AR'GALL, Sir &mum (c.1580-1626). An English navigator, and deputy governor of the Virginia colony, born about 1580 or 1585. In 1609 he was sent to Virginia in charge of a vessel, with orders to find a more direct route than that previously followed, and he succeeded in considerably shortening the time ordinarily occupied by the passage. After his arrival, in 1609, he was employed in surveying Chesapeake Bay and a large part of the coast northward to Cape Cod. Returning to Virginia, lie took part in the fighting with the Indians, and in 1612 he conducted the negotiations with the chief of a Potomac tribe to whose care the women of the Powhatan tribe had been intrusted during hostilities, by which the English secured pos session of Pocahontas, a favorite daughter of the chief, Powhatan, in exchange for a copper kettle. Her marriage to John Rolfe followed soon after, and the troubles with the natives were settled, leaving Argall free to gu to sea again. In 1613 he was given command of a powerful war vessel, and instructed to keep all intruders out of the territory claimed for Eng land. He sailed to Mount Desert Island, where he found a French Jesuit settlement, which he destroyed. carrying off the settlers to James town as prisoners. French establishments at Port Royal and Saint Croix received the same treatment. At New Amsterdam (now New
York) Argall found a Dutch colony, and forced the governor to haul down his flag and display the English colors in its place—a recognition of English supremacy which lasted so long as Ar gall was in the harbor. In 1617 Argall was promoted to be deputy governor and admiral of Virginia. Ile conducted affairs in a high handed fashion, and was accused of engaging in illegal trade, especially with the Spanish settlements in the West Indies. He ignored several peremptory orders to return to England to answer the charges against him, but eventu ally went back to stand trial. No serious action, however, was taken, probably because of the protection afforded him by the Earl of Warwick, who is supposed to have participated in the profits of Argall's ventures. In 1620 Argall was captain in a fleet which attacked the Algerine pirates in the Mediterranean. A year later he was knighted. In 1625 he was ap pointed admiral of an Anglo - Dutch fleet of twenty-eight vessels, which took Spanish prizes valued at over L100,000, and later in the same veer took part, as commander of the flagship, in Cecil's expedition against the Spaniards..