upon the English captain a native lad named Namontack, "for his trustie servant;" who is described as of "shrewd and subtill capacitie.”

In this interchange of courtesies that day passed, the English returning at night to their pinnace. The day following, their conferences were resumed. Powhatan having entertained them with breakfast, reproached them for bringing their arms to the interview. He pointed them to his followers, all of whom appeared without weapons. Was he not their friend? What did they doubt ? What fear? Why this distrust ? Sinith answered, that it was the custom of their country; but to quiet his apprehensions, Newport caused his soldiers to retire to the water side; and, to prevent evil, Smith accompanied them. But this did not satisfy Powhatan. He was not disposed to suffer the absence of Smith from his immediate scrutiny. To please him, Mr. Scrivener, one of the council, and an intelligent gentleman, who had arrived with Newport from England, was sent to take Smith's place. But such an arrangement was scarcely more satisfactory to the wily savage than the other; and the attempt to pacify him by such proceedings was suspended in order to try the effect of a vigorous traffic, and by these means the suspicions of Powhatan, if he really entertained them, were baffled and diverted. Three or four days were consumed, and not unpleasantly, in this sort of intercourse. Songs and speeches, feasting and dancing, with now and then a little traffic, admirably relieved the monotony of this state and diplomatic intercourse. In all this time, says our author, "Powhatan carried himselfe so proudly, yet discreetly (in his salvage manner), as made us all admire his naturall gifts, considering his education.’ He himself scorned to trade as did his subjects.

"It is not agreeable to my greatness," he said to New

port, "to traffic for trifles in this peddling manner. You, too, I esteem also as a great Werowance. Therefore, lay me downe all your commodities together. What I like I will take, and in recompense give you what I thinke their fitting value."

Smith was the interpreter between the parties, and it speaks wonderfully for his great facility that so short an acquaintance with the Indians had enabled him to be so. He at once detected the cunning policy of Powhatan, admirably disguised in this majestic carriage, and he warned Newport that his purpose was only to cheat him of his goods. But Newport, not to be outbraved in this ostentation of magnificence, and thinking that he should effectually bewitch the Indian Emperor by his bounty, at once laid his stores before him as he had demanded. The issue was just what had been predicted. Powhatan took what he pleased; and, in bestowing his recompense in turn, valued his maize at such a price as to extort from our Captain the opinion that the article was to be had on better terms," even in Spaine." Instead of twenty hogsheads, which the same were expected to produce, the stately monarch assigned to the astounded Newport something less than four bushels. Newport could not conceal his chagrin. He had been effectually outwitted. His stores were exhausted, his supplies were yet to be procured, and the savage chieftain was as insatiate in his appetite as ever. The English captain lost his temper, and some unkindness followed between Smith and him self, in consequence, in all probability, of the reproaches of the latter. But our adventurer, who better knew the nature of the savage than Newport, had his revenge upon Powhatan. He contrived, without seeming to design it,

* Prince, or Chief.

to suffer various trifles, which were novelties, to glitter in the eyes of the voracious savage. Among these were certain blue beads, such as had never before been seen at Werowocomoco. These caught the fancy of our forest monarch. But Smith shook his head in denial. These were very precious jewels, "composed of a most rare substance, of the color of the skyes, and not to be worn but by the greatest kings of the world." The pride of Powhatan was piqued; his passions excited; and in due degree with the reluctance of Smith to sell, was the increase of his importunacy to buy. The wary Captain played with his game at his leisure, until it " made him halfe madde to be the owner of such strange jewells;" and he succeeded finally in procuring a pound or two of them, but only at the expense of two or three hundred bushels of corn. Blue beads rose prodigiously in value. Opechancanough, one of the brothers of Powhatan, became the purchaser of a small supply at the same royal prices; and such at length became the estimation in which they were held, "that none durst weare any of them but their greate kings, their wives and children.'

CHAPTER II.

POWHATAN did not suffer the cupidity of the trader to abridge the hospitalities of the prince. Though Smith had driven a hard bargain with him in the matter of the blue beads, he was yet particularly indulgent to that personage, who sometimes lingered in his tents after nightfall, and long after the more nervous Newport had gone aboard his pinnace. When it so happened that the ebb of the tide required the English to regain their pinnace. before the usual dinner hour, the savage monarch sent their feast of bread and venison after them, in quantities equal to the wants of thrice their number. To the last he betrayed an impatience of their weapons. Whether it was that he really distrusted them, or whether, as is more probable, he designed to make himself master of their commodities without being compelled to supply his own, and could only hope to do so in the absence of the murderous instruments of war that the English carried, is matter for conjecture. Smith invariably contrived, without directly showing his apprehensions, to thwart his wishes in this particular. On one occasion, that of the last day of the visit, Powhatan sent his son on board the pinnace at an early hour, to entreat that they would not bring their pieces with them, lest his women should be frightened But Smith, even against Newport's opinion, contrived to carry with him twenty-five shot. Powhatan took a special dislike to Smith's sword and pistol, and importuned him, in particular, to leave them in the pinnace. “But these," said our hero, significantly, "were the very terms of persuasion employed by those who afterwards betrayed

us, and slew my brother." The women do not seem to have been frightened; and the day passed as before. The trade in blue beads was as lively as ever: large quantities -speaking with due regard to the extreme value, and great rareness of the article-changed hands, and the barge of the English was nearly freighted with provisions. The weather became unfavorable; and it was midnight, and after great exposure to wind and rain, besides being nearly swamped in the oozy embraces of a marsh, before Smith, and the parties under his immediate command, could regain the vessel. The next morning was given to their parting interview. At their meeting, Powhatan, “with a solemne discourse," dismissed all his women and the ordinary attendants, suffering none to remain but his principal chiefs. He then referred to what Smith had hinted of their purpose to invade the Monacans, his enemies. He informed them that he was not openly the enemy of this people; that there was peace between them; but that he was not unwilling to do a little towards giving them trouble and discomfort. He would first send out his spies to see in what condition the Monacans stood; what was their strength and ability; and how far prepared against invasion.

Politicians seem to be pretty much the same persons in all countries. Metternich and Talleyrand, Peel or Guizot, could not have declared themselves in more diplomatic language.

"You and I," he said to Captain Newport, "cannot be seen in the business. We are great chiefs, and must stay at home. But Smith and Scrivener on your side, and Opechancanough and my two sons on mine, can manage all this business."--This, if not the language of the old despot, was pretty much what he meant to say. We have quoted in our own terms the very substance of his