Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-27
POCAHONTAs.
The True Romance OF the Indian
Princess.

| The True Romance OF the Indian
| Princess.
From the Century.
From her first meeting with Smith she became
| devotedly attached to the English, and rem.
dered the settlers many services. She often Sc
cured supplies for them, and indeed seems tC
nave haunted the fort. utterly naked as she was
after the manner of little girls among her peo
pie, who wore no clothes and showed no mod.
esty until they were IL or Is years of age at which
time they put on q deer-skin apron, and were
very careful not to be seen without it. The agile
little barbarian would persuade the English lads
10 make wheels OF themselves by turning upon
their hands and feet, whereupon she would fol.
low them, wheeling as they did. all through the
fort.
MATOAx.
Her real name was Matoax, but. by order Of
Powhatan, this was carefully concealed from
the whites, lest by their supernatural enchant-
ments they should work her some harm When
Richard Wyfin was sent from Jamestown to an
prise the endangered Capt. Smith, environed by
foes among Powhatan's people, of the death OF
his deputy, Mr.. Scrvener, and his ten compan-
Ions sby drowning, POcahontas hid him. misdi-
rected those who sought him. and by extraord.
mary brides and maneuvers brought him safely
TO 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 Powhatan, and sent him to the Pc.
t0macs. But the most touching story OF
all precedes in order Of time the other two. Tn
the same difficult adventure among Powhatan's
people. in which Captain Smith was engaged
when Scrvener was drowned the treacherOus
chief had arranged to surprise Smith at supper
ana cut of the whole party, when Pocahontas,
the dearest jewel and daughter" of the aged
chlef, lin that dark night came through the irk-
some woods" to warn the Captain of Powhatan's
design. Captain Smith offered to repay her
kindness with such trinkets as the heart Of an
Indian maiden delights in; "but with the tears
running down her cheeks she said she dare not
De seen to Lave any, for if Powhatan should
Know 1t, she were but dead land so she ran away
by herself as she came"
THE POTOMAC INDIANS.
In 1913 POcahontas was among the Potomac
Indians. Captain Argal a man of much shrewd-
ness and executive force, but infamous for his
dishonest practices, happened to be trading on
the river at that tiIne. He quickly saw the adj
vantage the English would gain in negotiations
with Powhatan fof the return Of the white pris-
oners held BY him. ii he could secure SO vaIua-
BILE hostage as the chiefs daughter With a
copper kett1 he biibed Japazaws, the chief with
whom he vas staying. to entice her on board
the vessel. where he detained her. much to the
sorrow OF the daughter of the wilderness. whose
lie hitherto had been as free as that of the wild
creatures OF the woods. To Jamestown, where
she had frolicked las a child, and whittier she
had so often come.as friend with food she was
now carried as an: enemy and prisoner. She
had refused to enter the town since the depar-
ture Of Captain Smith.
gratitude Of the English, accomplished its
purpose by causing POwhatan to return the
white men held in slavery by him, with the least
useful OF the stolen arms. But he still con-
trived to evade some of the demands of the
English, who, therefore, retained his daughter
until the affair took a new turn. John =, RQlfe,
who seems to haye been widoweF, became
enamored OF Pocahontas, now growing to wo-
manhood, and wrote formal letter to Sir
Thomas Dale, proposing to convert her to
Governor, as tending to promote peace with the
Indians, and was likewise acceptable to POwha-
tan. The chief sent an old uncle of POcahOntas'
and two OF her brothers to witness the mar
rage. This marriage brought about peace dur
ing the lite OF POwhatan, who, on one occasion
at least, sent present Of buckshins to his
daughter and her husband. A free informing
ling OF the two races took place, and English
meu were accustomed to hire Indians
to live In their houses and hunt tor
them. This amity lasted eight years. go.
ROLFE AND POCAHONTAs. 20 noans
rlege. Rolfe and Pocahontas went to England
with Sir Thomas Dale. Powhatan sent some
Indians with his daughter, one of whom was
commissioned to count the number of the Eng
fish. The arrival Of the Lady Rebecca as Poca-
hontas was called after her baptism, produced a
| great sensation. She was received by the King
and many distinguished people. went to see q
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 very jealous and it was seri-
| ously debated in the priyy council whether, by
| marrying the daughter of foreign pOtentate
without the Kings consent Rolfe had not CON-
| mitted treason.
The climate of London, and perhaps also the
| uncongenial habits OF civilization affected Poca-
hontas very unfavorably, and she was taken to
BrentfOrd, where Smith, then busy with his prepa-
ratiOns to sail for New England visitedh her. In the
successful efforts of Rolfe and others to win her
to the Christian faith and to marriage, they had
not scrupled to deceive her, by telling her that
Captain Smith was dead. probably because they
knew she would not marry another white man
while she believed that great warrior alive.
When, therefore. she saw the ''brave" who had
been the object of her maidenly admiration she
turned her face away and refused to speak for
the space two or three hours. When she did,
| father. which Smith granted only after importu-
nifty. afraid, perhaps. of mourning the kings
displeasure. Pocahontas went to Gravesend to
take ship for her return to America, much
against her will, for she had become weaned
from her savage life and greatly attached to the
English. At Gravesend she died of smallpox
three years after her marriage, leaving one SON,
from whom some Of the most prominent Vir-
ginia families trace ace their descent.
o--T->>>-
RooiSTop Life i'm New York.
From the New York Times.
What do you think Of the queer lives led by
jantors' fafhilies?' I know janitor who has
charge of a big building down Broadway who
has four LITTLE tots of children. and they don't
get down into the streets more than once
week or SO. Two of them were born in the
seventh stony Of San immense iron building.
just under jthe roof One Of them, to nv Ger
tain knowledge, has never been down In the
street at alb That's fact. It will be down
some day. 1T wasiDOrn only last week. Where
do you think the children's playground is9 It
is the roof, and rare, good yard it is, too. with
flowers growing on it, and everything just like
a good, big,spayed yard. There is high ledge
around the tour sides, so there is no danger Of