ious manner and "a hellish voyce" they began an oration of their
loves, covered him with their painted bear-skins, hung a chain of white
beads about his neck, and hailed his creation as their governor and
protector, promising aid and victuals if he would stay and help them
fight the Massawomeks. Much they told him of the Atquanachuks, who live
on the Ocean Sea, the Massawomeks and other people living on a great
water beyond the mountain (which Smith understood to be some great lake
or the river of Canada), and that they received their hatchets and other
commodities from the French. They moumed greatly at Smith's departure.
Of Powhatan they knew nothing but the name.

Strachey, who probably enlarges from Smith his account of the same
people, whom he calls Sasquesahanougs, says they were well-proportioned
giants, but of an honest and simple disposition. Their language well
beseemed their proportions, "sounding from them as it were a great voice
in a vault or cave, as an ecco." The picture of one of these chiefs is
given in De Bry, and described by Strachey," the calf of whose leg
was three-quarters of a yard about, and all the rest of his limbs so
answerable to the same proportions that he seemed the goodliest man they
ever saw."

It would not entertain the reader to follow Smith in all the small
adventures of the exploration, during which he says he went about 3,000
miles (three thousand miles in three or four weeks in a rowboat is
nothing in Smith's memory), "with such watery diet in these great
waters and barbarous countries." Much hardship he endured, alternately
skirmishing and feasting with the Indians; many were the tribes he
struck an alliance with, and many valuable details he added to the
geographical knowledge of the region. In all this exploration Smith
showed himself skillful as he was vigorous and adventurous.

He returned to James River September 7th. Many had died, some were
sick, Ratcliffe, the late President, was a prisoner for mutiny,
Master Scrivener had diligently gathered the harvest, but much of the
provisions had been spoiled by rain. Thus the summer was consumed, and
nothing had been accomplished except Smith's discovery.

XI. SMITH'S PRESIDENCY AND PROWESS

On the 10th of September, by the election of the Council and the request
of the company, Captain Smith received the letters-patent, and became
President. He stopped the building of Ratcliffe's "palace," repaired
the church and the s