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CHAPTER XIII.

THE OLD DOMINION AND MARYLAND.

I

VIRGINIA.

HAVE described the early colonies in geographical

order, beginning with New England, because this order is so much easier to remember than any other. But no colony can claim to date back so far as Virginia, "The Old Dominion" as it is sometimes called. Nothing but a ruined church, at a place called Jamestown, now marks the spot where the first Virginia settlement was made, in the year 1607, thirteen years before the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. When King James I. gave a charter to two companies, one of which was to settle south of a certain region, and the other north of it, leaving a vacant space between them, it was the southern or Virginia company that settled Virginia.

The commander of the vessels that brought out the first Virginia colony was Capt. Newport; but the leading person among those on board was Capt. John Smith, a man who had led a very strange life. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1579. When he was a boy of thirteen, he sold his school-books and satchel, meaning to run away to sea. Then his father died sud

denly; and he decided that he ought to stay at home. But he was willing to stay only two years; after which

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fellow-passengers of being the cause of a storm that

had arisen: so they threw him overboard. He swam to an island, and was presently taken off by a French ship. This ship engaged in a sea-fight while he was on board; and he so distinguished himself, that a part of the plunder of the hostile ship was given to him. Afterwards he went to fight against the Turks; and, during a long siege, a certain Turkish officer requested that some Christian officer would meet him in single com

CAPT. JOHN SMITH.

bat "to amuse the ladies." Smith accepted the challenge, and killed not only this officer, but two others in succession. After a time he was taken prisoner, was sold as a slave, and was pitied and aided by his mistress, whose name was Tragabizanda. Then, making his escape, he reached Russia, went thence to Austria, Spain, and Morocco, and came back to Europe at last, all ready for fresh adventures.

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He soon heard of Captain Newport's expedition to Virginia, and eagerly joined it.

They sailed Dec. 19, 1606, with three vessels; the party consisting of a hundred and five men in all, without women or children. When they at last entered Chesapeake Bay, the explorers were delighted with all they saw; and Captain Smith wrote that "heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's

habitation." They called the capes between which they entered the bay, "Cape Henry" and "Cape Charles," after their young princes. They named "Old Point Comfort" for the good anchorage which they found there after a severe storm; and they called James River "the King's River," and their first settlement "James City" (now Jamestown) in honor of their king. They landed at this place May 13, 1607, and founded the first permanent English colony in North America.

It had been intended that Smith should be one of the directors of the colony; but the others were all jealous of him, and so prevented him from taking that position. But they could not prevent him from being the ablest man among them; and so they often had to turn to him, and finally made him their president. The truth was, that the colonists were a troublesome class to deal with. Many of them were not at all industrious or energetic. There were very few mechanics or farmers among them, though these are the men most needed in a new settlement. Many of them were "useless gentlemen ;" and some were pardoned criminals. Some of them expected to reach the Pacific Ocean soon after landing, and were discouraged because they did not. Others went looking everywhere for gold, and loaded one of their ships with earth, mistaking it for precious ore. Smith wrote once to the company in England who had fitted out the colony: "When you send again, I entreat you rather send thirty carpenters, husbandmen, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, and diggers-up of the roots, well provided, rather than a thousand of such as we have." Then

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