The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-07-19
POOR POCAHONTAS.
The Maiden Existed, Though She Never
Saved Captain Smith.
The Explorer Did Not Insert The Thrilling Ppcahonas Episode
In The Earlier Histories Of His Travels

When Mr. Winsor, in his Critical His
tory of America" put an end to the heroic
attitudinizing of the redoubtable CAPTAIN
John Smith we still had Pocahontas. as wo
thought the very flower of wild life in
America. But more recently the critics
have annihilated Pocahontas. It is a
1ievance of our SEX Heretofore for the
"st part the force of criticism has been
pcEt on the male sex. Romulus and
Iscmus, Samson, William Tell, even Ho.
mer, ran the gauntlet. History of this
sort looks like the heap of china in the
fence corner-all that remains of a dozen
sets that were one after another the pride
of the house. Our Bridget subtracted
from the plates, pitchers and saucers till
nothing was left but glitterng fragments.
But Pocahontasl What euphony there
was in that namel What an idyl to be told
OF the cradle hour of our peoplel What a
superb tableau to be rehearsed at charity
fairs!
IL seems that POcahontas was an after
thought of that slim Falstaff of our early
history, the heroic John Smith. The yery
name was challenge of our credulity. In
ms nrst story OF voyage up the Chicka-
hominy, written In 1908, he relates in fuII
a long list of exploits. These ended. "a he
said, in his being delivered up to KING
Powhatan, who treated him kindly, giving
him guides for his return through tbe
wilderness, who did not leave him till he
was safe among the English at James
town. But in that later book which he
terms The True History of Virginian
there is not mention of any Pocahontas
There is no attack on Smith, no rescue. no
princess. Up to that time he had not even
thought of her.
But some time between 1908 and 1894
Pocahontas seems to have been born in
Smiths fertile brain. At the latter date
TINS wonderful captain, who had the whole
New World in which to adventure and
only himself to tell his glory, wrote what
he called General History of Virginia
or rather edited papers written by Others
with some additions of his own In this
book appeared the charming episode of
Pocahontas-a story good enough to be
true, and it has probably done enough
good to excuse us for trying to believe it
s1ill. smiths story tells how he was
selZed and condemned to DEATH The In
dams already stood about him with raised
clubs-see our old fashioned reading books
but just at the critical moment the ideal
tnrnnD
with wild cry, ran to Smith, lifted bia
head tenderly from the block. placed bar
own over his and pleaded for his life
Powhatan, who seems to have been gen.
ulne king, quite after the European STYLE
was overcome by his beautiful daupbter,s
entreaty and spared "the late governor of
Virginia"
But it is an historical fact that there WAC
a Pocahontas; that she did marry an Eng
lishman named Rolfe, and did 90 to Enc
land with him, where she was received bv
the court and was held in high esteem and
love even by the English people, but died
shortly from the change of climate, but
more from the white peoples methods of
eating and sleeping, to which she was com
PEELED to conform. What can we make
then, of Smiths idyl? Did Pocabontas
probably befriend him in some manner
Certainly when she went to ENGLAND
Smith recommended her to the court IT.
is most likely that his Munchausen mag.
nation, finding her an object of great in
terest in England, undertook to plorifv
himself by picturesque scene that never
took place-allying her to himself-tbe OK.
tent of her interest in him being kindly
acts when he was guest of her father
Inc temptation was certainly very great-
seeing that this man Smith was nobody
who had made himself up for the public
out OF fustian and pretended adventures
Tor the most part no more real than the
encounters of Falstaff
The story of Pocahontas may find some
Illumination from other parts of his writ
ihSs' Inc original description of his can
ture by the tribe ruled by Powhatan is to
the effect that he expected at once to he
n httth n,,
freely at them and wounded several he
was agreeably surprised by their taking
him into high favor. For supper he had n
quarter of venison and ten pounds of bread
and each morning thereafter three women
placed before him "three great platters If
fine bread and more venison than ten men
could devour" They guarded him. to he
sure, but let him have his comfort and
their better affection" grew day by day.
On the whole it seems probable that we
shall have to give up the Pocahontas story
as marginal illumination, written into
history after Mr. John Smith had found
That his stories pleased the people better
than facts.
10 understand Mr.. Smiths habit Of
spinning fancy tales for veritable history
we must know that he was poet. His
descriptions all show this. Pocahontas
was simply poem. His picture of Vir-
glnia is altogether idyllic Here are
mountains, hills, plains valleys, rivers
brooks, all running most pleasantly into
falr bay, comprised but for the mouth
with fruitful and delghtsome land, In
the bay and rivers are many isles, both
great and small. The mountains are of
divers natures, for at the head of the bav
the rocks are of composition like mill.
stones, some of them marble. And mapy
pieces like crystal we found, as thrown
down from water. These waters wash
from the rocks such glittering tinctures
mat the ground in some places is gilded.
the rocks and the earth being so snlendid
to behold that better judgments than ours
might have been persuaded that thew con-
tained more than probabilities" Clearly
such scene needed Pocahontas and II
MIR. Smith finally invented her we should
be grateful. Nor can we forget that we
nave had the charming maiden, quite as
good as real for over 200 years.-Marv f.
spencer in st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Thomas Hardy's Tess"
Mr. Thomas Hardy in speaking of the
tEt.