Smith's account of being captured

Smith was traveling up the James River from the fort exploring and trying to get more corn.  The river became too narrow for the barge, and he proceeded with 2 Indian guides and 2 of his men...

      "...  Having 2 Indians for my guide and 2 of our own company, I set forward, leaving 7 in the barge:

      Having discovered 20 miles further in the desart, the river still kept his depth and bredth, but much more combred with trees:

      Here we went ashore (being some 12 miles higher then the barge had bene) to refresh our selves, during the boyling of our vituals: One of the Indians I tooke with me, to see the nature of the soile, and to cross the boughts of the river: the other Indian I left with Maister Robbinson and Thomas Emry, with their matches light. And order to discharge a peece, for my retreat, at the first sight of any Indian.

      But within a quarter of an houre I heard a loud cry, and a hollowing of Indians, but no warning peece. Supposing them surprised, and that the Indians had betraid us, presently I seazed him and bound his arme fast to my hand in a garter, with my pistoll ready bent to be revenged on him: he advised me to fly, and seemed ignorant of what was done.

       But as we went discoursing, I was struck with an arrow on the right thigh, but without harme: upon this occasion I espied 2 Indians drawing their bowes, which I prevented in discharging a french pistoll:

       By that I had charged againe, 3 or 4 more did the like: for the first fell downe and fled: At my discharge, they did the like. My hinde I made my barricado, who offered not to strive. 20 or 30 arrowes were shot at me but short. 3 or 4 times I had discharged my pistoll ere the king of Pamaunck called Opekenkenough with 200 men invironed me, eache drawing their bowe: which done they laid them upon the ground, yet without shot:

      My hinde teated betwixt them and me of conditions of peace; he discovered me to be the Captaine: my request was to retire to the boate: they demaunded my armes, the rest they saide were slaine, onely me they would reserve:

      The Indian importuned me not to shoot. In retiring being in the midst of a low quagmire, and minding them more then my steps, I stept fast into the quagmire, and also the Indian in drawing me forth:

      Thus surprised, I resolved to trie their mercies: my armes I caste from me, till which none durst approach me.

      Being ceazed on me, they drew me out and led me to the King. I presented him with a compasse diall, describing by my best meanes the use therof: whereat he so amazedly admired, as he suffered me to proceed in a discourse of the roundness of the earth, the course of the sunne, moone, starres and plannets.

      With kinde speeches and bread he requited me, conducting me where the Canow lay and John Robbinson slaine, with 20 or 30 arrowes in him. Emry I saw not.

      I perceived by the aboundance of fires all over the woods. At each place I expected when they would execute me, yet they used me with what kindness they could:...."

Smith was taken through several villages and eventually was brought before Powhatan where he was held and examined for 4 days and then allowed to return to the Fort.

In historical retrospect, this encounter was clearly not a chance encounter.  Powhatan was a master politician and kept close tabs on the activities in his kingdom..  Opekenkenough was his brother and a major military leader in the confederacy.  They had determined somehow that Smith was the most important person they could deal with in the colony and captured him in this manner to try to cajole him into as much co-operation as they could get.  

The affair with Pocohantas that Smith wrote about later, ( where she saved his life), may well have occurred .. HOWEVER, this event would have been a theatre orchestrated by Powhatan.  If he wanted to kill Smith, he may well have done it when he killed Emery and Robbinson.  He wanted an alliance with Smith but could not have known that this was impossible because of the need of Europeans to expand globally.  This initial ceremony with Smith was no ad hoc affair but a major effort to keep his power against the encroaching Europeans. 

Powhatan, in his life time, had expanded his empire from several tribes to several dozen tribes.. Smith refers to him on several occasions as "the wiley savage".    I think one could say upon examination of the many writings of this period, that the Powhatan society was at least as socially and politically sophisticated as a modern society.   

Powhatan eventually realized that Europe was involved in an unexorable expansion in the the "New World".  He retreated his capital city further inland to be away from the English, and soon died at about 62 years.  His brother Opekenkenough lived about 30 more years and made 2 major attempts to drive the English out.. His brother was probably not so much a realist as Powhatan.