the polite and brilliant circle
which surrounded the royal governors gave it
an unwonted degree OF grace and animation,
and attracted thither the fashion and wea tn
of the province. In other res poets Williams
burg Is the same as In colonial days. A de-
scrIption of 1t, published by an Englishman a
hundred ana twenty years ago, would answer,
with few exceptions, for the present time
Most OF the private buildings We're erec led
before the Revolution the wings of the
royal palace still remain the church, and
other objects OF historic interest. An air
OF profound qaet, as provocative of SOM
nolency AS the atmosphere of Sleepy Hol-
low, perysdes the whole settlement. Twelve
miles from Williams burg is Yorktown stu
ated on that magnificent river the York, about
eleven miles from its mouth. 1t now consS 8
OF about thirty dilapdated dwellings. On the
banks OF this broad and glorious stream stand
the ruins OF q church built one hundred and
ffty years ago, and near ii the monuments and
coats OF arms of the Nelson family, so Illus
trlous in,the colonial and revolutionary his
tory OF Virginia. On this narrow strip of
land, between two Virginia Rivera and at a
distance OF about eighteen miles from each
other, is the spot on which began and the spot
on which ended the BRUSH dominion in our
country, Nevertheless, in the virtues of hosp
tailty and courtiy social graces, the classic
ground OF the James and York mas known no
change, and the Baron Renfrew will receive q
welcome worthy OF Prince in the Old Do
minion."