his veins swelled. At the conclusion of this performance, they all gave a short groan, by way of assent to what was said, and laid down three grains more. Smith was then entertained with another song and oration, the grain being laid down as before.

All this continued till night, neither he nor they having a morsel of food. The Indians then feasted merrily upon all the provisions they could muster, giving Smith a good share of them. The ceremonies just described were repeated the two following days. Some maize-meal which they strewed around him in circles, represented their country, they said; the wheat, the bounds of the sea; and something else was used to signify the country of the whites. They gave Smith to understand, that the earth was flat and round, like a trencher, themselves being situated, they said, precisely in the middle.

After this, they showed him a bag of English gunpowder, which they had taken from some of his men. They said they were going to preserve it carefully till the next spring, supposing it to be some new kind of grain which would yield them a harvest. Smith was now invited to visit the residence of Opitchapan, second brother to Powhatan, and heir to all his dominions. He went, accordingly, with his Indian guard. The prince feasted him richly with bread, fowl and wild meat, not an Indian offering to eat with him. Whatever provision he left was put up in baskets, and carried back to Pamunkey, where the women and children feasted upon it.

• To bring my long story to a close, Smith was at last brought into the presence of King Powhatan himself, at a place called Werowocomoco. This was on the north side of York river, in what is now Gloucester county, and nearly opposite to the mouth of Queen's creek, about twenty-five miles below the mouth of the river. The usual residence of Powhatan, however, was at a town named from himself. He had reduced under his power a large number of Indian tribes, even as far as Patuxen, in Maryland. He was a noble-looking savage, and, at the time I speak of, was about sixty years of age.

On the entrance of Smith into his royal residence, the king was dressed in a cloak made of the skins of the raccoon, and sitting before a large fire, on an elevated throne, something like a bedstead. On his right and left were his two daughters. They were handsome girls, who might be, as. Smith guessed, sixteen and eighteen years of age. The king's chief men, adorned with shells and feathers, and their shoulders painted red, were ranged on each side of the house. An equal number of women stood directly behind them.

On Smith's being brought in, the whole multitude raised a shout. The queen of the Apamattox tribe was now ordered to bring him water to wash his hands; and another brought him a bunch of feathers, by way of a towel, to wipe them. They then feasted him as well as they were able, and a

consultation was afterwards held among them. The conclusion seemed to be, that the prisoner should be put to death. Two large stones were brought in, and laid at the feet of the king. Smith was stretched out with his head on one of them; and Powhatan now stood over him with his club, ready to put an end to his life.

The fatal club was uplifted. The Indians were watching in mute suspense for the blow. At this moment, the eldest and most beloved daughter of the king, Pocahontas, rushed forward, and threw herself, with a shriek, on the body of Smith. Her hair was loose; and her eyes wild, and streaming with tears. She raised her hands to her father, and besought him, with all the eloquence of love and sorrow, to spare the life of his captive.

The old king was disappointed; but he loved his beautiful daughter too much to resist her tears and entreaties. He dropped his uplifted club, and looked around upon his warriors, as if to gather new courage. They were touched with pity, like himself, savages as they were. The king now raised his daughter, and promised her to spare the life of Smith. "He shall make your hatchets for you," said the old man, "and your bells, beads and copper." I suppose they thought Smith was as good at one trade as another; the king was accustomed, it seems, to make his own shoes, pots, robes, bows and arrows, like the rest.

Smith was not kept among the savages a great while. He described his feeling in the following quaint stanza:

They say he bore a pleasant shew,
But sure his heart was sad.

For who can pleasant be, and rest,
That liues in feare and dread;
And, having life suspected, doth
It still suspected lead."

I have nothing more to tell you of this strange adventure of Smith's, but the farewell ceremonies of Powhatan. He ordered Smith to be taken to a house in the woods, and seated on a mat before the fire, alone. He had been here but a few minutes, when, Smith was startled "by the dolefullest noyse he ever heard,” he says. It came from behind a large mat curtain, which divided the house into two parts. Powhatan came in immediately after, dressed more like a fiend than a man; and two hundred Indians came after him, as black and grim as himself.

He told Smith they were now friends; that he should be sent back to Jamestown. From that place Smith was to send Powhatan two guns and a grindstone, for which the latter offered to give him the whole country of Capahowsick, and forever regard him as his son. Smith expressed his gratitude to the old king as well as he could, and, with twelve Indian guides, started off that very night for Jamestown. He reached that place the next morning, having been a prisoner for seven weeks.