Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/105

 Ill— COLONIAL COUNCILLORS OF STATE

Newport, Christopher. There can be no doubt that King James displayed great wis- dom in choosing so experienced and able a seaman as Christopher Newport to command the colonizing expedition of iboj to Virginia, and in sealing the box which contained his list of councillors during the voyage, in order that there might be no conHict of authority with his. He had sailed the Spanish Main and taken an active part in the privateering exploits against the Spanish in the Xew World. In 1592 he sailed in command of four ships when he "took and Spoyled Yaguana and Ocoa and Hispaniola and Truxillo, besides other prizes." After the brilliant capture of the "Madre de Dios" by the ships of Sir Walter Raleigh and the Earl of Cumberland, Capt. Newport, who played an imi)ortant part in the fight, was given command of her and took her to Dartmouth.

When the expedition of 1607 arrived at Jamestown, Newport's name was found on the list of councillors, though, he was not ex- jiected to become a planter but to serve as admiral in the voyages between England and the colony. In pursuance of his orders to remain two months in the New World exjilor- ing, he started May 21 on a voyage up the James river, which he followed as far as the "falls." the present site of the city of Rich- mond. Here, finding that he could go no fur- ther without great danger, he set up a cross with the inscription "Jacobus Rex, 1607," and his own name underneath. Upon inquiry by the Indians as to the meaning of this cross and ceremony, the wily captain told them that

the two arms of the cross signitied Powhatan and himself, and their juncture the league they had entered into. On June 22 of the same year he returned to England with a cargo of "sasafrax rootes" instead of the gold which the \'irginia Company had so artlently hoped for.

Newport's second arrival in N'irginia (Jan. 2, 1608) was a timely one. 'Hie death of Gos- Kold had left Wingfield open to attacks of his opponents — Archer, Smith, Ratcliffe and Mar- tin, who had first deposed him from the presidency and finally imprisoned him, Capt. Smith, too. who had just returned from cap- tivity with the Indians, was in chains under sentence of iianging. Newport at once set these men at liberty and restored some measure of peace in the colony and council. A few days later, however, a fire broke out and destroyed the whole of the little settlement, thus exj)osing its occupants to the severity of the winter's weather. Newport again came t(the rescue and employed his mariners in helping to rebuild the church, storehouse and other houses. Caj^t. New])ort later made a tliird voyage to \'irginia, and brought on this occasion (Oct., 1608) the first gentlewoman, Mrs. Forrest, and Anne Buras, her maid. As was to have been expected, there occurred, shortly after, the first marriage in the colony which was of this same Anne Buras and John Laydon, a carpenter; and to them was born a year later a girl, Virginia Laydon — the first child of English parentage born in the first permanent English colony.

Newport's fourth voyage was in command