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Norfolk Highlights 1584 - 1881
By George Holbert Tucker
Chapter 2
Exploring with the Smith Party
As far as can be ascertained, Captain John Smith and the twelve Jamestown
colonists who accompanied him on his second exploration of the Chesapeake
Bay were the first known white men to enter what is now the Elizabeth
River to visit the area now incorporated within the present limits of
Norfolk.
Smith had previously explored the Chesapeake Bay region during the
early summer months of 1608, at which time he almost lost his life when
he was stung by a stingray off what is still known as Stingray Point
in Middlesex County.
According to the account of the second exploratory trip written by
Anthony Bagnall, the surgeon of the expedition, Nathaniel Powell, a
gentleman, and Anas Todkill, a soldier, the cocky, red-haired, red-bearded
Captain Smith and his party left Jamestown on July 24, 1608, in an open
boat equipped with a sail and oars for the trip into country "till
then to any Christian unknowne."
Besides the three men already mentioned, Smith's party consisted of
Thomas Momford, Richard Featherstone, Michael Sickelmore, and James
Bourne, gentlemen; and Jonas Profit, Edward Pising, Richard Keale, James
Watkins, and William Ward, soldiers.
Heading down the James River, Smith and his party spent a few days
at Kecoughtan (Hampton), where "the King feasted us with mirth."
The English were not above a little skulduggery to encourage cooperation
on the part of the natives, as the account shows: "In the evening
we fired a few rackets (rockets), which flying into the ayre so terrified
the poor Salvages, they supposed nothing impossible we attempted, and
desired to assist us."
Throughout the trip most of Smith's men "were sicke almost to
death, until they were seasoned to the Country," but that didn't
interrupt the dynamic captain's plans. And before the expedition returned
to Jamestown on September 7, 1608, he and his men had chalked up all
kinds of experiences, ranging from almost continuous Indian attacks
to the death of Richard Featherstone, whom they buried "with a
volley of shot."
The visit to the Elizabeth River area took place on their way back
to Jamestown. This is how the narrative describes it:
"In a fayre calme, rowing towards poynt Comfort, we anchored in
Gosnolls Bay, but such a suddaine gust surprised us in the night with
thunder and rayne, that we never thought more to have seene James Towne.
Yet running before the wind, we sometimes saw the Land by the flashes
of fire from heaven by which light onely we kept from the splitting
shore, until it pleased God in that blacke darknesse to preserve us
by that light to finde poynt Comfort: there refreshing our selves, because
we had onely but heard of the Chisapeacks & Nandsamunds, we thought
it as fit to know all our neighbours neare home, as so many Nations
abroad.
"So setting sayle for the Southerne shore, we sayled up a narrow
river up the country of Chisapeack; it hath a good channell, but many
shoules about the entrance. By that we had sayled six or seaven myles,
we saw two or three little garden plots with their houses, the shore
overgrowne with the greatest Pyne and Firre trees we ever saw in the
Country. But nott seeing nor hearing any people, and the river very
narrow, we returned to the great river, to see if we could finde any
of them."
 Chapter
3
Whence Elizabeth River, Willoughby, and Two Points
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