The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations, Part 14

Author: Bozman, John Leeds, 1757-1823
Publication date: 1837
Publisher: Baltimore : J. Lucas & E.K. Deaver
Number of Pages: 1062

USA > Maryland > The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations > Part 14

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makes them looke like Blackmoores dusted over with silver. SEC. VII. With so much as we could carry we returned to our bote, kinde- 1608. ly requiting this kinde king and all his kinde people .- The cause of this discovery was to search this mine, of which Newport did assure vs that those small baggs (we had given him) in England he had tryed to hold half silver ; but all we got proved of no value ;* also to search what furr, the best whereof is at Cus- carawaocke, where is made so much Rawranoke or white beads that occasion as much dissention among the salvages, as gold and silver amongst Christians ;} and what other minerals, rivers,

* Although the discovery of a silver mine is not thought in modern times to be a national blessing, yet, as there appears to be strong grounds to suppose the ore of this mine, which the Indians used as a pigment, might have been that of antimony, which from its utility in many of the fine arts, particularly in type- foundery, might be deemed of more value than a mine of silver, a re-discovery or re-examination of it might not be thought altogether frivolous or useless. If the Acquie creek, in Stafford county, Virginia, is the same as the " little river here called Quiyogh," as it appears, without doubt, to be, and Smith and his party, after going as high up the creek as their boat could go, travelled from thence by land seven or eight miles to the mine, denoted as " a great rocky moun- taine," we should suppose, that this mine might still be discovered, and its ore analysed by chemists.

t There seems to be here additional confirmation of the supposition, herein before hazarded, that the Cuscarawaoke was the present Nanticoke river. Smith had before stated, that the nations or tribes on this river were " the best Marchants of all other Salvages." Rawranoke, (by more modern writers written-Roanoke,) or white beads, was their money ; the use of white is generally indicative of a people disposed to trade or commerce. According to Beverly, who compiled his History of Virginia about the beginning of the eighteenth century, when the In- dians still existed in Virginia in considerable numbers, preserving their ancient usages, there were two species of a medium of traffick among them,-one, the more valuable, was called Peake,-the other Roenoke ; (the Rawranoke of Smith ; ) the former was made of the conk-shell, (or perhaps more properly written chonck-shell ;) the latter-Roenoke " was made of the cockle-shell, bro- ken into small bits with rough edges, drilled through in the same manner as beads." (See this subject more copiously enlarged upon hereafter, in note xvi. at the end of this volume.) These materials for their money, either chonch or cockle- shells, were not to be had from any of the waters of the Chesapeake, but were to be found in abundance on the sea-shores of the Atlantic, particularly the cockle shell. The situation of the Cuscarawaocks, if on the head-waters of the Nanticoke, about Broad-creek, as we have herein supposed, would give to them a more ready and convenient communication with the tribes of Indians situated on the Atlantic coast, among others with those of Chingoteague, the few remains of whom are stated by Beverly in his History, (p. 199,) as being at that time when he wrote in alliance with the Maryland Indians. Thus connected with the In- dians on the Atlantic coast, these Cuscarawaocks would be enabled to supply all the Indians on the Chesapeake with Peake and Roenoke ; and from that acciden- tal circumstance of situation they would become in some sort a trading people. To this may be added, that the Nanticoke, from the large marshes on its margin, abounded in those animals, the furs of which were held in estimation, as beavers,

VOL. I .- 16

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SEC. VII. rocks, nations, woods, fishings, fruites, victuali and what other 1608. commodities the land afforded : and whether the bay were end- lesse or how farre it extended ;* of mines we were all ignorant, but a few beauers, otters, beares, martins and minkes we found, and in divers places that aboundance of fish, lying so thicke with their heads above the water, as for want of nets (our barge driving amongst them) we attempted to catch them with a frying pan ; but we found it a bad instrument to catch fish with; nei- ther better fish, more plenty, nor more variety for small fish, had any of vs euer seene in any place so swimming in the water, but they are not to be caught with frying pans ; some small cod also we did see swim close by the shore by Smith's isles, and some as high as Riccard's clifts. And some we have found dead upon the shore.

