Virginia: The Old Dominion

en turned backward toward the little harbour of Chuckatuck, with its blue of wave and sky, its

ispensed with a mile or so on either side of our houseboat. There was a wind that kept steadily freshening, so that after rounding Day's Point we noticed that the river was getti

ges we had over those early mariners upon the S

d lead through the new-found world and open a direct route to the South Sea and to the Indies. Our maps showed us that even this wide waterway was but a river; and that while it flowed some four hundre

ents and hidden bars of the stream itself. We should have to imagine all our savages; and there, on the table in Gadabout's little c

nt water if the James of that time, like the James of to-day, had its top and bottom so close together every here and there. A majestic river several miles wide, often fifty to sevent

er lay in presuming too much upon our light draft and in venturing too far from the indicated channels. But how about th

, showed small sign of succumbing to civilization. There seemed scarce any mark of human habitation. The life of the people, where there were people, must have been back from the banks. The riv

er forests and Nature wore her May-time gown. Life and colour were everywhere. In the clear atmosphere of the Virginia spring, the woodlan

the tired eyes of women and of children as the ships tack near to the flowery shore; as schools of fish break the river into patches

The story of these ships is not like that later one of the Mayflower. The colour dies out of the picture; and there remains only th

e yet but the low wooded shore and the wide opening that we knew was the mouth of Back River, the waterway that cuts off from the mainland that storied piece of soil. N

nce of three centuries, terminated their voyage; here was where that handful of colonists found

y a peninsula. It was a low and marshy peninsula, an unhealthful place for the site of a colony. The settlers had a hard time from the beginning. They would have had a harder time but for the presence of a remarkable man among them. He was one of the bes

As if there were yet not suffering enough, the "Supplies" (the ships that came over with reinforcements and food) brought bubonic plague and cholera from English ports. Often, if t

s did not find the gold and precious stones that were expected, nor did they find or produce in quantities any valuable commodities. They were not even self-supporting. The colony held on because constantly fed with men and provisions by the "Supplies." There w

on new life and made great strides toward becoming self-supporting. More and better settlers arrived, and the colony even put out offshoots, so that soon there were

uld not long flourish together. The famous weed rapidly exhausted the soil, and there was constant need for new lands to clear and cultivate. The leading Virginians turned

ith few inhabitants aside from colonial officials and some tavern-keepers. It was not to be allowed to keep even these. Despite every effort

y fast enough, the greedy river came to its aid. Besides eating away the ancient isthmus, the James attacked the upper end of the island, devouring par