"What Can You Get By Warre": Powhatan Exchanges Views With Captain John Smith, 1608

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

"What Can You Get By Warre": Powhatan Exchanges Views With Captain 
John Smith, 1608"

Captain John Smith was a soldier and adventurer in Europe and Asia 
before he became involved in the Virginia Company's plan to establish 
a settlement in North America. He was aboard one of the three ships 
that reached Virginia in April 1607. The first settlers, ill prepared 
for life in the harsh environment, had few useful skills but great 
expectations of easy profits. They suffered from disease, 
malnutrition, and frequent attacks by Indians in the early years; 
over one half died the first winter. Smith took over Jamestown's 
government amid this chaos and death; he explored the region and 
traded for desperately needed supplies with the Indians. Smith 
recognized the need to establish peaceful relations with the powerful 
Powhatan Indians of the coastal region, and he traded English 
manufactured goods for much needed Indian corn. Smith recounted this 
exchange with the Indian leader Powhatan in his 1624 Historyie.

[Powhatan:]

Captaine Smith, you may understand that I having seene the death of 
all my people thrice, and not any one living of these three 
generations but my selfe; I know the difference of Peace and Warre 
better then any in my Country. But now I am old and ere long must 
die, my brethren, namely Opitchapam, Opechancanough, and Kekataugh, 
my two sisters, and their two daughters, are distinctly each others 
successors. I wish their experience no lesse then mine, and your love 
to them no lesse then mine to you. But this bruit from Nandsamund, 
that you are come to destroy my Country, so much affrighteth all my 
people as they dare not visit you. What will it availe you to take 
that by force you may quickly have by love, or to destroy them that 
provide you food. What can you get by warre, when we can hide our 
provisions and fly to the woods? whereby you must famish by wronging 
us your friends. And why are you thus jealous of our loves seeing us 
unarmed, and both doe, and are willing still to feede you, with that 
you cannot get but by our labours? Thinke you I am so simple, not to 
know it is better to eate good meate, lye well, and sleepe quietly 
with my women and children, laugh and be merry with you, have copper, 
hatchets, or what I want being your friend: then be forced to flie 
from all, to lie cold in the woods, feede upon Acornes, rootes, and 
such trash, and be so hunted by you, that I can neither rest, eate, 
nor sleepe; but my tyred men must watch, and if a twig but breake, 
every one cryeth there commeth Captaine Smith: then must I fly I know 
not whether: and thus with miserable feare, end my miserable life, 
leaving my pleasures to such youths as you, which through your rash 
unadvisednesse may quickly as miserably end, for want of that, you 
never know where to finde. Let this therefore assure you of our 
loves, and every yeare our friendly trade shall furnish you with 
Corne; and now also, if you would come in friendly manner to see us, 
and not thus with your guns and swords as to invade your foes. To 
this subtill discourse, the President thus replyed.

Capt. Smiths Reply.

Seeing you will not rightly conceive of our words, we strive to make 
you know our thoughts by our deeds; the vow I made you of my love, 
both my selfe and my men have kept. As for your promise I find it 
every day violated by some of your subjects: yet we finding your love 
and kindnesse, our custome is so far from being ungratefull, that for 
your sake onely, we have curbed our thirsting desire of revenge; els 
had they knowne as well the crueltie we use to our enemies, as our 
true love and courtesie to our friends. And I thinke your judgement 
sufficient to conceive, as well by the adventures we have undertaken, 
as by the advantage we have (by our Armes) of yours: that had we 
intended you any hurt, long ere this we could have effected it. Your 
people comming to James Towne are entertained with their Bowes and 
Arrowes without any exceptions; we esteeming it with you as it is 
with us, to weare our armes as our apparell. As for the danger of our 
enemies, in such warres consist our chiefest pleasure: for your 
riches we have no use: as for the hiding your provision, or by your 
flying to the woods, we shall not so unadvisedly starve as you 
conclude, your friendly care in that behalfe is needlesse, for we 
have a rule to finde beyond your knowledge.

Many other discourses they had, till at last they began to trade. But 
the King seeing his will would not be admitted as a law, our guard 
dispersed, nor our men disarmed, he (sighing) breathed his minde once 
more in this manner.

Source: John Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & 
The Summer Isles (Glasgow, Scotland: James MacLehose and Sons, 1907), 
Vol. 1: 158-59

<http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5838/>
-- 
Yoshie

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