dash out from among the
trees bent on taking our lives, and for what seemed a very long while
our people ran here and there like ants whose nest has been broken in
upon.

Captain Smith gave no heed to his own safety; but shouted for all to
take refuge in our house of logs, while Master Hunt did what he might to
aid in the defence; yet, because there had been no exercise at arms,
nor training, that each should know what was his part at such a time,
seventeen of the people were wounded, some grievously, and one boy,
James Brumfield of whom I have already spoken, was killed by an arrow
piercing his eye.

STRENGTHENING THE FORT

Next day, when Master Wingfield and his following came in, none the
better for having gone to Powhatan's village, all understood that it
would have been wiser had they listened to my master when he counseled
them to take exercise at arms, and straightway all the men were set
about making a fort with a palisade, which last is the name for a fence
built of logs set on end, side by side, in the ground, and rising so
high that the enemy may not climb over it. This work took all the time
of the laborers until the summer was gone, and in the meanwhile the
gentlemen made use of the stores left us by the fleet, until there
remained no more than one half pint of wheat to each man for a day's
food.

The savages strove by day and by night to murder us, till it was no
longer safe to go in search of oysters or wildfowl, and from wheat which
had lain so long in the holds of the ships that nearly every grain in it
had a worm, did we get our only nourishment.

The labor of building the palisade was most grievous, and it was not
within the power of man to continue it while eating such food; therefore
the sickness came upon us, when it was as if all had been condemned to
die.

A TIME OF SICKNESS AND DEATH

The first who went out from among us, was John Asbie, on the sixth of
August. Three days later George Flowers followed him. On the tenth of
the same month William Bruster, one of the gentlemen, died of a wound
given by the savages while he was searching for gold, and two others
laid down their lives within the next eight and forty hours.

Then the deaths came rapidly, gentlemen as well as serving men or
laborers, until near eighty of our company were either in the grave, or
unable to move out of such shelters as served as houses.

A great fear came upon all, save that my master held his