The Story of Pocohantas | Page 9

best endeavors and service to
accomplish his desire, and thus wrought it, making his wife an
instrument (which sex have ever been most powerful in beguiling
inticements) to effect his plot which hee had thus laid, he agreed that
himself, his wife and Pocahuntas, would accompanie his brother to the
water side, whither come, his wife should faine a great and longing
desire to goe aboorde, and see the shippe, which being there three or
four times before she had never seene, and should be earnest with her
husband to permit her--he seemed angry with her, making as he
pretended so unnecessary request, especially being without the
company of women, which denial she taking unkindly, must faine to
weepe (as who knows not that women can command teares) whereupon
her husband seeming to pitty those counterfeit teares, gave her leave to
goe aboord, so that it would pleese Pocahuntas to accompany her; now
was the greatest labour to win her, guilty perhaps of her father's wrongs,
though not knowne as she supposed, to goe with her, yet by her earnest
persuasions, she assented: so forthwith aboord they went, the best
cheere that could be made was seasonably provided, to supper they
went, merry on all hands, especially Iapazeus and his wife, who to
expres their joy would ere be treading upon Captaine Argall's foot, as
who should say tis don, she is your own. Supper ended Pocahuntas was
lodged in the gunner's roome, but Iapazeus and his wife desired to have
some conference with their brother, which was onely to acquaint him
by what stratagem they had betraied his prisoner as I have already
related: after which discourse to sleepe they went, Pocahuntas nothing
mistrusting this policy, who nevertheless being most possessed with
feere, and desire of returne, was first up, and hastened Iapazeus to be
gon. Capt. Argall having secretly well rewarded him, with a small
Copper kittle, and some other les valuable toies so highly by him
esteemed, that doubtlesse he would have betraied his own father for
them, permitted both him and his wife to returne, but told him that for
divers considerations, as for that his father had then eigh [8] of our
Englishe men, many swords, peeces, and other tooles, which he hid at
severall times by trecherous murdering our men, taken from them
which though of no use to him, he would not redeliver, he would

reserve Pocahuntas, whereat she began to be exceeding pensive, and
discontented, yet ignorant of the dealing of Japazeus who in outward
appearance was no les discontented that he should be the meanes of her
captivity, much adoe there was to pursuade her to be patient, which
with extraordinary curteous usage, by little and little was wrought in
her, and so to Jamestowne she was brought."
Smith, who condenses this account in his "General Historie," expresses
his contempt of this Indian treachery by saying: "The old Jew and his
wife began to howle and crie as fast as Pocahuntas." It will be noted
that the account of the visit (apparently alone) of Pocahontas and her
capture is strong evidence that she was not at this time married to
"Kocoum" or anybody else.
Word was despatched to Powhatan of his daughter's duress, with a
demand made for the restitution of goods; but although this savage is
represented as dearly loving Pocahontas, his "delight and darling," it
was, according to Hamor, three months before they heard anything
from him. His anxiety about his daughter could not have been intense.
He retained a part of his plunder, and a message was sent to him that
Pocahontas would be kept till he restored all the arms.
This answer pleased Powhatan so little that they heard nothing from
him till the following March. Then Sir Thomas Dale and Captain
Argall, with several vessels and one hundred and fifty men, went up to
Powhatan's chief seat, taking his daughter with them, offering the
Indians a chance to fight for her or to take her in peace on surrender of
the stolen goods. The Indians received this with bravado and flights of
arrows, reminding them of the fate of Captain Ratcliffe. The whites
landed, killed some Indians, burnt forty houses, pillaged the village,
and went on up the river and came to anchor in front of Matchcot, the
Emperor's chief town. Here were assembled four hundred armed men,
with bows and arrows, who dared them to come ashore. Ashore they
went, and a palaver was held. The Indians wanted a day to consult their
King, after which they would fight, if nothing but blood would satisfy
the whites.
Two of Powhatan's sons who were present expressed a desire to see

their sister, who had been taken on shore. When they had sight of her,
and saw how well