The colonists left England Dec. 1606, reaching the West Indies on 23 March 1607. Departed from the West Indies 10 April 1607, first landing in Virginia 26 April 1607. After exploration, they reached Jamestown 13 May 1607. April 26, 1607 - Site of the First landing of the Jamestown Colonists on the American Mainland: On a beautiful Sabbath date in late April the coast of VA was sighted about 4 o'clock in the morning - 19 weeks after the three ships left London and 16 days after their departure from the West Indies. About 30 of the men landed and explored a short distance inland Master Percy related that they saw "faire meddows and goodly tall Trees, with such Fresh-waters running the woods, as I was almost ravished at the first sight thereof." First Encounter with Virginia Indians seemed to be a foreboding one, as Capt. Gabriel ARCHER, Gentleman and Mathew MORTON, a sailor, were wounded: "At night, when wee were going aboard, there came the Savages creeping upon all foure, from the Hills like Beares, with their Bowes in their mouthes, charged us very desperately in the faces, hurt Captain Gabriel ARCHER in both his hands, and a sayler in two places of the body very dangerous. After they had spent their Arrowes, and felt the sharpness of our shot, they retired into the Woods with a great noise, and so left us." -- George PERCY. April 27, 1607 - During the second day in VA, at Cape Henry, the colonists began building a small boat known as a shallop It appears that the ready-cut timbers were brought from England, as the boat was completed the following day. The settlers also explored inland for about eight miles, and found and ate some roasted oysters left by the Indians who, per George PERCY, had "perceived our comming, fled away to the Mountaines, and left many of the Oysters in the fire: wee eat some of the Oysters, which were very large and delicate in taste.". On April 28th, they found an Indian canoe near Cape Henry - "...a Cannow, which was made out of the whole tree, which was five and fortie foot long by the Rule..." Later gathered oysters and clams - "Upon this plot of ground we got good store of Mussels and Oysters, which lay on the ground as thicke as stones. We opened some (oysters), and found in many of them Pearles." They marched 3-4 miles into the woods and saw "great smoakes of fire." "Wee marched to those smoakes and found that the Savages had beene there burning downe the grasse, as wee thought either to make their plantation (village) there, or else to give signes to bring their forces together, and so to give us battell." The colonists found a field full of large strawberries. "We past through excellent ground full of Flowers of divers kinds and colours, and as goodly trees as I have seene, as Cedar, Cipresse, and other kindes: going a little further we came into a little plat of ground full of fine and beautiful Strawberries, four times bigger and better than ours in England." April 29, 1607 -- The settlers gave thanks to their Creator by erecting a cross at Cape Henry. April 30, 1607 - Meeting the Kecoughtan Indians. On April 30 the small fleet left Cape Henry and sailed across Chesapeake Bay to Cape Comfort. Anchoring in a small bay (near present day Hampton, VA) the shallop was manned, and Capt. NEWPORT and some of his men rowed to the Indian village of Kecoughtan. Percy describes, "...wee saw five Savages running on the shoare... "....the Captaine called to them in signe of friendship, but they were at first very timersome, until they saw the Captain lay his hand on his heart: upon that they laid down their Bowes and Arrowes, and came very boldly to us, making signes to come a shoare to their Towne, which is called by the Savages, Kecoughtan . Wee coasted to their Town, rowing over a River running into the Maine, where these Savages swam over with their Bowes and Arrowes in their mouths." "When we came over to the other side, there was a many of other Savages which directed us to their Towne, where were were entertained by them very kindly. When we came first a Land they made a dolefull noise laying their faces to the ground, scratching the earth with their nailes. We did thinke that they had beene at their Idolatry. When they had ended their Ceremonies, they went into their houses and brought out mats and laid upon the ground, the chiefest of them sate all in a rank: the meanest sort brought us such dainties as they had and of their bread which they make of their Maiz or Gennea wheat, they would not suffer us to eat unlesse we sate down, which we did on a Mat right against them." "After we were well satisfied they gave us of their Tabacco, which they tooke in a pipe made artifically of earth as ours are, but far bigger, with the bowle fashioned together with a piece of fine copper." "They hang through their eares Fowles legs; they shave the right side of their heads with a shell, the left side they weare of an ell long (about 45 