BAYNE: THE SETTLEMENT OF VIRGINIA 115 
feasted us, they showed us, in welcome, their manner of dancing, 
which was in this fashion. One of the savages standing in the 
midst singing, beating one hand against another; all the rest danc- 
ing about him, shouting, howling and stamping against the ground, 
with many anticke tricks and faces, making noise like so many 
wolves or devils.”’ 
And so entertained by other tribes, our adventurers proceeded 
up that noble river which emptied into the bay opposite the entrance. 
“The eight day of May,” says our author, “ we discovered up 
the river. We landed in the countrey of Apamatica. At our 
landing, there came many stout and able savages to resist us, with 
their bowes and arrowes, in a most warlike manner; with the 
swords at their backes beset with sharpe stones and pieces of yron 
able to cleave a man in sunder. Amongst the rest one of the 
chiefest, standing before them crosselegged, with his arrowe readie 
in his bow in one hand, and taking a pipe of tobacco in the other, 
with a bold uttering of his speech, demanded of us our being there, 
willing us to bee gone. Wee made signs of peace; which they 
perceived in the end, and let us land in quietnesse.” 
This landing place was on the northwestern end of an island 
which lies on the north side of James River about thirty-two miles 
from the mouth. It is about two and one half miles in length and 
three quarters in breadth. It contains about 1,700 acres of land. 
The soil is rich and fruitful, with a good deal of marsh. 
The members of the council were sworn in and Wingfield was 
elected president. On account of charges of insubordination or 
of ambitious purposes, Captain John Smith was not admitted at 
first as a member of the council. There was some speechmaking 
and then the work of starting the colony was begun in this fashion, 
according to another eyewitness: : 
_“ Now falleth every man to worke, the Councell contrive the 
fort, the rest cut downe trees to make place to pitch their tents; 
some provide clapboard to relade the ships; some make gardens, 
some nets, etc. The salvages often visited us kindly. ‘The prect- 
dents overweening jealousie would admit no exercise at armes or 
’ 
i 
