CHAPTER VI

 Under the new President matters went from bad to worse. Fall was now approaching and the decaying vegetation was sending up deadly miasmas¹ to poison the air.

 

“Food, food!” was the daily cry of the colonists². The deadly fear of Opechancanough and his men filled their dreams at night with terrible crimes. Many a man awoke with the cold perspiration³ bathing his brow, only to find his dream come true. A cry—a prayer—a silence!

 

Sitting idly around, they bemoaned⁴ their fate and talked of the comforts they had left behind. Would they had never left the shores of England! There at least they might have found food.

 

But even as they sat and talked, a ministering angel, sent by God, was on her way to them. Sculling down the James came Pocahontas for her first visit to Jamestown. The bottom of her canoe was filled with corn and wild turkeys which she was bringing as a present to Captain Smith. Fearlessly stepping on shore, she came directly toward a group of men sitting under a tree.

 

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“Where is your chief?” she asked.

 

Thinking that she meant Ratcliffe, one of the men hastened to call him. But when he appeared the little guest shook her head and said, “Not the one of the lowering brow, but the one with the shining body.” Then they knew she meant Captain Smith and just then he appeared. Pleased recognition lighted up her countenance⁵ as she saw him.

 

“Pocahontas has come as she promised, and to show her love has brought food for the great chief.”

 

“Many times welcome, O Pocahontas,” he replied. “The Great Spirit of the pale faces has moved your heart to come to our aid.”

 

Then he showed her the church where the pale faces worshiped, and gave her presents of bells and beads⁶, and she lingered a long time with them and seemed loath⁷ to depart.

1 miasmas   

n.瘴气( miasma的名词复数 )；烟雾弥漫的空气；不良气氛或影响

参考例句：

2 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 perspiration   

n.汗水；出汗

参考例句：

• It is so hot that my clothes are wet with perspiration.天太热了，我的衣服被汗水湿透了。
• The perspiration was running down my back.汗从我背上淌下来。

4 bemoaned   

v.为（某人或某事）抱怨( bemoan的过去式和过去分词 )；悲悼；为…恸哭；哀叹

参考例句：

• The farmer bemoaned his loss. 农夫抱怨他所受到的损失。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He only bemoaned his fate. 他忍受了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

5 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

6 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

7 loath   

adj.不愿意的；勉强的

参考例句：

• The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
• They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。