t they fed him that
he much doubted they intended to sacrifice him to the Quiyoughquosicke,
which is a superior power they worship: a more uglier thing cannot
be described. These savages buried their dead with great sorrow and
weeping, and they acknowledge no resurrection. Tobacco they offer to the
water to secure a good passage in foul weather. The descent of the crown
is to the first heirs of the king's sisters, "for the kings have as many
women as they will, the subjects two, and most but one."

After Smith's return, as we have read, he was saved from a plot to take
his life by the timely arrival of Captain Newport. Somewhere about this
time the great fire occurred. Smith was now one of the Council; Martin
and Matthew Scrivener, just named, were also councilors. Ratcliffe
was still President. The savages, owing to their acquaintance with and
confidence in Captain Smith, sent in abundance of provision. Powhatan
sent once or twice a week "deer, bread, raugroughcuns (probably not
to be confounded with the rahaughcuns [raccoons] spoken of before, but
probably 'rawcomens,' mentioned in the Description of Virginia), half
for Smith, and half for his father, Captain Newport." Smith had, in his
intercourse with the natives, extolled the greatness of Newport, so that
they conceived him to be the chief and all the rest his children, and
regarded him as an oracle, if not a god.

Powhatan and the rest had, therefore, a great desire to see this mighty
person. Smith says that the President and Council greatly envied his
reputation with the Indians, and wrought upon them to believe, by
giving in trade four times as much as the price set by Smith, that their
authority exceeded his as much as their bounty.

We must give Smith the credit of being usually intent upon the building
up of the colony, and establishing permanent and livable relations with
the Indians, while many of his companions in authority seemed to regard
the adventure as a temporary occurrence, out of which they would make
what personal profit they could. The new-comers on a vessel always
demoralized the trade with the Indians, by paying extravagant prices.
Smith's relations with Captain Newport were peculiar. While he magnified
him to the Indians as the great power, he does not conceal his own
opinion of his ostentation and want of shrewdness. Smith's attitude
was that of a priest who puts up for the worship of the vulgar an idol,
which he knows is only a clay image