SMITH'S  VIRGINIA.                                                 125
pretended fhould have been flain by Captain Yearley, one of them, with an Englifh
piece, fhot Killingbeck dead ; the other favages aflaulted the reft and flew them,
ftripped them, and took what they had ; but fearing this murther would come to light»
and might caufe them to fuffer for it, would now proceed to the perfection of villainy **,
for prefently they robbed their Machacomocko houfe of the town, ftole all the Indian,
treafure thereout, and fled into the woods, as other Indians related. On Sunday fol-
lowing, one Parfax, that dwelt a mile from the town, going to church, left his wife
and three fmall children fafe at home, as he thought, and a young youth : fhe fup-
pofing prayer tô be done, left the children, and went to meet her hufband ; prefently
after came three or four of thofe fugitive favages, entered the houfe, and flew a boy**
and three children, and alfo another youth that ftole out of the church in prayer time,
meeting them, was likewife murdered. Of this difafter the captain fent to Opechan-
kanough for fatisfaction ; but he excufed the matter, as altogether ignorant of it ; at
the fame time the favages that were robbed were complaining to Opechankanough, and
much feared the Englifh would be revenged on them, fo that Opechankanough fent to-
Captain Argall, to affure him the peace fhould never be broken by him, defiring that
he would not revenge the injury of thofe fugitives upon the innocent people of that
town, which town he fhould have, and fent him a bafket of earth, as poffeffion given
of it, and promifed, fo foon as poffibly they could catch thefe robbers, to fend him-
their heads for fatisfaction, but he never performed it.
Samuel Argall, John Rolfe.
A Relation from Mr. John Rolfe, June 15, 1618.
CONCERNING the ftate of our new common-wealth, it is fomewhat bettered, for we
have fufficient to content ourfelves, though not in fuch abundance as is vainly reported
in England. Powhatan died this laft April, yet the Indians continue in peace. Itopatin».
his fécond brother, fucceeds him, and both he and Opechankanough haveconfirmed our
former league. On the nth of May, about ten of the clock in the night, happened a
moft fearful tempeft, but it continued not paft half an hour, which poured down hail-
ftones eight or nine inches about, that none durft go out of their doors, and though it
tore the bark and leaves of the trees, yet we find not they hurt either man or beaft j
it fell only about James Town, for but a mile to the eaft, and twenty to the weft there
was no hail at all. Thus in peace every man followed his building and planting
without any accidents worthy of note. Some' private differences happened betwixt
Captain Brufter and Captain Argall, and Captain Argall and the company here in
England; but of them I am not fully informed, neither are they here for any ufe, and,
therefore unfit to be remembered. In December one Captain Stallings, an old planter
m thofe parts, being employed by them of the weft country, for a fifhing voyage, in New-
England, fell foul of a Frenchman, whom he took, leaving his own fhip to return for
England, himfeif with a fmall company, remained in the French bark, fome ' fmall time
after upon the coaft, and thence returned to winter in Virginia.
The Government furrrender to Sir George Tearley.
FOR to begin with the year of our Lord 1619, there arrived a little pinnace private!-/-
from England about Eafter, for Captain Argall, who taking order for his affairs, witf a
four or five days returned in her, and left for his deputy, Captain Nathaniel PowJI.
9                                                                        On.