James I., who was King of England at that time, gave the right to
Sir Thomas Gates and others to form a settlement in the New
World; and in December, 1606, three small vessels set sail for
the shores of America. John Smith was on board one of the
vessels. The ships, with one hundred and five men in them,
crossed the ocean in safety, and reached the West India Islands.
They then sailed northward along the coast of Florida and the
Carolinas, looking for a good harbor.
When they reached the mouth of Chesapeake Bay they were tossed by
a terrible storm' but managed to sail into a harbor without being
wrecked. This was in April, 1607, and some time was spent in
looking for a place to make a settlement. Before them was a broad
river, which was called Powhatan by the Indians, and this they
sailed up, delighted with the beautiful prospect before them.
Some Indians came down to the shore and stared at the ships as
they sailed by, but the settlers went on up the broad current
until they reached a sort of island close to the shore. Here, on
the 13th of May, 1607, the ships cast anchor, and here a
settlement was made, and was called, in honor of the king,
Jamestown.
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