Contents 
Front Matter A Name to be Proud of Ready for Sea The King's Gift Why I am an Adventurer The Signal for Departure A Lad's Portion The Allotment of Land An Unexpected Delay Our Arrival at Cowes We Put to Sea The Dove Disappears A Second Tempest An Unseemly Christmas The Port of Barbadoes The Arrival of the Dove Under Sail Again The Land of America The Land Given by the King Fear of the Brown Men Where to Build the City Taking the Island A Voyage of Discovery Visiting the Indians An Unexpected Meeting Captain Fleet's Story An Indian Werowance Indian vs. English Claims Seeking a Place for the City The Bargain The Village of Yaocomico What the Indians Look Like Indian Weapons and Tools Landing the Goods Counting Our Blessings The Susquehanoughs A Land of Abundance Buying Cattle Storehouse and Fort A Visitor from Virginia A Talk with the Indians Running up the Colors Settling Down Master William Claiborne Lord Baltimore's Claims Stirring up the Indians Winning Back the Indians Busy Times Indian Women as Servants Making a Canoe A Boat of Bark Indian Money A Generous Harvest Trouble at Plymouth Strange Religious Service The Dance Begins An Odd Ceremony William Claiborne's War Settlement on Kent Island We Prepare for War The Army leaves St. Mary's In Command of the Guard A Flag of Truce Captain Fleet Repents The First Prize of War A Battle is Fought The Return of the Fleet William Claiborne's Flight The City of Saint Mary's A Cruel Murder Mystery Remains Unsolved Master George Evelin A Fatal Accident Preparing for Action Ready for a Man's Duty I Wear the Uniform My New Name On Board the Pinnance Indians in War Paint The Arrival at Kent Island The Capture of the Fort Butler and Smith Captives Back to Claiborne's Fort I am Assigned New Duties A Narrow Escape Words of Praise

Calvert of Maryland - James Otis




Winning Back the Indians

Governor Calvert and our gentlemen showed themselves wise by not striving to dispute the falsehoods told by Captain Fleet and Master Claiborne. Instead of so doing, they continued the work which had been begun, as if there was nothing to cause alarm, and every now and then, when a single Indian came among us, most likely to spy out what we might be doing, he was treated with the greatest friendliness, being allowed to wander whithersoever he would.

[Illustration] from Calvert of Maryland by James Otis

It is true, however, that the fort was strengthened by the building of a blockhouse to be used in case of necessity; but other than that nothing of a warlike nature could be seen within our settlement.

In order to show that we were unconcerned as to whether or no the brown-skinned men visited us, Governor Calvert caused to be fitted out with goods for barter the small pinnace which had been hired from the people of Virginia, sending it up the bay and the rivers for the purpose of trading, giving to those who had furs for sale a better price than had been paid by Claiborne.

[Illustration] from Calvert of Maryland by James Otis

Although it was late in the season when our pinnace was sent out, she brought back within a month two hundred ninety-eight beaver skins, fifty-three muskrat hides, and seventeen other pelts.

It was not much, even as a beginning, for, so we learned from the savages, William Claiborne and Captain Fleet had in the meanwhile bought no less than three thousand beaver skins, which made our number seem exceeding trivial.

That which we did, however, served well Governor Calvert's purpose, since by keeping to ourselves, bargaining fairly with the Indians, and living up to the bargain that had been made with those of Yaocomico; the brown-skinned people came to understand that the men of Kent Island had spoken with a double tongue, meaning that they had said what was false, for within six weeks all the Indians who had abandoned us came back, showing quite as much friendliness as before.