On the same, day that Nelson sailed for England, Smith set out toexplore the hesapeake, accompanying the Phoenix as far as CapeHenry, in a barge of about three tons. With him went Dr. WalterRussell, six gentlemen, and seven soldiers. The narrative of thevoyage is signed by Dr. Russell, Thomas Momford, gentleman, and AnasTodkill, soldier. Master Scrivener remained at the fort, where hispresence was needed to keep in check the prodigal waste of the storesupon his parasites by President Ratcliffe.
The expedition crossed the bay at "Smith's Isles," named after theCaptain, touched at Cape Charles, and coasted along the easternshore. Two stout savages hailed them from Cape Charles, and directedthem to Accomack, whose king proved to be the most comely and civilsavage they had yet encountered.
He told them of a strange accident that had happened. The parents oftwo children who had died were moved by some phantasy to revisittheir dead carcasses, "whose benumbed bodies reflected to the eyes ofthe beholders such delightful countenances as though they hadregained their vital spirits." This miracle drew a great part of theKing's people to behold them, nearly all of whom died shortlyafterward. These people spoke the language of Powhatan. Smithexplored the bays, isles, and islets, searching for harbors andplaces of habitation. He was a born explorer and geographer, as hisremarkable map of Virginia sufficiently testifies. The company wasmuch tossed about in the rough waves of the bay, and had greatdifficulty in procuring drinking-water. They entered theWighcocomoco, on the east side, where the natives first threatenedand then received them with songs, dancing, and mirth. A point onthe mainland where they found a pond of fresh water they named "PoyntPloyer in honer of the most honorable house of Monsay, in Britaine,that in an extreme extremitie once relieved our Captain." Thisreference to the Earl of Ployer, who was kind to Smith in his youth,is only an instance of the care with which he edited these narrativesof his own exploits, which were nominally written by his companions.
The explorers were now assailed with violent storms, and at last tookrefuge for two days on some uninhabited islands, which by reason ofthe ill weather and the hurly-burly of thunder, lightning, wind, andrain, they called "Limbo." Repairing their torn sails with theirshirts, they sailed for the mainland on the east, and ran into ariver called Cuskarawook (perhaps the present Annomessie), where theinhabitants received them with showers of arrows, ascending the treesand shooting at them. The next day a crowd came dancing to theshore, making friendly signs, but Smith, suspecting villainy,discharged his muskets into them. Landing toward evening, theexplorers found many baskets and much blood, but no savages. Thefollowing day, savages to the number, the account wildly says, of twoor three thousand, came to visit them, and were very friendly. Thesetribes Smith calls the Sarapinagh, Nause, Arseek, and Nantaquak, andsays they are the best merchants of that coast. They told him of agreat nation, called the Massawomeks, of whom he set out in search,passing by the Limbo, and coasting the west side of Chesapeake Bay.
The people on the east side he describes as of small stature.
They anchored at night at a place called Richard's Cliffs, north ofthe Pawtuxet, and from thence went on till they reached the firstriver navigable for ships, which they named the Bolus, and which byits position on Smith's map may be the Severn or the Patapsco.
The men now, having been kept at the oars ten days, tossed about bystorms, and with nothing to eat but bread rotten from the wet,supposed that the Captain would turn about and go home. But hereminded them how the company of Ralph Lane, in like circumstances,importuned him to proceed with the discovery of Moratico, allegingthat they had yet a dog that boiled with sassafrks leaves wouldrichly feed them. He could not think of returning yet, for they werescarce able to say where they had been, nor had yet heard of whatthey were sent to seek. He exhorted them to abandon their childishfear of being lost in these unknown, large waters, but he assuredthem that return he would not, till he had seen the Massawomeks andfound the Patowomek.
On the 16th of June they discovered the River Patowomek (Potomac),seven miles broad at the mouth, up which they sailed thirty milesbefore they encountered any inhabitants. Four savages at lengthappeared and conducted them up a creek where were three or fourthousand in ambush, "so strangely painted, grimed, and disguised,shouting, yelling, and crying as so many spirits from hell could nothave showed more terrible." But the discharge of the firearms andthe echo in the forest so appeased their fury that they threw downtheir bows, exchanged hostages, and kindly used the strangers. TheIndians told him that Powhatan had commanded them to betray them, andthe serious charge is added that Powhatan, "so directed from thediscontents at Jamestown because our Captain did cause them to stayin their country against their wills." This reveals the suspicionand thoroughly bad feeling existing among the colonists.
The expedition went up the river to a village called Patowomek, andthence rowed up a little River Quiyough (Acquia Creek?) in search ofa mountain of antimony, which they found. The savages put thisantimony up in little bags and sold it all over the country to painttheir bodies and faces, which made them look like Blackamoors dustedover with silver. Some bags of this they carried away, and alsocollected a good amount of furs of otters, bears, martens, and minks.
Fish were abundant, "lying so thick with their heads above water, asfor want of nets (our barge driving among them) we attempted to catchthem with a frying-pan; but we found it a bad instrument to catchfish with; neither better fish, more plenty, nor more variety forsmall fish, had any of us ever seen in any place, so swimming in thewat............