The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-08


  a good deal of time when he wasn't I cracking the whip over his trihing fol- | lowers to make them work, in ex- ploring the small rivers of Virginia | in the hope that one of them would lead him into the South sea. He also put in good deal of time bartering 1 for corn with the Indians, for the set l tiers didn't raise enough grain to support themselves most of the time. l And so he came into frequent contact l with Powhatan.
 The Indian chiefs attitude toward the white invaders varied. Undoubt- edly he felt all along that if they were to pack up their belongings and sail back to England society in Virginia
 would be able to survive the loss. Sometimes he made active war against
 them, and then again for long time he would keep the peace, supply corn and trade amicably with the English men.
 He was a shrewd old chap and he
 realized that it would be greatly to his advantage to get white mems weapons for his tribe to use in war;
 But Captain John smith was a shrewd old chap also. and he realized that | if the Powhatan outfit ever succeeded | in equipping itself with firearms 1t
 was likely to be all day with his colony. So he refused to trade swords and guns to the Indians. and did his | ing them, at the same time striving
 tot 1,t 1 tribesmen.
 Powhatan Wasn't Enthusiastic | It was with that end in view, that King James sent over crown and
 robe and instructions to crown Powha- tan. The King figured that the Indian chief would be the slavish admirer of the English for the rest of his life. But King James didn't know Powhatan. When Captain Smith fetched word to | the chief of the honor which was to ! be bestowed upon him and urged him | to come down to Jamestown to re- ceive the crown. Powhatan declined. Your King has sent me presents he said: q also am a King Here I will stay eight days to receive them. Your captain is to come to me, not to them"
 Smith had offered the aid of the col onists in fighting tribe with which Powhatan's men were at war, but that offer was declined also. Powhatan re-
 marked curtly that he was quite able to fight his own battles. So at last Smith and his associate. Captain New port had to bring the crown and robe to the chiefs lodge. They gave him a bedstead and basin and pitcher which King James had sent and the chief showed keen interest. But when they tried to put the coronation robe around him he drew back and wrapped his own mantle of fur around him.
 It took some argument before Pow hatan could be persuaded that the er- mine- trimmed cloak was meant as an honor and was not some sort of snare. Then came the matter of crowning him. It is part of every civilized coronation ceremony that the candidate kneel to
 have the crown placed upon his brow Powhatan wouldn't kneel. Smith pleaded. urged. commanded. having to do 1t all through an interpreter. Tho coronation was at a halt. Newport fln- gered the crown nervously, not know ing what to do with it. The Indians watched the whole performance sus- piciously. Finally Smith, who was a man of action. seized the old chief
 by the shoulders and thrust him down on one knee, while Newport hurrriedly pronounced him Emperor of Virginia by grace of 'his, British majesty, James I. Thought It Time to Quit As the crown was placed upon Pow hatan's head. Smiths followers fired their muskets in salute. That was the last straw. Powhatan had felt pretty certain all along that this coronati ion talk was merely a srtatagem to snare him, and when the muskets were fired he flung off the coronation robe and started like a scared rabbit for the nearest patch of brush. Smith and Newport caught him and 1t took their combined efforts to persuade him that no harm was meant and the muskets were only the white mans way of doing him honor. At last they calmed him. and the newly-made Emperor to show his Gra- ciousness, gave Newport his cast off fur cloak and moccasins. pointing out through his interpreter that 1t was no small honor for an ordinary plug white | man to be allowed even the discarded | garments of an Emperor. Powhatan's name bobs up constantly | through all the early history of the 1 Jamestown colony. Generally keeping l the peace. at least nom1nally, he was | always an uncertain quantity. Twice l Pocahontas came to the English in time | to warn them of plots her father had l laid against them. Finally a British l shipmaster captured the girl while she | was visiting a neighborinE tribe on tho i Potomac and she was held a prisoner | Word was sent to Powhatan that she 1 would not be released until he agreed 1 to release certain English colonists | whom he keld. gave the Jamestown 1 colonists large quantity of corn and