Transylvania, who after the capture of the place, presented him with his picture set in gold, granted him a pension of three hundred ducats a year, and conferred on him a coat of arms, bearing three Turk's heads in a shield.

In a subsequent battle between the Transylvanian army, and a body of Turks and Tartars, the former was defeated, with a loss of many killed and wounded. Among the wounded was the gallant Smith. His dress bespoke his consequence, and he was treated kindly. On his recovery from his wounds he was sold to the Basha Bogul, who sent him as a present to his mistress at Constantinople, assuring her that he was a Bohemian nobleman, whom he had conquered, and whom he now present ed to her as her slave.

The present proved more acceptable to the lady than her lord intended. As she understood Italian, in that language Smith informed her of his country and quality, and by his singular address, and engaging manners, won the affection of her heart.

Designing to secure him to herself, but fearing lest some misfortune should befall him, she sent him to her brother, a bashaw, on the borders of the sea of Asoph, with a direction that he should be initiated into the manners and language, as well as the religion of the Tartars.

From the terms of her letter, her brother suspected her design, and resolved to disappoint her. Immediately after Smith's arrival, therefore, he ordered him to be stripped, his head and beard to be shaven, and with an iron collar about his neck, and a dress of hair cloth, he was driven forth to labour among some christian slaves.

The circumstances of Smith were now peculiarly afflicting. He could indulge no hope, except from the attachment of his mistress, but as her distance was great, it was improbable that she would soon become acquainted with the story of his misfor

tunes.

In the midst of his distress, an opportunity to escape presented itself, but under circumstances, which, to a person of a less adventurous spirit, would have served only to heighten this distress. His employment was threshing, at the distance of a league from the residence of the bashaw, who daily visited him, but treated him with rigorous severity, and in fits of anger even abused him with blows. This last was treatment to which the independent spirit of Smith could not submit. Watching a favourable opportunity, on an occasion of the tyrant's visit, and when his attendants were absent, he levelled his threshing instrument at him, and laid him in the dust.

He then hastily filled a bag with grain, and mounting the bashaw's horse, put himself upon fortune. Directing his course

towards a desert, he entered its recesses, and continuing to conceal himself in its obscurities for several days, at length made his escape. In sixteen days he arrived at Exapolis on the river Don, where meeting with the Russian garrison, the commander treated him kindly, and gave him letters of recommendation to other commanders in that region.

Be now travelled through a part of Russia, and Poland, and at length reached his friends in Transylvania. At Leipsic he enjoyed the pleasure of meeting his colonel count Meldrick, and Sigismund, prince of Transylvania, who presented him with fifteen hundred ducats. His fortune being thus in a measure repaired, he travelled through Germany, France and Spain, and having visited the kingdom of Morocco, returned once more to England.

Such is a rapid view of the life of this interesting adventurer, down to his arrival in his native land. At this time the settlement of America was occupying the attention of many distin guished men in England. The life of Smith, united to his fondness for enterprises of danger and difficulty, had prepared him to embark with zeal in a project so novel and sublime as that of exploring the wilds of a newly discovered continent.

He was soon attached to the expedition. about to sail under Newport, and was appointed one of the magistrates of the colony sent over at that time. Before the arrival of the colony, his colleagues in office becoming jealous of his influence, arrested him, on the absurd charge that he designed to murder the council, usurp the government, and make himself king of Virginia. He was therefore rigorously confined during the remainder of the voyage.

On their arrival in the country he was liberated, but could not obtain a trial, although in the tone of conscious integrity, he repeatedly demanded it. The infant colony was soon involved in perplexity and danger. Notwithstanding Smith had been calumniated, and his honour deeply wounded, his was not the spirit to remain idle when his services were needed. Nobly disdaining revenge, he offered his assistance, and by his talents, experience, and indefatigable zeal, furnished important aid to the infant colony.

Continuing to assert his innocence, and to demand a trial, the time at length arrived when his enemies could postpone it no longer. After a fair hearing of the case, he was honourably acquitted of the charges alleged against him, and soon after took his seat in the council.

The affairs of the colony becoming more settled, the active spirit of Smith prompted him to explore the neighbouring country. In an attempt to ascertain the source of Chickahoming ri

ver, he ascended in a barge as far as the stream was uninterrupted. Designing to proceed still further, he left the barge in the keeping of the crew, with strict injunctions on no account to leave, her, and with two Englishmen, and two Indians left the party. But no sooner was he out of view, than the crew, impatient of restraint, repaired on board the barge, and proceeding some distance down the stream, landed at a place where a body of Indians lay in ambush, by whom they were seized.

by means of the crew, the rout of Smith was ascertained, and a party of Indians were immediately despatched to take him. On coming up with him, they fired, killed the Englishmen, and Wounded himself. With great presence of mind, he now tied his Ludian guide to his left arm, as a shield from the enemies' arrows, while with his musket he despatched three of the most forward of the assailants.

