victuals, ammunition, the hurt or the sick, but
on their own backs?"

Smith seems to have protested against all this nonsense, but though he
was governor, the Council overruled him. Captain Newport decided to take
one hundred and twenty men, fearing to go with a less number and journey
to Werowocomoco to crown Powhatan. In order to save time Smith offered
to take a message to Powhatan, and induce him to come to Jamestown and
receive the honor and the presents. Accompanied by only four men he
crossed by land to Werowocomoco, passed the Pamaunkee (York) River in
a canoe, and sent for Powhatan, who was thirty miles off. Meantime
Pocahontas, who by his own account was a mere child, and her women
entertained Smith in the following manner:

"In a fayre plaine they made a fire, before which, sitting upon a mat,
suddenly amongst the woods was heard such a hydeous noise and shreeking
that the English betook themselves to their armes, and seized upon two
or three old men, by them supposing Powhatan with all his power was come
to surprise them. But presently Pocahontas came, willing him to kill her
if any hurt were intended, and the beholders, which were men, women and
children, satisfied the Captaine that there was no such matter. Then
presently they were presented with this anticke: Thirty young women came
naked out of the woods, only covered behind and before with a few greene
leaves, their bodies all painted, some of one color, some of another,
but all differing; their leader had a fayre payre of Bucks hornes on
her head, and an Otters skinne at her girdle, and another at her arme,
a quiver of arrows at her backe, a bow and arrows in her hand; the
next had in her hand a sword, another a club, another a pot-sticke:
all horned alike; the rest every one with their several devises. These
fiends with most hellish shouts and cries, rushing from among the trees,
cast themselves in a ring about the fire, singing and dancing with most
excellent ill-varietie, oft falling into their infernal passions, and
solemnly again to sing and dance; having spent nearly an hour in this
Mascarado, as they entered, in like manner they departed.

"Having reaccommodated themselves, they solemnly invited him to their
lodgings, where he was no sooner within the house, but all these Nymphs
more tormented him than ever, with crowding, pressing, and hanging about
him, most tediously crying, 'Love you not me? Love you not me?' This
salutation ended, the fe