Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/59

This page needs to be proofread.

the furthest of which, there was a fifth stream that emptied into the sixth, and this in turn debouched into the South Sea.^[1]

When Smith visited Powhatan in the fall of 1608, the Indian monarch gravely informed him that his people had been deceiving the English in declaring that a salt sea was to be found in the West, and he proceeded to draw upon the ground the true map of the territories in that region.^[2] Powhatan probably wished to divert the attention of the colonists from the exploration of the western countries. The sincere belief in the existence of the salt sea beyond the mountains, entertained by the Indians of Virginia, is confirmed by too many witnesses among the Europeans to be controverted by a single statement of the wily Powhatan, and one in contradiction of his own previous assertions. One reason for this belief on the part of the Indians was probably a vague report of the great lakes,^[3] which to the view of the tribes dwelling on their shores were almost unlimited in the area covered by them, being considered even by their European discoverers to be inland seas of vast extent. The copper in possession of

↑ Report of Francis Maguel, Spanish Archives, Brown’s Genesis of the United States, p. 397. Whitaker, in his Good Newes from Virginia, 1612, has this to say in this connection: “Sixe daies Journey beyond the mine (that is, three days journey from ‘Christal Rocke,’ which was situated twelve miles beyond the Falls), a great ridge of high hils doe runne along the maine land, not farre from whom the Indians report a great Sea dothe runne, which we commonly call a South Sea.” Brown’s Genesis of the United States, p. 584.
↑ Works of Capt. John Smith, p. 124.
↑ “Beyond the mountains from whence is the head of the river Patawomeke, the Savages report inhabit their most mortall enimies, the Massawomekes upon a great salt water, which by all likelyhood is either some Part of Commada (i.e. Canada) some great lake or some inlet of some sea that falleth into the South Sea.” These are the words of Smith. Works of Capt. John Smith, p. 71.

[1] Report of Francis Maguel, Spanish Archives, Brown’s Genesis of the United States, p. 397. Whitaker, in his Good Newes from Virginia, 1612, has this to say in this connection: “Sixe daies Journey beyond the mine (that is, three days journey from ‘Christal Rocke,’ which was situated twelve miles beyond the Falls), a great ridge of high hils doe runne along the maine land, not farre from whom the Indians report a great Sea dothe runne, which we commonly call a South Sea.” Brown’s Genesis of the United States, p. 584.

[2] Works of Capt. John Smith, p. 124.

[3] “Beyond the mountains from whence is the head of the river Patawomeke, the Savages report inhabit their most mortall enimies, the Massawomekes upon a great salt water, which by all likelyhood is either some Part of Commada (i.e. Canada) some great lake or some inlet of some sea that falleth into the South Sea.” These are the words of Smith. Works of Capt. John Smith, p. 71.

[1]

[2]

[3]