In this manner he continued to retreat towards his canoe, while the Indians, struck with admiration of his bravery followed with espectful caution. Unfortunately coming to a sunken spot filled with mire, while engrossed with eyeing his pursuers, ne sunk so deep as to be unable to extricate himself, and was forced to surrender.

Fruitful in expedients, to avert immediate death, he presented an ivory compass to the chief, whose attention was arrested by the vibrations of the needle. Taking advantage of the impression which he had thus made, partly by signs, and partly by language, he excited their wonder still more by telling them of its singular powers.

Their wonder however seemed soon to abate, and their attention returned to their prisoner. He was now bound, and tied to a tree, and the savages were preparing to direct their arrows at his breast. At this instant the chief, holding up the compass, they laid down their arms, and led him in triumph to Powhatan their king

Powhatan and his council doomed him to death, as a man whose courage and genius were peculiarly dangerous to the Indians. Preparations were accordingly made, and when the time arrived, Smith was led out to execution. His head was laid upon a stone, and a club presented to Powhatan, who himsel claimed the honour of becoming the executioner. The savages in silence were circling round, and the giant arm of Powhatan had already raised the club to strike the fatal blow, when to his astonishment the young and beautiful Pocahontas, his daughter, with a shriek of terror, rushed from the throng, and threw herself upon the body of Smith. At the same time she cast an imploring look towards her furious but astonished father, and in

all the eloquence of mute, but impassioned sorrow, besought his life.

The remainder of the scene was honourable to Powhatan. The club of the chief was still uplifted, but a father's pity had touched his heart, and the eye that had at first kindled with wrath was now fast losing its fierceness. He looked round as if to collect his fortitude, or perhaps to find an excuse for his weakness, in the pity of the attendants. A similar sympathy had melted the savage throng, and seemed to join in the petition, which the weeping Pocahontas felt, but durst not utter, "My father let the prisoner live." Powhatan raised his daughter, and the captive, scarcely yet assured of safety, from the earth.

Shortly after Powhatan dismissed Capt. Smith with assurances of friendship, and the next morning, accompanied with a guard of twelve men, he arrived safely at Jamestown, after a captivity of seven weeks.*

In 1609, circumstances having arisen to interrupt the friendly dispositions of Powhatan towards the colony, he plotted their entire destruction. His design was to attack them unapprised, and to cut them off at a blow.

In a dark and stormy night, the heroic Pocahontas hastened alone to Jamestown, and disclosed the inhuman plot of her father. The colony were thus put on their guard, and their ruin averted.

It may be interesting to add concerning Pocahontas, that some time after this she was married to an English gentleman, by the name of Rolfe, with whom she visited England. She embraced the Christian religion, and was baptized by the name of Rebecca. She left one son, who had several daughters, the descendants of whom inherited her lands in Virginia, and are among the most respectable families in that State.

Section II. In the early part of this year, 1609, the London Company surrendered their rights to the king, and obtained a new charter. Under this charter Thomas West, Lord Delaware, was appointed governour for life.

Towards the close of the year, the colony at Jamestown, amcunting to five hundred inhabitants, was reduced in six months, by pestilence, to sixty. Disheartened by this fearful calamity, they resolved to leave the country, and return to England. They therefore embarked on board some vessels, just arrived from Bermuda; but meeting lord Delaware, the new governour,

* Burk's Virginia.

with one hundred and eighty men and provisions, they returned with them to their settlement, and the affairs of the colony again began to prosper.

Section III. In 1614, some Dutch adventurers built a fort at Albany, on Hudson's river. This commenced the settlement, and laid the foundation of that city. The next year, a fort was built, and a settlement begun, by the Dutch, on the Island of Manhattan, now New-York.

Hudson's river derived its name from Henry Hudson, who entered, and gave name to it, 1608. At this time, or according to others, in 1609, he ascended the river to the place were Albany now stands. Hudson was in the service of the Dutch East India Company, or sold his claims to them. The Dutch, accordingly, took possession of the country, naming it New Ne therlands. New-York, they called New-Amsterdam. These names they retained, till the conquest of the country, by the English, in 1664.

Section IV. In 1614, Capt. John Smith sailed from England, with two ships, to America. He ranged the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod. On his return to England, he presented a Map of the country to Prince Charles, who named it NEW-ENGLAND.

Six years from this, Dec. 22, 1620, a colony, commonly known by the name of Puritans, landed at Plymouth, in Massachusetts, and soon after began the first permanent settlement in NewEngland. These colonists were originally from England; but were driven thence by the arm of persecution, for urging a more thorough reformation in the Church of England.

They fled from England, first to Amsterdam, in Holland, in 1607, with their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Robinson. From Amsterdam, they soon after removed to Leyden, where they continued, until they embarked for America.

Among the motives which influenced them to remove to America, the prospect of enjoying “