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




On Board the Pinnace

John sailed in the pinnace with me; but he was not named as one who bore arms, even though his musket, save for the ornaments upon its stock, was much the same as mine.

I believed then, and do at this day, that my father gave orders concerning his bearing toward me, now that I had, as you might say, become a man, for he treated me as one above him in station, instead of a child under his care, as he had done less than four and twenty hours previous.

The voyage up the bay was not made speedily, because of the lightness of the wind. During all that day we sailed slowly, observing with much concern small companies of brown men on the eastern shore, who were gathered there as if to spy upon us, and I questioned John as to whether he believed those mutinous men of Kent Island had already succeeded so far in stirring up the savages, that we were likely to have them as enemies before we returned.

Because there were no signs of enmity, save on the eastern shore, he was of the belief that, seeing with what force we were coming, the brown people would think twice before yielding to the advice of those Englishmen who counted to take from my Lord Baltimore, by force of arms, a portion of that land which the king had given him.

John's opinion was not shared by all who were on board the pinnace, and I heard, with much of inward fear, more than one of the men give it as his belief that there would be blood shed ere we were come again to our town of St. Mary's.