The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-29
FOUNDING A NATION.
THE FIRST SETTLERS OF THE OLD
DOMINION.

"Reminiscences Of the Virginia Pioneers
Interesting Facts of History known {.
But Very Few reopic--Privatious ans
Struggles of our BraNc Ancestors.
For the Tines
There was much stir and excitement
IN London on December l9,h. 1906
There lay three small vessels lust below
the city, at Blackwell-the Susan Con.
stance. a barquc of one hundred ton.
burden the GOd-speed. Of forty tons
and little pnnacc Of twenty tons. the
Discovery. I'm the hurches PRAYERS
were offered in behalf of the little
vessels with then precious freight a
one hundred and five souls. fer these
we're to 80 forth from their mother
country to found in an unknown wilder.
ness new nation.
Bleak aud particularly stormy was
tins December. and as the little vessels
slowly lifted aLchor and stood oul to
sea, they had scarcely reached the
channel before they met with stormy
weather. Three weeks they lay of the
DowLs, tossed by contrary winds and
rough seas, and did not lose sight Of the
coast Of England for six weeks.
the beginning scemcdau index to the
whole voyage, which was loug and
stormy: the minds Of those IN the
vessels seemed TO partake of the
nature OF the elements around them
ana almost as soon a. out OF sight
of land Discussions arose amongst
them. With them, lying sick. was a
clergyman. Robert Hunt. who had been
wear OF q parish in Kent; so sick was
he that no thought was entertained of
his recovery. yet no word of returning
ever crossed his lips. aud hardly wait
ing for recovery, as soon as able % rise
he set about promotiugpeace and quiet
ing the disccrd among them. With
them. also. was Captain John Smith.
but the majority seemed hardly the
material of which colony should be
founded. Among them were -four
carpenters one blacksmith, one tailor.
one barber one bricklaJer. one mason.
ono drummer and four boys. Fifty
five ranked as gentlemen and only
twelve as l8b0TCrs. Those we write
as laborers were for the most part foot
men. wrote one Of the colonists
With shOrtsightclness Characters
tic of that mos, narrow-minded Of mon
archs. James l.. of England, the names
of those who were to form the council
were withheld from them. and being
placed h. box and sealed. iniunctiOns
were given that the box wa not % be
opened until their arrival in America.
Thus they were without any visible
governor. and for five months subject
% no control.
Going by circuitous route. by way
of the Canaries and West Indies. for
five months they sailed. tossed about by
storms and contrary winds. until at
last O storm of greater violence chan
they had met before. occurred when
they were nearing tie coast Of Amer
lea. All night they ran before the
wind under bare poles. the heavy sea
breaking over their decks. and al last,
as they came in sight of the capes Of
the Chesape Ike. they were driven in
and into Hampton Roads: ont OF the
way of their original destination. wi ich
was the unfortunate settlement on R-a.
noke Island.
After the Gescrtion of that settlement
by the c0lonists who had returned to
England i'm the ships of Sir Francis
Drake. that had touched there on their
way home from a cruise, SIR Richard
Greerville had come beck. bringing
with him fifteen men. whom NE had
leiC there 10 retain possession Of the
soil. These the eXpe IitiOni i'm the three
vessels under command of Captain
Newport proposed To reinforce and
plant second time the colony which
had ended so unfortunately before.
But now. being driven into the calm
waters of tie Chesapeake on April
Goth. 1907. they abandoned the idea Of
continuing the voyage TO their formerly
prop0s q destination and began to ex-
ploIe the waters into which they had
come. They continued To- cruise about
for seventeen days and at length came
90 the mouth OF noble river, which
the natives called Powhatau. but Cap
tain Newport. changing the name.
called 1t James uvcr, after his sovereign.
James /. A. they pas ed slowly up the
river. between its banks lined with the
creamy blossoms of the dCgvo0d. 10
flower 40 that season. while the daik
green background of the trees rose up
wards towards the blue sky, casting the
reflection Of their stately branches IN
the clear and limpid water beneath and
stretching far inland from the river s
banks: little wonder is 10 that nature s
beauty impressed them So fav0raoiy
with the fair land TO which they bad
come. and that the "Captaiue. speak
ing of the country. should call ii this
~dpliphtsome land. within the
canes. n he wrote. lis q country that
may have the preroga.iye over the
most pleasant places knoSn; heaven
and Garth never agreed better 10 form a
place for man 5 habitation. were II fully
cultivated and inhabited by industrious
people. here are mountains hills plalus.
valleys. rivers aud brooks. all running
most pleasantly Into a fair bay. com
passed. except at its mouth. with ifuit-
iul and dehghtsome land
After sailing up the river about ihlr-
tv-two miles. they reached q low lying
peninsula. bounded on the north by
small. but deep ard navigable IVer'
tia. united ON the eastern side with the
main stream: on the south it was bound
ed by the main river itself, and also on
the west. At the western end ~ was
connected with the mainland 10y short
neck or islhmus, which lay SO low that
m very high water it was covered. thus
converting the peninsula intoan island.
This peninsula contained about TWO
acres Of arabic land. lying low at the
eastern end. and gradually rising TO-
wards the westward: also several thou-
sand acres Of marsbiand. which at high
waite, was covered. and here they de-
cl9ed to plant their settlement. al
though opposed in their choice OF the
size bv Captain Gosu0ld, one OF the
most prominent men among them'
However. the majority had TIER way
ana here on May 18Th, 1907, they land
"a. Then Godly Robert Hunt. ever iu-
tent on maintaining peace ana harmony
ne, shaded Captain Smith and those VINO
lad been at variance with each other
dining the voyage, al the bottom OF
~bich trouble were Captains Archer
and Ratclh. TWO thoroughly unprlnci-
Med men. 10 make their peace ana III
nledge thereof solemnly administered
Inc communion. cxhor.inS them 10 ioI-
a 4 N....I. rsItfI