第 5 节
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疯狂热线 更新:2021-12-07 09:33 字数:9321
storehouse。 And he left a hundred Englishmen who had now tasted of the
country fare and might reasonably fear no worse chance than had yet
befallen。 Newport promised to return in twenty weeks with full supplies。
John Smith says that his enemies; chief amongst whom was Wingfield; would
have sent him with Newport to England; there to stand trial for attempted
mutiny; whereupon he demanded a trial in Virginia; and got it and was fully
cleared。 He now takes his place in the Council; beforetime denied him。 He
has good words only for Robert Hunt; the chaplain; who; he says; went from
one to the other with the best of counsel。 Were they not all here in the
wilderness together; with the savages hovering about them like the
Philistines about the Jews of old? How should the English live; unless
among themselves they lived in amity? So for the moment factions were
reconciled; and all went to church to partake of the Holy Communion。
Newport sailed; having in the holds of his ships sassafras and valuable
woods but no gold to meet the London Council's hopes; nor any certain news
of the South Sea。 In due time he reached England; and in due time he turned
and came again to Virginia。 But long was the sailing to and fro between
‘tote daughter country and the mother country and the lading and unlading
at either shore。 It was seven months before Newport came again。
While he sails; and while England…in…America watches for him longingly;
look for a moment at the attitude of Spain; falling old in the procession
of world…powers; but yet with grip and cunning left。 Spain misliked that
English New World venture。 She wished to keep these seas for her own; only;
with waning energies; she could not always enforce what she conceived to be
her right。 By now there was seen to be much clay indeed in the image。
Philip the Second was dead; and Philip the Third; an indolent king; lived
in the Escurial。
Pedro de Zuniga is the Spanish Ambassador to the English Court。 He has
orders from Philip to keep him informed; and this he does; and from time to
time suggests remedies。 He writes of Newport and the First Supply。 〃Sire。 。
。 。 Captain Newport makes haste to return with some peopleand there have
combined merchants and other persons who desire to establish themselves
there; because it appears to them the most suitable place that they have
discovered for privateering and making attacks upon the merchant fleets of
Your Majesty。 Your Majesty will command to see whether they will be allowed
to remain there 。 。 。 。 They are in a great state of excitement about that
place; and very much afraid lest Your Majesty should drive them out of it 。
。 。 。 And there are so many 。 。 。 who speak already of sending people to
that country; that it is advisable not to be too slow; because they will
soon be found there with large numbers of people。〃* In Spain the
Council of State takes action upon Zuniga's communications and closes a
report to the King with these words: 〃The actual taking possession will be
to drive out of Virginia all who are there now; before they are reenforced;
and 。。 。 。 it will be well to issue orders that the small fleet stationed
to the windward; which for so many years has been in state of preparation;
should be instantly made ready and forthwith proceed to drive out all who
are now in Virginia; since their small numbers will make this an easy task;
and this will suffice to prevent them from again coming to that place。〃
Upon this is made a Royal note: 〃Let such measures be taken in this
business as may now and hereafter appear proper。〃
* Brown's 〃Genesis of the United States〃; vol。 1; pp。 116…118。
It would seem that there was cause indeed for watching down the river by
that small; small town that was all of the United States! But there follows
a Spanish memorandum。 〃The driving out 。 。 。 by the fleet stationed to the
windward will be postponed for a long time because delay will be caused by
getting it ready。〃* Delay followed delay; and old Spainconquistador Spain
grew older; and the speech on Jamestown Island is still English。
* Op。 cit。; vol。 1; p。 127。
Christopher Newport was gone; no shipsthe last refuges; the last
possibilities for hometurning; should the earth grow too hard and the sky
too blackrode upon the river before the fort。 Here was the summer heat。 A
heavy breath rose from immemorial marshes; from the ancient floor of the
forest。 When clouds gathered and storms burst; they amazed the heart with
their fearful thunderings and lightnings。 The colonists had no well; but
