scious innocence, he demanded his trial, and being honourably acquitted, took his seat in the council. About the 15th of June, Newport sailed for England, leaving behind him one bark and about 100 persons, the only Eng lish then on the continent of America. Thus about one hundred and ten years after this continent had been discovered by Cabot, and 22 years after a colony had been conducted to Roanoke by Sir Richard Grenville, the English possessions in America, designed soon to become a mighty empire, were limited to a peninsula of a few thousand acres of land, held by a small body of men, who with difficulty maintained themselves against the paltry tribes which surrounded them, and looked in a great measure to the other side of the Atlantic for the bread on which they were to subsist. The stock of provisions for the colony had been very improvidentially laid in; it was entirely inadequate to their wants, and in addition to this original error, it had sustained great damage in the holds of their vessels, during their long passage. On the departure of Newport (during whose stay they managed to partake of the superfluity of sailors,) they were reduced to the necessity of subsisting on the distributions from the public stores. These were at the same time scanty and unwholesome. They did not amount to more per man than a pint of worm eaten wheat, and barley boiled in a common kettle. l'his wretched food increased the malignity of the diseases generated by a hot, and at that time, (the country being entirely uncleared and undrained,) a damp climate,among men exposed from their situation to all its rigours. Before the month of September, 50 of the company, and among them Bartholomew Gosnald, who had originated the expedition, and so much contributed towards its beingcarried on, were buried. This scene of distress was heightened by internal dissension. The president was charged with having embezzled the best stores of the colony, and with feasting at his private table with beef and bread, then deemed luxuries of the highest order, while famine and death devoured his fellow adventurers., No crime, in the public opinion, could have been more atrocious. In addition to this, he was detected in an attempt to escape from them and their calamities, in the bark The general indigna- which had been left by Newport. tion could no longer be restrained. Ratcliffe chosen to succeed him. frequently the parent of moderation this state of misery produced a system of conduct towards the neighbouring Indians, which for the moment disarmed their resentment, and induced them to bring in such supplies as the country at that season afforded, and thereby preserved the remnant of the colony. It produced another effect, not less important. Their sense of imminent and common danger, called forth and compelled submission to those talents which were fitted to the exigence, and best calculated to extricate them from the difficulties by which they were surrounded. Captain Smith, who had been imprisoned and expelled from the council by the envy of those who felt and hated his superiority, and who after evincing his innocence, had with difficulty been admitted to the station assigned, preserved his health unimpaired, his spirits unbroken, and his judgment unclouded, amidst this general misery and dejection. him, by common consent, all actual authority was placed, and he, by his own example, soon gave energy and efficiency to others in the execution of his commands. In He immediately erected at Jamestown such rude fortifications as were necessary to resist the sudden attack of the savages, and with great labour, in which he always took the lead, completed the construction of such dwel lin s as could shelter the people from the weather; contributed to restore and preserve their health, while his accommodation gave place to all others. In the season of gathering corn, which, with the Indians is the season of plenty, putting himself at the head of small parties, he penetrated into the country, and by presents and caresses to those that were well disposed, and attacking with open force and defeating those who were hostile, he obtained for his countrymen the most abundant supplies. While thus actively and usefully employed abroad, he was not permitted to withdraw his attention from the domestic concerns of the colony. However unfit men may be for command, there are few examples of their descending willingly from alted stations once filled by them, and it is not wonder ful that the late president saw with displeasure, another placed above him. As unworthy minds most readily devise unworthy means, he sought, by intriguing with the factious, and fomenting their discontents, to regain his lost authority; and when their attempts were disconcerted, plans were laid, first by Wingfield and Kendal, and afterwards by the president himself, in conjunction with Martin, the only remaining member of the council, except Smith, to escape in the bark, and thus abandon the country. The vigilance of Smith detected all these machinations, and his vigour defeated them. The hope was now indulged of preserving the colony in quiet and plenty, until supplies could be received from England, with the ships which were expected in the Spring. This hope was in a considerable degree defeated, by an event which threatened, at first, the most disastrous consequences. In an attempt to explore the head of Chickahominy river, Smith was discovered and attacked by a numerous body of Indians, and in endeav ouring to make his escape, after a most gallant defence, his attention being directed to the enemy whom he still fought in retreating, he sunk up to his neck in a swamp, and was obliged to surrender. Still, retaining his presence of mind, he showed them a mariner's compass, at which, especially at the playing of the needle, and the impossibility of touching it, although they saw it so distinctly, they were greatly astonished; and he amused them with so many surprising stories of its qualities, as to inspire them with a degree of veneration which prevented their executing their first design of killing him on the spot. They conducted him in triumph through several towns to the palace of Powhatan, the most potent king in the country. There he was doomed to be put to death, by laying his head upon a log, and beating his brains out with clubs.-He was led to the place of execution, and his head bowed down for the purpose of death, when Pocahontas, the king's daughter, then about thirteen years of age, whose entreaties for his life had been ineffectual, rushed between him and the executioner, and folding his head in her arms, and laying hers upon it, arrested the fatal blow. Her fa ther was then prevailed on to spare his life, and after a Another consideration, of still deeper interest, is suggested by the story of Columbus. In his first voyage, he contemplated chiefly the discovery of a passage to India.We who live to mark the wonderful events which have flowed from this discovery, within the short space of three centuries, cannot but advert with awe to HIM, who attaches to the actions of a single individual, a train of conse quences so stupendous and unexpected. How lightly soever, then, we may think of our conduct, let us remember that the invisible hand of Providence may be connecting with our smallest actions the most momentous results, to ourselves and others. With respect to Americus Vespucius, it may be observed, that although he deprived Columbus of the merited honor of giving his name to the new world, and gained this distinction for himself-still, his name will ever remain stigmatized as having appropriated that to himself. which fairly belonged to another ful that the late president saw with displeasure, another placed above him. As unworthy minds most readily devise unworthy means, he sought, by intriguing with the factious, and fomenting their discontents, to regain his lost authority; and when their attempts were disconcerted, plans were laid, first by Wingfield and Kendal, and afterwards by the president himself, in conjunction with Martin, the only remaining member of the council, except Smith, to escape in the bark, and thus abandon the country. The vigilance of Smith detected all these machinations, and his vigour defeated them. The hope was now indulged of preserving the colony in quiet and plenty, until supplies could be received from England, with the ships which were expected in the Spring. This hope was in a considerable degree defeated, by an event which threatened, at first, the most disastrous consequences. In an attempt to explore the head of Chickahominy river, Smith was discovered and attacked by a numerous body of Indians, and in endeavouring to make his escape, after a most gallant defence, his attention being directed to the enemy whom he still fought in retreating, he sunk up to his neck in a swamp, and was obliged to surrender. Still, retaining his presence of mind, he showed them a mariner's compass, at which, especially at the playing of the needle, and the impossibility of touching it, although they saw it so distinctly, they were greatly astonished; and he amused them with so many surprising stories of its qualities, as to inspire them with a degree of veneration which prevented their executing their first design of killing him on the spot. They conducted him in triumph through several towns to the palace of Powhatan, the most potent king in the country. There he was doomed to be put to death, by laying his head upon a log, and beating his brains out with clubs.-He was led to the place of execution, and his head bowed down for the purpose of death, when Pocahontas, the king's daughter, then about thirteen years of age, whose entreaties for his life had been ineffectual, rushed between him and the executioner, and folding his head in her arms, and laying hers upon it, arrested the fatal blow. Her fa ther was then prevailed on to spare his life, and after a |