Captain John Smith is constantly seeking a supply of food for the colonists, and, using the Discovery, the smallest of the three ships which had been left behind for their use, he successfully trades for food with the Nansemonds, who are located along the Nansemond River in the modern-day City of Suffolk, and several other groups.

With the coming arrival of the new supply fleet, Captain Smith feels the colony is sufficiently reinforced to engage the Powhatan directly with a diplomatic initiative aimed at securing at least a temporary respite from native sniping, kidnapping, and assaulting.

Taking a small escort, they make their way through a attacks to the capital of the Powhatan Confederacy.

While leading the expedition in December 1607 up the Chickahominy River west of Jamestown, his men are set upon by Powhatans.

As his party is being slaughtered around him, Smith straps his native guide in front of him as a shield and escapes with his life but is captured by Opechancanough, the Powhatan chief's half-brother.

Smith gives him a compass which pleases the warrior and makes him decide to let Smith live.

Smith is taken before Wahunsunacock, who is commonly referred to as Chief Powhatan, at the Powhatan Confederacy's seat of government at Werowocomoco on the York River.

However, seventeen years later, in 1624, Smith will first relate that when the chief decided to execute him, this course of action had been stopped by the pleas of Chief Powhatan's young daughter, Pocahontas, who was originally named Matoaka but whose nickname meant "Playful One."

Many historians today find this account dubious, especially as it was omitted in all his previous versions.