drank from the river; and at neither high nor low tide found the water
wholesome。 While the ships were here they had help of ship stores; but now
they must subsist upon the grain that they had in the storehouse; now scant
and poor enough。 They might fish and hunt; but against such resources stood
fever and inexperience and weakness; and in the woods the lurking savages。
The heat grew greater; the water worse; the food less。 Sickness began。 Work
became toil。 Men pined from homesickness; then; coming together; quarreled
with a weak violence; then dropped away again into corners and sat
listlessly with hanging heads。
〃The sixth of August there died John Asbie of the bloodie Flixe。 The ninth
day died George Flowre of the swelling。 The tenth day died William Bruster
gentleman; of a wound given by the Savages 。。。。 The fourteenth day Jerome
Alikock; Ancient; died of a wound; the same day Francis Mid…winter; Edward
Moris; Corporall; died suddenly。 The fifteenth day their died Edward Browne
and Stephen Galthrope。 The sixteenth day their died Thomas Gower gentleman。
The seventeenth day their died Thomas Mounslie。 The eighteenth day theer
died Robert Pennington and John Martine gentlemen。 The nineteenth day died
Drue Piggase gentleman。
〃The two and twentieth day of August there died Captain Bartholomew Gosnold
one of our Councell; he was honourably buried having all the Ordnance in
the Fort shot off; with many vollies of small shot 。。。。
〃The foure and twentieth day died Edward Harrington and George Walker and
were buried the same day。 The six and twentieth day died Kenelme
Throgmortine。 The seven and twentieth day died William Roods。 The eight and
twentieth day died Thomas Stoodie; Cape Merchant。 The fourth day of
September died Thomas Jacob;Sergeant。 The fifth day there died Benjamin
Beast 。 。 。 。〃*
* Percy's 〃Discourse。〃
Extreme misery makes men blind; unjust; and weak of judgment。 Here was
gross wretchedness; and the colonists proceeded to blame A and B and C;
lost all together in the wilderness。 It was this councilor or that
councilor; this ambitious one or that one; this or that almost certainly
ascertained traitor! Wanting to steal the pinnace; the one craft left by
Newport; wanting to steal away in the pinnace and leave the masssmall
enough mass now!without boat or raft or straw to cling to; made the
favorite accusation。 Upon this count; early in September; Wingfield was
deposed from the presidency。 Ratcliffe succeeded him; but presently
Ratcliffe fared no better。 One councilor fared worse; for George Kendall;
accused of plotting mutiny and pinnace stealing; was given trial; found
guilty; and shot。
〃The eighteenth day 'of September' died one Ellis Kinistone 。 。 。。 The same
day at night died one Richard Simmons。 The nineteenth day there died one
Thomas Mouton 。 。 。 。〃
What went on; in Virginia; in the Indian mind; can only be conjectured。 As
little as the white mind could it foresee the trend of events or the
ultimate outcome of present policy。 There was exhibited a see…saw policy;
or perhaps no policy at all; only the emotional fit as it came hot or cold。
The friendly act trod upon the hostile; the hostile upon the friendly。
Through the miserable summer the hostile was uppermost; then with the
autumn appeared the friendly mood; fortunate enough for 〃the most feeble
wretches〃 at Jamestown。 Indians came laden with maize and venison。 The heat
was a thing of the past; cool and bracing weather appeared; and with it
great flocks of wild fowl; 〃swans; geese; ducks and cranes。〃 Famine
vanished; sickness decreased。 The dead were dead。 Of the hundred and four
persons left by Newport less than fifty had survived。 But these may be
thought of as indeed seasoned。
CHAPTER IV。 JOHN SMITH
With the cool weather began active exploration; the object in chief the
gathering from the Indians; by persuasion or trade or show of force; food
for the approaching winter。 Here John Smith steps forward as leader。
There begins a string of adventures of that hardy and romantic individual。
How much in Smith's extant narrations is exaggeration; how much is
dispossession of others' merits in favor of his own; it is difficult now to
say。* A thing that one little likes is his persistent depreciation of his
fellows。 There is but one Noble Adventurer; and that one is John Smith。 On
the other hand evident enough are his courage and initiative; his
ingenuity; and his rough; practical sagacity。 Let us take him at something
less than his own valuation; but yet as valuable enough。 As for his
adventures; real or fictitious; one may see in them epitomized the
adventures of