 They were among the first English to travel to this area, and so they would need maps for those that came after them. He studied Algonquin so that he would be able to communicate with the local American Indians. And what a story you're hearing about Captain John Smith. Anyone who's read his writing, his own journals, you can't put it down. It's like Grant's writing, Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs. This is some of the best reading material you can have.