The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1883-02-01
PocAHoNTAs AND RoLFE.
rrue Hi.,sr, of the Famou. India. Princes.

From her first meeting with Smith, she be-
came devotedly attached to the English, and
rendered the settlers many services. She often
secured supplies for them, and indeed seems to
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 deer
skin apron, and very careful not to be
seen without it. The agile little barbarian
wonld persuade the English lads TO make wheels
Of themselves by turning upon their hands and
feet, whereupOn she would follow them, wheel
ing as they did, all through the fort.
Her real name was Matoax; but, by order of
Powhatan, this carefully concealed from
the whites, lest, by their supernatural enchant-
ments, they should work her some harm. When
Richard Wyilin sent from jamestown to
apprise the endangered Captain Smith, enyi-
roned by foes among Powhatans people, of the
death of his deputy, Mr.. Scrivener, and his ten
companions, by drowning, Pocahontas hid him,
misdirected those who sought him, and by
traordinary brides and maneuvres brought him
safely to Smith, after three days travel in the
midst of extreme peril. So, also, when Rat
clffe was cut off with thirty men, she saved the
lad Spilman, who was then living with Powhat-
an, and sent him to the Pntomacs. But the
most touching of all precedes in order of time
the other two In the same difficult adventure
among Powhatau's people, in which Captain
Smith was engaged when Scrivener was drown
ed, the treacherous chief had arranged to sur
prise Smith at supper, and cut off the whole
party, when Pocalontas, the dearest Jewel and
daughter" of the aged chief, .'in that dark
night came through the irksome woods to warn
the Captain of Powhatan's design. Captain
Smith offered TO repay her kiECness with snch
trinkets the heart of an Indian maiden de-
lights in; hut with tears running down her
cheeks, she said she ''tlurst not he seen to have
any, for. if Powhatan should know it, she were
bnt dead; :" and so she ran away by herself as
she came.
In 1913, Pocahontas was among the Potomac
Indians. Captain Argan, Il man of much shrewd-
resS 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 nesota-
tions with Powhatan for the return of the
white prisoners held by him, if he cOuld secure
10 Invaluable a hostage as the chiefs daughter
With a copper kettle, he bribed Japazaws. the
chief with whom she staying, to entice her
on board the vessel, where he detained her.
much to the sorrow of the daughter of the will
derness, whose life heretofore had been rs free
that of the wild creature of the woods. To
jamestown, where she had frolicked rs a child
whittier she had so often come friend with
food, she was now carried as an enemy and
prisoner. She had refused to enter the town.
since the departure of Captain Smith.
This transaction, not very crsditable TO the
gratitude of the English, accomplished its pur-
pose. in causing Powhatan to return the white
men held in slavery by him, with the least use
ful of the stclen arms. But he still contrived
to evade some of the demands of the English
who therefore retained his daughter until the
affair took a new turn. John Rolfe, who seems
to have been widower became enamored of
POcahontas, now growing to womanhood, and
wrote formal letter to Sir Thomas Dale, pro-
posing to convert her to Christianity and marry
her, which pleased the Governor, rs tending to
promote peace with the Indians and was like
wise acceptable To Powhatan. The chief sent
an old uncle Of PocahOntas and two of her
brothers to witness the marriage. The mar
riage brought about peace, during the life of
POwhatan, who, on one occasion at least, sent
a present of buckskin to his daughter and her
husband. free internnSling of the two races
took place, and Englishmen were accustomed TO
hire Indians To live in their houses and hunt for
them. This amity lasted eight years.
In 1915, more than two years after their mar
riaCe, Rolfe and PocahOntas went 10 England
with Sir Thomas Dale. Powhaian 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
great sensation. She was received by the
King and many distinguished people, went to
a play, and by help of her naturally quick
wit, bore herself very well. But il became nee
essary TO desist from calling her the wife of
John Rolfc, for the King was very Jealous and
it was seriously debated in the Privy Council
whether, by marrying the daughter of u foreign
potentate without the Kings consent. Rolfe had
not committed treason.
The climate Of London, and perhaps alsn the
uncongenial habits of civilization. affected Po-
cahontas very Gnfavnrably, and she was taken
to Brentfnri, where Smith, then busy with his |
preparations to visit New England. visited her, /
In the successful efforts of ROlfe and others to
win her to the Christian faith and to marriage
they had not scrnplcd TO deceive her by telling (
her that Captain Smith dead, probably be- /
cause they Knew she would not marry another |
white man while she believed that great war
riOr alive. When, therefore, she saw the |
''brave' who had been the object of her maid |
emily admiration, she turned her face away and |
refused Ia speak for the space of two or three |
hours. When she did, it was to claim the priv |
ilege of calling him father, which Smith grant
ed only after importantly, afraid, perhaps. Of |
ineurring the Kings displeasnre. Pocahontas |
went to Gravrsend, TO take ship for her return |
to America, much against her will. for she had /
become weaned from her savage life, and great |
ly attached To- the English. At Gravesend she /
died of smallpox, three years after her mar |
riage, leaving one son, from whom some of the |
most prominent Virginia families trace their |