Within these three years, however, she had been married to the
chief of one of the tributary tribes, Ko-ko-um by name, but, as
was the Indian marriage custom, Ko-ko-um had come to live among
the kindred of his wife, and had shortly after been killed in one
of the numerous Indian fights.
It was during the captivity of the young widow at Jamestown that
she became acquainted with Master John Rolfe, an industrious
young Englishman, and the man who, first of all the American
colonists, attempted the cultivation of tobacco.
Master Rolfe was a widower and an ardent desirer of "the
conversion of the pagan salvages." He became interested in the
young Indian widow, and though he protests that he married her
for the purpose of converting her to Christianity, and rather
ungallantly calls her "an unbelieving creature," it is just
possible that if she had not been a pretty and altogether
captivating young unbeliever he would have found less personal
means for her conversion.
Well, the Englishman and the Indian girl, as we all know, were
married, lived happily together, and finally departed for
England. Here, all too soon, in 1617, when she was about
twenty-one, the daughter of the great chieftain of the
Pow-ha-tans died.
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