very Ports they would take them perforce surprise vs at worke or any way which was so long permitted they became so insolent there was no rule the command from England was so strait not to offend them as our authoritie-bearers keeping their houses would rather be any thing then peace-breakers This charitable humor prevailed till well it chanced they medled with Captaine Smith who without farther deliberation gaue them such an incounter as some he so hunted vp and downe the Isle some he so terrified with whipping beating and imprisoâ—ment as for revenge they surprised two of our forraging disorderly souldiers and having assembled their forces boldly threatned at our Ports to force Smith to redeliver seven Salvages which for their villanies he detained prisoners or we were all but dead men But to try their furies he sallied out amongst them and in lesse then an houre he so hampred their insolencies they brought them his two men desiring peace without any further composition for their prisoners Those he examined and caused them all beleeue by severall vollies of shot one of their companions was shot to death because they would not confesse their intents and plotters of those villanies And thus they all agreed in one point they were directed onely by Powhatan to obtaine him our weapons to cut our owne throats with the manner where how and when which we plainly found most true and apparant yet he sent his messengers and his dearest daughter Pocahontas with presents to excuse him of the iniuries done by some rash vntoward Captaines his subiects desiring their liberties for this time with the assurance of his loue for ever After Smith had given the prisoners what correction he thought fit vsed them well a day or two after then delivered them Pocahontas for whose sake onely he fayned to haue saued their liues and gaue them libertie The patient Councell that nothing would moue to warre with the Salvages would gladly haue wrangled with Captaine Smith for his crueltie yet none was slaine to any mans knowledge but it brought them in such feare and obedience as his very name would sufficiently affright them where before wee had sometime peace and warre twice in a day and very seldome a weeke but we had some trecherous villany or other The fraught of this Ship being concluded to be Cedar by the diligence of the Master and Captaine Smith she was quickly reladed Master Scrivener was neither idle nor slow to follow all things at the Fort the Ship being ready to set sayle Captaine Martin being alwayes very sickly and vnserviceable and desirous to inioy the credit of his supposed Art of finding the golden Mine was most willingly admitted to returne for England For He hath not fill'd his lapp That still doth hold it oap From the writings of Thomas Studley and Anas Tâ—dkill Their Names that were landed in this Supply Mathew Scrivener appointed to be one of the Councell Gent. Michaell Phittiplace William Phittiplace Ralph Morton Richard Wyffing Iohn Taverner William Cantrell Robert Barnes Richard Fetherstone George Hill George Pretty Nathaniell Causy Peter Pory Robert Gutler Michaell Sicklemore William Bentley Thomas Coe Doctor Russell Ieffrey Abbot Edward Gurgana Richard Worley Timothy Leeds Richard Killingbeck William Spence Richard â—rodger Richard Pots Richard Mullinax William Bayley Francis Perkins Iohn Harper George Forest. Iohn Nichols William Griuell Labourers RaymoÌ„d Goodison William Simons Iohn Spearman Richard Bristow William Perce Iames Watkins Iohn Bouth Christopher Rods. Richard Burket Iames Burre Nicholas Ven. Francis Perkins Richard Gradon Rawland Nelstrop Richard Savage Thomas Savage Richard Milmer William May. Vere Michaell Bishop Wiles Taylers Thomas Hope William Ward Iohn Powell William Yong. William Beckwith Larence Towtales Apothecaries Thomas Field Iohn Harford Dani Stallings Ieweller Will Dawson a refiner Abram Ransack a refiner Wil. Iohnson a Goldsmith Peter Keffer a gunsmith Rob. Alberton a perfumer Richard Belfuld a Goldsmith Post Ginnat a Chirurg Iohn Lewes a Cooper Robert Cotton a Tobacco-pipe-maker Richard Dole a Black-smith And divers others to the number of 120. CHAPTER V. The Accidents that hapned in the Discovery of the Bay of Chisapeack THe prodigalitie of the Presidents state went so deepe into our small store that Smith and Scrivener tyed him and his Parasites to the rules of proportion But now Smith being to depart the Presidents authoritie so overswayed the discretion of Mr Scrivener that our store our time our strength and labours were idely consumed to fulfill his phantasies The second of Iune 1608. Smith left the Fort to performe his Discovery with this Company Walter Russell Doctor of Physicke Gentlemen Ralfe Murton Thomas Momford William Cantrill Richard Fetherston Iames Burne Michell Sicklemore Souldiers Ionas Profit Anas Todkill Robert Small Iames Watkins Iohn Powell Iames Read Richard Keale These being in an open Barge neare three tuns burthen leaving the Phoenix aâ— Cape Henry they crossed the Bay to the Easterne shore and fell with the Isles called Smiths Isles after our Captaines name The first people we saw were two grim and stout Salvages vpon Cape Charles with long poles like lauelings headed with bone they boldly demanded what we were and what we would but after many circumstances they seemed very kinde and directed vs to Accomack the habitation of their Werowance where we were kindly intreated This King was the comliest proper civill Salvage we incountred His Country is a pleasant fertile clay â—oyle some small creekes good Harbours for small Barks but not for Ships He told vs of a strange accident lately happened him and it was two children being dead some extreame passions or dreaming visions phantasies or affection moued their parents againe to revisit their dead carkases whose benummed bodies reflected to the eyes of the beholders such delightfull countenances as though they had regained their vitall spirits This as a miracle drew many to behold them all which being a great part of his people not long after dyed and but few escaped They spake the language of Powhatan wherein they made such descriptions of the Bay Isles and rivers that often did vs exceeding pleasure Passing along the coast searching every inlet and Bay fit for harbours and habitations Seeing many Isles in the midst of the Bay we bore vp for them but ere we could obtaine them such an extreame gust of wind rayne thunder and lightening happened that with great danger we escaped the vnmercifull raging of that Ocean-like water The highest land on the mayne yet it was but low we called Keales hill and these vninhabited Isles Russels Isles The next day searching them for fresh water we could find none the defect whereof forced vs to follow the next Easterne Channell which brought vs to the river of Wighcocomoco The people at first with great fury seemed to assault vs yet at last with songs and daunces and much mirth became very tractable but searching their habitations for water we could fill but
wondrous shapes Of bodies strange and huge in growth and of stupendious makes At last they brought him to Meronocomoco where was Powhatan their Emperor Here more then two hundred of those grim Courtiers stood wondering at him as he had beene a monster till Powhatan and his trayne had put themselues in their greatest braveries Before a fire vpon a seat like a bedsted he sat covered with a great robe made of Rarowcun skinnes and all the tayles hanging by On either hand did sit a young wench of 16 or 18 yeares and along on each side the house two rowes of men and behind them as many women with all their heads and shoulders painted red many of their heads bedecked with the white downe of Birds but every one with something and a great chayne of white beads about their necks At his entrance before the King all the people gaue a great shout The Queene of Appamatuck was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands and another brought him a bunch of feathers in stead of a Towell to dry them having feasted him after their best barbarous manner they could a long consultation was held but the conclusion was two great stones were brought before Powhatan then as many as could layd hands on him dragged him to them and thereon laid his head and being ready with their clubs to beate out his braines Pocahontas the Kings dearest daughter when no intreaty could prevaile got his head in her armes and laid her owne vpon his to saue him from death whereat the Emperour was contented he should liue to make him hatchets and her bells beads and copper for they thought him aswell of all occupations as themselues For the King himselfe will make his owne robes shooes bowes arrowes pots plant hunt or doe any thing so well as the rest They say he bore a pleasant shew But sure his heart was sad For who can pleasant be and rest That liues in feare and dread And having life suspected doth It still suspected lead Two dayes after Powhatan having disguised himselfe in the most fearefullest manner he could caused Cap t Smith to be brought forth to a great house in the woods and there vpon a mat by the fire to be left alone Not long after from behinde a mat that divided the house was made the most dolefullest noyse he ever heard then Powhatan more like a devill then a man with some two hundred more as blacke as himselfe came vnto him and told him now they were friends and presently he should goe to Iames towne to send him two great gunnes and a gryndstone for which he would giue him the Country of Capahowosick and for ever esteeme him as his sonne Nantaquoud So to Iames towne with 12 guides Powhatan sent him That night they quarterd in the woods he still expecting as he had done all this long time of his imprisonment every houre to be put to one death or other for all their feasting But almightie God by his divine providence had mollified the hearts of those sterne Barbarians with compassion The next morning betimes they came to the Fort where Smith having vsed the Salvages with what kindnesse he could he shewed Rawhunt Powhatans trusty servant two demi-Culverings a mill-stone to carry Powhatan they found them somewhat too heavie but when they did see him discharge them being loaded with stones among the boughs of a great tree loaded with Isickles the yee and branches came so tumbling downe that the poore Salvages ran away halfe dead with feare But at last we regained some conference with them and gaue them such toyes and sent to Powhatan his women and children such presents as gaue them in generall full content Now in Iames Towne they were all in combustion the strongest preparing once more to run away with the Pinnace which with the hazzard of his life with Sakre falcon and musket shot Smith forced now the third time to stay or sinke Some no better then they should be had plotted with the President the next day to haue put him to death by the Leviticall law for the liues of Robinson and Emry pretending the fault was his that had led them to their ends but he quickly tooke such order with such Lawyers that he layd them by the heeles till he sent some of them prisoners for England Now ever once in foure or fiue dayes Pocahontas with her attendants brought him so much provision that saved many of their liues that els for all this had starved with hunger Thus from numbe death our good God sent reliefe The sweete asswager of all other griefe His relation of the plenty he had seene especially at Warawocomoco and of the state and bountie of Powhatan which till that time was vnknowne so revived their dead spirits especially the loue of Pocahontas as all mens feare was abandoned Thus you may see what difficulties still crossed any good indevour and the good successe of the businesse being thus oft brought to the very period of destruction yet you see by what strange means God hath still delivered it As for the insufficiency of them admitted in Commission that error could not be prevented by the Electors there being no other choise and all strangers to each others education qualities or disposition And if any deeme it a shame to our Nation to haue any mention made of those inormities let them pervse the Histories of the Spanyards Discoveries and Plantations where they may see how many mutinies disorders and dissentions haue accompanied them and crossed their attempts which being knowne to be particular mens offences doth take away the generall scorne and contempt which malice presumption covetousnesse or ignorance might produce to the scandall and reproach of those whose actions and valiant resolutions deserue a more worthy respect Now whether it had beene better for Captaine Smith to haue concluded with any of those severall proiects to haue abandoned the Countrey with some ten or twelue of them who were called the better sort and haue left Mr Hunt our Preacher Master Anthony Gosnoll a most honest worthy and industrious Gentleman Master Thomas Wotton and some 27 others of his Countrymen to the fury of the Salvages famine and all manner of mischiefes and inconveniences for they were but fortie in all to keepe possession of this large Country or starue himselfe with them for company for want of lodging or but adventuring abroad to make them provision or by his opposition to preserue the action and saue all their liues I leaue to the censure of all honest men to consider But We men imagine in our Iolitie That 't is all one or good or bad to be But then anone wee alter this againe If happily wee feele the sence of paine For then we 're turn'd into a mourning vaine Written by Thomas Studley the first Cape Merchant in Virginia Robert Fenton Edward Harrington and I. S. CHAP. III. The Arrivall of the first supply with their
of the Bermudas where at last with his company he safely arriued but such was his diligence with his extraordinary care paines and industry to dispatch his businesse and the strength of his body not answering the euer memorable courage of his minde hauing liued so long in such honourable seruices the most part of his well beloued and vertuous life God and nature here determined should euer remaine a perpetuall memory of his much bewailed sorrow for his death finding his time but short after he had taken the best course he could to settle his estate like a valiant Captaine he exhorted them with all diligence to be constant to those Plantations and with all expedition to returne to Virginia In that very place which we now call Saint Georges towne this noble Knight died whereof the place taketh the name But his men as men amazed seeing the death of him who was euen as the life of them all embalmed his body and set saile for England being the first that euer went to seeke those Ilands which haue beene euer since called Summers Iles in honour of his worthy memory leauing three men behind them that voluntarily stayed whose names were Christopher Carter Edward Waters there formerly left as is said and Edward Chard This Cedar ship at last with his dead body arriued at Whit-Church in Dorsetshire where by his friends he was honourably buried with many vollies of shot and the rites of a Souldier and vpon his tombe was bestowed this Epitaph Hei mihi Virginia quod tam cito praeterit Aestas Autumnus sequitur saeuiet inde biems At ver perpetuum nascetur Anglialaeta Decerpit flores florida terra tuas In English thus Alas Virginia's Summer so soone past Autumne succeeds and stormy Winters blast Yet Englands ioyfull Spring with ioyfull showers O Florida shall bring thy sweetest flowers THe honour of this resulution belongs principally to Carter for through his importunity not to leaue such a place abandoned Chard Waters were moued to stay with him and the rest promised wâ—th all the speed they could againe to reuisit them But the ship once out of sight those three Lords the sole inhabitants of all those Ilands began to erect their little common wealth for a while with brotherly regency repairing the ground planting Corne and such seeds and fruits as they had building a house c. Then making priuy search amongst the creusses and corners of those craggy Rocks what this maine Ocean since the worlds creation had throwne amongst them at last they chanced vpon the greatest peece of Amber-greece was euer seene or heard of in one lumpe being in weight fourescore pound besides diuers other small peeces But now being rich they grew so proud and aÌ„bitious contempt tooke such place they fell out for superiority though but three forlorne men more then three thousand miles from their natiue Country and but small hope euer to see it againe Notwithstanding they sometimes fell from words to blowes about meere trifles in one of which fights one of them was bitten with his owne dog as if the dumbe beast would reproue them of their folly at last Chard and Waters the two greater spirits must try it out in the field but Carter wisely stole away their weapons affecting rather to liue amongst his enemies then by being rid of them liue alone and thus those miserable men liued full two yeeres so that all their clothes were neere worne cleane from their backs and their hopes of any forraine releefe as naked as their bodies At last they began to recouer their wits yet in a fashion perhaps would haue cost them dearer then when they were mad for concluding a tripartite peace of their Marachin warre they resolued to frame as good a Boat as they could and therein to make a desperate attempt for Virginia or New found Land but no sooner were they entred into that resolution but they descried a saile standing in for the shore though they neither knew what she was nor what she would they were so ouer-ioyed with all possible speed they went to meet her and according to their hearts desire she proued an English-man whom they safely conducted into their harbour Now you are to vnderstand that Captaine Matthew Somers Nephew and heire to Sir George that returned with his dead body though both he and his Company did their vtmost in relating all those passages to their Countrey-men and aduenturers their relations were beleeued but as trauellers tales till it came to be apprehended by some of the Virginia Company how beneficiall it might be and helpfull to the Plantation in Virginia so that some one hundred and twentie of them bought the pretended right of all the Company and had sent this ship to make a triall but first they had obtained Letters Patents of the Kings most excellent Maiestie Sir Thomas Smith was elected Treasurer and Gouernor heere and Master Richard More to be Gouernor of the Iles and Colony there The first beginning of a Colonie in the Somer Iles vnder the command of Master Richard More extracted out of a plot of Master Richard Norwood Surueior and the relations of diuer's others MAster More thus finding those three men not onely well and lusty but well stored with diuers sorts of prouisions as an Acre of Corne ready to be gathered numbers of Pumpions and Indian Beanes many Tortoises ready taken good store of hogs flesh salted and made in flitches of Bacon were very good and so presently landed his goods and sixty persons towards the beginning of Iuly 1612. vpon the South side of Smiths I le Not long after his arriuall More hauing some priuate intelligence of this Amber-greece tooke first Chard in examination he being one of the three the most masterfull spirit what Amber-greece Pearle Treasure or other Commodities they had found Chard no lesse witty then resolute directly answered Not any thing at all but the fruits of the I le what his fellowes had done he knew not but if they had he doubted not but to finde it out and then hee should know it certainly This he spake onely to win time to sweare his Consorts to secrecy and he would finde the meanes how they should all returne in that ship with it all for England otherwise they should be deceiued of all Till this was effected they thought euery houre an age now for the better conueiance of it aboord they acquainted it to Captaine Dauis master of the ship and one Master Edwin Kendall that for their secrecy and transportation should participate with them Without further ceremony the match was accepted and absolutely concluded the plot laid time and place set downe to haue it aboord But Carter were it for feare the Gouernor at last should know of it to whom so oft they had denied it or that the rest should deceiue him is vncertaine but most certaine it is he reuealed all the plot to Master More To get
well much more him that was sicke women rubbing him to keepe heat in him but their charmes ended vnderstanding of vs though he had lost his sight his vnderstanding failed not but taking Winslow by the hand said Art thou Winslow Oh Winslow I shall neuer see thee againe Hobamock telling him what restauratiues they had brought he desired to taste them with much adoe they got a little Confexion of many comfortable Conserues into his mouth as it desolued he swallowed it then desoluing more of it in water they scraped his tongue which was al furred swolne and washed his mouth and then gaue him more of it to eat and in his drinke that wrought such an alteration in him in two or three houres his eies opened to our great contents with this and such brothes as they there prouided for him it pleased God he recouered and thus the manner of his sicknesse and cure caused no small admiration amongst them During the time of their stay to see his recouery they had sent to New Plimoth for diuers good things for him which he tooke so kindly that he fully reuealed all the former conspiracies against vs to which he had oft beene moued and how that all the people of Powmet Nawset Succonet Mattachist Manamet Augawam and Capawac were ioyned to murder vs therefore as we respected our liues kill them of Massachuset that were the authors for take away the principals and the plot wil cease thus taking our leaues arriuing at our fort we found our braue liberall friend of Pamet drawing Standish to their Ambuscados which being thus discouered we sent him away as though he knew not suspected any thing Them at the Massachusets some were so vilde they serued the Saluages for victuall the rest sent vs word the Saluages were so insolent they would assault them though against their Commission so fearefull they were to breake their Commission so much time was spent in consultations they all were famished till Wassapinewat againe came and told them the day of their execution was at hand Then they appointed Standish with eight chosen men vnder colour of Trade to catch them in their owne trap at Massachuset acquaint it with the English in the Towne where arriuing he found none in the Barke and most of the rest without Armes or scarce clothes wandering abroad all so sencelesly secure he more then wondered they were not all slaine with much adoe he got the most of them to their Towne The Saluages suspecting their plots discouered Pecksnot a great man and of as great a spirit came to Habamak who was then amongst them saying Tell Standish we know he is come to kill vs but let him begin when he dare Not long after many would come to the Fort and whet their Kniues before him with many brauing speeches One amongst the rest was by Wittawamat bragging he had a Knife that on the handle had the picture of a womans face but at home I haue one hath killed both French English and that hath a mans face on it and by and by these two must marrie but this here by and by shall see and by and by eat but not speake Also Pecksnot being of a greater stature then the Captaine told him though he were a great Captaine he was but a little man and I though no Sachem yet I am of great strength and courage These things Standish bare patiently for the present but the next day seeing he could not get many of them together but these two Roarers and two more being in a conuenient roome and his company about him Standish feased on Pecksnots Knife then hanging about his necke wherewith he slew him and the rest slew Wittuwamat and the other Saluage but the youth they tooke who being Brother to Wittuwamat and as villanous as himselfe was hanged It is incredible how many wounds they indured catching at their weapons without any feare or bruit till the last gasp Habamack stood by all this time very silent but all ended he said Yesterday Pecksnot bragged of his strength and stature but I see you are big enough to lay him on the ground The Towne he left to the guard of Westons people three Saluages more were slaine vpon which rumour they all fled from their houses The next day they met with a file of Saluages that let fly their Arrowes shot for shot till Hobamack shewed himselfe and then they fled For all this a Saluage Boy to shew his innocency came boldly vnto vs and told vs Had the English Fugitiues but finished the three Canowes they were a making to haue taken the ship they would haue done as much to all the English which was onely the cause they had forborne so long But now consulting and considering their estates those that went in the Pinnace to Barty Iles to get passage for England the rest to New Plimoth where they were kindly entertained The Sachem Obtakâ—est Powas and diuers other were guilty the three fugitiues in their fury there slew but not long after so distracted were those poore scattered people they left their habitations liuing in swamps where wiâ—h cold and infinite diseases they endured much mortalitie suing for peace and crying the God of England is angry with them Thus you see where God pleases as some flourish others perish Now on all hands they prepare their ground and about the middest of Aprill in a faire season they begin to plant till the latter end of May but to God pleased that in six weekes after the latter setting there scarce fell any raine so that the stalke was first set began to care ere it came to halfe growth and the last not like to yeeld any thing at all Our Beanes also seemed so withered we iudged all vtterly dead that now all our hopes were ouerthrowne and our ioy turned into mourning And more to our sorrow we heard of the twice returne of the Paragon that now the third time was sent vs three moneths agoe but no newes of her onely the signes of a wracke we saw on the Coast which wee iudged her This caused not euery of vs to enter into a priuate consideration betwixt God and our consciences but most solemnly to humble our selues before the Lord by fasting and praying to releeue our deiected spirits by the comforts of his mercy In the morning when wee assembled all together the skies were as cleere and the drought as like to continue as euer yet our exercise continued eight or nine houres Before our departure the skies were all ouer-cast and on the next morning distilled such soft sweet moderate showers continuing foureteene daies mixed with such seasonable weather as it was hard to say whether our withered Corne or drooping affections were most quickned and reuiued such was the bounty and mercy of God Of this the Indians by the meanes of Hobamock tooke notice who seeing vs vse this exercise in the midst of the
