emen and soldiers. The
little fleet dropping down the James arrived on the first night at
Warrasqueake, from which place Sicklemore, a veteran soldier, was
dispatched with two Indian guides in quest of Sir Walter Raleigh's lost
company, and of silk grass. Smith left Samuel Collier, his page, at
Warrasqueake to learn the language. The party being detained, by
inclement weather, a week at Kecoughtan, spent the holidays there among
the natives, feasting on oysters, venison, wild-fowl, and good bread,
enjoying also excellent fires in the dry, smoky cabins. While here Smith
and two others killed one hundred and forty-eight wild-fowl in three
shots.

At Kiskiack, (now Chescake, pronounced Cheese-cake,) the severity of the
cold again compelled the English to take shelter in the Indian wigwams.
On the twelfth day of January they reached Werowocomoco. The York River
being frozen over near half a mile from the shore, Smith, to lose no
time, undertook to break his way through the ice; but the tide ebbing,
left the barge aground on a shoal. In this dilemma, although the cold
was extreme, Smith jumping into the icy river, set the example to his
men of wading near waist deep to the shore, where, quartering in the
first cabins that they reached, they sent to Powhatan for provisions. On
the following day he supplied them abundantly with bread, wild turkeys,
and venison. Like Nestor of old, he told Smith somewhat extravagantly,
that he had seen the death of all of his people thrice; that he was now
old and must ere long die; that his brothers, Opitchapan,
Opechancanough, and Kekataugh, his two sisters, and their two daughters,
were to be his successors. He deprecated war, and declared that when he
and his people, forced to fly by fear of the English, lay in the woods,
exposed to cold and hunger, if a twig but broke, every one cried out,
"There comes Captain Smith." At length, after a long dialogue, Powhatan
still obstinately insisting that the English should lay aside their
arms, Smith gave orders privately to his people in the boat to approach
and capture him. Discovering their design he fled with his women and
children, while his warriors beset the cabin where Smith was. With
pistol, sword, and target, he rushed out among them and fired; some fell
one over another, the rest escaped.

Powhatan, finding himself in Smith's power, to make his peace sent him,
by an aged orator, a large bracelet and a string of beads, and in the
mean whil