The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-20

4
tive After describing the trip up IN
Chickahominy. the surprise and capt'ir
by the Indians, and being led 20 the kihi
Il then proceeds with tho statement az y
| how the Indians "requited him VIII
abundant food and kindly speeches. afte
he had surrendered. and how. when N
| momentariiy expected execution. they re
used him with all the kindness they coui'
devise TO content him and disarm his fears
how they fed him every day With NOR
venison than ten men could eat; an'
how their longer acquaintance but in
creased their better affection; ana nov
ne amused and entertained his lndiai
hosts by descriptions OF everything M
could make them understand about civil
lized ways and beliefs; and then procesd'
with an account OF crrryIng him rounc
through the villages; of his reception by
| Powhatan, who welcomed him with kindly
words and superabundance OF savage hos
| nitaIity. assuring him Of his friendship
| and of release within four days; and no"
Poyhatan invited him TO forsake James
town and come TO live with him, promis-
ing ito give me corn. venison, or what
| wanted to feed u.s. we should make hatch
| cts and copper for him and none should
| disturb us. This request l promised TO
perform; and thus having with all the
kindness he could devise sought to con-
tent me- he sent me home"
Such substantially is this Relations"
| account of a white mans experience as
| a prisoner in the hands of the original
| Virginia Indians, who had shown most
| determined and deadly hostility from the
first day OF his landing on the shore of
Chesapeake Bay. After the fight and tor
ture. there is hardly any suggestion Of
mortal peril and almost the only intima-
ton of danger and fear is when carried
TO the spot where Robinson lay slain, he
says II expected then they would exc.
cute me-" and again. at Powhatan's VIII
lage: 80 fat they fed me that / much
doubted they intended TO sacrifice me-"
Not one word about being dragged out
for execution, or about any rescue by
Pocahontas whose name is not even men
toned; on the contrary, 1t is a narrative
Of a picnic trip among friendly natives
OF the country-a winter idyl Of Indian
life And what is the reason or conside-
ration for this exceptional, this unparal-
leled clemency of these Indians TO their
prisoner? Why, after killing his cap
tured companions. spare his life and send
him home to their enemies, unframed or
without ransom or consideration? Why
such friendly conduct to the man
whom they probably considered the
head devil Of the white-faced intruders.
come to occupy their lands and drive them
from their homes.
This Relation" gives absolutely not one
word OF such reason or explanation; nor
attempts any solution Of the strange
enigma presented in its version of an
unparalleled experience. but leaves the
undoubted fact of Smith returning alive
involved in mystery without any hint
or suggestion Of ground or explanation
therefor.
1t needs not the wisdom OF editors and
critics TO tell us that If this be true, II
this Relation" he authentic and credi
bic account Of Smiths release from cap
tivity, then necessarily all the story OF
the intended execution and rescue
by PocahontaS, as told In the
later history" is mere fiction and in
vention.
But. doesn't anybody who ever read
chapter of American history know mat
this account in this Relation" is not
true; that It is palpably false, contra
dicted by all the circumstances Of the
case, and cOntradicted by all our knowl-
edge of Indian character and methods
derived from three centuries experience
with them? Just think of it, Captured,
redhanded in desperate fight after STAY
ing three Of the enemy before he threw
away his arms and surrendered himself
a helpless prisoner in the hands OF
deadly foe, whose first law is revenge
and whose religion ii is to kill his enemy,
and who disdains as weakness any SEN
timent of pity or mercy, but either
tOmahawks and scalps on the spot or
else reserves his prisoner for tortc-e at
the stake with every device of savage
cruelty. and yet the original American
Indian takes this prisoner, his deadly
enemy invading his country and rights
carries him on a four weeks Jaunt
through his villages gives him friendly
entertainment, and sends him home with
scalp untouched and all this wi,..out
any reason or explanation assigned
therefor.
Such a falsehood carries fits own refu-
tation in its very absurdity, and is more
incredible than forty Pocahontas stories
AS the narrative in that Relation
stands, I'would not believe 1t on John
Smiths own authority; but he is no more
responsible for it than you or /.
So much for the contents Of the book.
What is its history? A brief review Will
show that It is as suspicious in character
as its account of that captivity Is I'M
probable and false. There were at least
three editions of the little pamphlet. AS
said before the editor fortunately wrote
a preface to one of the editions, in which,
and suspicious, he undertakes TO explain
and apologize for matters that certainly
need explanation even more than he has
given. The three or more editions were
successfully issued with three different
title pages. ascribing the work TO three
different authors. The first-most proba-
bly, frst-ascribes the book to "a gentle
man of the Colony" no name given. The
second title page ascribes 1t TO Thomas
Watson, gentleman of the Colony" while
in the third title il is ascribed to cap
tain John Smith, Coronell of Colony"
The first two editions were issued with
out any preface. To the third edition
ascribed to John Smith, the skulking
editor and peddler Of another mans pri-
vate letter, hiding his own name under
initials. probably false. prints the preface,
explaining and eXcusing among other
things that "the chief error was that
lin previous issues for want of know
ledge Of the writer some were printed
under the name of Watson, by whose
occasion he knows not, unless it were
the ever-rashness or mistaking Of the
workmen (printers)," as if in that day Of
strictly licensed presses when the
printers ears might be the penalty for
such a blunder, he would yet dare TO put
on the title page name not given him
by the responsible author or editor for
whom he was printing.
After this apology or explanation Of the
Watson name on the title page of previous
issues, he goes on to say that he has
since learned that the said discourse. the
Relation" was written by Captain
Smith. one of the council i'm Virginia,
and then adds the fact that he had taken
liberty to suppress parts Of the letter. On
the statements of the editor himself we
might contest the question of authorship,