euer he came he would signifie by so many fires he came with so many boats that we might know his strength Their Boats are but one great tree which is but burnt in the forme of a trough with gins and fire till it be as they would haue it For an armour he would haue ingaged vs a bagge of pearle but we refused as not regarding it that wee might the better learn where it grew He was very iust of his promise for oft we trusted him and he would come within his day to keepe his word He sent vs commonly euery day a brace of Bucks Conies Hares and fish sometimes Mellons Walnuts Cucumbers Pease and diuers rootes This Author sayth their corne groweth three times in fiue moneths in May they sow in Iuly reape in Iune they sow in August reape in Iuly sow in August reape We put some of our Pease in the ground which in ten dayes were 14. ynches high The soyle is most plentifull sweete wholesome and fruitfull of all oâ—her there are about 14. seuerall sorts of sweete smelling tymber trees the most parts of the vnderwood Bayes and such like such Okes as we but far greater and better After this acquaintance my selfe with seauen more went twenty myle into the Riuer Occam that runneth toward the Cittie Skicoack and the euening following we came to an I le called Roanoak from the harbour where we entred 7. leagues at the North end was 9. houses builded with Cedar fortified round with sharpe trees and the entrance like a Turnpik When we came towards it the wife of Granganameo came running out to meete vs her husband was absent commanding her people to draw our Boat ashore for beating on the billowes other she appoynted to carry vs on their backes a land others to bring our Ores into the house for stealing When we came into the other roome for there was fiue in the house she caused vs to sit downe by a great fire after tooke off our clothes and washed them of some our stockings and some our feete in warme water and she her selfe tooke much paines to see all things well ordered and to provide vs victuall After we had thus dryed our selues she brought vs into an Inner roome where she set on the bord standing a long the house somewhat like frumentie sodden venison and rosted fish in like manner mellons raw boyled rootes and fruites of diuers kindes There drinke is commonly water boyled with Ginger sometimes with Saxefras and wholsome herbes but whilest the Crape lasteth they drinke wine More loue she could not expresse to entertaine vs they care but onely to defend themselues from the short winter and feede on what they finde naturall in sommer In this feaâ—ting house was their Idoll of whom they â—ould vs vncredible things When we were at meate two or three of her men came amongst vs with their Bowes and Arrowes which caused vs to take our armes in hand She perceiuing our distrust caused their Bowes and Arrowes to be broken and they beâ—ten out of the gate but the euening approaching we returned to our boate where at she much grieuing brought our supper halfe boyled pots and all but when she saw vs but put our boat a little off from the shoar and lye at Anchor perceiuing our Ielousie she sent diuers men 30. women to sit al night on the shoare side against vs and sent vs fiue Mats to couer vs from the raine doing all she could to perswade vs to her house Though there was no cause of doubt we would not aduenture for on our safety depended the voyage but a more kinde louing people cannot be Beyond this I le is the maine land and the great riuer Occam on which standeth a Towne called Pomeiock and six dayes higher their City Skicoak those people neuer saw it but say there fathers affirme it to be aboue two houres iourney about Into this riuer falleth an other called Cipo where is found many Mustells wherein are Pearles likewise another Riuer called Nomapona on the one side whereof standeth a great towne called Chawanock the Lord of the Country is not subiect to Wingandacoa Beyond him an other king they cal Menatonon These 3. are in league each with other Towards the south 4. dayes iourney is Sequotan the southermost part of Wingandacoa Adioyning to Secotan beginneth the country Pomouik belonging to the King called Piamacum in the Country Nusiok vpon the great riuer Neus These haue mortall warres with Wingina King of Wingandacoa Betwixt Piemacum and the Lord of Secotan a peace was concluded notwithstanding there is a mortall malice in the Secotuns because this Piemacum invited diuers men and 30. women to a feast and when they were altogether merry before their Idoll which is but a meere illusion of the Deuill they sudainly slew all the men of Secotan and kept the women for their vse Beyond Roanoak are many Isles full of fruits and other Naturall increases with many Townes a long the side of the Continent Those Iles lye 200. myles in length and betweene them and the mayne a great long sea in some places 20. 40. or 50. myles broad in other more somewhere lesse And in this sea are 100. Iles of diuers bignesses but to get into it you haue but 3. passages and they very dangerous Though this you see for most part be but the relations of Saluages because it is the first I thought it not a misâ—e to remember them as they are written by them that returned ariued in England about the middest of September the same yeare This discouery was so welcome into England that it pleased her Mâ—iestie to call this Country of Wingandacoa Virginia by which name now you are to vnderstand how it was planted disolued reuned and enlarged The Performers of this voyage were these following Philip Amadas Captaine Arthur Barlow Captaine William Grenuill Iohn Wood. Iames Browewich Henry Greene. Beniamen Wood. Simon Ferdinando Of the Companie Nicholas Peryman Of the Companie Iohn Hewes Of the Companie Sir Richard Grenuills voyage to Virginia for Sir Walter Raleigh â—â—85 THe 9. of Aprill he departed from Plimouth with 7. sayle the chiefe men with him in command were Master Ralph Layne Master Thomas Candish Master Iohn Arundel Master Stukley Master Bremige Master Vincent Master Hâ—ryot and Master Iohn Clarke The 14. day we fell with the Canaries and the 7. of May with Dominico in the West Indies we landed at Portorico after with much a doe at Izabella on the north of Hispaniola passing by many Iles. Vpon the 20. we fell with the mayne of Florida and were put in great danger vpon Cape Fear The 26. we Anchored at Wocokon where the admiral had like to beene cast away presently we sent to Wingina to Roanoak and Master Arundell went to the mayne with Manteo a saluage and that day to Crooâ—on The 11. The Generall victualed for 8. dayes with a selected company went to the
or foes Though I did forsee the danger and misery yet the desire I had to see the Mangoaks was for that there is a prouince called Chaunis Temoatan frequented by them and well knowne to all those Countries where is a mine of Copper they call Wassador they say they take it out of a riuer that falleth swiftly from high rocks in shallow water in great Bowles couered with leather leauing a part open to receiue the mettall which by the change of the colour of the water where the spout falleth they suddainly chop downe and haue the Bowlefull which they cast into the fire it presently melteth and doth yeeld in fiue parts at the first melting two parts mettall for three of Ore The Mangoaks haue such plenty of it they beautifie their houses with great plates thereof this the Salvages report and young Skiko the King of Chawonocks sonne my prisoner that had beene prisoner among the Mangoakâ— but neuer at Chaunis Temoatan for he sayd that was twentie dayes iourney oveâ— and â—rom the Mangoaks Menatonon also confirmed all this and promised me guids to this mettall Country by Land to the Mangoaks is but one dayes iourney but seauen by water which made me so willing to haue met them for some assay of this mettall but when we came there we found no creature onely we might see where had beene their fires After our two dayes iourney and our victuals spent in the euening we heard some call as we thought Manteo who was with me in the boat this made vs glad he made them a friendly answer which they answered with a song we thought for welcome but he told vs they came to fight Presently they did let flie their Arrowes about the boat but did no hurt the other boat scouring the shore we landed but they all were fled and how to finde them wee knew not So the next morning we returned to the mouth of the riuer that cost vs foure dayes rowing vp and here our dogs pottage stood vs in good stead for we had nothing els the next day we fasted being windbound and could not passe the sound but the day following we came to Chippanum where the people were fled but their wires afforded vs fish thus being neare spent the next day God brought vs to Roanocke I conclude a good Mine or the South sea will make this Country quickly inhabited and so for pleasure and profit comparable with any in the world otherwise there will be nothing worth the fetching Provided there be found a better harbour then yet there is which must be Northward if there be any Master Vaughan no lesse hoped of the goodnesse of the Mine then Master Heriot that the riuer Moratocks head either riseth by the Bay of Mexico or very neare the South Sea or some part that openeth neare the same which cannot with that facilitie be done as from the Bay of Pearles by insconsing foure dayes iourney to the Chawonoks Mangoaks and Moratocks c. The conspiracy of Pemissapan the Discouery of it and our returne for England with Sir Francis Drake ENsenore a Saluage father to Pemissapan the best friend we had after the death of Granganimeo when I was in those Discoueries could not prevaile any thing with the King from destroying vs that all this time God had preserued by his good counsell to the King to be friendly vnto vs. Pemissapan thinking as the brute was in this last iourney we were slaine and starued began to blaspheme our God that would suffer it and not defend vs so that old Ensenore had no more credit for vs for he began by all the deuises he could to inuade vs. But in the beginning of this brute when they saw vs all returne the report false and had Manteo and three Saluages more with vs how little we esteemed all the people we met and feared neither hunger killing or any thing and had brought their greatest Kings sonne prisoner with vs to Roanock it a little asswaged all his deuises and brought Ensenore in respect againe that our God was good and wee their friends and our foes should perish for we could doâ— them more hurt being dead then liuing and that being an hundred myles from them shot and strucke them sicke to death and that when we die it is but for a time then we returne againe But that which wrought the most feare among them was the handy-worke of Almightie God For certaine dayes after my returne Menatonon sent messengers to me with Pearle and Okisco King of Weopomcoke to yeeld himselfe seruant to the Queene of England Okisco with twenty-foure of his principall men came to Pemissapan to acknowledge this dutie and subiection and would performe it All which so changed the heart of Pemissapan that vpon the aduise of Ensenore when we were ready to famish they came and made vs wires and planted their fields they intended to abandon we not hauing one corne till the next haruest to sustaine vs This being done our old friend Ensenore dyed the twenty of Aprill then all our enemies wrought with Pemissapan to put in practise his deuises which he easily imbraced though they had planted corne by vs and at Dasamonpeack two leagues from vs. Yet they got Okisco our tributary to get seuen or eight hundred and the Mandoages with the Chisapeans should doe the like to meete as their custome is to solemnize the Funerall of Ensenore Halfe of whom should lye hid to cut off the straglers seeking crabs and prouision the rest come out of the mayne vpon the Signall by fire Twenty of the principall of Pemissapans men had charge in the night to beset my house put fire in the Reeds that couered it which might cause me run out so naked and amazed they might without danger knocke out my braines The same order for Mr Heriots and the rest for all should haue beene fired at an instant In the meane time they should sell vs nothing and in the night spoyle our wires to make nenessitie disperse vs. For if we were but ten together a hundred of them would not meddle with vs. So our famine increased I was forced to send Captaine Stafford to Croatan with twentie to feed himselfe and see if he could espie any sayle passe the coast Mr Predeox with ten to Hatarask vpon the same occasion and other small parties to the Mayne to liue vpon rootes and Oysters Pemissapan sequestring himselfe I should not importune him for victuall and to draw his troupes found not the Chawonests so forward as he expected being a people more faithfull and powerfull and desired our friendships and was offended with him for raising such tales and all his proiects were revealed to me by Skico my prisoner who finding himselfe as well vsed by me as Pemissapan tould me all These troubles caused me send to Pemissapan to put suspition in his head I was to goe presently to Croatan to meete a Fleete came to me though I knew
no such matter and that he would lend me mâ—n to fish and hunt He sent me word he would come himselfe to Roanock but delaying time eight dayes that all his men were there to be assembled not liking so much company I resolued the next day to goe visit him but first to giue them in the I le a Canvisado and at an instant to seaze on all their Canows about the I le But the towne tooke the Alarum before I ment it For when I sent to take the Canows he met one going from the shore ouerthrew her and cut off two Salvages heads wherevpon the cry arose being by their spyes perceiued for they kept as good watch over vs as we of them Vpon this they to their Bowes and we to our Armes three or foure of them at the first were slaine the rest fled into the woods The next morning I went to Dassamonpeack and sent Pemissapan word I was going to Croatan and tooke him in my way to complaine Osocon would haue stole my prisoner Skico Herevpon he did abide my comming being among eight of the principall est I gaue the watchword to my men and immediately they had that they purposed for vs. Himselfe being shot through with a Pistoll fell downe as dead but presently start vp and ran away from them all till an Irish Boy shot him over the buttocks where they tooke him and cut off his head Seauen dayes after Captaine Stafforton sent to me he descryed twentie-three Sayle The next day came to me himselfe of whom I must say this from the first to the last he neither spared labour or perill by land or sea fayre weather or foule to performe any serious seruice committed to him He brought me a letter from Sir Francis Drake whose generous mind offered to supply all my defects of shipping boats munition victuall clothes and men to further this action and vpon good consultation and deliberation he appointed me a ship of 70. tuns with an hundred men and foure moneths victuals two Pinnaces foure small Boats with two sufficient Masters with sufficient Gangs All this being made ready for me suddenly arose such a storme for foure dayes that had like to haue driuen the whole Fleete on shore many of them were forced to the Sea whereof my ship so lately giuen me was one with all my prouision and Company appoynted Notwithstanding the storme ceasing the Generall appointed me a ship of 170. tuns with all prouisions as before to carry me into England the next August or when I had performed such Discoueries as I thought fit Yet they durst not vndertake to bring her into the harbour but she must ride in the road leauing the care of the rest to my selfe advising me to consider with my Company what was fittest and with my best speed returne him answer Herevpon calling my Company together who were all as priuy of the Generals offer as my selfe their whole request was in regard of all those former miseries and no hope of the returne of Sir Richard Grenvill and with a generall consent they desired me to vrge him we might all goe with him for England in his Fleete for whose reliefe in that storme he had sustained more perill of wrack then in all his honorable actions against his enemies So with prayses to God we set sayle in Iune 1586. and arriued in Portsmouth the 27. of Iuly the same yeare Leaving this remembrance to posteritie To reason lend me thine attentiue eares Exempt thy selfe from mind-distracting cares Least that's here thus proiected for thy good By thee reiected be ere vnderstood Written by Mr Ralph Layne Governour The Observations of Mr. Thomas Heriot in this Voyage For Marchandize and Victualls WHat before is writ is also confirmed by that learned Mathematician Mr Thomas Heriot with them in the Country whose particular Relation of all the Beasts Birds Fishes Foules Fruites and Rootes and how they may be vsefull because I haue writ it before for the most part in the Discourse of Captaine Amidas and Captaine Layne except Silk grasse Wormesilke Flax like Hempe Allum Wapeith or Terra sigillata Tar Rosen Turpentine Civet-cats Iron ore Copper that hold Silver Coprose and Pearle Let those briefes suffice because I would not trouble you with one thing twice Dyes For Dyes Showmack the herbe Wasebur little rootes called Chapacor and the barke of a tree called by the Inhabitants Tangomockonominge which are for divers sorts of Reds What more then is related is an herbe in Dutch called Melden described like an Orange growing foure foote high the seede will make good broth and the stalke burnt to ashes makes a kinde of Salt other Salt they know not and we vsed of it for Pot-herbs Of their Tobacco we found plenty which they esteeme their chiefe Physicke Ground nuts Tiswaw we call China roots they grow in clusters and bring forth a bryer stalke but the leafe is far vnlike which will climbe vp to the top of the highest tree the vse knowne is to cut it in small peeces then stampe straine it with water and boyled makes a gelly good to eate Cassavia growes in Marishes which the Indians oft vse for bread and broth Habascon is like a Parsnip naught of it selfe except compounded and their Leekes like those in England Sequenummener a kinde of Berry like Capers and three kinde of Berries like Acornes called Sagatamenor Osamenor and Pummuckoner Saquenuckot and Maquowoc two kinde of beasts greater then Conies and very good meate in some places such plenty of gray Conies like hayres that all the people make them mantels of their skins I haue the names of 28. severall sorts that are dispersed in the Country of which 12. kindes we haue discouered and good to eate but the Salvages sometimes kill a Lyon and eate him There is plentie of Sturgeon in February March Aprill and May all Herings in abundance some such as ours but the most part of 18.20 or 24. yncheâ— long and more Trouts Porpisses Rayes Mullers Old-wiues Plaâ—ce Tortoises both by Sea and Land Crabs Oysters Mussels Scalops Periwinckles Crevises Secanank we haue the Pictures of 12. sorts more but their names we know not Turkeys Stockdoues Partridges Cranes Hernes Swans Geese Parrots Faulcons Merlins I haue the names in their language of 86. severall sorts Their woods are such as ours in England for the most part except Rakeock a greaâ— sweet tree whereof they make their Canowes and Ascopo a kinde of tree like Lowrell and Saxefras Their Natures and Manners Their Clothing Townes Houses Warres Arts Tooles handy crafts and educations are much like them in that part of Virginia we now inhabite which at large you may reade in the Description thereof But the relation of their Religion is strange as this Author reporteth Some Religion they haue which although it be farre from the truth yet being as it is there is hope it may be the
