THe many publications and impressions of Virginia , an imployment wherein to this day my selfe with many other vnstaid heads & thirstie after new designes , haue bin to vnprofitably ingaged , might iustly excuse my silence , did not the filiall duty whereby in all things to the vtmost of my power I am bound to obey my Father , compell me vnwillingly thereunto : A taske I know by himselfe and others , meerely because I haue bin Oculatus testis , thus imposed vpon me , in the vndertaking and performance whereof , I hartily wish that my poore relation , rich onely in truth ( as I shall cleerely iustifie my selfe by cie witnesses also ) may giue any credit or incouragement to proceede in a businesse so full of honour , and worth , whereunto ( if there were no secondary causes ) the already publisht ends , I meane the glory of God in the conuersion of those Infidels , and the honour of our King and country ( which by right may claime at the least their superfluities , from those whom God hath in this world made his dispensors and purse-bearers ) might be a sufficient spurre to resolued Christians , especially the state and condition of our collonie , so standing when I left it , and I assure my selfe in this time growne more mature , that an honest hart would euen relent , and mourne to thinke how poorely , I dare not say vnworthily it is prosecuted . It being true that now after fiue yeeres intestine warre with the reuengefull implacable Indians , a firme peace ( not againe easily to be broken ) hath bin lately concluded , not onely with the nighbour , and bordering Indidians , as on Pataomecke , Topahanah , and other Riuers , but euen with that subtill old reuengefull Powhatan and all the people vnder his subiection , for all whom Powhatan himselfe stands firmely ingaged , by which meanes we shall not onely be furnished with what commodities their countrie yeeldeth , and haue all the helpes they may afforde vsin our indeuours ( as they are easily taught , and may by lenitie and faire vsage , as Sir Thomas Dale now principall commander there , and most worthy the honour he houlds , is well experienced in their dispositions , and accordingly makes vse of them ) be brought , being naturally though ingenious , yet idlely giuen , to be no lesse industrious , nay to exceede our English , especially those which we hitherto and as yet are furnished with , who for the most part no more sensible then beasts , would rather starue in idlenesse ( witnesse their former proceedings ) then feast in labour , did not the law compell them thereunto , but also which will be most for our benefit , our owne men may without hazard , I might say with security ( by selfe-experience ) follow their feuerall labours , whereby twentie shall now bee able to performe more then heretofore hath bin fortie .

Though I coniecture and assure my selfe that yee cannot be ignorant by what meanes this peace hath bin thus happily both for our proceedings and the welfare of the Naturals concluded , yet for the hono●● of Captain Argol whose indeuours in the action intituled him most worthy , I iudge it no whit impertinent in my discourse to insert them , which w●th as much breuity as I may , not omitting the circumstances most pertinent and materiall , I shall indeuour .