"To express all our quarrels, trecheries, and encounters amongst those salvages, I should be too tedious : but in breefe, at all times we so incountred them and curbed their insolencies, that they concluded with presants to purchase peace; yet we lost not a man: at our first meeting our captaine euer observed this order to demand their bowes and arrowes, swordes, mantalls and furrs, with some childe or two for hostage, whereby we could quickly perceive, when they intended any villany. Having finished this discovery (though our victuall was neere spent,) he intended to

otters, minks, musk-rats, &c. This also would necessarily give the Indians on the Nanticoke great advantages in traffick, compared with those on the western shore of Maryland or on the eastern shore thereof above the Chester river .- These conjectures are all corroborated by a fact to be ascertained at this day. I have been credibly informed, that there are still existing at this day, on the north side of the Nanticoke, large remains of an Indian town, answering as nearly as may be to the location of the Nantiquacks on Smith's map. Among these remains is a hillock, or high piece of ground, insulated as it were in the midst of a morass or woody swamp of some considerable extent. On this hil- lock, which tradition among the whites has handed down as the burying-place of the Indians, is to be found an immense quantity of what the white inhabitants call beads, but evidently the Peake and Roenoke of the Indians.

* From this and another passage in the above account of Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake clear proof results, that the colonists of Virginia, as well as the members of the Virginia company in England, still entertained at this time strong ideas of the narrowness of the American continent, and that a convenient passage to the South sea through some of the waters emptying into the Atlantic, would soon be discovered. It is evident, that this was one main object of Smith's excursion up the Chesapeake ; for, in the latter part of this account of this his first voyage up the Chesapeake, it is stated, that, when on their return to James-town they found the colonists in the greatest disorder and dissention,- " the good news of our discovery, and the good hope we had by the salvages relation, that our bay had stretched into the south sea, or somewhat neare it, ap- peased their fury."

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see his imprisonment acquaintances upon the river of Rappaha- SEC. VII. nock, by many called Toppahanock,* but our bote by reason of the ebbe, chansing to grounde upon a many shoules lying in the 1608. entrance, we spyed many fishes lurking in the reedes: our cap- taine sporting himself by nayling them to the grownd with his sword, set vs all a fishing in that manner: thus we tooke more in one houer than we could eate in a day. But it chansed our captaine taking a fish from his sword (not knowing her condi- tion) being much of the fashion of a Thornback, but a long tayle like a riding rodde, whereon the middest is a most poysoned sting, of two or three inches long, bearded like a saw on each side, which she strucke into the wrist of his arme neare an inch and a halfe: no bloud nor wound was seene, but a little blew spot, but the torment was instantly so extreame, that in foure houres had so swollen his hand, arme, and shoulder, we all with much sorrow concluded his funerall and prepared his graue in an island by, as himselfe directed; yet it pleased God by a pre- cious oyle Doctor Russell at the first applyed to it with a probe, (ere night) his tormenting paine was so well asswaged, that he eate of the fish to his supper, which gaue no less joy and con- tant to vs than ease to himselfe, for which we called the island Stingray isle after the name of the fish."t

"It would be unnecessary to insert here the remaining part of this account of Smith's "first voyage" for a discovery of the Ches- apeake, inasmuch as it relates principally to their return from the mouth of the Rappahanock to James-town, where they arrived on

* These "imprisonment acquaintances" of captain Smith, on the Rappahanock, appear to have been the "Nantaughtacunds," seated on the right bank or south side of the Rappahanock, a considerable distance up that river, (according to Mr. Jefferson, on the Port Tobacco creek, which forms a part of the borders of Essex and Caroline counties in Virginia,) to which Indian town, among a num- of others, Smith was led by the Indians after they had taken him prisoner in the year before.

t From the language of the above account, particularly relative to Smith him- self, it may be clearly inferred, that the narrative of this his first voyage was not altogether drawn up by himself. Accordingly, at the end of this chapter in his history-" Chap. V."-we find the following subscription :- " Written by Walter Russell, Anas Todkill and Thomas Momford ;"-whose names, with their respective additions, have been herein first before mentioned. It would appear, therefore, that Smith had kept no journal of his "voyages" up the Chesapeake, but when he returned to England, and undertook to compile his General History of Virginia published in 1629, he formed the narrative thereof principally from the "written" account of the men, whose names are thereto subscribed, together most probably with such remarks upon, and remembrances of, the facts as his own memory of them suggested.