that behaved himselfe towards vs as a most faithfull English man he set forward The next day by breake of day we landed and got beyond their houses where seeing them sit by the fire we assaulted them The miserable soules amazed fled into the Reeds where one was shot through and we thought to haue beene fully revenged but we were deceiued for they were our friends come from Croatan to gather their corne because they vnderstood our enemies were fled after the death of Master How and left all behinde them for the birds But they had like to haue payd too deare for it had we not chanced vpon a Weroances wife with a childe at her backe and a Salvage that knew Captaine Stafford that ran to him calling him by his name Being thus disappointed of our purpose we gathered the fruit we found ripe left the rest vnspoyled and tooke Menatonon his wife with her childe and the rest with vs to Roanoak Though this mistake grieued Manteo yet he imputed it to their own folly because they had not kept promise to come to the governor at the day appointed The 13. of August our Salvage Manteo was Christened and called Lord of Dassamonpeack in reward of his faithfulnesse And the 18th Ellinor the Governours daughter and wife to Ananias Dare was delivered of a daughter in Roanoak which being the first Christian there borne was called Virginia Our ships being ready to depart such a storme arose as the Admirall was forced to cut her Cables and it was six dayes ere she could recover the shore that made vs doubt she had beene lost because the most of her best men were on shore At this time Controversies did grow betwixt our Governour and the Assistants about choosing one of them 12. to goe as Factor for them all to England for all refused saue one whom all men thought most insufficient the Conclusion was by a generall consent they would haue the Governour goe himselfe for that they thought none would so truly procure there supplyes as he Which though he did what he could to excuse it yet their importunitie would not cease till he vndertooke it and had it vnder all their hands how vnwilling he was but that necessity and reason did doubly constraine him At their setting sayle for England waighing Anchor twelue of the men in the flyboat were throwne from the Capstern by the breaking of a barre and most of them so hurt that some never recovered it The second time they had the like fortune being but 15. they cut the Cable and kept company with their Admirall to Flowres and Coruos the Admirall stayed there looking for purchase but the flyboats men grew so weake they were driuen to Smerwick in the West of Ireland The Governour went for England and Simon Ferdinando with much adoe at last arrived at Portsmouth 1587. The Names of those were landed in this Plantation were Iohn White Governour Roger Bayley Ananias Dare. Simon Ferdinando Christopher Couper Thomas Stevens Iohn Samson Thomas Smith Dionis Haruie Roger Prat. George How Antony Cage With divers others to the number of about 115. The fift Voyage to Virginia vndertaken by Mr. Iohn White 1589. THe 20. of March three ships went from Plimouth and passed betwixt Barbary and Mogadoro to Dominico in the West Indies After we had done some exployts in those parts the third of August wee fell with the low sandy Iles westward of Wokokon But by reason of ill weather it was the 11 ere we could Anchor there and on the 12. we came to Croatan where is a great breach in 35 degrees and a halfe in the Northeast poynt of the I le The 15. we came to Hatorask in 36. degrees a terse at 4. fadom 3 leagues from shore where we might perceiue a smoake at the place where I left the Colony 1587. The next morning Captaine Cooke Captaine Spicer their companies with two boats left â—ur ships and discharged some Ordnance to giue them notice of our comming but when we came there we found no man nor signe of any that had beene there lately and so returned to our Boats The next morning we prepared againe for Roanoack Captaine Spicer had then sent his Boat ashore for water so it was ten of the Clocke ere we put from the ships which rode two myles from the shore The Admirals boat being a myle before the other as she passed the bar a sea broke into the boat and filled her halfe full of water but by Gods good will and the carefull stearage of Captaine Cook though our provisions were much wet we safe escaped the wind blew hard at Northeast which caused so great a current and a breach vpon the barre Captaine Spicer passed halfe over but by the indiscreet steering of Ralph Skinner their boat was overset the men that could catch hold hung about her the next sea cast her on ground where some let goe their hold to wade to shore but the sea beat them downe The boat thus tossed vp and downe Captaine Spicer and Skinner hung there till they were drowne but 4. that could swim a little kept themselues in deeper water were saued by the meanes of Captaine Cook that presently vpon the oversetting of their boat shipped himselfe to saue what he could Thus of eleuen seuen of the chiefest were drowned This so discomfited all the Saylers we had much to do to get them any more to seeke further for the Planters but by their Captaines forwardnes at last they fitted themselues againe for Hatorask in 2 boats with 19 persons It was late ere we arrived but seeing a fire through the woods we sounded a Trumpet but no answer could we heare The next morning we went to it but could see nothing but the grasse and some rotten trees burning We went vp and downe the I le and at last found three faire Romane Letters carved C.R.O. which presently we knew to signifie the place where I should find them according to a secret note betweene them me which was to write the name of the place they would be in vpon some tree dore or post and if they had beene in any distresse to signifie it by making a crosse over it For at my departure they intended to goe fiftie myles into the mayne But we found no signe of distresse then we went to a place where they were left in sundry houses but we found them all taken downe and the place strongly inclosed with a high Palizado very Fortlike and in one of the chiefe Posts carued in fayre capitall Letters CROATAN without any signe of distresse and many barres of Iron two pigs of Lead foure Fowlers Iron shot and such like heauie things throwne here and there overgrowne with grasse and weeds We went by the shore to seeke for their boats but could find none nor any of the Ordnance I left them At last some of the Sailers found divers Chists had beene hidden and digged vp
againe and much of the goods spoyled and scattered vp and downe which when I saw I knew three of them to be my owne but bookes pictures and all things els were spoyled Though it much grieued me yet it did much comfort me that I did know they were at Croatan so we returned to our Ships but had like to haue bin cast away by a great storme that continued all that night The next morning we weighed Anchor for Croatan having the Anchor a-pike the Cable broke by the meanes whereof we lost another letting fall the third the ship yet went so fast a drift we fayled not much there to haue split But God bringing vs into deeper water considering we had but one Anchor and our provision neare spent we resolued to goe forthwith to S. Iohns Ile Hispaniola or Trinidado to refresh our selues and seeke for purchase that Winter and the next Spring come againe to seeke our Country-men But our Vice Admirall would not but went directly for England and we our course for Trinidado But within two dayes after the wind changing we were constrained for the Westerne Iles to refresh our selues where we met with many of the Queenes ships our owne consort and divers others the 23. of Seeptember 1590. And thus we left seeking our Colony that was neuer any of them found nor seene to this day 1622. And this was the conclusion of this Plantation after so much time labour and charge consumed Whereby we see Not all at once nor all alike nor ever hath it beene That God doth offer and confer his blessings vpon men Written by Master Iohn White A briefe Relation of the Description of Elizabeths Ile and some others towards the North part of Virginia and what els they discovered in the yeare 1602. by Captaine Bartholomew Gosnoll and Captaine Bartholomew Gilbert and divers other Gentlemen their Associates ALL hopes of Virginia thus abandoned it lay dead and obscured from 1590. till this yeare 1602. that Captaine Gosnoll with 32. and himselfe in a small Barke set sayle from Dartmouth vpon the 26. of March Though the wind favoured vs not at the first but forced vs as far Southward as the Asores which was not much out of our way we ran directly west from thence whereby we made our iourney shorter then heretofore by 500. leagues the weaknesse of our ship the badnes of our saylers and our ignorance of the coast caused vs carry but a low sayle that made our passage longer then we expected On fryday the 11. of May we made land it was somewhat low where appeared certaine hummocks or hills in it the shore white sand but very rockie yet overgrowne with fayre trees Comming to an Anchor 8 Indians in a Baske shallop with mast and sayle came boldly aboord vs. It seemed by their signes such things as they had some Biskiners had fished there being about the latitude of 43. But the harbour being naught doubting the weather we went not ashore but waighed and stood to the Southward into the Sea The next morning we found our selues imbayed with a mightie headland within a league of the shore we anchored and Captaine Gosnoll my selfe three others went to it in our boat being a white sand a bold coast Though the weather was hot we marched to the highest hils we could see where we perceiued this headland part of the mayn neare invironed with Ilands As we were returning to our ship a good proper lusty young man came to vs with whom we had but small conference and so we left him Herein 5. or 6. houres we tooke more Cod then we knew what to doe with which made vs perswade our selues there might be found a good fishing in March Aprill and May. At length we came among these fayre Iles some a league 2.3.5 or 6. from the Mayne by one of them we anchored We found it foure myles in compasse without house or inhabitant In it is a lake neare a myle in circuit the rest overgrowne with trees which so well as the bushes were so overgrowne with Vines we could scarce passe them And by the blossomes we might perceiue there would be plenty of Strawberries Respises Gousberries and divers other fruits besides Deere and other Beasts we saw and Cranes Hernes with divers other sorts of fowle which made vs call it Martha's Vineyard The rest of the Isles are replenished with such like very rocky and much tinctured stone like Minerall Though we met many Indians yet we could not see their habitations they gaue vs fish Tobacco and such things as they had But the next Isle we arrived at was but two leagues from the Maine 16. myle about invironed so with creekes and coves it seemed like many Isles linked together by small passages like bridges In it is many places of plaine grasse and such other fruits and berries as before were mentioned In mid-May we did sow Wheat Barley Oates Pease which in 14. dayes sprung vp 9. inches The soyle is fat and lusty the crust therof gray a foot or lesse in depth It is full of high timbred Okes their leaues thrise so broad as ours Cedar straight and tall Beech Holly Walnut Hazell Cherry trees like ours but the stalke beareth the blossom or fruit thereof like a cluster of Grapes forty or fiftie in a bunch There is a tree of Orange colour whose barke in the filing is as smooth as Velvet There is a lake of fresh water three myles in compasse in the midst an Isle containing an acre or thereabout overgrowne with wood here are many Tortoises and abundance of all sorts of foules whose young ones we tooke and cate at our pleasure Grounds nuts as big as egges as good as Potatoes and 40. on a string not two ynches vnder ground All sorts of shell fish as Schalops Mussels Cockles Crabs Lobsters Welks Oysters exceeding good and very great but not to cloy you with particulars what God and nature hath bestowed on those places I refer you to the Authors owne writing at large We called this Isle Elizabeths Isle from whence we went right over to the mayne where we stood a while as ravished at the beautie and dilicacy of the sweetnesse besides divers cleare lakes whereof we saw no end meadows very large and full of greene grasse c. Here we espyed 7. Salvages at first they expressed some feare but by our courteous vsage of them they followed vs to the necke of Land which we thought had beene severed from the Mayne but we found it otherwise Here we imagined was a river but because the day was farre spent we left to discover it till better leasure But of good Harbours there is no doubt considering the Land is all rocky and broken lands The next day we determined to fortifie our selues in the Isle in the lake Three weekes we spent in building vs there a house But the second day after our comming from the Mayne 11. Canows
vp 8. ynches although this was but the crust of the ground and much inferiour to the mould we after found in the mayne After we had taken order for all our necessary businesses we marched through two of these Isles The biggest was 4. or 5. myles in compasse we found here all sorts of ordinary trees besides Vines Currants Spruce Yew Angelica and divers gummes in so much many of our company wished themselues setled here Vpon the 30. our Captaine with 13. went to discover the mayne we in the ship espyed 3. Canowes that came towards the ship Which after they had well viewed one of them came aboord with 3. men and by our good vsage of them not long after the rest two dayes we had their companies in all respects they are but like them at Elizabeths Isles therefore this may suffice for their description In this time our Captain had discovered a fayre river trending into the mayne 40 myles and returned backe to bring in the ship The Salvages also kept their words and brought vs 40. Bever Oter and sable skins for the value of 5. shillings in kniues glasses combes and such toyes and thus we vsed them so kindly as we could because we intended to inhabit in their Country they lying aboord with vs and we ashore with them but it was but as changing man for man as hostages and in this manner many times we had their companies At last they desired our Captaine to goe with them to the mayne to trade with their Bashabes which is their chiefe Lord which we did our boat well manned with 14. yet would they row faster with 3. Ores in their Canowes then we with 8. but when we saw our old acquaintance would not stay aboord vs as before for hostage but did what they could to draw vs into a narrow câ—ke we exchanged one Owen Griffin with them for a yong fellow of theirs that he might see if he could discover any trechery as he did for he found there assembled 283. Salvages with bowes arrows but not any thing at all to trade as they pretended These things considered we conceited them to be but as all Salvages ever had beene kinde till they found opportunitie to do mischiefe Wherefoer we determined to take some of them before they should suspect we had discovered their plot lest they should absent themselues from vs so the first that ever after came into the ship were three which we kept and two we tooke on shore with much adoe with two Canowes their bowes and arrowes Some time we spent in sounding all the Isles channels and inlets thereabouts and we found 4. severall waies a ship might be brought into this Bay In the interim there came 2. Canowes more boldly aboord vs signifying we should bring our ship to the place where he dwelt to trade We excused our selues why we could not but vsed them kindly yet got them away with all the speed we could that they should not be perceiued by them in the houle then we went vp the river 26. myles of which I had rather not write then by my relation detract from it it is in breadth a myle neare 40. myles and a channell of 6.7.8.9 or 10. fadom on both sides every halfe myle gallant Coues to containe in many of them 100 sayle where they may lye on Oze without Cable or Anchor onely mored with a Hanser and it floweth 18. foot that you may make docke or carine ships with much facilitie besides the land is most rich trending all along on both sides in an equall plaine neither rocky nor mountainous but verged with a greene border of grasse doth make tender to the beholder her pleasant fertilitie if by cleansing away the woods she were converted into meadow The woods are great and tall such as are spoken of in the Islelands and well watered with many fresh springs Our men that had seene Oranoque so famous in the worlds eares Reogrande Loyer Slion report though they be great goodly rivers yet are not comparable to it Leaving our ship we went higher till we were 7. myles higher then the salt water flowed we marched towards the mountains we had seene but the weather was so hot our labour so great as our Captaine was contented to returne after we had erected a crosse we left this faire land and river in which the higher we went the better we liked it and returned to our ship By the way we met a Canow that much desired one of our men to go vp to their Basshabes but we knew their intents and so turned them off and though we had both time and provision to haue discovered much more and might haue found peradventure good trade yet because our company was but small we would not hazzard so hopefull a businesse as this was either for our private or particular ends being more regardfull of a publicke good and promulgating Gods holy Church by planting Christianity which was the intent of our adventurers so well as ours returning by the Isles in the entry of the Sound we called them St Georges Isles because on sunday we set out of England on sunday also the 16. of Iune we departed hence When we had run 30. leagues we had 40. fadom â—hen 70. then 100. After 2. or 3. watches more we were in 24. fadoms where we tooke so much Cod as we did know what to doe with and the 18. of Iuly came to Dartmouth and all our men as well God be thanked as when they went forth Thus may you see God hath not all his gifts bestowed on all or any one Words sweetest and wits sharpest courage strength of bone All rarities of minde and parts doe all concurre in none Written by Iames Rosier one of the Voyage VIRGINIA ⧠The second Booke THE SIXT VOYAGE 1606. To another part of Virginia where now are Planted our English Colonies Whom God increase and preserue Discovered and Described by Captaine IOHN SMITH sometimes Governour of the Countrey BY these former relations you may see what incoÌ„veniences still crossed those good intents and how great a mattter it was all this time to finde but a Harbour although there be so many But this Virginia is a Country in America betweene the degrees of 34. and 45. of the North latitude The bounds thereof on the East side are the great Ocean on the South lyeth Florida on the North nova Francia as for the West thereof the limits are vnknowne Of all this Country we purpose nor to speake but onely of that part which was planted by the English men in the yeare of our Lord 1606. And this is vnder the degrees 37.38 and 39. The temperature of this Country doth agree well with English constitutions being once seasoned to the Country Which appeared by this that though by many occasions our people fell sicke yet did they recover by very small meanes and continued in health though there were
other great causes not onely to haue made them sicke but even to end their dayes c. The Sommer is hot as in Spaine the Winter cold as in France or England The heat of sommer is in Iune Iuly and August but commonly the coole Breeses asswage the vehemency of the heat The chiefe of winter is halfe December Ianuary February and halfe March The colde is extreame sharpe but here the Proverbe is true that no extreame long continueth In the yeare 1607. was an extraordinary frost in most of Europe and this frost was found as extreame in Virginia But the next yeare for 8. or 10. dayes of ill weather other 14. dayes would be as Sommer The windes here are variable but the like thunder and lightning to purifie the ayre I haue seldome either seene or heard in Europe From the Southwest came the greatest gusts with thunder and heat The Northwest winde is commonly coole and bringeth faire weather with it From the North is the greatest cold and from the East and Southeast as from the Barmudas fogs and raines Some times there are great droughts other times much raine yet great necessitie of neither by reason we see not but that all the raritie of needfull fruits in Europe may be there in great plentie by the industry of men as appeareth by those we there Planted There is but one entrance by Sea into this Country and that is at the mouth of a very goodly Bay 18. or 20. myles broad The cape on the South is called Cape Henry in honour of our most noble Prince The land white hilly sands like vnto the Downes and all along the shores great plentie of Pines and Firres The north Cape is called Cape Charles in honour of the worthy Duke of Yorke The Isles before it Smith's Isles by the name of the discover Within is a country that may haue the prerogatiue over the most pleasant places knowne for large and pleasant navigable Rivers heaven earth never agreed better to frame a place for mans habitation were it fully manured and inhabited by industrious people Here are mountaines hils plaines valleyes rivers and brookes all running most pleasantly into a faire Bay compassed but for the mouth with fruitfull and delightsome land In the Bay and rivers are many Isles both great small some woody some plaine most of them low and not inhabited This Bay lyeth North and South in which the water floweth neare 200. myles and hath a channell for 140 myles of depth betwixt 6 and 15 fadome holding in breadth for the most part 10 or 14 myles From the head of the Bay to the Northwest the land is mountanous and so in a manner from thence by a Southwest line So that the more Southward the farther off from the Bay are those mountaines From which fall certaine brookes which after come to fiue principall navigable rivers These run from the Northwest into the South east and so into the West side of the Bay where the fall of every River is within 20 or 15 myles one of another The mountaines are of divers natures for at the head of the Bay the rockes are of a composition like Mill stones Some of Marble c. And many peeces like Christall we found as throwne downe by water from those mountaines For in Winter they are covered with much snow and when it dissolveth the waters fall with such violence that it causeth great inundations in some narrow valleyes which is scarce perceived being once in the rivers These waters wash from the rocks such glistering tinctures that the ground in some places seemeth as guilded where both the rocks and the earth are so splendent to behold that better iudgements then ours might haue beene perswaded they contained more then probabilities The vesture of the earth in most places doth manifestly proue the nature of the soyle to be lusty and very rich The colour of the earth we found in diverse places resembleth bole Armoniac terra sigillata and Lemnia Fullers earth Marle and divers other such appearances But generally for the most part it is a blacke sandy mould in some places a fat slimy clay in other places a very barren gravell But the best ground is knowne by the vesture it beareth as by the greatnesse of trees or abundance of weeds c. The Country is not mountanous nor yet low but such pleasant plaine hils and fertile valleyes one prettily crossing another watered so conveniently with fresh brookes and springs no lesse commodious then delightsome By the rivers are many plaine marishes containing some 20 some 100. some 200 Acres some more some lesse Other plaines there are few but onely where the Salvages inhabit but all overgrowne with trees weeds being a plaine wildernesse as God first made it On the west side of the Bay we sayd were 5. faire and delightfull navigable rivers The first of those and the next to the mouth of the Bay hath his course from the West Northwest It is called Powhatan according to the name of a principall country that lyeth vpon it The mouth of this river is neare three myles in breadth yet doe the shoules force the Channell so neare the land that a Sacre will overshoot it at point blanke It is navigable 150 myles the shouldes and soundings are here needlesse to be expressed It falleth from Rockes farre west in a Country inhabited by a nation they call Monacans But where it commeth into our discovery it is Powhatan In the farthest place that was diligently observed are falles rockes shoules c. which makes it past navigation any higher Thence in the running downeward the river is enriched with many goodly brookes which are maintained by an infinit number of small rundles and pleasant springs that disperse themselues for best service as do the veines of a mans body From the South there fals into it First the pleasant river of Apamatuck Next more to the East are two small rivers of Quiyoughcohanocke A little farther is a Bay wherein falleth 3 or 4 prettie brookes creekes that halfe intrench the Inhabitants of Warraskoyac then the river of Nandsamund and lastly the brooke of Chisapeack From the North side is the river of Chickahamania the backe river of Iames Towne another by the Cedar Isle where we liued ten weekes vpon Oysters then a convenient harbour for Fisher boats at Kecoughtan that so turneth it selfe into Bayes and Creekes it makes that place very pleasant to inhabit their cornefields being girded therein in a manner as Peninsulaes The most of these rivers are inhabited by severall nations or rather families of the name of the rivers They haue also over those some Governour as their King which they call Werowances In a Peninsula on the North side of this river are the English Planted in a place by them called Iames Towne in honour of the Kings most excellent Maiestie The first and next the rivers
