vidad, after many ineffectual attempts, a settlement was effected in
the New World by a colony from England. They sailed from Blackwell, on
the Thames, on December 19, 1606, and for six weeks were "knocking
about in sight of England." Their first Christmas was spent within
sight of their old homes. According to Captain John Smith's account,
"It was, indeed, but a sorry Christmas that we spent on board," as
many of them were very sick, yet Smith adds, "We made the best cheer
we could." The colonists landed and solemnly founded Jamestown on May
13, 1607. That year Yule-tide was spent by Captain Smith among the
Powhatan Indians, by whom he was taken captive. This colony consisted
of men only; no genuine Christmas observance could take place without
women and children, and no women arrived until 1609, and then only
twenty came. But after the ninety young women arrived in 1619,
supplied to planters for one hundred pounds of tobacco each, and a
cargo of twenty negroes had landed to help with the work, there may
have been an attempt at keeping Christmas although there is no record
of the fact.

At this season there was usually a raid made upon the Indians. Smith's
last expedition against them was at Christmastime, when, as he records
in his journal, "The extreme winde, rayne, frost, and snow caused us
to keep Christmas among the salvages where we weere never more merry,
nor fed on more plenty of good Oysters, Fish, Flesh, Wild Fowl and
good bread, nor never had better fires in England."

In after years prosperity smiled on the land of the Jamestown
settlers. Amidst the peace and plenty that followed the earlier years
of strife and poverty, the Virginians became noted for their
hospitality and lavish observance of Yule-tide. It was the happy
home-coming for daughters, sons, uncles, aunts, and cousins of the
first, second, and even the third degree. For whosoever was of the
name and lineage, whether rich or poor, was welcomed at this annual
ingathering of the family. Every house was filled to overflowing;
great hickory fires were lighted on the open hearths; the rooms were
brilliantly lighted with candles, and profusely trimmed with greens.
From doors and ceilings were hung sprigs of the mysterious mistletoe,
for

"O'er the lover
I'll shake the berry'd mistletoe; that he
May long remember Christmas,"

was the thought of merry maidens as they decorated their homes.

Christmas brought carriage-load