to be traded to the Powhatans; Thomas Savage had previously been given to Powhatan by Captain Christopher Newport in 1608, and Spelman named in his writings of "Dutchman Samuel" (actually "Samuel Collier" who was John Smith's page) as another European child that lived with the Natives. Parahunt treated Spelman well, but relations soured between the colonists and the Powhatan, eventually leading to warfare. Spelman wanted to return to his fellow colonists and soon made his way back to Jamestown. His stay was brief however due to the shortage of food at the fort as they started into what has been named the starving time; and he knew the Indians had food in their village. Thomas Savage was ordered to return to the Powhatan yet he did not want to return alone therefore, Spelman elected himself to return with Savage as he knew the Powhatan had food stating that "which I the more willinglie did, by Reason that vitals were scarse with us". Spelman took a hatchet and some copper with him to give to the Powhatan. Powhatan was pleased and treated Spelman kindly for a while. Spelman spent a total of about a year and a half with the Powhatan Indians, learning the Algonquian language and their way of life. He acted as a messenger and interpreter between the Powhatan people and English colonists, arranging for the two groups to trade with one another. Spelman was sent to Jamestown on behalf of the Powhatan to broker a trade for corn, yet after agreeing to the trade the party sent from Jamestown to trade ran into complications with the Powhatan and violence broke out. Of the 50 men in the Jamestown party, all but 16 were captured and killed. The party was led by the governor at the time John Ratcliffe who was also captured and tortured to death by the Powhatan women. This left Spelman and his fellow interpreter fearful to stay with the Powhatan and unable to return to Jamestown as they might have been hanged as traitors. By this time Spelman had been living at Yawtanoone (Youghtanund) for six months when a local chief of the Patawomeck, a tribe living on the south side of the Potomac River, came to visit Powhatan. Without telling Chief Powhatan, Spelman, Savage, and Dutchman Samuel left when the visiting Chief left. Powhatan's men captured and killed Samuel. Being afraid for his own