The general letters vpon my knowledge , directed and sent to the honourable Virginia Councell , being most of them ( though my selfe most vnworthy ) by me penned haue intimated , how that the euerworthy gentleman Capt. Árga●● in the heate of our home furies & disagreements by his best experience of the disposition of those people , partly by gentle vsage & partly by the composition & mixture of threats hath euer kept faire & friendly quarter with our neighbours bordering onother riuers of affinity , yea consanguinity , no lesse neere then brothers to Rowhatan , such is his well knowne temper and discretion , yea to this passe hath he brought them , that they assuredly trust vpon what he promiseth , and are as carefull in performing their mutuall promises , as though they contended to make that Maxim , that there is no faith to be held with Infidels , a meere and absurd Paradox : Nay as I haue heard himselfe relate , who is fide dignus , they haue euen bin pens●ue and discontented with themselues , because they knew not how to doe him some acceptable good turne , which might not onely pleasure him , but euen be profitable to our whole Collonie , and Plantation , yea euer assuring him that when the times should present occasion , they would take hold of her forelocke , and be the instruments to worke him content , and euen thus they proued themselues as honest performers , as liberall promisers . It chaunced Powhatans delight and da●ling , his daughter Pocahuntas , ( whose fame hath euen bin spred in England by the title of Nonparella of Virginia ) in her princely progresse , if I may so terme it , tooke some pleasure ( in the absence of Captaine Argall ( to be among her friends at Pataomecke ( as it seemeth by the relation I had ) imploied thither , as shopkeepers to a Fare , to exchange some of her fathers commodities for theirs , where residing some three months or longer , it fortuned vpon occasion either of promise or profit , Captaine Argall to arriue there , whom Pocahuntas , desirous to renue hir familiaritie with the English , and delighting to see them , as vnknowne , fearefull perhaps to be surprised , would gladly visit , as she did , of whom no sooner had Captaine Argall intelligence , but he delt with an old friend , and adopted brother of his Iapazeus , how and by what meanes he might procure hir captiue , assuring him , that now or neuer , was the time to pleasure him , if he entended indeede that loue which he had made profession of , that in ransome of hi● he might redeeme some of our English men and armes , now in the poss●ssion of her Father , promising to vse her withall faire , and gentle entr●ary : Iapazeus well assured that his brother , as he p●omised would vse her curteously promised his best indeuours and secresie to accomplish his desire , and thus wrought it , making his wife an instrument ( which sex haue euer bin most powerfull in beguiling inticements ) to effect his plot which hee had thus laid , he agreed that himselfe , his wife , and Pocahuntas , would accompanie his brother to the water side , whether come , his w●●e should faire a great and longing desire to goe aboorde , and see the shippe , which being there three or foure times , before she had neuer seene , and should bee earnest with her husband to permit her : he seemed angry with her , making as he pretended so vnnecessary a request , especially being without the company of women , which deniall she taking vnkindely , must faine to weepe , ( as who knows not that women can command teares ) whereupon her husband seeming to pitty those counterfeit teares , gaue her leaue to goe aboord , so that it would please Pochahuntas to accompany her : now was the greatest labour to win her , guilty perhaps of her fathers wrongs , though not knowne as she supposed to goe with her , yet by her earnest perswasions , she a●●●nted : so forth with aboord they went , the best cheere that could be made was seasonably prouided , to supper they went , merry on all hands , especially Iapazeus and his wife , who to expres their ioy , would ere be treading vpon Capt. Argals foot , as who sh●●ld say t is don , she is your own . Supper ended , Pochahuntas was lodged in the Gunners roome , but Iapazeus and his wife desired to haue some conference with their brother , which was onely to acquaint him by what ●ratagem they had betraied his prisoner , as I haue already related : after which discourse to sleepe they went , Pochahuntas nothing mistrusting this policy , who neuertheles being most possessed with feare , and desire of returne , was first vp , and hastened Iapazeus to be gon , Capt. Argall hauing secretly well rewarded him , with a small Copp●r kettle , and som ●th●r les valuable toies so highly by him esteemed , that doubtlesse he would haue betraied his owne father for them , permitted both him and his wife to returne , but told him , that for diuers considerations , as for that his father had then eigh of our English men , many swords , peeces , and other tooles , which he had at seuerall times by trecherons murdering our men , taken from them , which though of no vse to him , he would not redeliuer , he would reserue Pocahuntas , whereat she began to be● exceeding pensiue , and discontented , yet ignorant o the dealing of Iapazeus , who in outward appearance was no les discontented that he should be the meanes of her captiuity , much a doe there was to perswade her to be patient , which with extraordinary curteous vsage , by little and little was wrought in her , and so to Iames towne she was brought , a messenger to her father forthwith dispached to aduertise him , that his only daughter was in the hands & possession of the English : ther to be kept til such time as he would ransom her with our men , swords , peeces , & other tools treacherously taken from vs : the news was vnwelcome , and troublesom vnto him , partly for the loue he bare to his daughter , and partly for the loue he bare to our men his prisoners , of whom though with vs they were vnapt for any imployment ) he made great vse : and those swords , and peeces of ours , ( which though of no vse to him ) it delighted him to view , and looke vpon .