Cherry this they call Messamins they be satte and the iuyce thicke Neither doth the taste so well please when they are made in wine They haue a small fruit growing on little trees husked like a Chesnut but the fruit most like a very small Acorne This they call Chechinquamins which they esteeme a great daintie They haue a berry much like our Gooseberry in greatnesse colour and tast those they call Rawcomens and doe eat them raw or boyled Of these naturall fruits they liue a great part of the yeare which they vse in this manner The Walnuts Chesnuts Acornes and Chechinquamins are dryed to keepe When they need walnuts they breake them betweene two stones yet some part of the shels will cleaue to the fruit Then doe they dry them againe vpon a Mat over a hurdle After they put it into a morter of wood and beat it very small that done they mix it with water that the shels may sinke to the bottome This water will be coloured as milke which they call Pawcohiccora and keepe it for their vse The fruit like Medlers they call Putchamins they cast vpon hurdles on a Mat and preserue them as Pruines Of their Chesnuts and Chechinquamins boyled they make both broath and bread for their chiefe men or at their greatest feasts Besides those fruit trees there is a white Popular and another tree like vnto it that yeeldeth a very cleare and an odoriferous Gumme like Turpentine which some called Balsom There are also Cedars and Saxafras trees They also yeeld gummes in a small proportion of themselues Wee tryed conclusions to extract it out of the wood but nature afforded more then our arts In the watry valleyes groweth a Berry which they call Ocoughtanamnis very much like vnto Capers These they dry in sommer When they eat them they boile them neare halfe a day for otherwise they differ not much from poyson Mattoum groweth as our Bents The feed is not much vnlike to Rie though much smaller This they vse for a daintie bread buttered with deare suet During Sommer there are either Strawberries which ripen in Aprill or Mulberries which ripen in May and Iune Raspises hurts or a fruit that the inhabitants call Maracocks which is a pleasant wholsome fruit much like a Lemond Many herbes in the spring are cōmonly dispersed throughout the woods good for brothes and sallets as Violets Purslain Sorrell c. Besides many we vsed whose names we know not The chiefe root they haue for food is called Tockawhoughe It groweth like a flagge in Marishes In one day a Salvage will gather sufficient for a weeke These roots are much of the greatnesse and taste of Potatoes They vse to cover a great many of them with Oke leaues and Ferne and then cover all with earth in the manner of a Cole-pit over it on each side they continue a great fire 24 houres before they dare eat it Raw it is no better then poyson and being rosted except it be tender and the heat abated or sliced and dryed in the Sunne mixed with sorrell and meale or such like it will prickle and torment the throat extreamely and yet in sommer they vse this ordinarily for bread They haue another roote which they call Wighsacan as th' other feedeth the body so this cureth their hurts and diseases It is a small root which they bruise and apply to the wound Pocones is a small root that groweth in the mountaines which being dryed and beate in powder turneth red And this they vse for swellings aches annointing their ioynts painting their heads and garments They account it very precious and of much worth Musquaspen is a roote of the bignesse of a finger and as red as bloud In drying it will wither almost to nothing This they vse to paint their Mattes Targets and such like There is also Pellitory of Spaine Sasafrage and divers other simples which the Apothecaries gathered and commended to be good and medicinable In the low Marishes grow plots of Onyons containing an Acre of ground or more in many places but they are small not past the bignesse of the toppe of ones Thumbe Of beasts the chiefe are Deere nothing differing from ours In the deserts towards the heads of the rivers there are many but amongst the rivers few There is a beast they call Aroughcun much like a badger but vseth to liue on trees as Squirrels doe Their Squirrels some are neare as great as our smallest sort of wilde Rabbets some blackish or blacke and white but the most are gray A small beast they haue they call Assapanick but we call them flying Squirrels because spreading their legs and so stretching the largenesse of their skins that they haue beene seene to fly 30 or 40 yards An Opassom hath a head like a Swine and a taile like a Rat and is of the bignesse of a Cat. Vnder her belly shee hath a bagge wherein she lodgeth carrieth and suckleth her young A Mussascus is a beast of the forme and nature of our water Rats but many of them smell exceeding strongly of Muske Their Hares no bigger then our Conies and few of them to be found Their Beares are very little in comparison of those of Muscovia and Tartaria The Beaver is as big as an ordinary water dog but his legs exceeding short His forefeete like a dogs his hinder feet like a Swans His taile somewhat like the forme of a Racket bare without haire which to eat the Salvages esteeme a great delicate They haue many Otters which as the Beaver's they take with snares and esteeme the skins great ornaments and of all those beasts they vse to feed when they catch them An Vtchunquoyes is like a wilde Cat. Their Foxes are like our silver haired Conies of a small proportion and not smelling like those in England Their Dogges of that Country are like their Woolues and cannot barke but howle and the Woolues not much bigger then our English Foxes Martins Powlecats Weesels and Minkes we know they haue because we haue seene many of their skinnes though very seldome any of them aliue But one thing is strange that we could never perceiue their Vermine destroy our Hennes Egges nor Chickens nor doe any hurt nor their flyes nor serpents any way pernicious where in the South parts of America they are alwayes dangerous and often deadly Of Birds the Eagle is the greatest devourer Hawkes there be of divers sorts as our Falconers called them Sparrow-hawkes Lanarets Goshawkes Falcons and Osperayes but they all prey most vpon fish Their Partridges are little bigger then our Quailes Wilde Turkies are as bigge as our tame There are Woosels or Blackbirds with red shoulders Thrushes and divers sorts of small Birds some red some blew scarce so bigge as a Wrenne but few in Sommer In Winter there are great plentie of Swans Cranes gray and white with
blacke wings Herons Geese Brants Ducke Wigeon Dotterell Oxeies Parrats and Pigeons Of all those sorts great abundance and some other strange kinds to vs vnknowne by name But in Sommer not any or a very few to be seene Of fish we were best acquainted with Sturgeon Grampus Porpus Seales Stingraies whose tailes are very dangerous Bretts Mullets white Salmonds Trowts Soles Plaice Herrings Conyfish Rockfish Eeles Lampreysâ—punc Catfish Shadesâ—punc Pâ—arch of three sorts Crabs Shrimps Crevises Oysters Cocles and Mâ—scles But the most strange fish is a small one so like the picture of St George his Dragon as possible can be except his legs and wings and the Toadefish which will swell till it be like to burst when it commeth into the ayre Concerning the entrailes of the earth little can be said for certaintie There wanted good Refiners for those that tooke vpon them to haue skill this way tooke vp the washings from the mountaines and some moskered shining stones and spangles which the waters brought downe flattering themselues in their owne vaine conceits to haue beene supposed what they were not by the meanes of that ore if it proued as their arts and iudgements expected Onely this is certaine that many regions lying in the same latitude afford Mines very rich of divers natures The crust also of these rockes would easily perswade a man to beleeue there are other Mines then yron and steele if there were but meanes and men of experience that knew the Mine from Spar. Of their Planted fruits in Virginia and how they vse them THey divide the yeare into fiue seasons Their winter some call Popanow the spring Cattapeuk the sommer Cohattayough the earing of their Corne Nepinough the harvest and fall of leafe Taquitock From September vntill the midst of November are the chiefe feasts sacrifice Then haue they plentie of fruits as well planted as naturall as corne greene and ripe fish fowle and wilde beasts exceeding fat The greatest labour they take is in planting their corne for the Country naturally is overgrowne with wood To prepare the ground they bruise the barke of the trees neare the root then doe they scortch the roots with fire that they grow no more The next yeare with a crooked peece of wood they beat vp the weeds by the rootes and in that mould they plant their Corne. Their manner is this They make a hole in the earth with a sticke and into it they put foure graines of wheate and two of beanes These holâ—s they make foure foote one from another Their women and children do continually keepe it with weeding and when it is growne middle high they hill it about like a hop-yard In Aprill they begin to plant but their chiefe plantation is in May and so they continue till the midst of Iune What they plant in Aprill they reape in August for May in September for Iune in October Every stalke of their corne commonly beareth two eares some three seldome any foure many but one and some none Every care ordinarily hath betwixt 200 and 500 graines The stalke being greene hath a sweet iuice in it somewhat like a sugar Cane which is the cause that when they gather their corne greene they sucke the stalkes for as we gather greene pease so doe they their corne being greene which excelleth their old They plant also pease they call Assentamenâ— which are the same they call in Italy Fagâ—h Their Beanes are the same the Turkes call Garnanses but these they much esteeme for dainties Their corne they rost in the eare greene and bruising it in a morter of wood with a Polt lap it in rowles in the leaues of their corne and so boyle it for a daintie They also reserue that corne late planted that will not ripe by roasting it in hot ashes the heat thereof drying it In winter they esteeme it being boyled with beanes for a rare dish they call Pausarowmena Their old wheat they first steepe a night in hot water in the morning pounding it in a morter They vse a small basket for their Temmes then pound againe the great and so separating by dashing their hand in the basket receiue the flower in a platter made of wood scraped to that forme with burning and shels Tempering this flower with water they make it either in cakes covering them with ashes till they be baked and then washing them in faire water they drie presently with their owne heat or else boyle them in water eating the broth with the bread which they call Ponap The grouces and peeces of the cornes remaining by fanning in a Platter or in the wind away the branne they boyle 3 or 4 houres with water which is an ordinary food they call Vstatahamen But some more thriftie then cleanly doe burne the core of the eare to powder which they call Pungnough mingling that in their meale but it never tasted well in bread nor broth Their fish flesh they boyle either very tenderly or boyle it so long on hurdles over the fire or else after the Spanish fashion putting it on a spit they turne first the one side then the other till it be as drie as their ierkin Beefe in the west Indies that they may keepe it a moneth or more without putrifying The broth of fish or flesh they eat as commonly as the meat In May also amongst their corne they plant Pumpeons and a fruit like vnto a muske mellon but lesse and worse which they call Macocks These increase exceedingly and ripen in the beginning of Iuly and continue vntill September They plant also Maracocks a wild fruit like a Lemmon which also increase infinitely They begin to ripe in September and continue till the end of October When all their fruits be gathered little els they plant and this is done by their women and children neither doth this long suffice them for neare three parts of the yeare they onely obserue times and seasons and liue of what the Country naturally affordeth from hand to mouth c. The Commodities in Virginia or that may be had by Industrie THe mildnesse of the ayre the fertilitie of the soyle and situation of the rivers are so propitious to the nature and vse of man as no place is more convenient for pleasure profit and mans sustenance vnder that latitude or climat Here will liue any beasts as horses goats sheepe asses hens c. as appeared by them that were carried thether The waters Isles and shoales are full of safe harbours for ships of warre or marchandize for boats of all sorts for transportation or fishing c. The Bay and rivers haue much marchantable fish and places fit for Salt coats building of ships making of Iron c. Muscovia and Polonia doe yearely receiue many thousands for pitch tarre sope-ashes Rosen Flax Cordage Sturgeon Masts Yards Wainscot Firres Glasse and such like also Swethland for Iron and Copper France in like manner for Wine Canvas and
and gathered these Observations One Salvage hunting alone vseth the skinne of a Deere slit on the one side and so put on his arme through the neck so that his hand comes to the head which is stuffed and the hornes head eyes eares and every part as artificially counterfeited as they can devise Thus shrowding his body in the skinne by stalking he approacheth the Deere creeping on the ground from one tree to another If the Deere chance to find fault or stand at gaze he turneth the head with his hand to his best advantage to seeme like a Deere also gazing and licking himselfe So watching his best advantage to approach having shot him he chaseth him by his bloud and straine till he get him When they intend any warres the Werowances vsually haue the advice of their their Priests and Coniurers and their allies and ancient friends but chiefely the Priests determine their resolution Every Werowance or some lustie fellow they appoint Captaine over every nation They seldome make warre for lands or goods but for women and children and principally for revenge They haue many enemies namely all their westernly Countries beyond the mountaines and the heads of the rivers Vpon the head of the Powhatans are the Monacans whose chiefe habitation is at Rasauweak vnto whom the Mowhemenchughes the Massinnacacks the Monahassanughs the Monasickapanoughs and other nations pay tributes Vpon the head of the river of Toppahanock is a people called Mannahoacks To these are contributers the Tauxanias the Shackaconias the Ontponeas the Tegninateos the Whonkenteaes the Stegarakes the Hassinnungaes and divers others all confederates with the Monacans though many different in language and be very barbarous liuing for the most part of wild beasts and fruits Beyond the mountaines from whence is the head of the river Patawomeke the Salvages report inhabit their most mortall enemies the Massawomekes vpon a great salt water which by all likelihood is either some part of Cannada some great lake or some inlet of some sea that falleth into the South sea These Massawomekes are a great nation and very populous For the heads of all those rivers especially the Pattawomekes the Pautuxuntes the Sasquesaâ—anocks the Tockwoughes are continually tormented by them of whose crueltie they generally complained and very importunate they were with me and my company to free them from these tormentors To this purpose they offered food conduct assistance and continuall subiection Which I concluded to effect But the councell then present emulating my successe would not thinke it fit to spare me fortie men to be hazzarded in those vnknowne regions having passed as before was spoken of but with 12 anâ— so was lost that opportunitie Seaven boats full of these Massawomekes wee encountred at the head of the Bay whose Targets Baskets Swords Tobaccopipes Platters Bowes and Arrowes and every thing shewed they much exceeded them of our parts and their dexteritie in their small boats made of the barkes of trees sowed with barke and well luted with gumme argueth that they are seated vpon some great water Against all these enemies the Powhatans are constrained sometimes to fight Their chiefe attempts are by Stratagems trecheries or surprisals Yet the Werowances women and children they put not to death but keepe them Captiues They haue a method in warre and for our pleasures they shewed it vs and it was in this manner performed at Mattapanient Having painted and disguised themselues in the fiercest manner they could devise They divided themselues into two Companies neare a hundred in a company The one company called Monacans the other Powhatans Either army had their Captaine These as enemies tooke their stands a musket shot one from another ranked themselues 15 a breast and each ranke from another 4 or 5 yards not in fyle but in the opening betwixt their fyles So the Reare could shoot as conveniently as the Front Having thus pitched the fields from either part went a messenger with these conditions that whosoever were vanquished such as escape vpon their submission in two dayes after should liue but their wiues and children should be prize for the Conquerours The messengers were no sooner returned but they approached in their orders On each flanke a Serieant and in the Reare an Officer for Lieutenant all duly keeping their orders yet leaping and singing after their accustomed tune which they onely vse in Warres Vpon the first flight of arrowes they gaue such horrible shouts and screeches as so many infernall hell hounds could not haue made them more terrible When they had spent their arrowes they ioyned together preâ—tily charging and retyring every ranke seconding other As they got advantage they catched their enemies by the hayre of the head and downe he came that was taken His enemy with his wooden sword seemed to beat out his braines and still they crept to the Reare to maintaine the skirmish The Monacans decreasing the Powhatans charged them in the forme of a halfe Moone they vnwilling to be inclosed fled all in a troope to their Ambuscadoes on whom they led them very cunningly The Monacans disperse themselues among the fresh men wherevpon the Powhatans retired with all speed to their seconds which the Monacans seeing tooke that advantage to retire againe to their owne battell and so each returned to their owne quarter All their actions voyces and gestures both in charging and retiring were so strained to the height of their qualitie and nature that the strangenesse thereof made it seeme very delightfull For their Musicke they vse a thicke Cane on which they pipe as on a Recorder For their warres they haue a great deepe platter of wood They cover the mouth thereof with a skin at each corner they tie a walnut which meeting on the backside neere the bottome with a small rope they twitch them together till it be so tought and stiffe that they may beat vpon it as vpon a drumme But their chiefe instruments are Rattles made of small gourds or Pumpeons shels Of these they haue Base Tenor Countertenor Meane and Treble These mingled with their voyces sometimes twenty or thirtie together make such a terrible noise as would rather affright then delight any man If any great commander arriue at the habitation of a Werowance they spread a Mat as the Turkes doe a Carpet for him to sit vpon Vpon another right opposite they sit themselues Then doe all with a tunable voice of shouting bid him welcome After this doe two or more of their chiefest men make an Oration testifying their loue Which they doe with such vehemency and so great passions that they sweat till they drop and are so out of breath they can scarce speake So that a man would take them to be exceeding angry or stark mad Such victuall as they haue they spend freely and at night where his lodging is appointed they set a woman fresh painted red with Pocones and oyle to be his bed-fellow Their manner
of trading is for copper beads and such like for which they giue such commodities as they haue as skins foule fish flesh and their Country Corne. But their victualls are their chiefest riches Every spring they make themselues sicke with drinking the iuyce of a roote they call Wighsacan and water whereof they powre so great a quantitie that it purgeth them in a very violent manner so that in three or foure dayes after they scarce recover their former health Sometimes they are troubled with dropsies swellings aches and such like diseases for cure whereof they build a Stoue in the forme of a Doue-house with mats so close that a few coales therein covered with a pot will make the patient sweat extreamely For swellings also they vse small peeces of touchwood in the forme of cloues which pricking on the griefe they burne close to the flesh and from thence draw the corruption with their mouth With this roote Wighsacan they ordinarily heale greene wounds But to scarrifie a swelling or make incision their best instruments are some splinted stone Old vlcers or putrified hurts are seldome seene cured amongst them They haue many professed Phisicians who with their charmes and Rattles with an infernall rout of words and actions will seeme to sucke their inward griefe from their navels or their grieued places but of our Chirurgians they were so conceited that they beleeued any Plaister would heale any hurt But 't is not alwayes in Phisicians skill To heale the Patient that is sicke and ill For sometimes sicknesse on the Patients part Proues stronger farre then all Phisicians art Of their Religion THere is yet in Virginia no place discovered to be so Savage in which they haue not a Religion Deere and Bow and Arrowes All things that are able to doe them hurt beyond their prevention they adore with their kinde of divine worship as the fire water lightning thunder our Ordnance peeces horses c. But their chiefe God they worship is the Devill Him they call Okee and serue him more of feare then loue They say they haue conference with him and fashion themselues as neare to his shape as they can imagine In their Temples they haue his image euill favouredly carved and then painted and adorned with chaines of copper and beads and covered with a skin in such manner as the deformitie may well suit with such a God By him is commonly the sepulcher of their Kings Their bodies are first bowelled then dried vpon hurdles till they be very dry and so about the most of their ioynts and necke they hang bracelets or chaines of copper pearle and such like as they vse to weare their inwards they stuffe with copper beads hatchets and such trash Then lappe they them very carefully in white skins and so rowle them in mats for their winding sheets And in the Tombe which is an arch made of mats they lay them orderly What remaineth of this kinde of wealth their Kings haue they set at their feet in baskets These Temples and bodies are kept by their Priests For their ordinary burials they dig a deepe hole in the earth with sharpe stakes and the corpse being lapped in skins and mats with their iewels they lay them vpon stickes in the ground and so cover them with earth The buriall ended the women being painted all their faces with blacke cole and oyle doe sit twenty-foure houres in the houses mourning and lamenting by turnes with such yelling and howling as may expresse their great passions In every Territory of a Werowance is a Temple and a Priest two or three or more Their principall Temple or place of superstition is at Vitamussack at Pamavnkâ—e neare vnto which is a house Temple or place of Powhatans Vpon the top of certaine red sandy hils in the woods there are three great houses filled with images of their Kings and Devils and Tombes of their Predecessors Those houses are neare sixtie foot in length built arbour-wise after their building This place they count so holy as that but the Priests Kings dare come into them nor the Salvages dare not goe vp the river in boats by it but they solemnly cast some peece of copper white beads or Pocones into the river for feare their Okee should be offended and revenged of them Thus Feare was the first their Gods begot Till feare began their Gods were not In this place commonly are resident seauen Priests The chiefe differed from the rest in his ornaments but inferior Priests could hardly be knowne from the common people but that they had not so many holes in their eares to hang their iewels at The ornaments of the chiefe Priest were certaine attires for his head made thus They tooke a dosen or 16 or more snakes skins and stuffed them with mosse and of Weesels and other Vermines skins a good many All these they tie by their tailes so as all their tailes meete in the toppe of their head like a great Tassell Round about this Tassell is as it were a crowne of feathers the skins hang round about his head necke and shoulders and in a manner cover his face The faces of all their Priests are painted as vgly as they can devise in their hands they had every one his Rattle some base some smaller Their devotion was most in songs which the chiefe Priest beginneth and the rest followed him sometimes he maketh invocations with broken sentences by starts and strange passions and at every pause the rest giue a short groane Thus seeke they in deepe foolishnesse To climbe the height of happinesse It could not be perceiued that they keepe any day as more holy then other But onely in some great distresse of want feare of enemies times of triumph and gathering together their fruits the whole Country of men women and children come together to solemnities The manner of their devotion is sometimes to make a great fire in the house or fields and all to sing and dance about it with Rattles and shouts together foure or fiue houres Sometimes they set a man in the midst and about him they dance and sing he all the while clapping his hands as if he would keepe time and after their songs and dauncings ended they goe to â—heir Feasts Through God begetting feare Mans blinded minde did reare A hell-god to the ghosts A heaven-god to the hoasts Yea God vnto the Seas Feare did create all these They haue also divers coniurations one they made when I was their prisoner of which hereafter you shall reade at large They haue also certaine Altar stones they call Pawcorances but these stand from their Temples some by their houses others in the woods and wildernesâ—es where they haue had any extraordinary accident or incounter And as you travell at those stones they will tell you the cause why they were there erected which from age to age they instruct their children as their best records of antiquities
