VII. tain Newport, with a supply of provisions, of instru- SECT. ments of husbandry, and with a reinforcement of one hundred and twenty persons. 1608. attempt to Chesa This seasonable accession of force and provi- His first sions, although it brought joy to the colonists, yet explore had the inconvenience of inducing them again to a the bay of relaxation of discipline, and to a neglect of the ad- peake. vice and direction of Smith, who zealously opposed their idle pursuit of wealth, in loading the ships destined to return in the spring, with an imaginary golden ore, instead of preparing for their future subsistence. Perceiving this, he bent his attention to more important pursuits. Well knowing that this fatal delusion would end in a scarcity of food, which had indeed already begun to be felt, he proposed, as they had not hitherto extended their researches beyond the countries contiguous to James' river, to open an intercourse with the more remote tribes, and to explore the shores of that vast reservoir of waters--the bay of Chesapeake. The execution of this arduous design, he undertook himself, accompanied by doctor Russell, in an open boat of about three tons burthen, and with a crew of thirteen men. On the second of June, he fell down the river in company with the boat of Newport's vessels, under the command of captain Nelson; and parting with her at the capes, began his survey at Cape Charles. He examined, with immense fatigue and danger, every river, inlet, and bay, on both sides of the Chesapeake, as far as the mouth of the Rappahanock; from whence he returned on the twenty-first of July to James' town. T 4 VII. 1608. SECT according to some, through the want of provisions,* but more probably, as mentioned by others,† from an accident which happened to him at the mouth of the Rappahanock. Having stuck with his sword, a fish called the Stingray, which lay in the sedge, the animal struck him in the wrist with the thorn which lay in its tail. The pain was for some time so violent, and the appearance of the wound so swoln and livid, that his life was despaired of. From this place they immediately sailed to James' town; and in memory of this event, a small island at the mouth of that river has been called Stingray island.‡ On his return to James' town, he found the colony in the utmost confusion and disorder. Those who had arrived last with Newport, were all sick; a general scarcity prevailed, and an universal discontent with the president, Ratcliffe, whom they charged with riotously consuming the stores, and unnecessarily fatiguing the people with building a house of pleasure for himself in the woods. The seasonable arrival of Smith, prevented their fury from breaking out into acts of personal violence; and they contented themselves with deposing their president. Whether Smith was immediately thereon * Marshall's Life of Washington, Vol. 1, p. 39. Burk's Hist. of Virginia, Vol. 1, p. 121. I find it so related by Burk, who probably took it from Stith; but it is to be observed, that no island is there laid down in bishop Madison's new map of Virginia, but the south cape of Rappahanock is there denominated Stingray Point. As the island is mentioned to have been small, it may possibly have been since washed away, or not worthy of notice in a map. VII. 1608, elected president in his stead, or whether that event SECT. was postponed until his return from his second expedition up the Chesapeake, does not appear certain from the historians of Virginia. It seems, however, that Mr. Matthew Scrivener, a man of respectability, who had been sent from England with Newport in his last voyage, and nominated one of the council in Virginia, was elected vice-president by the colonists; which seems to imply that Smith was considered by them, as their president, but that Scrivener should be intrusted with the administration of the affairs of the colony, during his absence. Smith accordingly prepared for pursuing his His sescheme, of thoroughly exploring the Chesapeake ; tempt and it is on this expedition, we are to consider him more suc cessful. as the first European adventurer, who had ever penetrated into the interior parts of the country now constituting the state of Maryland. After remaining since his return, only three days at James' town, he set out again on the twenty-fourth of July, with twelve men; probably in the same open vessel, which he had used before. cond at the tribes inhabiting land. But before we follow Mr. Smith, in his route up A general the Chesapeake, it may be well to pay some atten- sketch of tion to the accounts which writers upon this subject of Indians have given us of the situation of some of the prin- Virginia cipal nations of Indians, together with a few of the and Marysubordinate tribes, who were found to inhabit on the borders of the Chesapeake, when the Europeans first intruded on them. The country which now forms the state of Virginia, including also a part of the state of Maryland, was occupied by upwards of forty different tribes of Indians. These tribes were SECT. formed again into three great and distinct confedeVII. racies or nations, denominated the Powhatans, the 1608. Manahoacs, and Monacans. Each of these three nations spoke a different language, and were under separate and distinct governments, insomuch that interpreters were necessary when they transacted business with each other. The Powhatans possessed all that part of the country bordering on the sea-board and the Chesapeake, which extends from North Carolina to the mouth of the Patuxent, in Maryland. On the westward, their territories seem to have been bounded by a supposed line running with the highlands, and crossing the heads of the rivers from North Carolina to the head of the Patuxent.* Some of the Powhatans are said also to have occupied what is now called the eastern shore of Virginia, under the denomination of the Accohanocs and Accomacks, from whence probably Accomack county took its name. The Monacans inhabited that part of Virginia which lies on the highlands, to the westward of a line drawn through the falls of James' river, in extent from York river to North Carolina.† The Manahoacs appear to have possessed that *See Mr. Charles Thompson's note (5) in the Appendix to Mr. Jefferson's Notes. Also Burk's Hist. of Virginia, Vol. 1, p. 112. + The Monacans afterwards assumed the name of Tuscaforas, and for some cause deşerted their country in Virginia about the year 1712, and joined the Iroquois, commonly called the Five Nations, making the Sixth. Colden's Hist. of the Five Nations, p. 5. Jefferson's Notes, query 11. VII. part of Virginia, in the highlands, to the westward SECT. tans. That part of Maryland which lies between the Patuxent and the Patapsco rivers from the bay to the Alleghaney mountains, seems to have been inhabited by a nation called the Shawanees,* still existing in the northwestern parts of the United States.† The Susquehanocks appear to have lived along the river Susquehanah, to the westward thereof, not only in Maryland, but to a considerable extent in Pennsylvania, probably occupying that part of Maryland which forms Harford county; and to the northward and eastward of them was a nation called originally Lenopi, by the French Loups, but since by the English Delawares, whose country is said to have extended from the Hittatinny mountains to Duck-creek, in the state of Delaware, including all the Jerseys and the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. It is not improbable, that it included also a part of Cœcil county in Maryland.‡ * See Charles Thompson's note (5) to Jefferson's Notes. †They, together with several other Indian nations, subscribed a treaty with the United States, bearing date November 25th, 1808. See Thompson's note above-cited; where it is mentioned that a tribe of the Loups or Delawares, called Chihohocki, occupied the remainder part of the Delaware state, along the west side of the Delaware river, which by them was formerly called Chihohocki, |