He could not without long aduise & delibertion with his Councell , resolue vpon any thing , and it is true , we heard nothing of him till three moneths after , by perswasions of others he returned vs seauen of our men , with each of them a Musket vnseruiceable , and by them sent vs word , that whensoeuer wee pleased to deliuer his daughter , he would giue vs in satisfaction of his iniuries done to vs , and for the rest of our peeces broken and stolne from him , 500 Bushells of Corne● and be for euer friends with vs , the men , and Peeces in part of payment we receiued : and returned him answere , that his daughter was very well , and kindely intreated , and so should be howsoeuer he dealt with vs : but we could not beleeue that the rest of our Arms were either lost , or stolne from him , and therefore till he returned them all , we would not by any meanes deliuer his daughter , and then it should be at his choice , whether he would establish peace , or continue enemies with vs . This answere as it seemed , pleased him not very wel , for we heard no more from him till in March last , when with Captaine Argalls Shippe , and some other Vessells belonging to the Colony , Sir Thomas Dale with an hundred and fifty men well appointed , went vp into his owne Riuer , where his chiefest habitations were , and carried with vs his daughter , either to moue them to fight for her , if such were their courage and boldnesse , as hath been reported , or to restore the residue of our demands , which were our peeces , swords , tooles . Some of the same men which he returned ( as they promised ) ran to him again , and because he had put vs to the trouble to fetch them fiue hundred bushels of Corne : A great brauado all the way as we went vp the Riuer they made , demaunding the cause of our comming thither , which wee tould them was to deliuer Pocahuntas , whom purposely we had brought with vs , and to receiue our Armes , men , & corn , or else to fight with them , burn their howses , take away their Canoas , breake downe their fishing Weares , and doe , them what other damages we could : Some of them to set a good face on the matter , replied , that if wee came to fight with them ? we were welcome , for they were prouided for vs , councelling vs rather to retire ( if wee loued our safeties ) then proceed , bragging , as well they might , that wee had euer had the worst of them in that Riuer , instancing by Capt: Ratliefe ( not worthy remembring , but to his dishonor ) who , with most of his company they betrayed and murthered : we told them since they durst remember vs of that mischief , vnlesse they made the better and more speedy agreement , we would now reuenge that trechery , and with this discourse by the way as we went , we proceeded , and had no sooner entred the narrow of the riuer , the channell there lying within shot of the shoare , but they let their arrowes flie amongst vs in the shippe , themselues vnseene to vs , and in the forehead hurt one of our men , whic● might haue hazarded his life without the present helpe of a skilfull Chirurgion .

