On June 2, 1608, John Smith and his crew began the first of two voyages exploring the Chesapeake region and made their first stop on the Eastern Shore. Near today’s Cape Charles, they saw Indian men of the Accomack tribe fishing with spears. Because they spoke the Virginia Algonquian language, which Smith had learned the previous winter, they were able to direct the explorers to their town, where the Accomack chief gave them a friendly reception. Although there were other Indian towns on the Eastern Shore, Accomack was one of only two included on Smith’s map, along with Accohannock, whose chief was named Kiptopeke. Smith’s exploratory voyages from 1607 to 1609 later became the basis for the 3,000-mile Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which follows his routes on the Chesapeake Bay and several major rivers.