Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-12-26

about the New World, ~, Il was called.
There vas said to bea fountain there
which made old people young again, if
they only bathed in It; and many per-
sons rt-tiIy believed that il was true.
There Is tlttIe wonder. then, that great
numbers Of men were anxious to visit the
NcW World. Some were attracted by the
and others who had little faith in those
Wild stories were auNiou, to see the
country settled.
James l., Who va, king of England at
that time, gave he right to Sir Thomas
Gates and others TO form settlement in
the New World; and in December 1906,
three small vessels set sail for the shores
OF America. John Smith was on board
one of the vessels. The ships, with one
hundred and five men in them, crossed
the ocean in safety, and reached the West
India Islands. They then sailed north
ward along he coast of Florida and the
Carolnas, looking for q good harbor.
When they reached the mouth Of
Chesapeake bay they were tossed by a
terrible storm, but managed to sail into q
harbor without being wrecked. This was
in April 1907, and some time was spent in
looking for n place to make settlement.
Before them was broad river, w heh was
called Pow haitian by the Indians, and this
they sailed up, delighted with the beauti-
full prospect before them.
Some Indians came down to the shore,
and stared at the ships as they passed by;
but the settlers went on up the broad
current until they reached sort of
island close to the shore. Here, on the
18th of May, 1907, the ships east anchor;
and here a settlement WAS made, and was
called, in honor OF the king, jamestown.
To-day t here is nothing to mark the spot,
except an old, ruined church.
During the voyage John Smith had
been arrested on the foolish charge that
he was planning to make himself king of
Virginia. He was still under arrest " hen
the ships reached jamestown. King
James had not told any one the names of
the men who were to rule over the settle
ment. The paper containing their names
he opened until the ships reached he end
of their voyage. But he time had now
come: the box was opened, and the name
of John Smith MAS found among those
who were to be councillors. He was,
therefore, set free; yet he was not al
lowed to sit in the council nor to have
any more authority than the poorest man
in the colony.
But strong head and brave heart
win show themselves in spite of every
thing; and the colonists soon saw that
Smith had more sense and energy than
all he rest. He was the real leader. No
body had any respec for the councillors,
who were a poor set at the best. They
passed their time in eating and drinking
and idleness. They had seen little of the
Indians, and very foolishly seemed to
care nothing about them. Besides this,
but very little was done towards raising
corn for food. Smith knew that the
woods were full of Indians, and also that
the food in the ships would not last
always. He, therefore, set out with
few men, to visit he king of the Indian
tribes, who lived some distance farther
up the river.
The name of the Indian king was
Pow hatan, and he ruled over all the In
dams in eastern Virginia. He received
Captain Smith with great show OF kind
ness, and the two talked together by
means of signs; but Smith saw at once
that he had a cunning enemy to deal
with.
Having finished his visit, Captin smith
and his men roWed back down the river;
but when they reached jamestown they
found that some Indians had made an
attack upon the place. No doubt but
that Pow hatan had sent them as soon rs
he knew that Smith was not there. One
of the settlers had been killed by an
arrow. and several had been wounded.
But cannon-shot had been fired from
one of the ships; and as it crashed
through the woods the frightened
Indians fled and did not return.