Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-16
HISTORY OF THE POTOMAC.
STORIES OF THE EARLY voYAGERs.
FROM CAPT. JOHN SMITH TO LORD BALTIMORE,

FROM CAPT. JOHN SMITH TO LORD BALTIMORE.
NOBLE RIvER-THE RED MEN THAT LIVED ON
IT'S BANKs-rHE ADVENTURES WHO FIRST Ex-
FLORED r-GREAT INDIAN TOwNs-wArHRs
FULL OF FISH AND WOODS FULL OF GAME-THE
HEALTHFUL SITE OF Observation-Disclosures
ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLIsHMAN WHO WAS
CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS THAT LIVED HERE
THE ONLY HOME OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN THE
WORLD EsTABLISHED-INTERESTIN FACTS FOR
RIVER ExCURSIoNIsTs, ETC.
Inc excursion season is now in full blast, and
10 thOse OF our people who seek relief from the
neat OF the city by trips more or less extended
on the beautiful river whose waters flow past
Their doors, the following account Of the stream,
and the scenes on its banks, as seen by the first
european explorers nearly three hundred years
ago. may not be without interest. It is COM
piled from the writings Of Smith, Bozman,
Scharf. NELL, and other sources not accessible to
| the ordinary reader
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITHS PRAISE OF THE COUNTRY
HERE-ABOUTs.
Prior to the year 1906, some feeble efforts had
been made by the English to establish a settle
ment in lower Virginia, and on the 10Th of De-
| cember Of that year, squadron Of three small
vessels, one Of twenty, one Of forty and ono of
hundred tons burthen, under the command Of
Captain Christopher Newport. and bearing one
hundred and five cOlOnists. set sail from Eng
land. entered the Chesapeake Bay on the Goth
April, 1907, and came to an anchorage in Hamp-
ton roads, at a place to which was given the
name of Point Comfort Among the cOlOnists
was Captain John Smith, a bold adventurer of
varied experience in Europe, Asia and Africa,
who seems to have been charmed with the as
fnd nv,
in history afterwards written by him of 'the
'Slxt Voyage he says that the country lis not
mountainous nor yet low. but such pleasant
plaine hills and fertile val leys prettily cross
ing another. and watered conveniently with
fresh brOOkes, no less cOmmOdiOus than delight
some: that the land sis fruitsome and delight-
fur and that 'for large and pleasant navigable
rivers, heaven and earth never better agreed to
frame place for mans habitation."
HE DESCRIBES THE POTOMAC AND THE TRIBES ON
ITS BORDERS.
Smith in open boat explained the whole of
the Chesapeake Bay. and penetrated to con-
siderable distance from their mouths, the prin-
cpal rivers emptying into it; these he found in
habited by numerous tribes of Indians whose
names he gives with the number OF their fight
ing men. OF the Potomac he wrote as follows
The fourth river is called the Patawomeke.
or miles in bredth. 1t is navigable 140 myies
and fed as the rest with many sweet rivers and
springs. which fall from the bordering hills
These hills are many Of them planted. and yeed
no Jesse plentie and varetie of fruit. than the
river exceedeth with abundance Of fish 1t is
inhabited on both sides. first on the south side
at the very entrance is WighcccOmocO. and he
hath some $50 men, and beyond them Sekacaw-
one with 30. The Onawmanient with 100 and
the PataWOmekeS more than 200. Here doth
the river divide itself into or convenient
branches. The greatest of these ia called
QulyOugh trending northwest, but the river
itself turneth northeast. and is still navigable
streame. On the western side of this bought
(bend) is Tuaxenent with 40 men. On the north
of this SecOwocomocO with 40. Somewhat
further is POtOpacO with 30. In the east part is
famacaceack with 60. After Moyowance with
100. and lastly Nacotchtanke with so. The river
above this place maketh his passage down a low
pleasant valley. overshadOwed in many places
with high rocky mOuntaInes from whence distil
lnnumerable sweet and pleasant springs
HABITS OF THE INDIANS.
The habits. customs, apparel, diet, religion.
implements OF war, &C., of the Indians, are de-
sclibed at considerable length, and the present
generation, although of different race. inhab-
iting the same shores in view Of the coughs
groups, pneumOnas. and other troubles arts
ing from atmospheric causes, may profit by a
hint from Smith as to the manner in which the
Indian mothers treated their young. ''To make
them hardie, in the coolest mornings. they wash
them in the rivers, and by paynting and oynt-
ments so tame their skins that after year or
two no weather will hurt them"
The tribes on the Potomac and the Virginia
rivers explored by Smith were mostly subOrtii-
nate to the Powhatans, although frequently en-
bfoiled in wars with each other. The common
enemies of all the lower tribes were however
Gas Smith learned from them the powerful ma
tons of the MOnacans the MannahOacks and the
MassawOmekes, the former two having their
habitatiOns at the head of the Virginia rivers.
and the latter (whO were most fearedO dwelling
beyond the mOuntaines, from whence is the head
OF PotawOmeke, upon great salt water"
The Massawomekes were great nation, and
very pOpulOus, ''having SO NANNY men that they
made war with all the world" Some of the
lower tribes were very impOrtunate with Smith
to free them from these tOrmentors He states
that in his explorations at the head of the BAY
he met seven boats full of them, with whom he
had conference by signs, and that in targets
baskets swords, tobacco pipes, bowes, platters
and everything they Showed they much ex-
eeeded them Of our parts;" while their dexterity
with their boats, in his opinion, ''argued that
they were seated upon some great water
STRIFE OF GIANT RED MEN.
At the head of the Chesapeake, Smith also
found the Susquehannock tribe Of Indians, of
whom he says: 'Such great and well proper
toned men are seldome scene, for they seemed
like giants to the English, yea, and to the neigh
bOrs, yet seemed Of an honest and simple disDO-
sitiOn, with much adoe restrained from wor-
Shipping us as gods
On map Of the bay and it's tributaries ac-
cOmpanying his narrative Smith gives picture
OF one of them, ''the calfe of whose leg was
three-quarters of yard about, and all the rest
OF his limbs so answerable to that proportion
that he seemed the goodliest man we had ever
beheld. His arrOwes were five quarters long.
headed with the splinters of white christal-like
stone in form of a heart, an inch broad and an
inch and half or more long These he Wore in
awOolyes skin at his back for his culver, his bow
in one hand and his club in the other" The
WighcOcomOcos, of the Potomac on the other
hand, Smith describes as being very small
'HOnest and simple" as the Susquehannocks
appeared to Smith, they were described by
Alsop about sixty years afterwards 1855 as "a
most noble and heroick tribe of Indians" and Of
Large and warlike department." with ''yoyces
large and hollow as ascending out of cave
their gait and behavior strait, stately and ma
jestick, treadng the earth with as much PRIDE
contempt and disdain, to SO sOrdid centre as
can be imagined from q creature derived from
the same mould and earth"
When prisoners fell into their hands by the des-
tiny OF war, he says, ''They treat them very
cvilly while with them abroad but when they
once return homewards they begin to dress them
in the habit for death putting on their heads and
arms wreaths Of beads, greasing their hair with
fat, some going before and the rest behind at
-