The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-13
fFor the Dlspatcb.l III #
Captain ChristOpiaor NEWPORT.
PREPARED FOR VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
By REV. EDWARD D. NEIId..
for the DlsIAteh.l
Ser,femher % ISL

September "a, 1877.
My Dear Mr.. Brock,--To keep alive the
interest you have created in old Virginia
history send you sketch Of Newport, to
be followed by one Of Gates and Dale ana
Argall. Believe me, cordially, w.,
r.. 4. Brock. Esq, Richmond, Va.
No extended notice Of the captain OF the
frst eynedjtion that entered the Chesapeake
hav and entered the waters OF James RIVER
has hitherto been published.
cbr;stonher Newport was man OF
d.rino and selected to conduct the Colony
~ the Virginia Company OF London on &C
count O, his nautical experience. He re-
turned from voyage to the West Indies
not long before bis appointment to the com.
,nand of the first feet Of the company. and
brought with him as present to Hing
James wild boar and two living young
crocodiles.
He arrived on the Virginia coast on the
26th OF April, 1907, planted a cross on the
18th at Cape Henry, and on the 18th OF May
the colonistS landed at Jamestown.
The Council of the Virginia Colony had
been ordered :" to send perfect relation by
Captain Newport OF all that is done, what
height you are seated, how FAR into the land,
what commodities you find, what soil,
woods, and their several kinds; and 80 OF
all other things else to advertise particu-
larly."
On Sunday, the 21st OF June, 1907, the
good chaplain Robert Hunt administered
the communion ut Jamestown, and that
night Newport gave farewell supper on his
ship 10 the principal men OF the infant Colo
ny, and the next day boisted sail for Eng
land, bearing the first report OF the Council,
which has in substance been published for
the first time in this country in notice OF
Wingfeld prepared by the writer OF this
sketch.
On the Goth Of July he cast anchor in the
port o! Plymouth, and wrote rs follows to
Robert Cecil, Earl OF Salisbury:
81 arrived here in the Sound of Ply
mouth this day, from the discovery Of that
part OF Virginia imposed upon me, and the
rest OF the Colony for the south part, in
which we have performed our duties to the
utmost OF our powers, and have discov-
cred into this country near 200 miles, and a
river navigable for ships 100 miles.
"The country is excellent and very rich
in gold and copper. or the gold We have
brought say, and hope to be with your
Lordship shortly to show it to his Majesty
and the rest Of the Lords. ! will not de-
tain with the expectation and assurance we
have Of great wealth, but will leave all to
your Lordship's censure when you see.
"I wish might have come in person to
Lave brought these glad tidings, but my
inability Of body aud the not having any
man to put in trust OF the ship. and that in
her, makes me to defer my coming till wind
and weather be favorable"
Newport's letter was an exaggeration, for
the letter OF the Council, brought by the
ship. stated that their richest commodity
was sassafras. At that time this root was
sold for ESQ ton. .-.
On the 18th OF August, three weeks after
Newport's letter, Dudley Carleton writes to
friend "that Captain Newport has arrived
aoithout gold or silver."
manuscript entitled ga RELATION OF
the Discovery OF our river from James
Forte into the Maine, made by Capt. |
Christopher Newport, and sincerely written
and observed by Gentleman OF the Colo |
NY" was published for the first time in |
1860 By the American Antiquarian Society. |
In January, 1907 3, Newport arrived a
second time at Jamestown, and on the 10th
OF April, 1908, left with a load OF irou-ore,
sassafras, cedar posts, and walnut boards, |
and on the Goth OF May arrived in England. |
A third voyage to Virginia was made the |
same year. For the fourth time he left |
England for Jamestown with Yates and |
Somers, but was wrecked at Bermudas, and !
did not arrive until the 23d of May, 1910, at |
Jamestown.
On November 8. 1910. Sir Thomas Smith,
Sir Maurice Berkeley, Sir George Coffin |
and the distinguished lawyer, Richard |
Martyr, styled on. his portrait I" PrBco
.Eirginig &C Pareus," attorney and founder
Of Virginia, entered book at Stationers'
Hall, prsising the soil and climate OF Vir-
ginia, and confronting scandalous reports.
When Sir Thomas Dale Tin 1911 arrived at
Jamestown he was much disappointed in
the appearance Of the country and the
prospects of the Colony; and the authori-
ties OF Virginia, in communication to the
London Company, state that "he pulled |
Captain Newport by the beard and threat
ened to hang him for that he affirmed Sir |
Thomas Smiths relation to be true, de-
handing OF him whether it were meant !
that the people here in Virginia should feed
upon trees"
In the autumn OF 1911 the ship Star, OF |
300 tons, fitted and prepared In England,
with scupper-hoes to take in masts, sailed |
from jamestown with forty fine and large
pines. In this vessel Newport was proba-
bly, passenger. John Chamberlain, OF |
London, on December IS, 1911, writes to |
Sir Dudley Carleton "Newport, the Adj |
VI fNSlulh, 10 COItlc uOl1e.'
Soon after this he was appointed one of the
six Masters OF the Royal Navy, snd was en-
ployed by the East India Company to carry
Sir D1,chert sherley to Persia. He was then
q married man, as that company allowed
:e24 to his wife during his absence. On the
18th OF June, 1913, he was in the ship
Expedition at Saldanha, on the coast OF
Africa, He returned to England in the
;;n,,,,er ., M. apd was much commended
i bv his employers n for Als services to Sir
robert sher;iiey anu explorations :. ."
Persian Gull.
Before making another voyage to the East
Indies Newport requested salary OF s24O,
hut the company advised him to "reSt
awhile" and at length he accepted salary |
Of e12O year-one bali Of what he desired. |
Captain Thomas Barwick was also en-
Moved by the company at this time, and q
request OF Captain Samuel Argall was re-
ferred to Newport for consideration.
Before he left Gravesend in January,
1915, the East India Company raised his
salary to ESQ year, with the understand |
ing that he was not to trade upon his own
account with the people OF India, China,
and Japan.
On the 10th Of May, 1917, Newport was
at Saldanha ready to sail for Bantam, on the
isle OF Java.
In January, 1918, the ship Hope, Captain
Newport, was cruising in Asiatic seas.
In lG2l he was soiourning in England,
and was again placed in charge OF one OF
the East India Company's ships. He arrived
In August at Rantam and sOon died there.