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Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889

How the Colonists Went into Indian Society

By John Pory (1572–1636)

SIR GEORGE YEARDLEY intending to visit Smith’s Iles, fell so sicke that he could not, so that he sent me with Estinien Moll, a Frenchman, to finde a convenient place to make salt in. Not long after Namenacus the king of Pawtuxunt, came to us to seeke for Thomas Salvage our Interpreter. Thus insinuating himselfe, he led us into a thicket, where all sitting downe, he shewed us his naked brest; asking if we saw any deformitie upon it, we told him, No. “No more,” said hee, “is the inside, but as sincere and pure; therefore come freely to my Countrie and welcome;”—which wee promised wee would within six weekes after. Having taken a muster of the companie’s tenants, I went to Smith’s lies, where was our salthouse; not farre off we found a more convenient place and so returned to James towne.

Being furnished the second time, wee arrived at Aquohanock, and conferred with Kiptopeke their King. Passing Russel’s Ile and Onaucoke, wee arrived at Pawtuxunt. The discription of those places, you may reade in Captaine Smith’s discoveries, therefore needlesse to bee writ againe. But here arriving at Attoughcomoco the habitation of Namenacus and Wamanato, his brother, long wee staied not ere they came aboord us with a brasse Kettle, as bright without as within, full of boyled Oisters. Strict order was given none should offend us, so that the next day I went with the two kings a-hunting, to discover what I could in their confines. Wamanato brought mee first to his house, where hee shewed mee his wife and children, and many Corne-fields; and being two miles within the woods a-hunting, as the younger conducted mee forth, so the elder brought mee home, and used mee as kindly as he could, after their manner. The next day he presented me twelve Bever skinnes and a Canow, which I requited with such things to his content, that he promised to keepe them whilst hee lived, and burie them with him being dead. Hee much wondered at our Bible, but much more to heare it was the Lawe of our God, and the first chapter of Genesis expounded of Adam and Eve, and simple mariage; to which hee replyed, hee was like Adam in one thing, for he never had but one wife at once: but he as all the rest seemed more willing of other discourses they better understood.

The next day the two kings with their people came aboord us, but brought nothing according to promise; so that Ensigne Salvage challenged Namenacus the breach of three promises, viz. not in giving him a Boy, nor Corne, though they had plentie, nor Moutapass a fugitive, called Robert Marcum, that had lived five yeeres amongst those northerly nations, which hee cunningly answered by excuses. Wamanata, it seemes, was guiltlesse of this falshood, because hee staied alone when the rest were gone. I asked him if he desired to bee great and rich; he answered, they were things all men aspired unto: which I told him he should be, if he would follow my counsell. So he gave me two tokens, which being returned by a messenger, should suffice to make him confident the messenger could not abuse us.

Some things being stolne from us, he tooke such order that they were presently restored, then we interchanged presents: in all things he much admired our discretions, and gave us a guide that hee called “brother,” to conduct us up the river: by the way we met with divers that still tould us of Marcum: and though it was in October, we found the Countrie very hot, and the Corne gathered before ours at James towne.—The next day we went to Paccamagannant, and they directed us to Assacomoco, where their king Cassatowap had an old quarrell with Ensigne Salvage, but now seeming reconciled, went with us, with another Werowance towards Mattapanient, where they perswaded us ashore upon the point of a thicket; but supposing it some trecherie, we returned to our boat. Far wee had not gone from the shore, but a multitude of Salvages sallied out of the wood, with all the ill words and signes of hostilitie they could. When wee saw plainly their bad intent, wee set the two werowances at libertie, that all this while had lain in the Cabbin, as not taking any notice of their villanie; because we would convert them by courtesie. Leaving them as we found them, very civil and subtil, wee returned the same way wee came, to the laughing king on the Easterne shore, who told us plainly, Namanicus would have allured him into his Countrie, under colour of trade to cut his throat. Hee told us also Opechankanough had imployed Onianimo to kill Salvage, because he brought the trade from him to the Easterne shore, and some disgrace hee had done his son, and some thirteene of his people before one hundred of those Easterlings in rescuing Thomas Graves whom they would have slaine, where hee and three more did challenge the thirteene Pamaunkes to fight, but they durst not, so that all those Easterlings so derided them, that they came there no more.