Introduction

In his work, John Smith mixes fact and fiction.He was a proud, self-made man of action who was addressing readers back in England in order to: explain the advantages of his agressive colonial policy emphasize his central role in the survival of the Jamestown colony, which was the first English settlement in America. In other words, he wrote with political intention and his work constitutes a major resource for understanding the concept of "manifest destiny":the notion that America made manifest the destined expansion of European civilization and, therefore, that Europeans had the right to take possession of the whole continent. Always writing of himself in the third person, he presented himself enthusiastically in the role of hero, focusing attention on his exploits asserting his bravery to face all kinds of dangerous situations.

Summary

In the previous chapter, Captain Smith decides to undertake a very risky exploration. When he realises he can´t go on sailing up the river, he orders his men (Cassen, Robinson and Emry) to wait for his return.The savages drew from George Cassen where Captain Smith was gone and then slain him. Conducted by the king of Pamunkey, they searched the turnings of the river and found Robinson and Emry by the fireside. They shot them full of arrows and slew them.They find Captain John Smith, who uses his guide as his shield. Three of them are slain and others are wounded, the rest would not come near him. Captain Smith tried to return to his boat but he slipped up to the middle in a small river and his guide with him, yet they didn´t dare to come to him until he was near dead with cold and threw away his arms. The savages drew him forth and led him to the fire and rubbed his numbed limbs.Captain Smiths asks for their captain. They show him Openchancanough, King of Pamunkey (Powhatan´s half brother), to whom he gave a round ivory double compass dial. The savages marveled at the playing of the compass card and needle.Notwithstanding, within an hour after, they tied him to a tree and prepared to shoot him, but the king holded up the compass in his hand so they laid down their bows and arrows and in a triumphant manner, led him to Orapaks (a village) where he was kindly feasted.Drawing themselves all in file, the king in the midst had all their weapons and swords borne before him. Captain Smith was led after him by three great savages holding him firmly by each arm and on each side six went in file with their arrows fitted on the bowstring, ready to use.When they arrived at the town, all the women and children stared to behold him. The soldiers all in file performed the form of a snake, and on each flank, officers as sargeants to see them keep their orders. A good time they continued this exercise and then cast themselves in a ring, dancing in such several postures and singing and yelling out such hellish notes and screeches; being strangely painted, everyone had his sheath of arrows and at their backs a club, on their arm a fox or an otter´s skin . Their heads and shoulders painted red with oil and the skin of a bird with her wings outspread.All this while, Smith and the king stood in the midst, guarded as before, and after three dances they all departed. They conducted Smith to a long house where thirty or forty tall fellows guarded him and before long, more bread and venison were brought to him (enough as to feed twenty men).Then they led him to other groups part of the confederacy ruled by the powerful Algonquian chief Powhatan until they arrived at the king´s habitation at Pamunkey, where they entertained him with the most strange and fearful conjurations:As if near led to hell ------------------------------------------->Amongst the devils to dwell ----------------------------- > (couplet from a translation from Seneca)At last they brought him to Werowocomoco, where was Powhatan, their emperor. Here more than two hundred of those grim courtiers stood wondering at him, as he had been a monster, till Powhatan and his attendants put themselves in the finest attires. Before a fire upon a seat like a bedstead, he sat covered with a great robe made of racoon skins and all the tails hanging by. On either hand sit a girl of sixteen or eighteen years and along on each side of the house, two rows of men and behind them as many women.At his entrance before the king, all the people gave a great shout. The queen of Appomattoc was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands and another brought him a bunch of feathers, instead of a towel, to dry them: having feasted him after their best barbarous manner the could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion was, two great stones were brought before Powhatan; then as many as could, laid hands on him, dragged him to them and laid his head on the stones and being ready with their cubs to beat out his brains, Pocahontas, the King´s dearest daughter, when no earnest request could prevail, got his head in her arms and laid her own upon him to save him death.The Emperor was contented he should live to make him hatchets (axes), and her bells, beads and copper, for they thought him as skilled as themselves.