It was at Werowocomoco that Smith observed certain conjurations of the medicine men, which he supposed had reference to his fate.From ten o'clock in the morning till six at night, seven of the savages, with rattles in their hands, sang and danced about the fire, laying down grains of corn in circles, and with vehement actions, casting cakes of deer suet, deer, and tobacco into the fire, howling without ceasing.One of them was "disfigured with a great skin, his head hung around with little skins of weasels and other vermin, with a crownlet of feathers on his head, painted as ugly as the devil." So fat they fed him that he much doubted they intended to sacrifice him to the Quiyoughquosicke, which is a superior power they worship: a more uglier thing cannot be described.These savages buried their dead with great sorrow and weeping, and they acknowledge no resurrection.Tobacco they offer to the water to secure a good passage in foul weather.The descent of the crown is to the first heirs of the king's sisters, "for the kings have as many women as they will, the subjects two, and most but one."After Smith's return, as we have read, he was saved from a plot to take his life by the timely arrival of Captain Newport.Somewhere about this time the great fire occurred.Smith was now one of the Council; Martin and Matthew Scrivener, just named, were also councilors.Ratcliffe was still President.The savages, owing to their acquaintance with and confidence in Captain Smith, sent in abundance of provision.Powhatan sent once or twice a week "deer, bread, raugroughcuns (probably not to be confounded with the rahaughcuns [raccoons] spoken of before, but probably 'rawcomens,'
mentioned in the Description of Virginia), half for Smiith, and half for his father, Captain Newport." Smith had, in his intercourse with the natives, extolled the greatness of Newport, so that they conceived him to be the chief and all the rest his children, and regarded him as an oracle, if not a god.
Powhatan and the rest had, therefore, a great desire to see this mighty person.Smith says that the President and Council greatly envied his reputation with the Indians, and wrought upon them to believe, by giving in trade four times as much as the price set by Smith, that their authority exceeded his as much as their bounty.
We must give Smith the credit of being usually intent upon the building up of the colony, and establishing permanent and livable relations with the Indians, while many of his companions in authority seemed to regard the adventure as a temporary occurrence, out of which they would make what personal profit they could.The new-comers on a vessel always demoralized the trade with the Indians, by paying extravagant prices.Smith's relations with Captain Newport were peculiar.While he magnified him to the Indians as the great power, he does not conceal his own opinion of his ostentation and want of shrewdness.Smith's attitude was that of a priest who puts up for the worship of the vulgar an idol, which he knows is only a clay image stuffed with straw.
In the great joy of the colony at the arrival of the first supply, leave was given to sailors to trade with the Indians, and the new-comers soon so raised prices that it needed a pound of copper to buy a quantity of provisions that before had been obtained for an ounce.
Newport sent great presents to Powhatan, and, in response to the wish of the "Emperor," prepared to visit him."A great coyle there was to set him forward," says Smith.Mr.Scrivener and Captain Smith, and a guard of thirty or forty, accompanied him.On this expedition they found the mouth of the Pamaunck (now York) River.Arriving at Werowocomoco, Newport, fearing treachery, sent Smith with twenty men to land and make a preliminary visit.When they came ashore they found a network of creeks which were crossed by very shaky bridges, constructed of crotched sticks and poles, which had so much the appearance of traps that Smith would not cross them until many of the Indians had preceded him, while he kept others with him as hostages.
Three hundred savages conducted him to Powhatan, who received him in great state.Before his house were ranged forty or fifty great platters of fine bread.Entering his house, "with loude tunes they made all signs of great joy." In the first account Powhatan is represented as surrounded by his principal women and chief men, "as upon a throne at the upper end of the house, with such majesty as Icannot express, nor yet have often seen, either in Pagan or Christian." In the later account he is "sitting upon his bed of mats, his pillow of leather embroidered (after their rude manner with pearls and white beads), his attire a fair robe of skins as large as an Irish mantel; at his head and feet a handsome young woman; on each side of his house sat twenty of his concubines, their heads and shoulders painted red, with a great chain of white beads about each of their necks.Before those sat his chiefest men in like order in his arbor-like house." This is the scene that figures in the old copper-plate engravings.The Emperor welcomed Smith with a kind countenance, caused him to sit beside him, and with pretty discourse they renewed their old acquaintance.Smith presented him with a suit of red cloth, a white greyhound, and a hat.The Queen of Apamatuc, a comely young savage, brought him water, a turkeycock, and bread to eat.Powhatan professed great content with Smith, but desired to see his father, Captain Newport.He inquired also with a merry countenance after the piece of ordnance that Smith had promised to send him, and Smith, with equal jocularity, replied that he had offered the men four demi-culverins, which they found too heavy to carry.This night they quartered with Powhatan, and were liberally feasted, and entertained with singing, dancing, and orations.