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SEC. VII. the 21st of July; having been absent on their excursion nineteen 1608. days. As the discoveries made in this first voyage were evi- dently very imperfect, and unsatisfactory even to Smith himself, he immediately on his return prepared to set out again on another excursion for the further exploration of this capacious bay. Ac- cordingly, within the space of only three days, having resettled the government of Virginia in the hands of Mr. Scrivener, (a gen- tleman more to be depended upon than Ratcliffe, the preceding president of the council,) and having calmed in some measure the discontents of the colonists there, he again "imbarked him- selfe to finish his discovery," possibly in the same small vessel as before, after some repairs, though not altogether, as it appears, with the same crew.

"CHAPTER VI." (of "The General Historie of Virginia.") "What happened the second voyage in discovering the Bay.

" The 24th of July, captaine Smith set forward to finish the discovery with twelve men: their names were

"Nathaniel Powell,

Thomas Momford,

Richard Fetherstone,

Gentlemen.

Michell Sicklemore, James Bourne, Anthony Bagnell, Chir. "Jonas Profit, Anas Todkill,

Edward Pising,

Richard Keale,

Souldiers.

James Watkins, William Ward,*

"The wind being contrary caused our stay two or three dayes at Kecoughtan: (now called Hampton in Virginia:) the king feasted vs with much mirth, his people were perswaded we went purposely to be revenged of the Massawomeks. In the evening we fired a few rackets, which flying in the ayre so terrified the

* Of these twelve man, who accompanied Smith in this his second voyage up the Chesapeake, Messrs. Momford, Fetherston, Sicklemore, and Bourne, (gen- tlemen,) and Profit, Todkill, Keale, and Watkins, (soldiers) were of his former party. Anthony Bagnall, Chirurgeon, (instead of Doct. Russell,) together with Nathaniel Powell, of the "gentlemen," and Pising and Ward, "soldiers," were new hands in this second expediton.

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poor salvages, they supposed nothing impossible we attempted; SEC. VII. and desired to assist us. The first night we anchred at Sting- 1608. ray isle. The next day crossed Patawomeks river, and hasted to the river Bolus. We went not much further beffore we might see the bay to divide in two heads, and arriving there we found it divided into foure,* all which we searched so farre as we could sayle them. Two of them we found inhabited,t but in crossing the bay we incountred 7 or 8 canowes full of Massawomeks,} we seeing them prepare to assault us, left our oares and made way with our sayle to incounter them, yet were we but fiue with our captaine that could stand, for within 2 dayes after we left Ke-

* It is apparent from Smith's map, that the "foure heads," into which he says the bay appeared to him to be divided, must have been the four rivers, since call- ed the Susquehanah, the North East, the Elk, and Sassafras rivers in Maryland.

+ It appears in another part of Smith's History, which will be hereinafter stated, that the first of these two rivers, at the head of the bay, so found by him to be inhabited, was the Susquehanah, on which, he says, "were seated the Sus- quehanocks," but they "could not get two myles up it with their boat for rocks." The other river, which he now found inhabited, as he says, must have been the Tockwogh, which seems to have been that now called the Sassafras, as will pre- sently appear.

# It appears also from another part of Smith's history, which will be herein af- ter more fully stated, that the first of these rivers, at the head of the bay, exam- ined by him, was the Susquehanah, on which he says were seated the Susque- hanocks, to which he adds,-"neare it," (that is, near the Susquehanah) "north and by west runneth a creeke a myle and a halfe." This creek answers, accord- ing to our best modern maps of the State, compared with that of Smith, to the creek now called the Principio creek ; which, although it runs from the head of the bay in nearly a due north course, yet it being the next water-course to the Susquehanah, and lying to the eastward from it, was most probably the creek here alluded to by Smith. In corroboration of this, it is to be remarked, that the course, which the Susquehanah bears from the head of the bay, according to Smith's location of it, is nearly north-west. This creek, then, which he next en- tered, running north and by west, must have emptied into the Chesapeake to the eastward of the mouth of the Susquehanah, and consequently must have been the Principio. He next proceeds to state, that, "we went up another small river like a creeke 6 or 7 myle ;"-which must have been either the North East river or the Elk : most probably the former, from the circumstance of its being "like a creeke."-"From thence," he says, returning we met 7 canowes of the Massa- womeks." The "crossing the bay," then, as he says in the text above, must have been from either the North East or Elk rivers to the western shore, some where most probably near to and a little above or below Spesutia island. The circumstance, of the Massawomeks going up Willoughby's or Bush river, after their meeting with Smith, induces a supposition, that the place of their meet- ing could not have been at a great distance from the mouth of that last men- tioned river; (probably a little above it;) or else Smith could not have ascer- tained the fact of their going up that river ; from whence Smith next entered the Tockwogh; which again would seem to confirm our supposition, that the Tock- wogh, mentioned by Smith, was what is now called the Sassafras, and not the Elk, as will presently be further stated.

