more terrible to them than all the colony beside, in its early years, Captain John Smith. They trembled at his very name. His bravery, his strength, his power of command, his excellence in every thing a savage admired, 'united to his accomplishments as an Englishman, entirely overawed their fierce spirits. Ardently desiring his death, they knew not how to kill him when in their power. The rest they hated, and murdered as occasion offered.

The early charters speak of christainizing the savages as part of the objects designed in making settlements in Virginia. In the letters patent to Sir Thomas Gates, 1606, the beginning of a plantation in America, between thirty-eight and five and forty degrees of north latitude, is spoken of as-“a work which may, by the Providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the glory of his divine majesty, in propagating Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God, and may in time bring the infidels and savages living in those parts, to human civility, and to a settled quiet government." In the third charter dated March 12th, 1611-12-"and for the propagation of Christian religion, and reclaiming of people barbarous to civility and humanity we have by our letters patent, &c." In the commission, to Sir Francis Wyatt and his Council, dated July 24th, 1621,-"which said Council are to assist the Governor in the administration of justice, to advance christianity among Indians, to erect the colony in obedience, &c." In the instructions given him, the third isTo use means to convert the heathen, viz. to converse with some; each town to teach some children fit for the college intended to be built." The history of this college shows kind and benevolent designs which were not successful and is worthy of remembrance.

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Efforts, for the conversion of the savages, were early made, by some ministers, and some pious laymen. Opechankanough pretended a desire to become a christian. He beguiled the pious head of the college, Mr. Thorpe, to take much pains in instructing him, in hopes of numerous converts, till the fatal Friday, March 22d, 1622. That good man, with multitudes of others, was horribly massacred, according to the secret plans of this wily chief, who under the mask of religion plotted the complete and sudden destruction of the English.

, Rev. Robert Hunt is one of the few of that company who landed at Jamestown on the 18th of May, 1607, whose biography posterity will desire. He appears to have been equal to his station as pastor of the colonists. Whatever may have been his desires for the conversion of the savages, the difficulties of his situation and his short life prevented the accomplish

ment of any good. Mr. Whitaker instructed and baptized Pocahontas, in preparation for her marriage; but neither the baptism nor the marriage exercised any happy influence towards the conversion of her nation to Christianity. Capt. Smith, in vol. 1st, p. 58, gives us-"the opinion of Master Jonas Stockham a minister in Virginia, who even at this time when all things were so prosperous, and the salvages at the point of conversion, against all their governours and councels opinion, writ to the councell & company in England to this effect, May 28th, 1621. As for those lasie servants who had rather stand all day idle, than worke, though but an houre in this Vineyard, & spend their substance riotously, than cast the superfluity of their wealth into your treasury, I leave them as they are to the eternall judge of the world. But you right worthy that hath adventured so freely, I will not examine, if it were for the glory of God, or your desire of gaine, which it may be you expect should flow unto you with a full tide, for the conversion. of the Salvages: I wonder you use not the means. I confess you say well to have them converted by faire means, but they scorne to acknowledge it, as for the gifts bestowed on them they devoured them, and so they would the givers if they could, and though many have endeavoured by all means they could by kindnesse to convert them, they find nothing from them but derision and ridiculous answers. We have sent boies amongst them to learne their language, but they return worse than they went; but I am no Statesman, nor love I to meddle with any thing but my bookes, but I can find no probability by this course to draw them to goodnesse; and I am persuaded if Mars and Minerva goe hand in hand they will effect more good in one houre than these verbal Mercurians in their lives, and till priests and ancients have their throats cut, there is no hope to bring them to conversion." Smith appears to have adopted this opinion. It spread over the colony, and through England; and efforts for the conversion of the Indians were few previous to the eighteenth century. That individuals felt deeply interested for the salvation of this unhappy race is unquestionable; but public sympathy was not with them for a century after the fatal massacre of 1622.

The Acts of Legislature passed in 1623, 4, show the terror of the colonists and their hostile feelings towards the authors of their sufferings. Act 23d says, "that every dwelling house shall be pallizaded in for defence against the Indians.' Act 24th-"that no man go or send abroad without a sufficient party well armed." In 1632 the citizens were required to carry their arms to church. Act 25th-"that men go not to worke in the ground without their arms (and a centenell upon them.) Act 26 says "that the inhabitants go not aboard

ships or upon any other occasions in such numbers, as thereby to weaken and endanger the plantations." Act 27th-"that the commander of every plantation take care that there be sufficient powder and ammunition within the plantation under his command and their pieces fixt and their arms complete. Act 29-"that no commander of any plantation do either himselfe or suffer others to spend powder unnecessarily in drinking or entertainments." Act 32d contemplates the entire destruction of the Indians-"that at the beginning of July next the inhabitants of every corporation shall fall upon their adjoyning salvages, as we did last yeare, those that shall be hurt upon service, to be cured at the public charge; in case any to be lamed to be maintained by the country according to his person and quality."

This war of extermination was carried on, with spirit, for years. At last it became disgusting. The savages were less spirited in their attacks and defence, and the colonists began to feel the savages were men, barbarous indeed, but men possessed of rights. The 1st Act of the Session 1655, 6, was in their favour;" Whereas wee have bin often putt into great dangers by the invasions of our neighboring and bordering Indians which humanely have been only caused by these two particulars our extreme pressures on them and theire wanting of something to hazard and loose beside their lives; Therefore this Grand Assembly on mature advice doth make these three ensuing acts, which by the blessing of God may prevent our dangers for the future and may be a sensible benefitt to the whole country for the present: first, for every eight wolves heads brought us by the Indians, the king or great man (as they call him) shall have a cow delivered him at the charge of the publick. This will be a step to civilizing them and to making them Christians, besides it will certainly make the commanding Indians watch over their own men that they do us no injuries, knowing that by their default they may be in danger of losing their estates, and therefore be it enacted as aforesaid only with this exception that Accomack shall pay for no more than what are killed in their own county."

