First Hand Accounts of Virginia

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/jamestown-browse?id=J1014

This source is from the Virtual Jamestown website.

This is an account from Captaine M. Arthur Barlowe when he and Captaine M. Philip Amada sailed to America and helped discovered what is currently part of Virginia. This was written and sent to sir Walter Ralegh who gave them directions and told them to go on this voyage.

The captains and their crew left England in late April of 1584 and write about different islands they come across in very short detail. They don't find a place the want to anchor until early July. They go to land and they meet the native people of that island. They get along with the natives and so they start trading with them. They stay for some time and eventually move on to more islands beyond. None of they other islands or natives people of the island were described in as much detail as that first place where the crew went to land. They liked that group the best. Though they did bring two natives home from Pomovik, a different island they encountered after.

I found this historical account to be very interesting. I found it particularly because of how the interactions between the English crew members and the Indians were. The interactions were very positive and from what was written in this document there really wasn't anything harmful or negative that happened between either side. One quote that stuck out to me was when Granganimeo spoke with the captains.

"When we came to the shore to him with our weapons, hee never mooved from his place, nor any of the other foure, nor never mistrusted any harme to be offred from us, but sitting still he beckoned us to come and sit by him, which we performed: and being set hee made all signes of joy and welcome, striking on his head and his breast and afterwardes on ours, to shewe wee were all one, smiling and making shewe the best he could of all love, and familiaritie."

This stuck out to me because it showed the trust Granganimeo had in the English who were intruders onto his land. It shows how nice and hospitable and trusting these people were to others who are completely different. These people veiwed the English adventurers as equals and as though they were all one.  Something from this same paragraph stuck out to me as well. The author is basically saying these are good people who are civil like the people back home.I think this is rare because most other accounts from other sources report the English as seeing Indians as uncivilised people. Though later on in the document the English do refer to the Indians as savages. They do have an overall good view of these people. Another quote that shows this is this one.

"Though there was no cause of doubt: for a more kinde and loving people there can not be found in the worlde, as farre as we have hitherto had triall."

This is saying the voyagers know they aren't going to find people nicer than who they just encounted (the very first group) and that they believe this group of natives is one of the nicest groups in the world. Even though they have this high view and respect for them, one can still see these Egnlish people don't view the Indians as being the same as them. Even though they say they are good and civil, the crew still uses the word savages to describe them. This shows they don't view them as equals even though Granganimeo and the tribe view them as equals.