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SEC. VII. coughtan, the rest (being all of the last supply,*) were sicke al- 1608. most to death, until they were seasoned to the country. Hav- ing shut them under our tarpawling, we put their hats upon stickes by the barges side, and betwixt two hats a man with two peeces, to make us seeme many, and so we thinke the Indians supposed these hats to be men, for they fled with all possible speed to the shore, and there stayed, staring at the sayling of our barge till we anchored right against them. Long it was ere we could draw them to come unto us. At last they sent two of their company unarmed in a canow, the rest all followed to se- cond them if neede required. These two being but each pre- sented with a bell, brought aboord all their fellowes; presenting our captaine with venison, beares flesh, fish, bowes, arrowes, clubs, targets,t and beare skinnes. We understood them no- thing at all, but by signes, whereby they signified unto vs they had beene at warres with the Tockwoghes, the which they confirm- ed by shewing vs their greene wounds, but the night parting us, we imagined they appointed the next morning to meete, but after that we never saw them.t

" Entring the river of Tockwogh, { the salvages all armed, in

* Meaning those colonists, who had arrived in Virginia, with captain Nelson, in the Phoenix, in the spring of 1608.

"The structure of these "targets," or shields, is thus described by Smith, in another place-"They are made of little small sticks wouen betwixt strings of their hempe and silke grasse, as is our cloth, but so firmly that no arrow can possibly pierce them."-Smith and his party afterwards found these targets or shields of considerable use to them in their defence from the arrows of the In- dians, not only by fixing them on the gunwales of their vessel, but by wearing them on their arms. The use of these targets or shields seems to have been pe- culiar to these Massawomeks; few, if any, of the North American Indians be- side these, being known to use them, even before they had been furnished with fire-arms, except the Susquehanocks, who most probably adopted the use of them from their deadly enemies-these Massawomecks. It was possibly owing to this invention of defence in their tactics, that these Massawomecks were so formida. ble to other Indians before fire-arms came in use generally among them, being thus rendered, as it were, invulnerable to the weapons of their common enemies. The fire-arms, with which they were within a few years from this time furnish- ed by the Dutch of New York, must, however, have quickly superseded their use of shields or targets.

t They went up the Willoughby or Bush river, as he states in another place.

# In the before mentioned anonymous History of Maryland, the author thereof n his summary account of the Maryland Indians, after mentioning " the Sus- quehanah tribe," thus proceeds in his statement,-" Crossing to the eastern shore, we next meet the Zackwogh tribe, who resided on Elk river, and counted one hundred warriors ; after them, we meet the Osinies, who probably dwelt on the modern Sassafras river, and led against their enemies sixty men." We must again resort to a supposition of a typographical error in the appellation,

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a fleete of boats, after their barbarous manner, round invironed SEC. VII. vs; so it chanced one of them could speake the language of 1608. Powhatan, who perswaded the rest to a friendly parley. But when they saw vs furnished with the Massawomeks weapons, and we faining the invention of Kecoughtan, to have taken them perforce ;* they conducted us to their pallizadoed towne,t man- telled with the barkes of trees, with scaffolds like mounts, brest- ed about with brests very formally. Their men, women and children, with daunces, songs, fruits, furres, and what they had, kindly welcomed vs, spreading mats for vs to sit on, stretching their best abilities to expresse their loves.

