The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-10

pany's orders. but bit of news little
likely to encourage immigration to vir-
ginia. Tie closing Injunction OF the
instructions" was that the colorysts
should cultivate spirit OF harmony
and make themselves all of one mind.
To have printed any account OF the
three events mentioned above would
have been equally displeasing to the
Company with which ~. H." was con-
nectedD, as indicating clearly how Bit
ter were the feuds and dissertations Of
the colonlsts. who were very far indeed
from being .'all Of one mind"
In both the earlier and the later
story, Smith says that he was, in the
main. kindly treated by his Captors,
and such treatment we know to be III
accordance with the usage OF the
American redskins. who often pannpcr
their prisoner with dainties and be-
guile him With a show of friendliness
! TO give an added zest to their fendis!i
| enjoyment OF his agonzed surprise and
terror when suddenly bound to the tor
ture-stake.
In the earlier account as printed. we
arc asked to believe Tho wildly improb-
| able story that Smith, after killing
| with his own hand two savages. there
! by mourning "the blood debt" due to
| the tribe. Is taken ed-handed and car
ried before the Powhatan. who treats
| him with all the Kindness he could
devise" and for no reason whatever.
sends him back. after some days OF
| bounteous cheer and good fellowship.
| to Jamestown. while both his white
companions had been treacherous!y
! slain.
The story is on It's face preposterous.
| without some explanation. Why should
/ Smith alone be sent back unframed and
! without ransom7
/ AS DR.. John Fiske has shown, the
blood-debt.'' according to Indian usage.
! could be cancelled in two widely diff
ferent ways: by putting the captive to
| death with fiendish barbarity, or by
yielding him up to some sduaw or
brave, who might choose to claim him
as lover or son. thereby adopting him
into the tribe Any member, old or
latter method as a substitute for the
former.
Thus 1t was in this case.
To the little Indian maid, the Pow
4 hatan's dearest daughter" the hand
some young Engiishman then In the
flower Of manhood the was but eight
and twenty. with his undaunted mien.
i his courageous blue eyes and tawny
beard. must have seemed as some fair
young god come down to earth, and 80,
with blended admiration and pity, she
'laid her owne head upon his to save
him from DEATH" claimed him as Of
right, and had her demand needed.
So far. then. from accepting the ear
Tier version of Smiths captivity as
A the only true one, by which the credi-
Il bility of the account given in the Gem
eralf Historic" Is to be tested. we do
not doubt that the dispassionatc reader
will agree with us that it Is this later
account containing the story of the
rescue, that alone makes Ineligible
the garbled and mutilated narrative e S
printed by u. H."
We have discussed this Pocahontas
incident at length, because 1t Is the
chief point of attack by Smiths enc
mics in their efforts to prove him a
} lying brasgart
Touching his deed of derring do in
vanquishing the three Turkish cham
pions in single combat in front OF
Regal, our limited space forbids our
doing little more than observing that
! the testimony adduced for disprovina
, Smiths account Of the incident is. II
anything, fiimsier than that advanced
in the Pocahontas episode.
AS a matter of fact. the story OF tfii!
, exploit al given in the True Travels,
, is not. save for few llnimportan
, touches, Smiths at all. 1t was frs
!, told by an Italian, Francisco Farnese
secretary to that Prince Siglsmund whe
granted Smith his well-known coat.
! of-arms for that splendid feat OF skill
!, and daring. Purchas translated 1t from
! Harnesses Wares of Pennsylvania
cts, and published 1t His Pilgrimcs.
which appeared five years GG25) before
, the True Travels" u630). Smith, In
the main, simply incorporated in the
latter Purchas's translation of the ex.
plot, as told for Italian readers by a
, dislnterested contemporary, whose Off.
cial position gave him the amplest op.
portunity of knowing at first hand the
truth Of what occurred at Regal.
Surely such testimony must be
, deemed decisive by all, save those who
have definitely made UP their minds
not to believe anything that reflects
glory or credit OH Captain John Smith
I. used to be said that when the Kings.
leys were at loss for something to
;, say they always said "God!" with {
: difference" whenever Smiths detrac.
. tors are put into a very tight place
. they always cry forgery"
John Smith was not of the stuff out
, of which forgers are made.
, If one wants to know what manner
. OF man he really was, and how he bore
himself in danger or difficulty, one
must accept. not the captious criticism
of clustered critics. but the testimony
of the men who shared with him his
perils and labors. After he left James.
town because of his grievous hurt this
is what was said of him by two rugged
soldiers, PotAi and Phattiplace, who had
J long been his tried and trusty com.
: rades: What shall 1 saye.' writes
! Phatt;place for himself and Pots, "but
thus we lost him; that in all his pro.
! ceedings made Justice his first guido
9 and experience his second, ever hating
: baseness. sloth pride. and indgnitlt
Z more than any dangers: that upon nj
J danger would send them where Ii,
t would not leade himselfe; that woult
: never see us want what he either hat
or could by any means get us; tina
4 would rather want than borrow OF
: nnNIMXNAPn rOJIpCE