Being thus iustly prouoked , we presently manned our boates , went ashoare , and burned in that verie place some forty houses , and of the things we found therein , made freeboote and pillage , and as themselues afterward confest vnto vs , hurt and killed fiue or sixe of their men , with this reuenge sa●●sfying our selues , for that their presumption in shooting at vs , and so the next day proceeded higher vp the Riuer , the Indians calling vnto vs , and demaunding why we went a shoare , burnt their houses , killed and hurt their men , and tooke away their goods . We replied that though we came to them in peaceable manner , and would haue beene glad to haue receiued our demaunds with loue and peace , yet we had hearts and power to take reuenge , and punish where wrongs shold be offered , which hauing now don , though not so seuerely as we might , we rested content therewith and are ready to imbrace peace with them if they pleased , Many excuses they seemed to pretend , that they shot not a● vs , but ( if any such abuse were offered ) it was some stragled Indian , ignorant of our pretence in comming to them , affirming that they themselues would be right glad of our loue , and would indeauour to helpe vs to what we came for , which being in the possession of Powhatan their King , they would without delay dispatch messengers to him , to know his purpose and pleasure , desiring faire quarter some 24 howers , for so long they pretended it would be before their messengers might returne : this wee graunted , and what we promised , we euer exactly performed , the time now come , we inquired what Powhatan would doe , and had for answere , that our Englishmen lately with him , fearefull to be put to death by vs , were runne away , and some of Powhatans men sent abroade in quest of them , but our swords and peeces so many as he had should be brought the next day , which meerely to delay time , they bare vs in hand the next day they came not , higher vp the riuer we went , and ancored neere vnto the chiefest residencie Powhatan had , at a towne called Matchcot where were assembled ( which we saw ) about 400 men , well appointed with their bowes and arrowes to welcome vs , here they dared vs to come a shoare , a thing which we purposed before , so a shoare we went , our best landing being vp a high steepe hill which might haue giuen the enemy much aduantage against vs , but it seemed they as we were vnwilling to begin , and yet would gladly haue bin at blowes , being landed as if they had no shew of feare , they stirred not from vs , but walked vp and downe , by and amongst vs , the best of them inquiring for our Weroance or king , with whom they would gladly consult to know the occasion of our comming thither , wherof when they were informed , they made answere that they were there ready to defend themselues , if we pleased to assault them , desiring neuerthelesse some small time to dispatch two or three men once more to their king , to know his resolution , which if not answerable to our requests , in the morning if nothing else but blood would then satisfie vs , they would fight with vs , and thereby determine our quarrell , which was but a further delay to procure time to carrie away their prouisions , neuerthelesse we agreed to this their request , assuring them till the next day by noone we would not molest , hurt , nor detaine any of them , and then before we fought , our Drum and Trumpets should gi●e them warning : vpon which promise of ours , two of Powhatans sonnes being very desirous to see their sister who was there pr●s●nt ashore with vs , came vnto vs , at the sight of ●hom , and her well fare , whom they suspected to be worse intreated , though they had often h●ard the contrary , they much reioyced , and promised ●hat they would vndoubtedly perswade their father ●o redeeme her , and to conclude a firme peace foreuer with vs , and vpon this resolution the two brothers with vs retired aboarde , we hauing first dispatched two Englishmen , Ma●ster Iohn Rolfe and maister Sparkes to acquaint their Father with the businesse in hand , the next day being kindly intreated , they returned , not at all admitted Powhatans prese●ce , but spake with his brother Apachamo , his successor , one who hath already the commaund of all the people , who likewise promised vs his best indeauors to further our iust requests , and we because the time of the yeere being then Aprill , called vs to our businesse at home to prepare ground , and set corne for our winters prouision , vpon these termes departed , giuing them respite t●ll haruest to resolue what was best for them to doe , with this Prouiso , that if finall agreement were not made betwixt vs before that time , we would thith●r returne againe and destroy and take away all their corne , burne all the houses vpon that ri●er , leaue no● asish●ng Weere standing , nor a Canoa in any c●eeke therabout , and destroy and kill as many of them as we coul● .

Long before t●is time a gentleman of approued b●hauiour and hon●st cariage , maister Iohn R●lfe had bin in loue with Pocahuntas and ●he with him , which thing at the instant that we were in parlee with them , my selfe made known to Sir Thomas Dal● by a letter from him , whereby he intreated his aduise and furtherance in his loue , if so it seemed fit to him ●or the good of the Plantation , and Pocahuntas her selfe , acquainted her brethren therewith : which resolution Sir Thomas Da●e wel approuing , was the onely cau●e : hee was so milde amongst them , who otherwise would not haue departed their riuer without other conditions .

The bruite of this pretended marriage came soone to Powhatans knowledge , a thing acceptable to him , as appeared by his sudd●n consent thereunto , who some t●n daies after ●ent an ol●e vncle of hirs , named Opachisco , to giue her as his deputy in the Church , and two of his sonnes to see the mariage solemnized , which was accordingly done about the fist of Aprill , and euer since we haue had friendly commerce and trade , not onely with Powhatan himselfe , but also with his subiects round about vs ; so as now I see no reason why the Coll●nie should not thriue a pace .

