Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-26
A Bronze Tablet to Be Unveiled Al
Cape Henry.
WHERE coLoNIsrs FIRST TRoD'
Erected by the Association for Pre-
servatiou OF Virginia Antiouities--
The Inscription--Intere cerc-
monies-Programme for Occasion.

''lfOQSpeed lOT bOouSpStu, WIG d~ihiA al
of forty tons, commanded by Captain
Bartholomew Gosnoid, and the Dis
covery' Tor Discoverer). rear-admiral
(the pinnace). of twenty tons, COM
manded by Captain John Ratcilffe COR
Ratliffe), left London on Saturday, De-
cember 20. 1905.
Under the auspices Of the London ad-
venturefs, called the First Colony, by
authority of the letters patent, granted
April TO- 1906, by King James 10 Sir
Thomas Gates, Sir George S0mers. and
divers others of his loving subjects TO
make habitation, plantation, and TO de-.
duce a colony OF our people into that
part of America commonly called Viz
ginia." this expedition had set out TO
'get the pearls and gold in
Virginia, earth's only paradise" and
10 make the plantation which was to
prove to be the first permanent Eng
lish settlement in North America
The authorities differ widely in their
statements as to the number or. voyagers
in the three ships. The names OF ninety
of them, however, are definitely known,
and no authority states the NUMBER OF
adyenturers and mariners higher than
100 In the aggregate.
Delayed by "unprosperous winds FOR
six weeks in sight Of England, they
reached the West Indies on Monday,
March q. 1901, where they spent nearly
three weeks, sailing from thence on
Friday, April 10th. in search OF virginia
Driven by tempests much further north
than they had reckoned, much TO their
10y. and beyond all their expectations
they deserted the Land OF virginia
abou 4 o'clock on the morning or sun
day, April %, l6G. corresponding to May
9Th OF our present calendar. That same
day they entered Chesapeake bay, an
chored, and Captain Newport with
twenty or thirty OF the party, went
ashore. where they could find nothing
worth speaking OF but fair meadows
and goodly, tall trees, with much fresh
waters running through the woods, as
| was almost ravished at the sight
thereof" says George Percy. who gives
the most crcumstantial account which
we have OF the first landing and dis
coyeries until the arrival at jamestown,
the night Of May lS, 1901.
CAPTAIN ARCHER WOUNDED.
Sunday night. however. when they were
returning to their ships there came rhe
sauages creeping upon all fOure, from
the hills, like beares: with their bowes
In their mouthes, charged us very despe-
rately In the faces, hurt Captain Gabriel
Archer in both his hands. and a sayler
(Matrhew Morton) in two places Of the
body very dangerous After they had
spent their arrowes, and felt the sharp
nesse Of our shot. they retired into the
woods with a great noise. and so left
u.s." Here, on that Sun'ay night. the
colonists opened the sedYsd box which
contained the Instructions, or orders for
their government, which named those
who were . be on the first Council.
and which they were under orders TO
open within twenty-four hours after
their arrival In Virginia, and not before.
Monday, April 9th, "the gentlemen and
souldlers marched eight miles up into
that land We could not see a savage
in all that march. We came to a place
where they had made a great fire and
had been newly roasting oysters. When
they perceived our coming they fed away
10 the mountaines, and left many OF the
oystets In the FIRE. We eat some of the
oysters, which were very large and deli
cate in taste"
Tuesday, the 2Sth, they LAUGHED their
"shallop' or row boat. THE captain
(NewporO and some gentlemen went in
her, and dscouered up the bay"
1--WE found a river on the south side,
running into the Maine. We entered It
and found II very shoal water, not for
Lynnhaven river. or bay) I'VE went
further into the bay and saw a plain
plot of ground, where we went on land I;
and found the place five mile In compasse.
without either bush or tree. We saw
nothing there but a cannow, which was
made up out OF the whole tree, which
was five and forty foot long by the rule.
Upon this plot OF ground we got good
store OF mussels and oysters which lay
on the ground as thick as stones. We
opened some and found In many OF them
pearles. Wee marched some three or
foure miles further into the woods, where
we saw great smoakes OF fire. We march,
ed 70 these smoakes. and found that the
sauages had been there burning the
grasse; as we thought, either 10 make
their plantation there, or else to give
signs to bring their forces together, and
so to glIie US battell. We past through
excellent ground full OF flowers OF divers
kinds and colours. and as goodly
trees as I have seen, as cedar. cipresse
and other klndes Going a little further
we came into little plat OF ground full
OF fine and beautiful Strawberries. foure
times bigger ana better than ours in
England. AL 9lis march we could
neither see sauage nor towne. When II
grew to be towards night, we stood backs
TO our ships, we sounded and found IL
shallow water for great way. which put
VS. out OF all hopes for getting any higher
with our ships. which road at the
mouth OF the rluer chat 1t. at the en-
trance TO Chesapeake bay, off the present
Cape Henry. We rowed over 10 a point
Of land were wee found a channell: and
sounded six, eight. ten, or twelve fathon !:
which put US In good comfort. Therefore.
we named that point Of land Cape Com
fort" CThe present Old Point Comfort)
on Wednesday, the 18th day OF April.
1901 they "set up a cross at Chesupioc
bay" where they made their first landing,
and named that place Cape Henry"
after the then Prince OF Wales. eldest
son OF James. The opposite cape being
subsequently named Charles after the
then Duke OF York. second son OF James
who afterwards became King Charles l.
WILL ERECT A TABLET.
The Association for the p ,ervatlon of
Virginia Antiquities. W. has done
more in the past three Yeas TO preserve
the landmarks OF Virginia history than
had been done previously in nearly three
centuries propose TO commemorate on
next Wednesday, the anniversary Of the
setting up OF that cross by unyeiling a
bronze tablet twenty-nine inches square.
surnounted by 7-lnch bronze cross.
"a inches high by a inches extreme
length OF arms The tablet bears. in
raised letters, the following Inscription:
NEAR THIS SPOT
LANDED. APRIL %, iGT.
Captain Gabriel Archer.
Hon. George s. Percy,