Blood on the River

After the attack, the boys and the men are anxious. Samuel and Captain Smith discuss the prospect of creating a settlement while under pressure from the natives, and Captain Smith reassures Samuel by saying “a delicate balance” (64) is possible. The Virginia Company, the organizers of the expedition to the New World, have pre-selected leaders, and when Captain Smith’s name is mentioned, “it causes a big ruckus,” and he “is not allowed” to be a leader of the council (65). Other conditions are also read out loud to the group, including the instruction that letters home must not contain “anything bad about the New World” (66).

Some men who go onshore and explore the land have positive reports about their interactions with the natives, and 17 days after landing, the explorers find a safe and hospitable place “where the river is deep close to shore” (67) for the Virginia settlement, called Jamestown. The council names Master Wingfield president. The morning of their arrival to the settlement area, Samuel suggests that he work with James and Richard, but the boys are wary of his offer to help. The boys and men work hard for several days to set up camp, while some men “take turns standing guard, their muskets ready” (70).