Besides this loue by this meanes with Powhatan concluded , it will be worth my pa●nes to tunouer our friendship with our next neighbours , the Chicohomin●es late●y confirmed , a lustie and daring people , who haue long time liued free from Powhatans subiection , hauing law●s and gouernors within themselues : these people hearing of our concluded peace with Powhatan , as the no●se thereof was soone bruted abroade , sent two of their men vnto vs , and two fat Bucks for present to our king ( for so Sir Thomas Dale is generally reputed and termed amongst them ) and offe●ed themselues and seruice vnto him , alleadging that albeit in former times they had bin our en●mies , and we theirs , yet they would now if we pleased become not onely our trustie friends , but euen King IAMES his subiects and tributari●s , and relinquish their old name of Ch●cohominies , and ●ake vpon them , as they call vs the name of Tossantessa● , and because they h●●e no principall commander or Wer●ance , they would intreate Sir Thomas Dale as King IAMES his deputie to be their supreame head , King and gouernor , and in all iust causes and quarrels to defend them , as they would be ready at all times to aide him , onely their desire was to inioy their owne lawes and liberties , and because himselfe , by reason of his many other imployments , beside the charge he hath of his owne people , may not be alwaies present amongst them , to be gouerned as formerly by eight of the elders and principall men amongst them , as his substitutes and councellers , and euen this was the summe and effect of their embassie , Sir Thomas Dale appointed a day to send some men into their riuer , to propose certaine conditions vnto them , whereunto if they assented he would gladly accept of their proffered friendship , and be himselfe their Weroance : and with this answere offering them copper for their venison , which they refused to take , dismissed them .

When the appointed day came , Sir Thomas Dale himselfe and Captaine Argall with 50 men in a barge and frigot , well appointed , least any trecherie might be intended , set forward to Chicohominie , an arme of our riuer some seauen miles from Iames Town , where we found the people according to promise expecting our comming , assembled and met together , who after their best and most friendly manner , bad vs welcome , and because our businesse at home would permit vs but small time of stay with them , they presently sent for their principal men , some of whom were then absent , whi●h hastned vnto vs , & the next morning very early assembled , and sat in counsell about this businesse , Captaine Argall ( supplying Sir Thomas Dales place amongst them , who though there present for some respects , concealed himselfe , and kept aboarde his barge ) after long discourse of their former proceedings , Captaine Argall tould them , that now since they had intreated peace and promised their loue and friendship , hee was sent vnto them from the great Weroance to conclude the same , all former iniuries on both sides , set apart and forgotten , which he would doe vpon these conditions .

First that they should take vpon them , as they promised , the name of Tassant●sses or English men , and be King IAMES his subiects , and be foreuer honest , faithfull and trustie vnto his deputie in their countrie .

Secondly , that they should neuer kill any of our men or cattell , but if either our men or cattle should offend them or runne to them , they should bring them home again , and should receiue ●atisfaction for the trespasse done them .

Thirdly , they should at all times be ready and willing to furnish vs with three or foure hundred bowmen to aide vs against the Spaniards , whose name is odious amongst them , for Powhatans father was driuen by them from the west-Indies into those parts , or against any other Indians which should , contrary to the established peace of●er vs any iniurie .

Fourthly , they shall not vpon any occasion whatsoeuer breake downe any of our pales , or come into any of our Townes or forts by any other w●ies , issues or ports then ordinary , but first call , and say the Tossantessas are there , and so comming they shall at all times be let in , and kindely entertained .

Fifthly , so many fighting men as they haue which may be at the least fiue hundred should yeerely bring into our store house , at the beginning of their ●aruest two bu●hels of corne a man , as tribute of their obedience to his Maiestie , and to his deputy there , for which they should receiue so many Iron Tomahawkes or small hatchets .