09.18
The Susan Constant a sailing vessel captained by Christopher Newport, was the largest of three ships of the English Virginia Company (the others being the Discovery and the Godspeed) on the 1606-1607 voyage that resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia.
This is a replica ship, built by and docked as a permanent floating exhibit in the Jamestown Settlement historical site and museum, owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
It rained off and on, mostly on, today. In-between raindrops and showers, we took this portion of Jamestown in and soaked it up, while getting soaked. The ships, there are three of them, are popular with all, especially any kid at heart. I saw more than one child, then adult, striking similar poses at the rudder or at the wheel.
One of my highlights was watching the blacksmith at work forming an axe head. Into the fire pit went the metal, up and down went the double bellows, heating hotter and hotter until the metal glowed with a deep orange. Down and clang went the heavy hammer, shaping the steel into just the right shape. Back into the fire over and over, until just the right shape and then edge was applied to create the tool of the colony.
The work went on by those whose job it was to recreate the look and feel of the early colony. Rain or shine, winter’s chill or unbearable heat, they keep plying the trades that united the colonists, and now inform those of us of our forebears struggles and successes.
It was a good day, even in the rain.
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