1. Visit the 1607 James Fort in Historic Jamestowne.
2. Paddle some of the Chickahominy River where Captain Smith nearly lost his life.
3. Paddle to the former Native American village, Werowocomoco, on the York River.
There I found Captain Smith prominently on display (#8 on map) looking upon the James River...
The Voorhees Archaearium Archaeology Museum has on display many recovered artifacts.
The Chickahominy River played a prominent part in Captain Smith's late 1607 misadventure. He'd ventured up the Chickahominy River several times in order to obtain corn from the Chickahominy people. The corn was needed by the Jamestown settlers for their survival. Once enough corn had been obtained he decided to make one more trip of an exploratory nature up the river with a crew of 8 men. When they'd passed the last Chickahominy village the river became too shallow for their vessel. Like many a paddler he had to see what was around the next bend in the river...so he left his vessel and 6 of its crewmen behind, and along with 2 Englishmen and 2 Chickahominy men, got into a dugout canoe. The 5 of them then paddled another 12 miles or so further upriver to where Smith and a Chickahominy man went ashore. This historical marker tells the story...
Unbeknownst to Smith the two Englishmen who'd accompanied him had been killed before Smith's capture, and Smith was about to share their fate when according to his 1624 account the following took place: Smith thought to show Indian leader Opechancanough his "round ivory double compass Dyall. Much they marvailed at the playing of the Fly and needle, which they could see so plainly, and yet not touch it, because of the glass that covered them. But when demonstrated by that Globe-like jewell, the roundness of the earth and skies, the sphere of the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, and how the Sunne did chase the night round about the world continually; the greatnesse of the Land and Sea, the diversitie of Nations, varietie of complexions, and how we were to them Antipodes, and many other such like matters, they all stood as amazed with admiration. Notwithstanding, within an houre after they tyed him to a tree, and as many as could stand about him prepared to shoot him, but the King holding up the compass in his hand, they all laid downe their Bows and Arrowes, and in a triumphant manner led him to Orapaks, where he was after their manner kindly feasted, and well used."
In Smith's 1608 account of this incident he describes the device as only a "compasse diall" whereas in his 1624 account he provided more detail "a round ivory double compass Dyall" and it being a "Globe-like jewell".
An article The Adventures of Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, and a Sundial by Sara J. Schechner, Ph.D. Harvard University Dept. of the History of Science makes the case that the device was "a type of pocket sundial made in Europe and contained in a hollow ivory sphere. When opened, one hemisphere contained a magnetic compass whose wire needle was glued to the underside of a card painted with a wind rose. The card - or - fly spun on a pivot and indicated north. The fly was protected by glass held down by a brass volvelle that showed phases of the moon and could be used to determine the time of the tides or to convert the sundial into a moon dial. The exterior of the ivory sphere was often ornamented with delicate patterns, or, as in Smith's example, could be inscribed with the great celestial circles - i.e., the ecliptic, the equator, the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic circles, and the colures - demarcating the path of the sun and planets in the heavens. Smith's sundial was a powerful token, a model of the universe he could hold in the palm of his hand."
Obviously this device was way more than a simple pocket compass, and in my opinion in the early 1600s it would have been the equivalent to today's smart phones or GPS devices. Without this seemingly magical device having been in Smith's pocket it is highly doubtful that he would have lived another day!
In order to experience paddling on the Chickahominy River I chose to launch from the Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Williamsburg, VA. The park is located at the confluence of the James and Chickahominy rivers about 8 miles upriver from Jamestowne. Blustery winds out of the north made a
7-mile loop paddle around Gordon Island a good choice. The route was via Gordon Creek, Nayses Bay, and Nettles Creek back to the Chickahominy. I read about this loop on the Virginia Water Trails website. Ideal when done with a mid-day high tide which I had. A map of the loop...
The Chickahominy people are described on this plaque located further upriver in Sandston, VA...
Wildlife encountered along the Chickahominy included this bald eagle...
Upon completing the loop the now falling tide and stiff north wind helped convey me back to my starting point...
Leaving the park I passed this historical marker...
Captain Smith's captivity saw him being marched away from the Chickahominy River and over the next several days to various Native American villages before finally arriving at the principal Powhatan village, Werowocomoco...
Smith described the Powhatan leader Wahunsonacock's regal stature as: "himself as upon a Throne at the upper ende of the house, with such a Majestie as I cannot express, nor yet have often seene, either in Pagan or Christian." It was at Werowocomoco that Smith believed his life was saved a second time when Wahunsonacock's daughter, Pocahontas, interceded and asked her father to spare Smith's life.
Because there's no way at present to visit Werowocomoco by land I decided to visit the fabled village by boat, launching into the tidal York River at Cappahosic...
...and paddling with the incoming tide about 2.5 miles upriver to Purtan Bay...
Confirmation that I was in the approximate area was this National Park Service boundary marker...
Since 2016 the 264-acre site has been owned by the NPS but is not yet open to the public.
I briefly made landfall just outside of the boundary...
...and later passed what appeared to be another access point along the York River shoreline...
With the last of my 3 objectives now complete I thoroughly enjoyed paddling downriver back to the small beach at Cappahosic. Is there anything better than having accomplished your goals and paddling into an almost summerlike breeze with temps in the upper 60s? ....
Only this very modest amount of plastic trash was encountered in my time on these waters...
Captain Smith returned to England in 1609 and never returned to Virginia He died in England in 1631 at the age of 51 years old...