which the author or printer has here given to the first mentioned of these tribes; as in Smith's History and map that tribe is throughout denominated either Tock- wogh or Tockwhogh ; supposing that this author meant, under the name Zack- wogh, the same tribe as that called by Smith the Tockwoghs, there being no other mentioned by that original historian, to which he could have alluded, it would appear, that he has committed an error in stating that they " resided on Elk river." We have just before shown, that from several passages of Smith's History, relative to this part of his voyages up the Chesapeake, that his meeting with the Massawomecks could not have been much above the Willoughby or Bush river on the western shore. In another place of his History, where he makes a summary of his discoveries in the Chesapeake, which will be hereinaf- ter stated, after mentioning this meeting with the Massawomecks, he says- " the next day we discovered the small river and people of Tockwhogh, trending eastward." It being near night, (as he says, "the night parting us,") when the Massawomacs left them and went up Bush river, Smith and his party must have remained, most probably, stationary the whole of that night where they then were, on the western shore of the bay, not much above Bush river, and the next day discovered the river .of Tockwogh. This circumstance seems to afford a strong ground for us, on which to rest our opinion, that the Tockwogh of Smith was the modern Sassafras river. He adds also, that it was a " small river," and the Sassafras is certainly a smaller river than the Elk. Also, that the Tockwogh trended " eastward;" the Sassafras is now known to run nearly due east and west ; but the Elk, a larger river, trends from the bay up into the country almost in a direct north-east course. Besides, whoever will examine Smith's map will see, that the southernmost river of the four heads of the bay, alluded to by him, and on which river he has placed the town of the Tockwoghs, corresponds with the present Sassafras river nearer than any other now known; and that the seat of the Osinies was evidently on the Chester river, as will hereinafter more plain- ly appear. N. B. The author in his Introductory volume, already published, has expressed his conjecture, that the Tockwogh of Smith might be the modern Chester river. He had not then been able to procure Smith's History ; on ob- taining which, this supposition was immediately done away.

* This alludes to what was told to the Kecoughtans, (at Hampton,) by Smith and his party, on their return from their first excursion up the Chesapeake, to wit,-" what spoyle they had got and made of the Massawomeks."

+ This town, or king's residence, as denoted by Smith on his map, is placed by him on the left bank or south side of the river called by him the Tockwogh. Supposing the Sassafras to be the same as the Tockwogh, the town would have been somewhere a little below George-town, in Kent county, and on the same side of the river.

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SEC. VII. "Many hatchets, knives, peeces of iron, and brasse, we saw 1608. amongst them, which they reported to have from the Sasquesa- hanocks, a mightie people and mortall enemies with the Massa- womeks .* The Sasquesahanocks inhabit upon the chiefe spring of these four branches of the bayes head, two dayes journey higher than our barge could passe for rocks,t yet we prevailed with the interpreter to take with him another interpreter, to per- swade the Sasquesahanocks to come visit vs, for their language are different .¿ Three or four dayes we expected their returne, then sixtie of those gyant-like people came downe, with presents of venison, tobacco pipes three foot in length, baskets, targets, bowes and arrowes. Five of their chiefe Werowances came bold- ly aboard vs to crosse the bay for Tockwhogh, leaving their men and canowes ; the winde being so high they durst not passe.§

"Our order was daily to haue prayer, with a psalme, at which

* The Susquehanocks must, without doubt, have obtained these hatchets, &c. from some of the northern nations of Indians, who were then in the habit of trading with the French on the St. Lawrence. They could not have then ob- tained them from the Dutch, which they afterwards did in great abundance, as no Dutch settlements then existed in North America. Hudson unquestionably did not discover his grand river of the present State of New York until the year 1609.

t Smith has denoted in his map the town or king's residence of the Susque- hanocks as being at this time, 1608, on the left bank or east side of the Susque- hanah, nearly seven leagues, or about twenty English miles up the Susquehanah; which would seem to have been somewhere nearly opposite to the mouth of what is called Muddy creek, on the west side of the Susquehanah, in Pennsylva- nia. The falls, where he was stopped in his ascent, he lays down as being about four leagues or twelve miles up the river ; but by our modern maps the distance from the mouth of the river to the falls appears to be only four or five miles.

# Smith, in another place of his History, (which will be herein after stated,) has enumerated the " many severall nations of sundry languages, that environed Powhatan's territories."-Among these he mentions-" the Sasquesahanocks and the Tockwoghes," as differing in their languages not only from the Powha- tans, but from each other. The "interpreter" first mentioned above, who was to take with him " another interpreter," was most probably the Tockwogh In- dian, as before mentioned, who could " speak the language of Powhatan."- By taking with him another Tockwogh, who understood the Susquehanock lan- guage, they could both together interpret to Smith and his party ; some of whom we must necessarily suppose from what is above stated, understood the Powha- tan language.

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The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations, Part 14

Author: Bozman, John Leeds, 1757-1823 Publication date: 1837 Publisher: Baltimore : J. Lucas & E.K. Deaver Number of Pages: 1062

Author: Bozman, John Leeds, 1757-1823
Publication date: 1837
Publisher: Baltimore : J. Lucas & E.K. Deaver
Number of Pages: 1062