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 sail for the Southern
shore, we sailed up a narrow river up the country of Chisapeack; it hath a good channel,
but many shores about the entrance. By that we had saled six or seven miles, we saw two
or three little garden plots with their houses, the shore over grown with the greatest
Pyne and Firre trees we ever saw in the Country. But not seeing nor hearing any people,
and the river very narrow, we returned to the great river, to see if we could find any of
them."
