The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-12-07
The True Romance of Pocahontas.

Inc True Romance OF POcahOntaS.
From her first meeting with Smith she
became devotedly attached to the En-
glish, and rendered the settlers many
services. She often secured supplies for
them, and indeed seems to have haunted
the fort, utterly naked as she was, after
the manner of little girls among her
people, who wore no clothes and showed
10 modesty until they were twelve or
thirteen years of age, at which time they
put on deerskln apron, and were very
careful not to be seen without it. The
agile little barbarian would persuade the
English lads to make wheels of them
selves by turning upon their hands and
feet, whereupon she would follow them,
wheeling as they did, all through the fort
Her real name was Matoax; but, by
order of Powhatan, this was carefully
concealed from the whites, lest by their
supernatural entertainments they should
work her some harm. When Richard
Wyflin was sent from jamestown to APP
prise the endangered Captain Smith,
environed by foes among Powhatan' s
people. of the death of his deputy, Mr..
Scrivener, and his ten companions, by
drowning, Pocahontas hid him, misdi-
rected those who sought him, and by
extraordinary brides and maneuvers,
brought him safely to Smith, after three
days travel in the midst of extreme
peril. So, also, when Radcliffe was cut
off with thirty men, she saved the lad
opilman, who was then living with Pow
haitian, and sent him to the Potomacs.
But the most touching story of all pre-
cedes in order of time the other two. In
the same difficult adventure among
PoWhatan's people. in which Captain
Smith was engaged when Scrivener was
drowned, the treacherous chief had ar
ranged to surprise Smith at supper, and
cut off the whole party, when Pocahon-
tas, the dearest jewel and daughter
OF the aged chief, sin that dark night
came through the irksome woods to
warn the Captain of Powhatan' design.
Captain Smith offered to repay her kind
ness with such trinkets as the heart of an
Indian maiden delights in; ''but, with
the tears running down her cheeks, she
said she burst not be seen to have any,
for, if Powhatan should know it, she
We're but dead; and so she ran away by
herself as she came.'' a.
In 1913 Pocahontas was among the
Potomac Indians. Captain Argal, a
man of much shrewdness and executive
force, but infamous for his dishonest
practices, happened to be trading in the
river at that time. He quickly saw the
advantage the English would gain in
negotiations with Powhatan for the re-
turn Of the white prisoners held by him,
If he could secure so valuable hostage
as the chiefs daughter. With a copper
kettle he bribed Japazaws, the chief
with whom she was staying, to entice
her on board the vessel, where he de-
tanned her, much to the sorrow Of the
daughter of the wilderness, whose life
hitherto had been as free as that of the
wild creatures of the woods. To James
town, where she had frolicked as child.
and whittier she had so often come as a
friend with food, she was now carried as
an enemy and a prisoner. She had re-
fused to enter the town since the de-
parture of Captain Smith.
This transaction, not very ereditable
to the gratitude of the English, accom-
plished its purpose in causing Powhatan
to return the white men held in slavery
by him, with the least useful of the
stolen arms. But he still contrived to
evade some of the demands of the En-
gllsh, who therefore retained his daughter
until the affair took a new turn. John
Rolfe, who seems to have been a widower,
became enamored of Pocahontas, now
growing to womanhood, and wrote a
letter to Sir Thomas Dale, proposing to
convert her to Christianity and marry
her, which pleased the Governor, as
tending to promote peace with the In
dams, and was likewise acceptable to
Powhatan. The chief sent an old uncle
of Pocahontas and two of her brothers
20 witness the marriage. H
This marriage brought about peace
during the life of Powhatan, who, on one
occasion at least, sent present of buck
skins to his daughter and her husband.
. free intermingling of the two races
took place, and Eng1ishmen were accus-
toned to hire Indians to live in their
houses and hunt for them. This amity
lasted eight years t~4'sf
In 16l6, more than two wears after
their marriage, Rolfe and Pocahontas
went to England with Sir Thomas Dale.
Pow hatan sent some Indians with his
daughter, one of whom was commits
stoned to count the number of the En-
glish. The arrival Of. the Lady Rebeeca,
as Pocahontas was called after her bap-
tism. produced a great sensation. She
was received by the King and many dis
tinguished people, went to see a play.
and, by help of her naturally quick wit,
bore herself very well, But it became |
necessary to desist from calling her the
wife of John Rolfe, for the King was yery
Jealous, and it was seriously debated in |
The privy council whether, by marrying
he daughter of foreign potentate with |
,ut the Kings consent. Rolfe had not |
treason.
The climate of London, and perhaps
also the uncongenial habits of civiliza-
ion, affected Pocahontas very unfavor-
IDLY, and she was taken to Brentford. |
where Smith, then busy with his prep
lrations to sail for New England, visited
ler- In the successful efforts of Rolfe
md others to win her to the Christian
ath and to marriage, they had not
crupled to deceive her, by telling her