The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-11-17
The True Romance Of Pocahontas.

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
no modesty until they were twelve or
| thirteen years of age, at which time they
put on a deerskin 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
Wyifin 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
Spilman, who was then living with Pow
hatan, 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 of 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's 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
were but dead; and SO she ran away by
herself as she came"
In 1913 Pocahontas was among the
Potomac Indians. Captain Argall, 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 a hostage
as the chiefs daughter. With 4 copper
kettle he bribed Japazaws, the chief
with whom she was staying, to eatice
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 rs a
friend with food, she was now carried as
an enc ny and a prisoner. She had re-
fused to enter the town since the de-
part,lre of Captain Smith.
This transaction, not very creditable
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-
glish. who therefore retained his daughter
until the affair took q new turn. John
Role, 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
dians, and was likewise acceptable to
Powhatan. The chief sent IN old uncle
of Pocahoatas and two OF her brothers
to witness the marriage.
This mfrriage 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.
A free intermingling of the two races
took place. and Englishmen were accus-
toned TO hire Indians to live in then
houses and hunt foc them. This amity 1
lasted eight years.
In 1916, more than two years after
their marriage, Rolfe and PocahoGta> I
went to England with Sir Thomas Dale. /
Powhatan sent some Indians with his 1
]
stoned to count the number of the En-
ylish. The arrival OF the Lady Rebecca,
as Pocahontas was called after her bap- /
tiSm, produced q great sensation. She /
was received by the King and many dis.
people, went to see a play, /
and, BY help of her naturally quick wit,
bore herself very well. Bnt it became
necessary to desist from calling her the /
wife of John Rolfe. for the King was very .
Jealous. and il was seriously debated in
the privy council. whether, by marrying
the daughter of n foreign potentate with
out the Kings consent, Role had not
treason.
The climate of London, and perhaps
also the uncongenial habits of civiliza
lion, affected Pocahontas very unfavor.
ably, and she was taken to Brentford.
where Smith, then busy with his prep.
arations to sail for New England, visited
ler In the successful efforts of Rolfe
and others to win her to the Christian
aith and to marriage, they had moi
,crupled to deceive her, by telling her
hat Captain Smith was dead. probably
because they knew that she would not
marry another white man while she be-
ieved that great warrior alive. When,
therefore,, she saw the brave who had
been the object of her maidenly admira-
ion. she turned her face away and re-
used to speak for the space of two Oh
hree hours. When she did, it was to
lain the privilege Of calling him father,
which Smith granted only after impor-
unity, afraid, perhaps, of mourning the
Kings dispieasure. Pocahontas went to
to take ship for her return to
America. much against her will, for she
lad become weaned from her savage life
" Il liz nl,..l IL, Er,crl;-l,