many women as he will whereof when he lieth on his bed one sitteth at his head and another at his feet but when he sitteth one sitteth on his right hand and another on his left As he is weary of his women he bestoweth them on those that best deserue them at his hands When he dineth or suppeth one of his women before and after meat bringeth him water in a wooden platter to wash his hands Another waiteth with a bunch of feathers to wipe them in stead of a Towell and the feathers when he hath wiped are dryed againe His kingdomes descend not to his sonnes nor children but first to his brethren whereof he hath 3. namely Opitchapan Opechancanough and Catataugh and after their decease to his sisters First to the eldest sister then to the rest and after them to the heires male or female of the eldest sister but never to the heires of the males He nor any of his people vnderstand any letters whereby to write or reade onely the lawes whereby he ruleth is custome Yet when he listeth his will is a law and must be obeyed not onely as a King but as halfe a God they esteeme him His inferiour Kings whom they call Werowances are tyed to rule by customes and haue power of life and death at their command in tâ—at nature But this word Werowance which we call and construe for a King is a common word whereby they call all commanders for they haue but few words in their language and but few occasions to vse any officers more then one commander which commonly they call Werowance or Caucorouse which is Captaine They all know their severall lands and habitations and limits to fish soule or hunt in but they hold all of their great Werowance Powhatan vnto whom they pay tribute of skinnes beads copper pearle deere turkies wild beasts and corne What he commandeth they dare not disobey in the least thing It is strange to see with what great feare and adoration all these people doe obey this Powhatan For at his feet they present whatsoever he commandeth and at the least frowne of his brow their greatest spirits will tremble with feare and no marvell for he is very terrible tyrannous in punishing such as offend him For example he caused certaine malefactors to be bound hand and foot then having of many fires gathered great store of burning coales they rake these coales round in the forme of a cockpit and in the midst they cast the offenders to broyle to death Sometimes he causeth the heads of them that offend him to be laid vpon the altar or sacrificing stone and one with clubbes beats out their braines When he would punish any notorious enemy or malefactor he causeth him to be tyed to a tree and with Mussell shels or reeds the executioner cutteth off his ioynts one after another ever casting what they cut of into the fire then doth he proceed with shels and reeds to case the skinne from his head and face then doe they rip his belly and so burne him with the tree and all Thus themselues reported they executed George Cassen Their ordinary correction is to beate them with cudgels We haue seene a man kneeling on his knees and at Powhatans command two men haue beate him on the bare skin till he hath fallen senselesse in a sound and yet never cry nor complained And he made a woman for playing the whore sit vpon a great stone on her bare breech twenty-foure houres onely with corne and water every three dayes till nine dayes were past yet he loued her exceedingly notwithstanding there are common whores by profession In the yeare 1608 he surprised the people of Payankatank his neare neighbours and subiects The occasion was to vs vnknowne but the manner was thus First he sent divers of his men as to lodge amongst them that night then the Ambuscadoes environed all their houses and at the houre appointed they all fell to the spoyle twenty-foure men they slew the long haire of the one side of their heads with the skinne cased off with shels or reeds they brought away They surprised also the women and the children and the Werowance All these they presented to Powhatan The Werowance women and children became his prisoners and doe him service The lockes of haire with their skinnes he hanged on a line betwixt two trees And thus he made ostentation of his triumph at Werowocomoco where he intended to haue done as much to mee and my company And this is as much as my memory can call to minde worthy of note which I haue purposely collected to satisfie my friends of the true worth and qualitie of Virginia Yet some bad natures will not sticke to slander the Countrey that will slovenly spit at all things especially in company where they can finde none to contradict them Who though they were scarce enâ—r ten myles from Iames Towne or at the most but at the falles yet holding it a great disgrace that amongst so much action their actions were nothing exclaime of all things though they never adventured to know any thing nor euer did any thing but devoure the fruits of other mens labours Being for most part of such tender educations and small experience in Martiall accidents because they found not English Cities nor such faire houses nor at their owne wishes any of their accustomed dainties with feather beds and downe pillowes Tavernes and Alehouses in every breathing place neither such plentie of gold and silver and dissolute libertie as they expected had little or no care or any thing but to pamper their bellies to fly away with our Pinnaces or procure their meanes to returne for England For the Country was to them a misery a ruine a death a hell and their reports here and their actions there according Some other there were that had yearely stipends to passe to and againe for transportation who to keepe the mysterie of the businesse in themselues though they had neither time nor meanes to know much of themselues yet all mens actions or relations they so formally tuned to the temporizing times simplicitie as they could make their ignorances seeme much more then all the true actors could by their experience And those with their great words deluded the world with such strange promises as abused the businesse much worse then the rest For the businesse being builded vpon the foundation of their fained experience the planters the money and meanes haue still miscarried yet they ever returning and the planters so farre absent who could contradict their excuses which still to maintaine their vaine glory and estimation from time to time haue vsed such diligence as made them passe for truths though nothing more false And that the adventurers might be thus abused let no man wonder for the wisest liuing is soonest abused by him that hath a faire tongue and a dissembling heart There were many in Virginia meerely proiecting verball and idle
time he importunately desired them but Smith seemed so much the more to affect them as being composed of a most rare substance of the coulour of the skyes and not to be worne but by the greatest kings in the world This made him halfe madde to be the owner of such strange Iewells so that ere we departed for a pound or two of blew beades be brought ouer my king for 2. or 300. Bushells of corne yet parted good friends The like entertainment we found of Opechankanough king of Pamavnkee whom also he in like manner fitted at the like rates with blew beads which grew by this meanes of that estimation that none durst weare any of them but their great kings their wiues and children And so we returned all well to Iames towne where this new supply being lodged with the rest accidentally fired their quarters and so the towne which being but thatched with reeds the fire was so fierce as it burnt their Pallisado's though eight or ten yards distant with their Armes bedding apparell and much priuate prouision Good Master Hunt our Preacher lost all his Library and all he had but the cloathes on his backe yet none neuer heard him repine at his losse This happned in the winter in that extreame frost 1607. Now though we had victuall sufficient I meane onely of Oatmeale meale and corne yet the Ship staying 14. weekes when shee might as wel haue beene gone in 14. dayes spent a great part of that and neare all the rest that was sent to be landed When they departed what there discretion could spare vs to make a little poore meale or two we called feastes to relish our mouthes of each somwhat they left vs yet I must confesse those that had either money spare clothes credit to giue billes of paiment gold rings furrs or any such commodities were euer welcome to this remouing tauerne such was our patience to obay such vile Commanders and buy our owne provisions at 15. times the value suffering them feast we bearing the charge yet must not repine but fast least we should incurre the censure of factious and seditious persons and then leakage ship-rats and other casuallties occasioned them losse but the vessels and remnants for totals we were glad to receaue with all our hearts to make vp the account highly commending their prouidence for preseruing that least they should discourage any more to come to vs. Now for all this plenty our ordynary was but meale and water so that this great charge little releeued our wants whereby with the extremitie of the bitter cold frost and those defects more then halfe of vs dyed I cannot deny but both Smith and Skriuener did their best to amend what was amisse but with the President went the maior part that there hornes were to short But the worst was our guilded refiners with their golden promises made all men their slaues in hope of recompences there was no talke no hope no worke but dig gold wash gold refine gold loade gold such a bruit of gold that one mad fellow desired to be buried in the sands least they should by there art make gold of his bones little neede there was and lesse reason the ship should stay there wages run on our victualls consume 14. weekes that the Mariners might say they did helpe to build such a golden Church that we can say the raine washed neere to nothing in 14. dayes Were it that captaine Smith would not applaude all those golden inventions because they admitted him not to the sight of their trialls nor golden consultations I know not but I haue heard him oft question with Captaine Martin tell him except he could shew him a more substantiall triall he was not inamoured with their durty skill breathing out these and many other passions neuer any thing did more torment him then to see all necessary busines neglected to fraught such a drunken ship with so much guilded durt Till then we neuer accounted Captaine Newport a refiner who being ready to set saile for England we not hauing any vse of Parliaments Plaies Petitions Admiralls Recorders Interpreters Chronologers Courts of Plea nor Iustices of peace sent Master Wingfield and Captaine Archer home with him that had ingrossed all those titles to seeke some better place of imployment Oh cursed gold those hunger-starved movers To what misfortunes lead'st thou all those lovers For all the China wealth nor Indies can Suffice the minde of an av'ritious man CHAP. IIII. The Arrivall of the Phoenix her returne and other Accidents THe authoritie now consisting in Captaine Martin and the still sickly President the sale of the Stores commodities maintained his estate as an inheritable revenew The spring approaching and the Ship departing Mr Scrivener and Captaine Smith devided betwixt them the rebuilding Iames towne the repairing our Pallizadoes the cutting downe trees preparing our fields planting our corne and to rebuild our Church and recover our Store house All men thus busie at their severall labours Master Nelson arrived with his lost Phoenix lost I say for that we all deemed him lost Landing safely all his men so well he had mannaged his ill hap causing the Indian Isles to feede his company that his victuall to that we had gotten as is said before was neare after our allowance sufficient for halfe a yeare He had not any thing but he freely imparted it which honest dealing being a Marriner caused vs admire him we would not haue wished more then he did for vs. Now to relade this ship with some good tydings the President not holding it stood with the dignitie of his place to leaue the Fort gaue order to Captaine Smith to discover and search the commodities of the Monacans Countrey beyond the Falls Sixtie able men was allotted them the which within six dayes Smith had so well trained to their armes and orders that they little feared with whom they should incounter yet so vnseasonable was the time and so opposit was Captaine Martin to any thing but onely to fraught this ship also with his phantasticall gold as Captaine Smith rather desired â—o relade her with Cedar which was a present dispatch then either with durt or the hopes and reports of an vncertaine discovery which he would performe when they had lesse charge and more leisure But The God of Heav'n He eas'ly can Immortalize a mortall man With glory and with fame The same God ev'n as eas'ly may Afflict a mortall man I say With sorrow and with shame Whilst the conclusion was a resolving this hapned Powhatan to expresse his loue to Newport when he departed presented him with twentie Turkies conditionally to returne him twentie â—words which immediately was sent him now after his departure he presented Captaine Smith with the like luggage but not finding his humor obeyed in not sending such weapons as he desired he caused his people with twentie devices to obtaine them At last by ambuscadoes at our
three barricoes that such puddle that never till then we ever knew the want of good water We digged and searched in many places but before two daies were expired we would haue refused two barricoes of gold for one of that puddle water of Wighcocomoco Being past these Isles which are many in number but all naught for habitation falling with a high land vpon the mayne we found a great Pond of fresh water but so exceeding hot wee supposed it some bath that place we called poynt Ployer in honor of that most honourable House of Mousay in Britaine that in an extreame extremitie once relieued our Captaine From Wighcocomoco to this place all the coast is low broken Isles of Morap growne a myle or two in breadth and ten or twelue in length good to cut for hay in Summer and to catch fish and foule in Winter but the Land beyond them is all covered over with wood as is the rest of the Country Being thus refreshed in crossing ouer from the maine to other Isles we discouered the winde and waters so much increased with thunder lightning and raine that our mast and sayle blew ouerbord and such mighty waues ouerracked vs in that small barge that with great labour we kept her froÌ„ sinking by freeing out the water Two dayes we were inforced to inhabite these vninhabited Isles which for the extremitie of gusts thunder raine stormes and ill wether we called Limbo Repairing our saile with our shirts we set sayle for the maine and fell with a pretty convenient riuer on the East called Cuskarawaok the people ran as amazed in troups from place to place and diuers got into the tops of trees they were not sparing of their arrowes nor the greatest passion they could expresse of their anger Long they shot we still ryding at an Anchor without there reatch making all the signes of friendship we could The next day they came vnarmed with euery one a basket dancing in a ring to draw vs on shore but seeing there was nothing in them but villany we discharged a volly of muskets charged with pistoll shot whereat they all lay tumbling on the grownd creeping some one way some another into a great cluster of reedes hard by where there companies lay in Ambuscado Towards the euening we wayed approaching the shoare discharging fiue or six shot among the reedes we landed where there lay a many of baskets and much bloud but saw not a Salvage A smoake appearing on the other side the riuer we rowed thither where we found two or three little houses in each a fire there we left some peeces of copper beads bells and looking glasses and then went into the bay but when it was darke we came backe againe Early in the morning foure Salvages came to vs in their Canow whom we vsed with such courtesie not knowing what we were nor had done hauing beene in the bay a fishing badâ— vs stay and ere long they would returne which they did and some twentie more with them with whom after a little conference two or three thousand men women childreÌ„ came clustring about vs euery one preseÌ„ting vs with something which a little bead would so well require that we became such friends they would contend who should fetch vs water stay with vs for hostage conduct our men any whither and giue vs the best content Here doth inhabite the people of Sarapinagh Nause Arseek and Nantaquak the best Marchants of all other Salvages They much extolled a great nation called Massawomekes in search of whom we retâ—â—â—ed by Limbo this riuer but onely at the â—ntâ—ance is very narrow and the people of small stature as them of Wightcocomoco the Land but low yet it may proue very commodious because it is but a ridge of land betwixt the Bay and the maine Ocean Finding this Easterne shore shallow broken Isles and for most part without fresh water we passed by the straites of Limbo for the Westerne shore so broad is the bay here we could scarce perceiue the great high clifts on the other side by them we Anchored that night and called them Râ—ccards Cliftâ—s 30. leagues we sayled more Northwards not finding any inhabitants leauing all the Easterne shore lowe Islandes but ouergrowne with wood as all the Coast beyond them so farre as wee could see the Westerne shore by which we sayled we found all along well watered but very mountanous and barren the vallies very fertill but extreame thicke of small wood so well as trees and much frequented with Wolues Beares Deere and other wild beasts We passed many shallow creekes but the first we found Nauigable for a ship we called Bolus for that the clay in many places vnder the clifts by the high water marke did grow vp in red and white knots as gum out of trees and in some places so participated together as though they were all of one nature excepting the coulour the rest of the earth on both sides being hard sandy grauell which made vs thinke it Bole-Armoniack and Terra sigillata When we first set sayle some of our Gallants doubted nothing but that our Captaine would make too much hast home but hauing lien in this small barge not aboue 12. or 14. dayes oft tyred at the Oares our bread spoyled with wet so much that it was rotten yet so good were their stomacks that they could disgest it they did with continuall complaints so importune him now to returne as caused him bespeake them in this manner Gentlemen if you would remember the memorable history of Sir Ralph Layne how his company importuned him to proceed in the discovery of Moratico alleadging they had yet a dog that being boyled with Saxafras leaues would richly feede them in their returnes then what a shame would it be for you that haue bin so suspitious of my tendernesse to force me returne with so much provision as we haue and scarce able to say where we haue beene nor yet heard of that we were sent to seeke You cannot say but I haue shared with you in the worst which is past and for what is to come of lodging dyet or whatsoeuer I am contented you allot the worst part to my selfe As for your feares that I will lose my selfe in these vnknowne large waters or be swallowed vp in some stormie gust abandon these childish feares for worâ—e then to past â—s not likely to happen and there is as much danger to returne as to proceede Regaine therefore your old spirits for returne I will not if God please till I haue 〈◊〉 the Massawomeks found Patawomek or the head of this water you conceit to be endlâ—sse Two or 3. dayes we expected winde wether whose aduerse extremities added such discouragement that three or foure fell sicke whose pittifull complaints caused vs to to returne leauing the bay some nine miles broad at nine and ten fadome water The 16. of Iune we fell with the riuer Patowomek
Waraskoyack the 20 of Iuly where trimming her with painted streamers and such devises as we could we made them at Iames towne iealous of a Spanish Frigot where we all God be thanked safely arrived the 21 of Iuly There we found the last Supply were all sicke the rest some lame some bruised all vnable to doe any thing but complaine of the pride and vnreasonable needlesse crueltie of the silly President that had riotously consumed the store and to fulfill his follies about building him an vnnecessary building for his pleasure in the woods had brought them all to that misery that had we not arrived they had as strangely tormented him with revenge but the good newes of our Discovery and the good hope we had by the Salvages relation that our Bay had stretched into the South Sea or somewhat neare it appeased their fury but conditionally that Ratliffe should be deposed and that Captaine Smith would take vpon him the government as by course it did belong Their request being effected he substituted Mr Scrivener his deare friend in the Presidency equally distributing those private provisions the other had ingrossed appointing more honest officers to assist master Scrivener who then lay exceeding sicke of a Callenture and in regard of the weaknesse of the company and heate of the yeare they being vnable to worke he left them to liue at ease to recover their healths but imbarked himselfe to finish his Discovery Written by Walter Russell Anas Todkill and Thomas Momford CHAP. VI. The Government surrendred to Master Scrivener What happened the second Voyage in discovering the Bay THe 24 of Iuly Captaine Smith set forward to finish the discovery with twelue men their names were Gentlemen Nathaniell Powell Thomas Momford Richard Fetherston Michell Sicklemore Iames Bourne Anthony Bagnall Chir. Souldiers Ionas Profit Anas Todkill Edward Pising Richard Keale Iames Watkins William Ward The wind being contrary caused our stay two or three dayes at Kecoughtan the King feasted vs with much mirth his people were perswaded we went purposely to be revenged of the Massawomeks In the evening we fired a few rackets which flying in the ayre so terrified the poore Salvages they supposed nothing vnpossible we attempted and desired to assist vs. The first night we anchored at Stingray Isle The next day crossed Patawomeks river and hasted to the river Bolus We went not much further before we might see the Bay to divide in two heads and arriving there we found it divided in foure all which we searched so farre as we could sayle them Two of them we found inhabited but in crossing the Bay we incountred 7 or 8 Canowes full of Massawomeks we seeing them prepare to assault vs left our Oares and made way with our sayle to incounter them yet were we but fiue with our Captaine that could stand for within 2 dayes after we left Kecoughtan the rest being all of the last supply were sicke almost â—o death vntill they were seasoned to the Country Having shut them vnder our Tarpawling we put their hats vpon stickes by the Barges side and betwixt two hats a man with two peeces to make vs seeme many and so we thinke the Indians supposed those hats to be men for they fled with all possible speed to the shore and there stayed staring at the sayling of our barge till we anchored right against them Long it was ere we could draw them to come vnto vs. At last they sent two of their company vnarmed in a Canow the rest all followed to second them if neede required These two being but each presented with a bell brought aboord all their fellowes presenting our Captaine with venison beares flesh fish bowes arrowes clubs targets and beares-skinnes We vnderstood them nothing at all but by signes whereby they signified vnto vs they had beene at warres with the Tockwoghes the which they confirmed by shewing vs their greene wounds but the night parting vs we imagined they appointed the next morning to meete but after that we never saw them Entring the river of Tockwogh the Salvages all armed in a fleete of boats after their barbarous manner round invironed vs so it chanced one of them could speake the language of Powhatan who perswaded the rest to a friendly parley But when they saw vs furnished with the Massawomeks weapons and we faining the invention of Kecoughtan to haue taken them perforce they conducted vs to their pallizadoâ—d towne mantelled with the barkes of trees with scaffolds like mounts brested about with brests very formally Their men women and children with daunces songs fruits furres and what they had kindly welcommed vs spreading matâ— for vs to sit on stretching their best abilities to expresse their loues Many hatchets kniues peeces of iron and brasse we saw amongst them which they reported to haue from the Sasquesahanocks a mightie people and mortall enemies with the Massawomeks The Sasquesahanocks inhabit vpon the chiefe Spring of these foure branches of the Bayes head two dayes iourney higher then our barge could passe for rocks yet we prevailed with the Interpreter to take with him another Interpreter to perswade the Sasquesahanocks to come visit vs for their language are different Three or foure dayes we expected their returne then sixtie of those gyant-like people came downe with presents of Venison Tobacco pipes three foot in length Baskets Targets Bowes and Arrowes Fiue of their chiefe Werowances came boldly aboord vs to crosse the Bay for Tockwhogh leaving their men and Canowes the wind being so high they durst not passe Our order was daily to haue Prayer with a Psalme at which solemnitie the poore Salvages much wondred our Prayers being done a while they were busied with a consultation till they had contrived their businesse Then they began in a most passionate manner to hold vp their hands to the Sunne with a most fearefull song then imbracing our Captaine they began to adore him in like manner though he rebuked them yet they proceeded till their song was finished which done with a most strange furious action and a hellish voyce began an Oration of their loues that ended with a great painted Beares skin they covered him then one ready with a great chayne of white Beads weighing at least six or seaven pound hung it about his necke the others had 18 mantels made of divers sorts of skinnes sowed together all these with many other toyes they layd at his feete stroking their ceremonious hands about his necke for his Creation to be their Governour and Protector promising their aydes victualls or what they had to be his if he would stay with them to defend and revenge them of the Massawomecks But we left them at Tockwhogh sorrowing for our departure yet we promised the next yeare againe to visit them Many descriptions and discourses they made vs of Atquanachuck Massawomek other people signifying they inhabit vpon a great water beyond the mountaines which we vnderstood to be some great