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'Secondly-If the Indians shall bring in any children as gages of their good and quiet intentions to us and amity with us, then the parents of such children shall choose the persons to whom the care of such children shall be entrusted, and the countrey by us their representatives do engage that wee will not use them as slaves but do their best to bring them up in Christianity, civility, and the knowledge of necessary trades: And on the report of the commissioners of each respective county that those under whose tuition they are, do really intend the bettering of the children in these particulars then a salary shall be allowed to such men as shall deserve and require it."

Thirdly-"What lands the Indians shall be possessed of by order of this or other ensuing assemblyes, such land shall not be alienable by them the Indians to any man de futuro, for this will putt us to a continuall necessity of allotting them new lands and possessions, and they will be alwaies in feare of what they hold not being able to distinguish between our desires to buy or enforcement to have, in case their grants and sales be desired: Therefore be it enacted that for the future no such alienations or bargaines and sales be valid without the assent of the Assembly. This act not to prejudice any Christian who hath land allready granted by patent.

In the session of 1657, 8, acts were passed forbidding any person, to whom an Indian child had been committed, assigning or any way transferring that child; and that the child should be free at twenty-five years of age:-also to prevent the stealing of Indian children, or the buying them from the Indians or others for traffic, or the selling them in any condition by the English, on penalty of five hundred pounds of tobacco.

But in 1676, in consequence of the exasperation arising from Bacon's war, the Assembly resolved-" and bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all Indians taken in warr shall be held and accounted slaves during life." This act was repealed by the general act setting aside all the acts of Assembly that sat in 1676 under the auspices of Bacon. But it is believed that there are slaves living who are descended from Indian captives, in this, or previous wars.

Nothing had been done for Christianizing the Indians, that produced any effect, from the settlement of the colony till the English Revolution in 1688. Besides Pocahontas, no name of an individual is given that embraced Christianity. Their numbers had decreased; their power and spirits were broken. While they ceased to make war upon the English, they hated them no less, and loved their religion and desired their civilization no more. After the death of the famous Powhatan, and the fierce Opechankanough, no warrior or statesman of eminence arose among the Indians east of the mountains. The feeble tribes after Bacon's war were esteemed helpless enemies rather than terrible foes, for whose civilization or conversion there was no hope. Among all the Indian women of Virginia, Pocahontas had no rival, and posterity will love to think that few of any race either in England or America could claim to be her superior.

The names and power of the tribes that hunted on the banks and fished in the streams of the beautiful rivers occupied by the colony in 1688 is thus given by Smith, Vol. 1st, pp. 116118. He begins with the James, which-"falleth from rockes

farre west in a country inhabited by a nation they call Monacans-but where it commeth into our discovery it is Powhatan. In a peninsula on the North side of this river are the English planted in a place they call James Towne. The first, and next the river's mouth are the Kecoughtans, who besides their women and children have not past 20 fighting men. The Paspaheghes (on whose land is seated James Towne some 40 myles from the Bay) have not past 40. The river called Chickahawania, the backe river of James Towne neare 250. The Weanocks 100. The Arrowhatocks 30. The place called Powhatan, some 40. On the south side this river the Appamatuchs have 60 fighting men. The Quiyoughcohanocks 25.

The Nansamunds 200. The Cheropeacks 100. Fourteen myles northward from the river Powhatan is the river Pamounkee. On the south side inhabit the people of Youghtenund, who have about 60 men for warres. On the north branch Mattapament, who have 30 men. Where the river is divided the country is called Pamounkee, and nourisheth neare 300 able men. About 25 myles lower on the north side of this river is Werawocomico, where their king inhabited when I was delivered him prisoner; yet they are not past 40 able men. Ten or twelve myles lower on the south side of this river, is Chiskeack, which hath some 40 or 50 men. These, as also Apamatuck, Irrohatuck and Powhatan, are the great King's chief alliance, and inhabitants. The rest his conquests. There is anuther river, some 30 myles navagable that commeth from inland, called Payankatanke, the inhabitants are about 50 or 60 servicable men. The third navigable river is called Tappahanock, this is navigable some 130 myles. At the top of it inhabit the people called Mannahoacks amongst the mountaines. Upon this river on the north side are the people Cuttatawomen, with 30 fighting men. Higher are the Moraughtacunds, with 80. Beyond them Rappahanock with 100. Far above is another Cuttatawomen with 20. On the south is the pleasant seat of Nantaughtacund having 150 men. The fourth river is called Patawomeke. It is inhabited on both sides. First on the south side at the very entrance is Wighcocomico and hath some 130 men, beyond them Sekacawone with 30. The Onawmanient with 100. And the Patawmokes more than 200."

On the eastern shore in Accomac, he reckons on the river Tants Wicomico with 100 men; the Acohanock with 40; Accomack 80. Southward, the Chawonocks and Mangoags. There were numberless small divisions of these tribes whose names are occasionally mentioned in history.

The effort to convert the Indians was made in good faith. Stith tells us, pp. 1623, that the king had formerly issued