Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-03-16
No. u.

SHOE SIC JUYAT TRANsCENDERE
MoNTEs.
No. u.
The voyage of Captain John Smith
and his fourteen con panions up the
Potomac in the summer of 1908 re-
vealed 10 them the fact that the low ,
Il 1t regions which everywhere border :
ed the waters OF the Chesapeake did
not stretch interminably inland. A few
miles above the Iudian town of Tohoga
where now stands the city of Wasbii g.
tor, their course was arrested by rapids
and falls, and all about them were high
and rocky hills which shut them in like
walls. The natives whom they there
met, told them marvellous stories OF a
great mountain barrier many miles
farther up the stream, and beyond that
of still greater mountains whose tops
reached to the clouds, and still beyond
these OF 8 vast region of valleys and
plains watered by wide rivers and
lakes which poured their floods into a
ar { fl 5, a, aud that the entire extent OF
the county from the east 10 the west,
and from the north to the south WAS
aoged ty herds of butfalos and elk, +,
and peopied by countless nations and
tribes If their own race.
Suith was not prepared to explore
the river and lands beyond the falls,
aud so leisurely descended its waters,
!evoting most OF the summer to exsm-
ming its shore and obtaining informa
ion COZ Corning the number, names aud
trength of the tribes of Indians inhab-
itir them. In the au' 'umn of the year
he was again at jamestown where be
was W. lcomed by the coloniste, VINO wei g
more III u ever convinced of his abll =
tiles aud ot his great usefulness 10 them
AS "A couns ellor and dire C or in the b.
gtr nirg OF thtir settlement. He wro e
out description If his exredi
iiou and made map OF the
wonderful river upon whose waters he
mad sailed to accompany it, DO h OF
which are still extant. He related to
the colonsts he ST ories he had heard
from the natives concerning the mon t.
aims and the vast realms beyond he
tide waters, and Doubt, 5 bis rest less,
adventurous spirit would nave been he
first at an early day to plan and lead
auother expedition to verify them by
actual exploration had be not been
compelltd d by q serious gunpowder ac-
cident to return 10 England the follow
lng wear; for he was a believer OF The
theory then everyw where prevalent that
d way was yet TO be discovered through
these new realms which would afford
shorter, quicker aud safer way for ships
to China and other Asiatic countries,
The colonists had been particularly in
strucled by the London company before
sailing from Eugland 10 explore every
great river flowing from the north or
northwest, hopeful that one might be
found to empty from some great lake
or inland sea whence another or others
flowed westward and emptied into the
Pacific ocean.
Ralph Lane, the governor of the un-
fortunate colony planted by Sir Walter
Raleigh on Roanoke island few years
before, lured by the stories OF the In
dams that the Roanoke river had its
source in vast spring far away to the
northwest and so near TO salt sea be
yopd it that its waves in times OF great
storms were washed into and mingled
with the waters of the fountain-wlth
company of his men started up the
stream to explore it. They did not
find the great spring nor the salt sea,
for hunger aud other disasters drove
them back to the island settlement. The
little colony Smith had left behind
him at jamestown consisting of hardly
FIVE hundred persons was kept busy
with the cares and duties OF establish
ing their plantations and homesteads
and fixing regulations for the common
veal, and had no time we may Imagine
for projects of this kind and strange
to relate, more than century was TO
pass by before the coming of the man
and the time for the accomplishment Of
the delayed object. Twenty-four shires
or counties had been established.
jamestown WAS in its dotage and no
longer the provincial capital ami Smith
had been sleeping for nearly ninety
wears in London church yard.
AleXauueT Spolts"oou "oo oo"'
in ITO with q royal commission from
Queen Anne to be governor. 1t was
an appointment which brought JOY to
the people, for he was man of educa,,
tion. practical in his ways and liberal
and progressive in sentiments, the very
opposite of Culpeper, Berkeley aud
aoms others OF his predecessors who
mad deprecated the introduction of the
printing press and the general diffusion
of knowledge as public calamities. HIS
administration began by the introdut,
ton of various measures for political
aad economic reform. He brought
with him the right of habeas corpus, a
right guaranteed to every royal sub
jsct in England by Magma Charia out
hitherto denied to Vmgnians: Cover
nor Spottswood had been bred IN the
army. at the the battle of Blenhelm
he was one of the aides of the Duke OF
Marlborough aud there received a
wound in the breast. In his character
were united the spirits of chivalry aud
adventure, and for the exercise OF the
latter he was to fin6 field in the Vir-
ginia solitudes.
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