Rapahanock presented his Bow and Arrowes and confirmed all we desired except his sonne having no more but him he could not liue without him but in stead of his sonne he would giue him the three women Moraughtacund had stolâ—e This was accepted and so in three or foure Canowes so many as could went with vs to Moraughtacund where Mosco made them such relations and gaue to his friends so many Bowes and Arrowes that they no lesse loued him then admired vs. The 3 women were brought our Captaine to each he gaue a chayne of Beads and then causing Moraughtacund Mosco and Rapahanock stand before him bid Rapahanock take her he loued best and Moraughtacund chuse next to Mosco he gaue the third Vpon this away went their Canowes over the water to fetch their venison and all the provision they could and they that wanted Boats swam over the river the darke commanded vs then to rest The next day there was of men women and children as we coniectured six or seauen hundred dauncing singing and not a Bow nor Arrow seene amongst them Mosco changed his name Vâ—tasantascugh which we interpret Stranger for so they call vs. All promising ever to be our friends and to plant Corne purposely for vs and we to provide hatchets beads and copper for them we departed giuing them a Volley of shot and they vs as loud shouts and cryes as their strengths could vtter That night we anchored in the river of Payankatank and discovered it so high as it was navigable but the people were most a hunting saue a few old men women and children that were tending their corne of which they promised vs part when we would fetch it as had done all the Nations where ever we had yet beene In a fayre calme rowing towards poynt Comfort we anchored in Gosnolls Bay but such a suddaine gust surprised vs in the night with thunder and rayne that we never thought more to haue seene Iames Towne Yet running before the wind we sometimes saw the Land by the flashes of fire from heaven by which light onely we kept from the splitting shore vntill it pleased God in that blacke darknesse to preserue vs by that light to finde poynt Comfort there refreshing our selues because we had onely but heard of the Chisapeacks Nandsamunds we thought it as fit to know all our neighbours neare home as so many Nations abroad So setting sayle for the Southerne shore we sayled vp a narrow river vp the country of Chisapeack it hath a good channell but many shoules about the entrance By that we had sayled six or seauen myles we saw two or three little garden plots with their houses the shores overgrowne with the greatest Pyne and Firre trees wee ever saw in the Country But not seeing nor hearing any people and the riuer very narrow we returned to the great riuer to see if we could finde any of them Coasting the shore towards Nandsamund which is most Oyster-bankes at the mouth of that riuer we espied six or seauen Salvages making their wires who presently fled ashore we went and where they wrought we threw diuers toyes and so departed Farre we were not gone ere they came againe and began to sing and daunce and recall vs and thus we began our first acquaintance At last one of them desired vs to goe to his house vp that riuer into our Boat voluntarily he came the rest ran after vs by the shore with all shew of loue that could be Seauen or eight myles we sayled vp this narrow riuer at last on the Westerne shore we saw large Cornefields in the midst a little Isle and in it was abundance of Corne the people he told vs were all a hunting but in the Isle was his house to which he inuited vs with much kindnesse to him his wife and children we gaue such things as they seemed much contented them The others being come desired vs also to goe but a little higher to see their houses here our host left vs the rest rowed by vs in a Canow till we were so far past the Isle the riuer became very narrow Here we desired some of them to come abord vs wherat pausing a little they told vs they would but fetch their bows and arrowes and goe all with vs but being a-shore and thus armed they perswaded vs to goe forward but we could neither perswade them into their Canow nor into our Boat This gaue vs cause to prouide for the worst Farre we went not ere seauen or eight Canowes full of men armed appeared following vs staying to see the conclusion Presently from each side the riuer came arrowes so fast as two or three hundred could shoot them whereat we returned to get the open They in the Canowes let fly also as fast but amongst them we bestowed so many shot the most of them leaped overboard and swam ashore but two or three escaped by rowing being against their playnes our Muskets they found shot further then their Bowes for wee made not twentie shot â—re they all retyred behind the next trees Being thus got out of their trap we seised on all their Canowes and moored them in the midst of the open More then an hundred arrowes stucke in our Targets and about the boat yet none hurt onely Anthony Bagnall was shot in his Hat and another in his sleeue But seeing their multitudes and suspecting as it was that both the Nandsamunds and the Chisapeacks were together we thought it best to ryde by their Canowes a while to bethinke if it were better to burne all in the Isle or draw them to composition till we were prouided to take all they had which was sufficient to feed all our Colony but to burne the Isle at night it was concluded In the interim we began to cut in peeces their Canowes and they presently to lay downe their bowes making signes of peace peace we told them we would accept would they bring vs their Kings bowes and arrowes with a chayne of pearle and when we came againe giue vs foure hundred baskets full of Corne otherwise we would breake all their boats and burne their houses and corne and all they had To performe all this they alledged onely the want of a Canow so we put one a drift bad them swim to fetch her and till they performed their promise wee would but onely breake their Canowes They cryed to vs to doe no more all should be as we would which presently they performed away went their bowes and arrowes and tagge and ragge came with their baskets so much as we could carry we tooke and so departing good friends we returned to Iames Towne where we safely arrived the 7. of September 1608. There we found Mr Scrivener and divers others well recovered many dead some sicke the late President prisoner for mutiny by the honest diligence of Master Scrivener the haruest gathered but the provision in the store much spoyled with rayne
Thus was that summer when little wanted consumed and spent and nothing done such was the gouernment of Captaine Ratliffe but onely this discovery wherein to expresse all the dangers accidents and incounters this small number passed in that small Barge by the scale of proportion about three thousand myles with such watery dyet in those great waters and barbarous Countries till then to any Christian vtterly vnknowne I rather referre their merit to the censure of the courteous and experienced Reader then I would be tedious or partiall being a partie But to this place to come who will adventure with iudgements guide and reason how to enter Finds in this worlds broad sea with winde and tyde Ther 's safer sayle then any where beside But 'cause to wanton novices it is A Province full of fearefulnesse I wiss Into the great vast deepe to venter out Those shallow rivers let them coast about And by a small Boat learne there first and marke How they may come to make a greater Barke Written by Anthony Bagnall Nathanaell Powell and Anas Todkill CHAPTER VII The Presidency surrendred to Captaine Smith the Arrivall and returne of the second Supply And what happened THe tenth of September by the Election of the Councell and request of the Company Captaine Smith receiued the Letters Patents which till then by no meanes he would accept though he was often importuned therevnto Now the building of Ratliffes Pallace stayed as a thing needlesse the Church was repaired the Store-house recouered buildings prepared for the Supplyes we expected the Fort reduced to a fiue-square forme the order of the Watch renewed the squadrons each setting of the Watch trained the whole Company euery Saturday exercised in the plaine by the west Bulwarke prepared for that purpose we called Smithfield where sometimes more then an hundred Salvages would stand in an amazement to behold how a fyle would batter a tree where he would make them a marke to shoot at the boats trimmed for trade which being sent out with Lieutenant Percy in their Iourney incountred the second Supply that brought them backe to discover the Country of Monacan How or why Captaine Newport obtained such a private Commission as not to returne without a lumpe of gold a certaintie of the South sea or one of the lost company sent out by Sir Water Raleigh I know not nor why he brought such a fiue peeced Barge not to beare vs to that South sea till we had borne her over the mountaines which how farre they extend is yet vnknowne As for the Coronation of Powhatan and his presents of Bason and Ewer Bed Bedstead Clothes and such costly nouelties they had beene much better well spared then so ill spent for wee had his favour much better onely for a playne peece of Copper till this stately kinde of soliciting made him so much overvalue himselfe that he respected vs as much as nothing at all As for the hyring of the Poles and Dutch-men to make Pitch Tar Glasse Milles and Sope ashes when the Country is replenished with people and necessaries would haue done well but to send them and seauentie more without victualls to worke was not so well aduised nor considered of as it should haue beene Yet this could not haue hurt vs had they beene 200. though then we were 130 that wanted for our selues For we had the Salvages in that decorum their harvest being newly gathered that we feared not to get victuals for 500. Now was there no way to make vs miserable but to neglect that time to make prouision whilst it was to be had the which was done by the direction from England to performe this strange discovery but a more strange Coronation to loose that time spend that victualls we had tyre and starue our men hauing no meanes to carry victuals munition the hurt or sicke but on their owne backes How or by whom they were inuented I know not but Captaine Newport we onely accounted the Author who to effect these proiects had so guilded mens hopes with great promises that both Company and Councell concluded his resolution for the most part God doth know they little knew what they did nor vnderstood their owne estates to conclude his conclusions against all the inconveniences the foreseeing President alledged Of this Supply there was added to the Councell one Captaine Richard Waldo and Captaine Wynne two auncient Souldiers and valiant Gentlemen but yet ignorant of the busines being but newly arriued Ratliffe was also permitted to haue his voyce Mr Scrivener desirous to see strange Countries so that although Smith was President yet the Maior part of the Councell had the authoritie and ruled it as they listed As for clearing Smiths obiections how Pitch and Tarre Wainscot Clapbord Glasse and Sope ashes could be provided to relade the ship or provision got to liue withall when none was in the Country and that we had spent before the ship departed to effect these projects The answer was Captaine Newport vndertooke to fraught the Pinnace of twentie tunnes with Corne in going and returning in his Discovery and to refraught her againe from Werowocomoco of Powhatan Also promising a great proportion of victualls from the Ship inferring that Smiths propositions were onely devices to hinder his iourney to effect it himselfe and that the crueltie he had vsed to the Salvages might well be the occasion to hinder these Designes and seeke revenge on him For which taxation all workes were left and 120 chosen men were appointed for Newports guard in this Discovery But Captaine Smith to make cleare all those seeming suspitions that the Salvages were not so desperate as was pretended by Captaine Newport and how willing since by their authoritie they would haue it so he was to assist them what he could because the Coronation would consume much time he vndertooke himselfe their message to Powhatan to intreat him to come to Iames Towne to receiue his presents And where Newport durst not goe with lesse then 120. he onely tooke with him Captaine Waldo Mr Andrew Buckler Edward Brinton and Samuel Collier with these foure he went over land to Werowocomoco some 12 myles there he passed the river of Pamavnkee in a Salvage Canow Powhatan being 30 myles of was presently sent for in the meane time Pocahontas and her women entertained Captaine Smith in this manner In a fayre plaine field they made a fire before which he sitting vpon a mat suddainly amongst the woods was heard such a hydeous noise and shreeking that the English betooke themselues to their armes and seized on two or three old men by them supposing Powhatan with all his power was come to surprise them But presently Pocahontas came willing him to kill her if any hurt were intended and the beholders which were men women and children satisfied the Captaine there was no such matter Then presently they were presented with this anticke thirtie young women came naked out of the woods onely covered
carpet of the earth and withall shall marke how the heauens heare the earth and the earth the Corne and Oile and they relieue the necessities of man that man will acknowledge Gods infinite Prouidence But hee that shall further obserue how God inclineth all casuall euents to worke the necessary helpe of his Saints must needs adore the Lords infinite goodnesse neuer had any people more iust cause to cast themselues at the very foot-â—toole of God and to reuerence his mercie than this distressed Colonie for if God had not sent Sir Thomas Gates from the Bermudas within foure daies they had almost beene famished if God had not directed the heart of that noble Knight to saue the Fort from fiering at their shipping for many were very importunate to haue burnt it they had beene destitute of a present harbour and succour if they had abandoned the Fort any longer time and had not so soone returned questionlesse the Indians would haue destroied the Fort which had beene the meanes of our safeties amongst them and a terror If they had set saile sooner and had lanched into the vast Ocean who would haue promised they should haue incountered the Fleet of the Lord la Ware especially when they made for New found land as they intended a course contrarie to our Nauie approaching If the Lord la Ware had not brought with him a yeeres prouision what comfort would those poore soules haue receiued to haue beene relanded to a second distruction This was the arme of the Lord of Hosts who would haue his people passe the red Sea and Wildernesse and then to possesse the land of Canaan It was diuinely spâ—ken of Heathen Socrates If God for man be carefull why should man bee ouer-distrustfull for he hath so tempered the contrary qualities of the Elements That neither cold things want heat nor moist things dry Nor sad things spirits to quicken them thereby Yet make they musicall content of contrarietie Which conquer'd knits them in such links together They doe produce euen all this whatsoeuer The Lord Gouernour after mature deliberation deliuered some few words to the Companie laying iust blame vpon them for their haughtie vanities and sluggish idlenesse earnestly intreating them to amend those desperate follies lest hee should be compelled to draw the sword of Iustice and to cut off such delinquents which he had rather draw to the shedding of his vitall bloud to protect them from iniuries heartning them with relation of that store hee had brought with him constituting officers of all conditions to rule ouer them allotting euery man his particular place to watch vigilantly and worke painfully This Oration and direction being receiued with a generall applause you might shortly behold the idle and restie diseases of a diuided multitude by the vnitie and authoritie of this gouernment to be substantially cured Those that knew not the way to goodnesse before but cherished singularitie and faction can now chalke out the path of all respectiue dutie and seruice euery man endeuoureth to outstrip other in diligence the French preparing to plant the Vines the English labouring in the Woods and grounds euery man knoweth his charge and dischargeth the same with alacritie Neither let any man be discouraged by the relation of their daily labour as though the sap of their bodies should bee spent for other mens profit the setled times of working to effect all themselues or as the Aduenturers need desire required no more paines than from six of the clocke in the morning vntill ten and from two in the afternoone till foure at both which times they are prouided of spirituall and corporall reliefe First they enter into the Church and make their praiers vnto God next they returne to their houses and receiue their proportion of food Nor should it bee conceiued that this businesse excludeth Gentlemen whose breeding neuer knew what a daies labour meant for though they cannot digge vse the Spade nor practice the Axe yet may the staied spirits of any condition finde how to imploy the force of knowledge the exercise of counsell the operation and power of their best breeding and qualities The houses which are built are as warme and defensiue against wind and weather as if they were tiled and slated being couered aboue with strong boards and some matted round with Indian mats Our forces are now such as are able to tame the furie and trecherie of the Saluages Our Forts assure the Inhabitants and frustrate all assaylants And to leaue no discouragement in the heart of any who personally shall enter into this great action I will communicate a double comfort first Sir George Sommers that worthy Admirall hath vndertaken a dangerous aduenture for the good of the Colonie Vpon the 15. of Iune accompanied with Captaine Samuel Argall hee returned in two Pinaces vnto the Bermudas promising if by any meanes God will open a way to that Iland of Rocks that he would soone returne with six moneths prouision of flesh with much crosse weather at last hee there safely arriued but Captaine Argall was forced backe againe to Iames towne whom the Lord De la Ware not long after sent to the Riuer of Patawomeke to trade for Corne where finding an English boy one Henry Spilman a young Gentleman well descended by those people preserued from the furie of Powhatan by his acquaintance had such good vsage of those kinde Saluages that they fraughted his ship with Corne wherewith he returned to Iames towne The other comfort is that the Lord la Ware hath built two new Forts the one called Fort Henry the other Fort Charles in honour of our most noble Prince and his hopefull brother vpon a pleasant plaine and neare a little Riuilet they call Southampton Riuer they stand in a wholsome aire hauing plentie of Springs of sweet water they command a great circuit of ground containing Wood Pasture and Marsh with apt places for Vines Corne and Gardens in which Forts it is resolued that all those that come out of England shall be at their first landing quartered that the wearisomnesse of the Sea may bee refreshed in this pleasing part of the Countrie and Sir Thomas Gates hee sent for England But to correct some iniuries of the Paspahegs he sent Captaine Pearcie Master Stacy and fiftie or threescore shot where the Saluages flying they burnt their houses tooke the Queene and her children prisoners whom not long after they slew The fertilitie of the soile the temperature of the climate the forme of gouernment the condition of our people their daily inuocating of the Name of God being thus expressed why should the successe by the rules of mortall iudgement bee disparaged why should not the rich haruest of our hopes be seasonably expected I dare say that the resolution of Caesar in France the designes of Alexander the discoueries of Hernando Cortes in the West and of Emanuel King of Portugal in the East were not encouraged vpon so firme grounds of state and
