the company wore a more auspicious aspect. Captain Argal was sent up the Potomac to obtain provisions; where he found a young Englishman by the name of Spelman, who had been saved from the fury of Powhatan by the intercession of his daughter, the benevolent Pocahontas. Two years after, Captain Argal was again sent to the Potomac for corn; where he learned that Pocahontas, from some unknown cause, had secreted herself from her father. Argal found means to discover her retreat, and took her with him to Jamestown; expecting the possession of her would have a beneficial effect on the feelings of her father. The next year she married an English gentleman by the name of Rolfe. She embraced the Christian religion, and was baptized by the name of Rebecca. She died four years after, at Gravesend, on her return with her husband from England. She left one son, whose descendants inherited lands from her title; and from whom are descended many respectable families in Virginia; who, instead of mortification, ought to glory in the virtues of their illustrious ancestor. 1614. Captain Argal was sent from Jamestown to Manhattan (now New-York,) to lay claim to it on account of its discovery by Hudson, in 1609. Here were a few Dutch traders, who immediately acknowledged the supremacy of king James, and the governor of Virginia under him. 1619. A provincial legislature was convoked, eleven corporations sending representatives to the colonial convention. Shortly after arrived upwards of twelve hundred persons, to increase the population of the colony. One hundred and fifty young women, "handsome and uncorrupt," were sent to Virginia: who were sold to the planters for one hundred, and one hundred and fifty pounds of tobacco each; tobacco being then valued at three shillings per pound. We are not informed whether this was a speculating traffic of girl-holders; nor of the manner of courtship, nor selection of wives. They, however, were not sold to slavery: though twenty of the sable sons of Africa were about the same time brought there in a Dutch vessel, and sold : whence we may date the commencement of the cruel and impolitic system of slave-holding in the Southern States. Let us now attend to the affairs of New-England. Captain Smith, (1614) was sent from England to explore north Virginia. He ranged along the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod, making observations on the shores, harbours, islands, and headlands: he made a map of the country; and on his return to England showed it to prince Charles (afterwards the royal martyr) who, from the description of it given by Smith, declared that the country should be called New-England. Cape Anne was so called by the prince, from respect to his mother. One of his vessels Smith left behind with orders to Thomas Hunt, the master, to load it with fish, and proceed immediately to Malaga. Hunt, under pretext of traffic, seduced twenty-four Indians on board his ship, basely put them under hatches, and sold them to the Spaniards in Malaga. Captain Hobson was sent to New-England, the same year, to effect a settlement; but, on his arrival, was attacked by the Indians, with arrows from twenty canoes : was himself wounded, and some of his men. Discouraged by this onset of the savages, and hopeless of success in making a settlement, he immediately returned to Great Britain. Two attempts were made, in the two succeeding years, to fix an establishment in NewEngland, but both proved unsuccessful. The Rev. Mr. Robinson with his flock, of the reformed church of the north of England, usually denominated Puritans, removed to Amsterdam in 1606, and soon after to Leyden. A variety of motives led his congregation to turn their attention to the new world: the principal were, the enjoyment of perfect liberty of conscience; "the preservation of ecclesiastical affairs distinct from those of the state;" and a hope of laying a foundation for an extensive empire, that should be B purged from all religious impurities. The second attempt of the agents of Mr. Robinson's congregation to negociate with the Virginia company proved successful, (1619.) 