The credibility of this story has been attacked on the ground that it does not occur in Smith’s True Relation, a contemporaneous account of the colony, and appears first in his Generall Historie, published in 1624.  But the editor of the True Relation expressly states that the published account does not include the entire manuscript as it came from Smith.  Hence the omission counts for little, and there is nothing unusual in Smith’s experience, which, as Dr. Fiske says, “is precisely in accord with Indian usage.”  About 1528 John Ortiz, of Seville, a soldier of Pamfilo de Narvaez, captured by the Indians on the coast of Florida, was saved from being roasted to death by the chief’s daughter, a case very similar to that of John Smith and Pocahontas.  Smith was often inaccurate and prejudiced in his statements, but that is far from saying that he deliberately mistook plain objects of sense or concocted a story having no foundation.[19]

Still another incident illustrative of Indian life is given by Smith.  In their idle hours the Indians amused themselves with singing, dancing, and playing upon musical instruments made of pipes and small gourds, and at the time of another visit to Werowocomoco Smith was witness to a very charming scene in which Pocahontas was again the leading actor.  While the English were sitting upon a mat near a fire they were startled by loud shouts, and a party of Indian girls came out of the woods strangely attired.  Their bodies were painted, some red, some white, and some blue.  Pocahontas carried a pair of antlers on her head, an otter’s skin at her waist and another on her arm, a quiver of arrows at her back, and a bow and arrow in her hand.  Another of the band carried a sword, another a club, and another a pot-stick, and all were horned as Pocahontas.  Casting themselves in a ring about the fire, they danced and sang for the space of an hour, and then with a shout departed into the woods as suddenly as they came.[20]

On the momentous voyage to Virginia Captain Newport took the old route by the Canary Islands and the West Indies, and they were four months on the voyage.  In the West Indies Smith and Wingfield quarrelled, and the latter charged Smith with plotting mutiny, so that he was arrested and kept in irons till Virginia was reached.  After leaving the West Indies bad weather drove them from their course; but, April 26, 1607, they saw the capes of Virginia, which were forthwith named Henry and Charles, after the two sons of King James.

Landing at Cape Henry, they set up a cross April 29, and there they had their first experience with the Indians.  The Chesapeakes assaulted them and wounded two men.  About that time the seals were broken, and it was found that Edward Maria Wingfield, who was afterwards elected president for one year, Bartholomew Gosnold, Christopher Newport, John Smith, John Ratcliffe, John Martin, and George Kendall were councillors.