bloud to effect that your Maiestie and all the Kings honest subiects most earnestly desire And so I humbly kisse your gracious hands Being about this time preparing to set saile for New-England I could not stay to doe her that seruice I desired and she well deserued but hearing shee was at Branford with diuers of my friends I went to see her After a modest salutation without any word she turned about obscured her face as not seeming well contented and in that humour her husband with diuers others we all left her two or three houres repenting my selfe to haue writ she could speake English But not long after she began to talke and remembred mee well what courtesies shee had done saying You did promise Powhatan what was yours should bee his and he the like to you you called him father being in his land a stranger and by the same reason so must I doe you which though I would haue excused I durst not allow of that title because she was a Kings daughter with a well set countenance she said Were you not afraid to come into my fathers Countrie and caused feare in him and all his people but mee and feare you here I should call you father I tell you then I will and you shall call mee childe and so I will bee for euer and euer your Countrieman They did tell vs alwaies you were dead and I knew no other till I came to Plimoth yet Powhatan did command Vitamatomakkin to seeke you and know the truth because your Countriemen will lie much This Saluage one of Powhatans Councell being amongst them held an vnderstanding fellow the King purposely sent him as they say to number the people here and informe him well what wee were and our state Arriuing at Plimâ—th according to his directions he got a long sticke whereon by notches hee did thinke to haue kept the number of all the men hee could see but he was quickly wearie of that taske Comming to London where by chance I met him hauing renâ—wed our acquaintance where many were desirous to heare and see his behauiour hee told me Powhatan did bid him to finde me out to shew him our God the King Queene and Prince I so much had told them of Concerning God I told him the best I could the King I heard he had seene and the rest hee should see when he would he denied euer to haue seene the King till by circumstâ—nces he was satisfied he had Then he replyed very sadly You gaue Powhatan a white Dog which Powhatan fed as himselfe but your King gaue me nothing and I am better than your white Dog The small time I staid in London diuers Courtiers and others my acquaintances hath gone with mee to see her that generally concluded they did thinke God had a great hand in her conuersion and they haue seene many English Ladies worse fauoured proportioned and behauioured and as since I haue heard it pleased both the King and Queenes Maiestie honourably to esteeme her accompanied with that honourable Lady the Lady De la Ware and that honourable Lord her husband and diuers other persons of good qualities both publikely at the maskes and otherwise to her great satisfaction and content which doubtlesse she would haue deserued had she liued to arriue in Virginia The gouernment deuolued to Captaine Samuel Argall 1617. THe Treasurer Councell and Companie hauing well furnished Captaine Samuel Argall the Lady Pocahontas alias Rebecca with her husband and others in the good ship called the George it pleased God at Graues-end to take this young Lady to his mercie where shee made not more sorrow for her vnexpected death than ioy to the beholders to heare and see her mâ—ke so religious and godly an end Her little childe Thomas Rolfe therefore was left at Plimâ—th with Sir Lewis Stukly that desired the keeping of it Captaine Hamar his vice-Admirall was gone before but hee found him at Plimoth In March they set saile 1617. and in May he arriued at Iames towne where hee was kindly entertained by Captaine Yearley and his Companie in a martiall order whose right hand file was led by an Indian In Iames towne he found but fiue or six houses the Church downe the Palizado's broken the Bridge in pieces the Well of fresh water spoiled the Store-house they vsed for the Church the market-place and streets and all other spare places planted with Tobacco the Saluages as frequent in their houses as themselues whereby they were become expert in our armes and had a great many in their custodie and possession the Colonie dispersed all about planting Tobacco Captaine Argall not liking those proceedings altered them agreeable to his owne minde taking the best order he could for repairing those defects which did exceedingly trouble vs we were constrained euery yeere to build and repaire our old Cottages which were alwaies a decaying in all places of the Countrie yea the very Courts of Guard built by Sir Thomas Dale was ready to fall and the Palizado's not sufficient to keepe out Hogs Their number of people were about 400. but not past 200. fit for husbandry and tillage we found there in all one hundred twentie eight cattell and fourescore and eight Goats besides innumerable numbers of Swine and good plentie of Corne in some places yet the next yeere the Captaine sent out a Frigat and a Pinnace that brought vs neere six hundred bushels more which did greatly relieue the whole Colonie For from the tenants wee seldome had aboue foure hundred bushels of rent Corne to the store and there was not remaining of the Companies companie past foure and fiftie men women and Children This yeere hauing planted our fields came a great drought and such a cruell storme of haile which did such spoile both to the Corne and Tobacco that wee reaped but small profit the Magazine that came in the George being fiue moneths in her passage proued very badly conditioned but ere shâ— arriued we had gathered and made vp our Tobacco the best at three shillings the pound the rest at eighteene pence To supply vs the Councell and Company with all possible care and diligence furnished a good ship of some two hundred and fiftie tunne with two hundred people and the Lord la Ware They set saile in Aprill and tooke their course by the westerne Iles where the Gouernour of the I le of Saint Michael receiued the Lord la Ware and honourably feasted him with all the content hee could giue him Going from thence they were long troubled with contrary winds in which time many of them fell very sicke thirtie died one of which number was that most honourable Lord Gouernour the Lord la Ware whose most noble and generous disposition is well knowne to his great cost had beene most forward in this businesse for his Countries good Yet this tender state of Virginia was not growne to that maturitie to maintaine such state and pleasure as was
fit for such a personage with so braue and great attendance for some small number of aduentrous Gentlemen to make discoueries and lie in Garrison ready vpon any occasion to keepe in feare the inconstant Saluages nothing were more requisite but to haue more to wait play than worke or more commanders and officers than industrious labourers was not so necessarie for in Virginia a plaine Souldier that can vse a Pick-axe and spade is better than fiue Knights although they were Knights that could breake a Lance for men of great place not inured to those incounters when they finde things not sutable grow many times so discontented they forget themselues oft become so carelesse that a discontented melancholy brings them to much sorrow and to others much miserie At last they stood in for the coast of New-England where they met a small Frenchman rich of Beuers and other Furres Though wee had here but small knowledge of the coast nor countrie yet they tooke such an abundance of Fish and Fowle and so well refreshed themselues there with wood and water as by the helpe of God thereby hauing beene at Sea sixteene weekes got to Virginia who without this reliefe had beene in great danger to perish The French-men made them such a feast with such an abundance of varietie of Fish Fowle and Fruits as they all admired and little expected that wild wildernesse could affoord such wonderfull abundance of plentie In this ship came about two hundred men but very little prouision and the ship called the Treasurer came in againe not long after with fortie passengers the Lord la Wares ship lying in Virginia three moneths wee victualled her with threescore bushels of Corne and eight Hogsheads of flesh besides other victuall she spent whilest they tarried there this ship brought vs aduice that great multitudes were a preparing in England to bee sent and relied much vpon that victuall they should finde here whereupon our Captaine called a Councell and writ to the Councell here in England the estate of the Colonie and what a great miserie would insue if they sent not prouision as well as people and what they did suffer for want of skilfull husbandmen and meanes to set their Ploughs on worke hauing as good ground as any man can desire and about fortie Bulls and Oxen but they wanted men to bring them to labour and Irons for the Ploughs and harnesse for the Cattell Some thirtie or fortie acres wee had sowne with one Plough but it stood so long on the ground before it was reaped it was most shaken and the rest spoiled with the Cattell and Rats in the Barne but no better Corne could bee for the quantitie Richard Killingbeck being with the Captaine at Kekoughtan desired leaue to returne to his wife at Charles hundred hee went to Iames towne by water there he got foure more to goe with him by land but it proued that he intended to goe trade with the Indies of Chickahamania where making shew of the great quantitie of trucke they had which the Saluages perceiuing partly for their trucke partly for reuenge of some friends they pretended should haue beene slaine by Captaine Yearley one of them with an English peece shot Killingbeck dead the other Saluages assaulted the rest and slew them stripped them and tooke what they had But fearing this murther would come to light and might cause them to suffer for it would now proceed to the perfection of villanie for presently they robbed their Machacomocko house of the towne stole all the Indian treasure thereout and fled into the woods as other Indians related On Sunday following one Farfax that dwelt a mile from the towne going to Church left his wife and three small children safe at home as he thought and a young youth she supposing praier to be done left the children and went to meet her husband presently after came three or foure of those fugitiue Saluages entred the house and slew a boy and three children and also another youth that stole out of the Church in praier time meeting them was likewise murdered Of this disaster the Captaine sent to Opechankanough for satisfaction but he excused the matter as altogether ignorant of it at the same time the Saluages that were robbed were complaining to Opechankanough and much feared the English would bee reuenged on them so that Opechankanough sent to Captaine Argall to assure him the peace should neuer be broken by him desiring that he would not reuenge the iniurie of those fugitiues vpon the innocent people of that towne which towne he should haue and sent him a basket of earth as possession giuen of it and promised so soone as possibly they could catch these robbers to send him their heads for satisfaction but he neuer performed it Samuel Argall Iohn Rolfe A relation from Master Iohn Rolfe Iune 15. 1618. COncerning the state of our new Common-wealth it is somewhat bettered for we haue sufficient to content our selues though not in such abundance as is vainly reported in England Powhatan died this last Aprill yet the Indians continue in peace Itopatin his second brother succeeds him and both hee and Opechankanough haue confirmed our former league On the eleuenth of May about ten of the clocke in the night happened a most fearefull tempest but it continued not past halfe an houre which powred downe hailestones eight or nine inches about that none durst goe out of their doores and though it tore the barke and leaues of the trees yet wee finde not they hurt either man or beast it fell onely about Iames towne for but a mile to the East and twentie to the West there was no haile at all Thus in peace euery man followed his building and planting without any accidents worthy of note Some priuate differences happened betwixt Captaine Bruster and Captaine Argall and Captaine Argall and the Companie here in England but of them I am not fully informed neither are they here for any vse and therefore vnfit to be remembred In December one Captaine Stallings an old planter in those parts being imployed by them of the West countrie for a fishing voyage in New-England fell foule of a Frenchman whom hee tooke leauing his owne ship to returne for England himselfe with a small companie remained in the French barke some small time after vpon the coast and thence returned to winter in Virginia The gouernment surrendred to Sir George Yearley FOr to begin with the yeere of our Lord 1619. there arriued a little Pinnace priuatly from England about Easter for Captaine Argall who taking order for his affaires within foure or fiue daies returned in her and left for his Deputy Captaine Nathaniel Powell On the eâ—ighteenth of Aprill which was but ten or twelue daies after arriued Sir George Yearley by whom we vnderstood Sir Edwin Sands was chosen Treasurer and Master Iohn Farrar his Deputy and what great supplies was a preparing to be sent vs
doe them any mischiefe Not long after a Boat going abroad to seeke out some releefe amongst the Plantations by Nuports-newes met such ill weather though the men were saued they lost their boat which the storme and waues cast vpon the shore of Nandsamund where Edmund Waters one of the three that first stayed in Summer Iles and found the great peece of Amber-greece dwelling in Virginia at this Massacre hee and his wife these Nandsamunds kept Prisoners till it chanced they found this Boat at which purchase they so reioyced according to their custome of triumph with songs dances and inuocations they were so busied that Waters and his wife found opportunity to get secretly into their Canow and so crossed the Riuer to Kecoughtan which is nine or ten miles whereat the English no lesse wondred and reioyced then the Saluages were madded with discontent Thus you may see how many desperate dangers some men escape when others die that haue all things at their pleasure All men thinking Captaine Croshaw dead Captaine Hamer arriuing with a Ship and a Pinnace at Patawomeke was kindly entertained both by him and the King that Don Hamar told the King he came for Corne the King replied hee had none but the Nacotchtanks and their confederats had which were enemies both to him and them if they would fetch it he would giue them 40. or 50 choise Bow-men to conduct and assist them Those Saluages with some of the English they sent who so well played their parts they slew 18. of the Nacotchtanks some write but 4. and some they had a long skirmish with them where the Patawomeks were so eager of reuenge they driue them not onely out of their towne but all out of fight through the woods thus taking what they liked and spoiling the rest they retired to Patawomek where they lefâ— Captaine Croshaw with foure men more the rest set saile for Iames towne Captaine Croshaw now with fiue men and himselfe found night and day so many Alarums he retired into such a conuenient place that with the helpe of the Saluages hee had quickly fortified himselfe against all those wilde enemies Captaine Nuse his Pinnace meeting Hamar by the way vnderstanding all this came to see Captaine Croshaw after their best enterchanges of courtesies Croshaw writ to Nuse the estate of the place where he was but vnderstanding by them the poore estate of the Colony offered if they would send him but a bold Shallop with men armes and prouision for trade the next Haruest he would prouide them Corne sufficient but as yet it being but the latter end of sune there was little or none in all the Country This being made knowne to the Gouernour and the rest they sent Captaine Madyson with a ship and pinnace and some six and thirtie men those Croshaw a good time taught the vse of their armes but receiuing a letter from Boyse his Wife a prisoner with nineteene more at Pamavuke to vse meanes to the Gouernour for their libertie So hee dealt with this King hee got first two of his great men to goe with him to Iames towne and eight daies after to send foure of his counsell to Pamavuke there to stay till he sent one of his two to them to perswade Opachankanough to send two of his with two of the Patawomekes to treat about those prisoners and the rest should remaine their hostage at Pamavuke but the Commanders at Iames towne it seemes liked not of it and so sent the Patawomekes backe againe to their owne Countrie and Captaine Croshaw to his owne habitation All this time we haue forgot Captaine Nuse where we left him but newly acquainted with the Massacre calling all his next adioyning dispersed neighbours together he regarded not the pestring his owne house nor any thing to releeue them and with all speed entrenched himselfe mounted three peece of Ordnance so that within 14. daies he was strong enough to defend himselfe from all the Saluages yet when victuall grew scant some that would forrage without order which he punished neere occasioned a mutiny Notwithstanding he behaued himselfe to fatherly and kindly to them all they built two houses for them he daily expected from England a faire Well of fresh water mantled with bricke because the Riuer and Cricks are there brackish or salt in all which things he plaied the Sawyer Carpenter Dauber Laborer or any thing wherein though his courage and heart were steeled he found his body was not made of Iron for hee had many sicknesses and at last a Dropsie no lesse griefe to himselfe then sorrow to his Wife and all vnder his gouernment These crosses and losses were no small increasers of his malady nor the thus abandoning our Plantations the losse of our Haruest and also Tobacco which was as our money the Vineyard our Vineyetours had brought to a good forwardnesse bruised and destroyed with Deere and all things ere they came to perfection with weeds disorderly persons or wild beasts so that as we are I cannot perceiue but the next yeere will be worse being still tormented with pride and flattery idlenesse and couetousnesse as though they had vowed heere to keepe their Court with all the pestilent vices in the world for their atteâ—dants inchanted with a conceited statelinesse euen in the very bottome of miserable senselesnesse Shortly after Sir George Yearly and Captaine William Powel tooke each of them a company of well disposed Gentlemen and others to seeke their enemies Yearlâ—y ranging the shore of Weanâ—ck could see nothing but their old houses which he burnt and so went home Powel searching another part found them all fled but three he met by chance whose heads hee cut off burnt their houses and so returned for the Saluages are so light and swift though wee see them being so loaded with armour they haue much aduantage of vs though they be cowards I confesse this is true and it may cause some suppose they are grown inuincible but will any goe to catch a Hare with a Taber and a Pipe for who knowes not though there be monsters both of men and beasts fish and fowle yet the greatest the strongest the wildest cruellest fiercest and cunningest by reason art and vigilancy courage and industry hath beene slaine subiected or made tame and those are still but Saluages as they were onely growne more bold by our owne simplicities and still will be worse and worse till they be tormented with a continuall pursuit and not with lying inclosed within Palizados or affrighting them out of your sights thinking they haue done well can but defend themselues and to doe this to any purpose will require both charge patience and experience But to their proceedings About the latter end of Iune Sir George Yearley accompanied with the Councell and a number of the greatest Gallants in the Land stayed three or foure daies with Captaine Nuse he making his moane to a chiefe man amongst them for want
deare and pretious to them that haue them I thinke none will deny but they are well worth the keeping and so we will proceed to the accidents that befell the first finders also the proceedings of the first Planters and their successors Master Norrod Thomas Sparkes and diuers others A briefe relation of the shipwracke of Henry May. HOw these Iles came by the name of Bermudas or the infinite number of blacke Hogs or so fearefull to the world that many called them the I le of Deuils that all men did shun as Hell and perdition I will not expostulate nor trouble your patiences with those vncertaine antiquities further then thus our men found diuers crosses peeces of Spanish monies here and there Two or three wracks also they found by certaine inscriptions to bee some Spanish some Dutch some French but the greatest rumour is that a Spanish ship called Bermudas was there cast away carrying Hogges to the West-Indies that swam a shore and there increased how the Spaniards escaped is vncertaine but they say from that ship those Iles were first called Bermudas which tilt then for six thousand yeares had beene namelesse But the first English-man that was euer in them was one Henry May a worthy Mariner that went with Captaine Lancaster to the East-Indies 1591. and in their returne by the West-Indies being in some distresse sent this Henry May for England by one Mounsier de la Barbotier to acquaint the Merchants with their estate The last of Nouember saith May we departed from Laguna in Hispaniola and the seuenteenth of December following we were cast away vpon the North-west of the Bermudas the Pilots about noone made themselues Southwards of the Iles twelue leagues and demanded of the Captaine their Wine of hight as out of all danger which they had but it seeme they were either drunke or carelesse of their charge for through their negligences a number of good men were cast away I being but a stranger amongst fiftie and odde French-men it pleased God to appoint me to be one of them should be saued In this extremity we made a raft which we towed with our Boat there were but six and twentie of vs saued and I seeing scarce roome for the one halfe durst not passe in amongst them till the Captaine called me along with him leauing the better halfe to the seas mercy that day we rowed till within two houres of night ere we could land being neere dead with thirst euery man tooke his way to seeke fresh water at length by searching amongst many weeds we found some raine water but in the maine are many faire Baies where we had enough for digging Now it pleased God before our ship split we saued our Carpenters tooles some Nailes Sailes and Tacklings wherewith we went roundly to worke and built a Barke of eighty tunues In stead of Pitch we made Lime mixed with Tortoise oyle and as the Carpenters calked her I and another paied the seames with this plaster which being in Aprill became quickly dry and as hard as a stone In Aprill it was so hot we feared our water would faile two great Chests wee made which we calked as our ship those we stowed on each side our maine Mast filled them with water and thirtie liue Tortoises wee found many Hogges but so leane wee could not eat them the tops of the Palmetaberries was our bread and the iuyce we got out of the trees we cut downe our drinke and of the leaues which are more then an Ell long we couered our Cabens made our beds and found many of those prouisions as is related but little foule weather The eleuenth of May it pleased God to set vs cleere of the I le after wee had liued there fiue moneths and the twentieth wee fell with Cape Britton neere New found Land where refreshing our selues with wood and water and such things as we could get of the Saluages it seemed a good Countrey but we staied not past foure houres before we set saile for the banke of New found land where wee met many ships but not any would take in a man of vs vntill it pleased God we met a Barke of Fawmothe which receiued vs for a little time and with her we tooke a French ship wherein I left Captaine de la Barbotier my deare friend and all his Company and in August arriued at Falmouth in this honest English Barke 1594. Written by me Henry May. The first English ship knowne to haue beene cast away vpon the Bermudas 1609. From the relation of Mr. Iordan Master Iohn Euens Master Henry Shelly and diuers others YOu haue heard that when Captaine Smith was Gouernor of Virginia there were nine ships sent with Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Somers and Captaine Nuport with fiue hundred people to take in the old Commission and rectifie a new gouernment they set saile in May and in the height of thirty degrees of Northerly latitude they were taken with an extreme storme or rather a part of Hericano vpon the fiue and twentieth of Iuly which as they write did not onely separate them from the Fleet but with the violent working of the Seas their ship became so shaken torne and leake she receiued so much water as couered two tire of Hogsheads aboue the ballace that they stood vp to the middles with Buckets Baricos and Kettles to baile out the water Thus bailing and pumping three daies and three nights without intermission and yet the water seemed rather to increase then diminish in so much that being all vtterly spent with labour were euen resolued without any hope to shut vp the hatches and commit themselues to the mercy of the Sea which is said to be mercilesse or rather to the mercy of Almighty God whose mercy farre exceeds all his workes seeing no sense or hope in mans apprehension but presently to sinke some hauing some good and comfortable waters fetched them and dranke one to another as taking their last leaues vntill a more happy and a more ioyfull meeting in a more blessed world when it pleased God out of his most gracious and mercifull prouidence so to direct and guide their ship for her most aduantage That Sir George Somers all this time sitting vpon the poupe scarce taking leisure to eat nor sleepe couing the ship to keepe her as vpright as he could otherwaies she must long ere that needs haue foundered most wishedly and happily descried land whereupon he most comfortably incouraged them to follow their worke many of them being fast asleepe this vnlooked for welcome newes as if it had bin a voice from heauen hurrieth them all aboue hatches to looke for that they durst scarce beleeue so that improuidently forsaking that taske which imported no lesse then their liues they gaue so dangerous aduantage to their greedy enemy the salt water which still entred at the large breaches of their poore wooden castle as that in gaping after life they had well-nigh
