The writer, feeling confident that the original tradition was
correct, made an exhaustive search for information on that and
many similar matters, and finally found, in the old library of the
Maryland Historical Society, an item of three lines in a fragment of
Jamestown records covering eleven years — 1630 to 1641 — which
furnished in a positive and indisputable form the proof sought.
During the period, covered by the fragment, matters became so
bad between the Whites and Indians, that Opechancanough
was induced to agree upon a line being established which neither
White nor Indian, excepting truce-bearers, should cross under
penalty of being shot on sight. To insure strict obedience to
the compact a law was passed at Jamestown imposing a heavy
penalty on any of the people crossing the line without a special
permit from the Governor's Council and the General Court, ^his
accounts for the item alluded to, which is given verbatim et liter-
atim. In the Council record it reads:
"Dec. 17th, 1641. — Thomas Rolfe petitions Governor to let
him go see Opechankeno to whom he is allied, and Cleopatra, his
mother's sister."
The record of the General Court was evidently intended to be a
verbatim copy, though they differ somewhat in phraseology and
spelling: —
"Dec. 17th, 1641. — Thomas Rolph petitions Gov. to let him
go to see Opechanko, to whom he is allied, and Cleopatre, his
mother's sister."
