Powhatan to John Smith, 1608

From Edward Arber, editor, Travels and Works of Captain John Smith, vol. I. Edinburgh: J. Grant, 1910. 132-136.

Captain Smith, some doubt I have of your comming hither, that makes me not so kindly seeke to relieve you as I would; for many do informe me, your comming is not for trade, but to invade my people and possesse my Country, who dare not come to bring you corne, seeing you [are] thus armed with your men. To cleere [relieve] us of this fear, leave abord your weapons, for here they are needlesse, we being all friends and forever Powhatans. . . .

Captain Smith, you may understand that I, having seene the death of all my people thrice, and not one living of those three generations but my selfe, I know the difference of peace and warre better than any in my Countrie. But now I am old, and ere long must die. My brethren, namely Opichapam, Opechankanough, and Kekataugh, [and] my two sisters, and their two daughters, are distinctly each others' successours. I wish their experiences no lesse than mine, and your love to them, no less than mine to you: but this brute [noise] from Nansamund, that you are come to destroy my Countrie, so much affrighteth all my people, as they dare not visit you. What will it availe you to take that which perforce, you may quietly have with love, or to destroy them that provide you food? What can you get by war, when we can hide our provision and flie to the woods, whereby you must famish, by wronging us your friends? And why are you thus jealous of our love, seeing us unarmed, and both doe, and are willing still to feed you with what you cannot get but by our labors?

Think you I am so simple not to know it is better to eat good meate, lie well, and sleep quietly with my women and children, laugh, and be merrie with you, have copper, hatchets, or what I want being your friend; than bee forced to flie from all, to lie cold in the woods, feed upon acorns, roots and such trash, and be so hunted by you that I can neither rest, eat, nor sleepe, but my tired men must watch, and if a twig but break, everieone cry, there comes Captain Smith: then must I flie I know not wither, and thus with miserable fear end my miserable life, leaving my pleasures to such youths as you, which through your rash unadvisednesse, may quickly as miserably end, for want of that you never know how to find? Let this therefore assure you of our loves, and everie year our friendly trade shall furnish you with corne; and now also, if you would come in friendly manner to see us, and not thus with your gunes and swords as to invade your foes.