Blood on the River

Two months have passed, and Samuel and the others are still traveling on the Susan Constant. Samuel has survived a long and difficult illness, and now the Susan Constant, with the two other ships, is traveling south toward the Canary Islands. Samuel marvels at the “ocean so clear and blue” (21) when he goes up to deck for the mess pot for the other servants below, and he observes Captain Newport looking angry as the captain follows Samuel below deck to the servants’ area, called the ‘tween deck; Samuel witnesses Captain Newport place Captain Smith under arrest for “intent to overthrow the government of this mission, murder the council members, and make yourself ruler” (23). Captain Smith accuses Master Wingfield of lying to Captain Newport, and the two men almost come to blows.

To Samuel’s disappointment, Captain Smith controls his emotions, and challenges Captain Newport by asking him calmly if the captain believes the lies of the other gentlemen. Captain Smith reminds Captain Newport that it was Master Wingfield and the other gentlemen who “want[ed] to go back to England, to their comforts, every time there [was] a storm” (24), insinuating that the gentlemen are unreliable despite their signed seven-year contracts with the Virginia Company.