1620. A part of the congregation, who were to cross the Atlantic and make preparation for the rest, left Leyden in July, and sailed from Southampton, in England, in August: but, on account of the leakiness of one of their ships, they were twice compelled to return. On the 6th of September they sailed from Plymouth; and, at day-break, on the 9th of November, they discovered Cape Cod. Pursuing their course southwardly, with intent to discover Hudson's river, they fell among shoals, and altered their course to the northward. It is stated that the master of the ship had been bribed in Holland, to convey them north of Manhattan, that they might not disturb the Dutch there; who, though they had once submitted to the authority of the English, from reinforcements and enlargement of this colony, had long since thrown off the British yoke. On the 10th of November, the ship anchored in Cape Cod harbour. Perceiving that they were so far north as to be without the territory of the south Virginia Company, some hesitation arose: but the winter was at hand, and it was now too late to go in search of a settlement within the jurisdiction of that company. Previous to their landing, after prayer and thanksgiving, they formed themselves into a body politic, binding themselves by a written covenant to be governed by the decisions of a majority. This instrument was subscribed by forty-one, who with their children and domestics, amounted to one hundred and one persons. Mr. John Carver was chosen, without a dissentient, Governor for one year. Parties were sent on shore to make discoveries. Some Indians were seen but could not be overtaken. A considerable quantity of corn was found in heaps of sand, secured in baskets, which served for seed the en suing spring, and tended to save the adventurers from famine. On the 6th of December, Carver, Standish, Winslow, Bradford, and others, sailed to various places, to discover a suitable situation for a settlement. Monday, December 11th, O. S. they landed at what was afterwards called Plymouth, and from the goodness of the harbour, and the favourable appearance of the land, resolved here to commence a settlement. A house was immediately built: the company was divided into nineteen families, and lots of ground assigned to each for houses and gardens. In January they began to lay out a town in two rows of houses: in February they attended to their military concerns, and appointed Miles Standish their Captain. In March, an Indian, who had learnt some broken English from a little intercourse with Englishmen whe had before been fishing on the coast, came, fearlessly and unattended, into the open street of the town, ex claiming, "Welcome Englishmen, welcome Englishmen." This Indian informed them that a plague the year before, or, as some state, four years before, had destroyed all the Indians in the vicinity. Through the friendly interposition of this Indian, whose name was Samoset, a treaty was made with Massasoiet, the most powerful sachem of the neighbouring tribes, which was uninterruptedly maintained for fifty years. The fatigues and diseases, to which the company were exposed, together with a deprivation of the comforts and conveniencies they had heretofore enjoyed, swept away one half of their number, before the next spring: among them the Governor, in whose room Mr. William Bradford was elected. Their bodies were buried near the shore, and covered with level sods, that this great diminution of their number might not be known to the Indians by the discovery of their graves. September 19th, 1621. Governor Bradford sent a shallop with ten men and three Indians, to make discoveries in the Bay, and traffic with the Indians. At the bottom of the bay they landed under a cliff, supposed to be Copps' Hill in Boston; had an interview with the chief; agreed upon articles of submission and friendly intercourse; collected some beaver, and returned. In November the company received an addition of thirty-five persons, brought over in a ship from England. The ship however brought no provisions; and it was necessary she should immediately return. The colonists, great as was their own want of provisions, generously victualled her, though in consequence, they were obliged to put themselves on half allowance for six months. The returning ship was laden with clapboards, beaver skins, &c. to the value of 500l. The next year two vessels arrived, bringing provisions, goods, and about sixty passengers, for the settlement. Settlements were made, in 1623, under the orders of Mason and Gorges, who had obtained patents of territory in New-England, at Piscataqua, (Portsmouth, N. H.) and at Dover. A settlement was also begun, the next year, at Cape Anne. 1628. The council for New-England sold to Roswell Young, and others, a patent for all that part of New-England, lying between three miles north of the Merrimac and three south of Charles river. Thus was laid a foundation for a union of the settlements under one colony. A settlement was this year begun at Naumkeag, (Salem) under the government of Mr. John Endicot. 1629. King Charles incorporated "the governor and company of Massachusetts' bay in New-England." An agreement was made at Cambridge, between Sir Richard Saltonstall, Thomas Dudley, John Winthrop, and others, to be prepared the next March to embark with their families to New-England, to settle in that country. Winthrop was made Governor, and Dudley Deputy Governor. The next spring they embarked with fourteen vessels. Şeveral gentlemen of wealth and eminence accompani |