Corn Conquers Virginia 59 



woods and the whiteoak leaves were the size of a squirrel's ear; 

 infallible signs that corn-planting time had come. In the 

 pinnaces they were starting down the river, a sorry company, 

 having chosen all too probable death at sea to what lay 

 behind them in Jamestown, when the topsails of Lord Dela- 

 ware's fleet appeared on Hampton Roads. 



Virginia was saved. Saved as much by the wisdom gathered 

 from that bitter experience as by the supplies Delaware 

 brought. The watching redskins soon presented themselves at 

 the palisade eager to hand over the palings baskets of seed 

 corn in return for trinkets, sugar and rum. Again the Vir- 

 ginians went into the forty-acre field in which last year's stub- 

 ble still marked the rows. They swung the mattocks; they 

 planted corn. 



The colony was to suffer other setbacks from time to time 

 but never again was there thought of abandoning the under- 

 taking. Raleigh's dream had taken root in John Smith's corn- 

 fields. 