inches) tied up with an artificiall knot, with a many of Foules feathers sticking in it. They goe altogether naked, but their privities are covered with Beasts skinnes beset commonly with little bones, or beasts teeth: some paint their bodies blacke, some red, with artificiall knots of sundry lively colours, very beautifull and pleasing to the eye, in a braver fashion then they in the West Indies." "After they had feasted us, they shewed us, in welcome, their manner of dancing, which was in this fashion: one of the Savages standing in the midst singing, beating one hand against another, all the rest dancing about him, shouting, howling, and stamping against the ground, with many Anticke tricks and faces, making noise like so many Wolves or Devils. On thing of them I observed; when they were in their dance they kept stroke with their feet just one with another, but with their hands, heads, faces, and bodies, every one of them had a severall gesture: so they continued for the space of halfe an houre. When they had ended their dance, the Captaine gave them Beades and other trifling Jewells." April 31 to May 4, 1607: It is not clear which day the colonists left the Indian village of Kecoughtan, but it is believed to have been either April 31 or May 1. The distance between Kecoughtan and Paspihe village (the next place mentioned by PERCY) by way of the winding James River is approximately 50 miles. On their visit to Pasphihe, an Indian village located about 8 miles upriver from Jamestown Island, they were welcomed and entertained. Little did the colonists realize on that 4th day of May that the Paspihes, who claimed the land in the vicinity of Jamestown, would become their mortal enemies and, on more than one occasion, would attempt to wipe out the small English settlement! May 5, 1607 - On this day the settlers - still searching for a suitable site for planting a colony - crossed the James River from Paspihe village (not far from where the Chickahominy river runs into the James) to the south shore and visited the Tapahanock Indians (erroneously called the Rapahannas by George PERCY and Quiyoughcohanocks by Capt. John SMITH). An invitation had been extended from the chief of the Tapahanocks to visit his village and Captain NEWPORT "manned our shallop with Musketes and Targatiers (men armed with shield or light armour) sufficiently: this said Messenger guided us where our determination was to goe." Per PERCY -- "When wee landed, the Werowance (chief) of Rapahanna (Tapahanock Indian chieftan) came downe to the water side with all of his traine, as goodly men as any I have seene of Savages or Christians: the Werowance comming before them playing on a Flute made of a Reed, with a Crown of Deares haire colloured red, in fashion of a Rose fastened about his knot of haire, and a great Plate of Copper on the other side of his head, with two long Feathers in fashion of a paire of Hornes placed in the midst of his Crowne. His body was painted all with Crimson, with a Chaine of Beads about his necke, his face painted blew, besprinked with silver Ore as wee thought, his eares all behung with Braslets of Pearle, and in either eare a Birds Claw throught it best with fine Copper, he entertained us in so modest a proud fashion, as though he had beene a Prince of civill government, holding his countenance without laughter or any such ill behavior; he caused his Mat to be spred on the ground, where he sate downe with a great Majestie, taking a pipe of Tabacco; the rest of his company standing about him. After he had rested a while he rose, and made signes to us to come to his Towne; Hee went formost, and all the rest of his people and our selves followed him up a steepe Hill where his Palace was settled. Wee passed through the Woods in fine paths, having most pleasant Springs which issued from the Mountaines: Wee also went through the goodliest Corne fieldes that ever was seene in any Countrey. When wee came to Rapahannos Towne, he entertained us in good humanitie." On May 8, 1607, they continued their exploring trip westward up the James River, sailing from Rapahanna (Tapahanock) village to the Indian village of Apamatica. The Indians were not overly friendly. Per PERCY, "There came many stout and able Savages to resist us with their Bowes and Arrowes, in a most warlike manner, with the swords at their backes beset with sharpe stones, and pieces of yron able to cleave a man in sunder. Amongst the rest one of the chiefest standing before them crosselegged, with his Arrow readie in his Bow in one hand, and taking a Pipe of Tobacco in the other, with a bold uttering of his speech, demanded of us or being there, willing us to bee gone. wee made signes of peace, which they perceived in the end, and let us land in quietnesse." Apamatica was the last Indian village visited by the English before they planted their colony at Jamestown, and they probably did not stay more than a day or two.