swallowed their death Surely it is impossible any should now be vrged to doe his best and although they knew it that place all men did so shun yet they spread all the faile they could to attaine them for not long it was before they strucke vpon a rocke till a surge of the sea cast her from thence and so from one to another till most luckily at last so vpright betwixt two as if she had beene in the stocks till this they expected but euery blow a death But now behold suddenly the wind giues place to a calme and the billowes which each by ouertaking her would in an instant haue shiuered her in peeces become peaceable and still so that with all conueniency and ease they vnshipped all their goods victuall and persons into their Boats and with extreme ioy euen almost to amazednesse arriued in safetie though more then a league from the shore without the losse of a man yet were they in all one hundred and fiftie yet their deliuerance was not more strange in falling so happily vpon the land as their feeding and preseruation was beyond their hopes for you haue heard it hath beene to the Spaniards more fearefull then an Vtopian Purgatory and to all Sea-men no lesse terrible then an inchanted den of Furies and Deuils the most dangerous vnfortunate and forlorne place in the world and they found it the richest healthfullest and pleasantest they euer saw as is formerly said Being thus safe on shore they disposed themselues to search the Iles for food and water others to get a shore what they could from the ship not long Sir George wandred but found such a fishing that in halfe an houre with a hooke and line he tooke so many as sufficed the whole company in some places they were so thicke in the Coues and so great they durst not goe in left they should bite them and these rocke fish are so great two will load a man and fatter nor better fish cannot be Mr. Shelly found a Bay neere a quarter of a mile ouer so full of Mullets as none of them before had euer seene or heard of the like the next day seeking to kill them with fis-gigs they stracke so many the water in many places was red with bloud yet caught not one but with a net they caught so many as they could draw a shore with infinite number of Pilchards and diuers other sorts great craw-fishes in a night by making a fire they haue taken in great quantity Sir George had twice his hooke and line broke out of his hand but the third time he made it so strong he caught the same fish which had pulled him into the Sea had not his men got hold of him whereby he had his three hookes againe were found in her belly At their first hunting for hogs they found such abundance they killed 32 and this hunting fishing was appointed to Captaine Robert Walsingham and Mr. Henry Shelly for the company in general they report they killed at least 500. besides Pigs and many that were killed by diuers others for the birds in their seasons the facility to make their cabens of Palmera leaues caused many of them vtterly forget or desire euer to returne from thence they liued in such plenty peace and ease But let vs remember how the Knights began to resolue in those desperat affaires many proiects they had but at last it was concluded to decke their long boat with their ship hatches which done with all expedition they sent Master Rauen a very sufficient Mariner with eight more in her to Virginia to haue shipping from thence to fetch them away three weekes or a moneth they expected her returne but to this day she was neuer more heard of all this time was spent in searching the Iles now although God still fed them with this abundance of plenty yet such was the malice of enuy or ambition for all this good seruice done by Sommers such a great difference fell amongst their Commanders that they liued asunder in this distresse rather as meere strangers then distressed friends but necessity so commanded patience had the victory Two ships at this time by those seuerall parties were a building in the meane time two children were borne the Boy was called Bermudas the Girle Bermuda and amongst all those sorrowes they had a merry English mariage the forme of those Iles you may see at large in the Map of Mr. Norwood where you may plainly see no place knowne hath better walls nor a broader ditch But hauing finished and rigged their two new Cedar ships with such prouisions they saued from the Sea-aduenturer they left amongst the Rocks they called the one the Patience the other the Deliuerance they vsed Lime and Oile as May did for Pitch and Tar. Sir George Summers had in his Barke no Iron at all but one bolt in her Keele now hauing made their prouisions of victuall and all things ready they set saile the tenth of May 1610. onely leauing two men behinde them called Christopher Carter and Edward Waters that for their offences or the suspition they had of their iudgements fled into the woods and there rather desired to end their daies then stand to their trials and the euent of Iustice for one of their consorts was shot to death and Waters being tied to a tree also to be executed had by chance a Knife about him and so secretly cut the Rope he ran into the woods where they could not finde him There were two Saluages also sent from Virginia by Captain Smith the one called Namuntack the other Matchumps but some such differences fell betweene them that Matchumps slew Namuntack and hauing made a hole to bury him because it was too short he cut of his legs and laid them by him which murder he concealed till he was in Virginia The foure and twentieth of the same moneth they arriued in Virginia at Iames towne where they found but threescore persons as you may reade at large in the History of Virginia of the fiue hundred left by Captaine Smith also of the arriuall of the Lord Laware that met them thus bound for England returned them backe and vnderstanding what plenty there was of hogs and other good things in the Bermudas was desirous to send thither to supply his necessary occasions whereupon Sir George Summers the best acquainted with the place whose noble minde euer regarded a generall good more then his owne ends though aboue threescore yeeres of age and had meanes in England sutable to his ranke offered himselfe by Gods helpe to performe this dangerous voyage againe for the Bermudas which was kindly accepted so vpon the 19. of Iune he imbarked in his Cedar ship about the burthen of thirty tunnes and so set saile Much foule and crosse weather he had and was forced to the North parts of Virginia where refreshing himselfe vpon this vnknowne coast he could not bee diuerted from the search
generality but of such bad condition that it seemed they had picked the Males out of Newgate the Females from Bridewell As the Gouernour found it his best course to grant out the women to such as were so greedy of wiues and would needs haue them for better for worse and the men hee placed in the Kings Castle for souldiers But this bad weake sickly supply being dispersed for their best reliefe by the much imployment of his boats in remoouing them many of his owne men became infected so that for some weekes they were not able to doe him any seruice at all Strict instructions also they brought for the planting of Sugar caneâ— for which the Iland being rockie and dry is so vnproper that few as yet haue beene seene to prosper yet there are others hold the contrary opinion that there is raine so ordinarily the Iles are so moist as produceth all their plants in such infinit abundance there is no great reason to suspect this were it rightly vsed more then the râ—st Seuenty thousand weight of Tobacco being prepared towards her fraught she returned for England No sooner was shee gone then came in another sent by the Company and generalty well conditioned but shee failed not much to haue beene cast away amongst those dangerous terrible rocks by her came also expresse command they should entertaine no other ships then were directly sent from the Company this caused much grudging and indeed a generall distraction and exclamation among the Inhabitants to be thus constrained to buy what they wanted and sell what they had at what price the Magazin pleased and to debarre true men from comming to them for trade or reliefe that were daily receiued in all the harbours in England So long this ship stayed going for fraught and wages the Master not caring how long he lay at that rate in a good harbour the Gouernour was ready to send her away by Proclamation Thus ended the first yeere of the gouernment of C. Butler With the first of the second yeere were held the Assises where all the Bailiffes were fined for not giuing a beginning to the building of the bridges there was also an order to restraine the excessiue wages all handicrafts men would haue and that the Church-wardens should meet twice a yeere to haue all their presentments made perfect against the Assises The Assises done all the ablest men were trained in their armes and then departed to their owne homes The towne thus cleered he made certaine new carriages for some demy Culuerings and a large new store-house of Cedar for the yeerely Magazines goods finished Warwicks Fort begun by Master More and made a new platforme at Pagits Fort also a faire house of lime and stone for the Townes-house The three bridges appointed by the generall assembly was followed with such diligence though they were more then an hundred or an hundred and twenty foot in length hauing the foundation and arches in the Sea were raised and accomplished so that man or beast with facility might passe them At Whitsonday was held the fourth generall Assise at Saint Georges where were tryed twenty seuerall causes foure or fiue were whipped or burnt in the hand for breaking of houses also an order was made that the party cast in the triall of any cause should pay to euery of the Iurours foure pence moreouer that not past ten leaues at the most should grow vpon a plant of Tobacco and that also in the making it vp a distinction should diligently be obserued of two kinds a better and a worse then they built a strong stone house for the Captaine of the Kings Castle and corps du guard and repaired what defects they could finde in the platformes and carriages Captaine Powell so oft mentioned hauing beene in the West-Indies for the States of Holland came to an anchor within shot of their Ordnance desiring admittance for wood and water of which hee had great need but the Gouernor would not permit him so he weighed and departed whereat the company were so madded it was not possible to constraine them to cease their exclaimations against the Companies inhihition till they were weary with exclaming But still for their better defence not thinking themselues sufficiently secure hauing finished two new plat-formes more arriued the Magazin ship but her Master was dead and many of the Passengers the rest for most part very sicke and withall a strange and wonderfull report of much complaint made against the Gouernor to the Company in England by some of them returned in the last yeeres shipping but it was eight daies before she could get in by reason of ill weather being forced againe to Sea so that time they kept euery night continually great fires she might see the Ile as well by night as day but at last she arriued and he plainly vnderstood he had more cause a great deale to looke for misconstruction of all his seruice then an acknowledgment much lesse a recompence any better then his predecessors but it is no new thing to require the best desert with the most vildest of ingratitude The very next daies night after the arriuall of the Magazins ship newes was brought the Gouernor by a dismaied Messenger from Sands his Tribe that one hundred Spaniards were landed in that part and diuers ships discouered at Sea whereupon he presently manned the Forts and instantly made thitherward in person with twentie men determining as he found cause to draw together more strength by the way Being got thither by the breake of the next day in stead of an enemy which he expected he met onely with a company of poore distressed Portugals and Spaniards who in their passage from Carthagena in the West-Indies in consort with the Spanish fleet of Plait by the same storme that had indangered the Magazin ship lost theirs vpon those terrible Rocks being to the number of seuenty persons were strangely preserued and the manner was thus About Sunne-set their ship beating amongst the Rocks some twenty of the Sailers got into the Boat with what treasure they could leauing the Captaine the Master and all the rest to the mercy of the Sea But a Boy not past foureteene yeares of age that leaped after to haue got into the Boat missing that hope it pleased God he got vpon a Chest a drift by him whereon they report he continued two daies and was driuen neere to the cleane contrary part of the I le where he was taken vp neere dead yet well recouered All this night the ship sticking fast the poore distressed in her the next day spying land made a raft and were those gaue the alarum first a shore about three of the clocke in the after noone The morning after about seuen of the clocke came in the Boat to a place called Mangroue Bay and the same day their Carpenter was driuen a shore vpon a Planke neere Hog-Bay There was a Gentlewoman that had stood wet vp to the
he desired returned for Virginia Aprill and May were spent in building a strong new Prison and perfecting some of the Fortifications and by the labour of twenty men in fourteene daies was got from the Spanish wracke foure excellent good Sacres and mounted them at the Forts Then began the generall Assize where not fewer then fifty ciuill or rather vnciuill actions were handled and twenty criminall prisoners brought to the bar such a multitude of such vild people were sent to this Plantation that he thought himselfe happy his time was so neere expired three of the foulest acts were these the first for the rape of a married woman which was acquitted by a senselesse Iury the second for buggering a Sow and the third for Sodomy with a boy for which they were hanged during the time of the imprisonment of this Buggerer of the Sow a Dung-hill Cocke belonging to the same man did continually haunt a Pigge of his also and to the wonder of all them that saw it who were many did so frequently tread the Pigge as if it had beene one of his Hens that the Pigge languished and died within a while after and then the Cocke resorted to the very same Sow that this fellow was accused for in the very same manner and as an addition to all this about the same time two Chickens were hatched the one whereof had two heads the other crowed very loud and lustily within twelue houres after it was out of the shell A desperate fellow being to bee arraigned for stealing a Turky rather then he would endure his triall secretly conueighed himselfe to Sea in a little Boat and neuer since was euer heard of nor is he euer like to be without an exceeding wonder little lesse then a miracle In Iune they made another triall about the Spanish wracke and recouered another Sacre and a Murderer also he caused to be hewed out of the maine Rocke a paire of large staires for the conuenient landing of goods and passengers a worke much to the beauty and benefit of the towne With twenty chosen men and two excellent Divers the Gouernour went himselfe to the wracke Warwick but they could recouer but one Murderer from thence he went to the Sea-aduenture the wracke of Sir George Summers the hull though two or three fathomes in the water they found vnperished and with much a doe weighed a Sacre her sheat Anchor diuers barres of Iron and pigs of Lead which stood the Plantation in very great stead Towards the end of Iuly he went to seeke for a wracke they reported lay vnder water with her hatches spiked vp but they could not finde her but from the Spanish wracke lay there by they weighed three faire Sacres more and so returned through the Tribes to Saint Georges some were also imployed to seeke out beds of Oisters for Pearle some they found some seed Pearle they got but out of one little shell aboue all the rest they got about 120. small Pearle but somewhat defectiue in their colour The time of Captain Butlers gouernment drawing neere an end the Colony presented vnto him diuers grieuances to intreat him to remember to the Lords and Company in England at his returne also they appointed two to be ioyned with him with letters of credence to solicit in their behalfe those grieuances following First they were defrauded of the food of their soules for being not fewer then one thousand and fiue hundred people dispersed in length twenty miles they had at that present but one Minister nor neuer had but two and they so shortned of their promises that but onely for meere pity they would haue forsaken them Secondly neglected in the safety of their liues by wants of all sorts of munition Thirdly they had beene censured contrary to his Maiesties Lawes and not allowed them the benefit of their booke as they are in England but by Captaine Butler Fourthly they were frustrated of many of their couenants and most extremely pinched and vndone by the extortion of the Magazine for although their Tobacco was stinted but at two shillings sixpence the pound yet they pitched their commodities at what rate they pleased Fifthly their fatherlesse children are left in little better condition then slaues for if their Parents die in debt their children are made as bondmen till the debt be discharged these things being perfected there grew a great question of one Heriot for plotting of factions and abusing the Gouernour for which he was condemned to lose his eares yet he was vsed so fauourably he lost but the part of one in all By this time it being growne past the wonted season of the comming in of ships from England after a generall longing and expectation especially of the Gouernour whose Commission being neere vpon expiration gaue him cause to wish for a meane of deliuerance from so troublesome and thanklesse an imploiment as he had hitherto found it a saile is discouered and long it was not before shee arriued in the Kings Castle-Harbour this Barke was set out by two or three priuate men of the Company and hauing landed her supplies was to goe for Virginia by her the Gouernour receiued certaine aduertisements of the carriage and behauiour of the Spaniards which he had reliued as you haue heard the yeere before that quite contrary both to his merit their vow and his owne expectation they made clamours against him the which being seconded by the Spanish Ambassadour caused the State to fall in examination about it whereupon hauing fully cleared their ingratefulnesse and impudency and being assured of the choice of a successor that was to be expected within fiue or six weekes hee was desirous to take the opportunity of this Barke and to visit the Colony in Virginia in his returne for England leauing the gouernment to Captaine Felgat Captaine Stokes Master Lewis Hewes Master Nedom and Master Ginner but now his time being fully expired and the fortifications finished viz. The Kings Castle wherein were mounted vpon sufficient Platformes sixteene peece of Ordnances In Charles Fort two In Southampton Fort fiue betwixt which and the Castle passeth the Chanell into the Harbour secured by three and twenty peeces of good artillery to play vpon it In Cowpers Ile is Pembrocks Fort where is two Peeces The Chanell of Saint George is guarded by Smiths Fort and Pagits Fort in which is eleuen peece of Ordnance Saint George towne is halfe a league within the Harbour commanded by Warwicks Fort where are three great Peeces and on the Wharfe before the Gouernours house eight more besides the warning Peece by the mount and three in Saint Katharines so that in all there are ten Fortresses and two and fifty peeces of Ordnance sufficient and seruiceable their formes and situations you may see more plainlier described in the Map and to defend those he left one thousand fiue hundred persons with neere a hundred boats and the I le well replenished with store of such fruits prouisions
more plaine spectacle of desolation or more barren I know not yet are those rocky Iles so furnished with good Woods Springs Fruits Fish and Fowle and the Sea the strangest Fish-pond I euer saw that it makes me thinke though the coast be rocky and thus affrightable the Vallies and Plaines and interior parts may well notwithstanding be very fertill But there is no Country so fertill hath not some part barren and New-England is great enough to make many Kingdomes and Countries were it all inhabited As you passe the coast still westward Accominticus and Passataquack are two conuenient Harbours for small Barkes and a good Country within their craggy clifts Augoan is the next this place might content a right curious iudgement but there are many sands at the entrance of the Harbour and the worst is it is imbayed too farre from the deepe Sea here are many rising hils and on their tops and descents are many corne fields and delightfull groues On the East is an I le of two or three leagues in length the one halfe plaine marish ground fit for pasture or salt Ponds with many faire high groues of Mulbery trees and Gardens there is also Okes Pines Walnuts and other wood to make this place an excellent habitation being a good and safe Harbour Naiâ—mkeck though it be more rocky ground for Augoan is sandy not much inferiour neither for the harbour nor any thing I could perceiue but the multitude of people from hence doth stretch into the Sea the faire headland Tragabigzanda now called Cape An fronted with the three Iles wee called the three Turkes heads to the north of this doth enter a great Bay where we found some habitations and Corne fields they report a faire Riuer and at least 30. habitations doth possesse this Country But because the French had got their trade I had no leisure to discouer it the Iles of Mattahunts are on the west side of this Bay where are many Iles and some Rocks that appeare a great height aboue the water like the Pyramides in Aegypt and amongst them many good Harbours and then the country of the Massachusits which is the Paradice of all those parts for here are many Iles planted with Corne Groues Mulberies saluage Gardens and good Harbours the Coast is for the most part high clayie sandy clifts the sea Coast as you passe shewes you all along large Corne fields and great troupes of well proportioned people but the French hauing remained here neere six weekes left nothing for vs to take occasion to examine the Inhabitants relations viz. if there be three thousand people vpon those Iles and that the Riuer doth pierce many daies iourney the entrailes of that Country we found the people in those parts very kinde but in their fâ—ry no lesse valiant for vpon a quarrell we fought with forty or fifty of them till they had spent all their Arrowes and then we tooke six or seuen of their Canowes which towards the euening they ransomed for Beuer skinnes and at Quonahasit falling out there but with one of them he with three others crossed the Harbour in a Canow to certaine rockes whereby wee must passe and there let flie their Arrowes for our shot till we were out of danger yet one of them was slaine and another shot through his thigh Then come you to Accomacke an excellent good Harbour good land and no want of any thing but industrious people after much kindnesse wee fought also with them though some were hurt some slaine yet within an houre after they became friends Cape Cod is the next presents it selfe which is onely a headland of high hils ouer-growne with shrubby Pines hurts and such trash but an excellent harbour for all weathers This Cape is made by the maine Sea on the one side and a great Bay on the other in forme of a Sickell on it doth inhabit the people of Pawmet and in the bottome of the Bay them of Chawum towards the South and South-west of this Cape is found a long and dangerous shoule of rocks and sand but so farre as I incercled it I found thirty fathome water and a strong currant which makes mee thinke there is a chanell about this Shoule where is the best and greatest fish to be had winter and summer in all the Country but the Saluages say there is no Chanell but that the Shoales beginne from the maine at Pawmâ—t to the I le of Nawset and so extends beyond their knowledge into the Sea The next to this is Capawucke and those abounding Countries of Copper Corne People and Mineralls which I went to discouer this last yeeâ—e but because I miscarried by the way I will leaue them till God please I haue better acquaintance with them The Massachusets they report sometimes haue warres with the Bashabes of Pennobscot are not alwaies friends with them of Chawum and their alliance but now they are all friends and haue each trade with other so farre as they haue society on each others frontiers for they make no such voyages as from Pennobscot to Cape Cod seldome to Massachset In the North as I haue said they haue begun to plant Corne whereof the south part hath such plenty as they haue what they will from them of the North and in the Winter much more plenty of fish and fowle but both Winter Summer hath it in one part or other all the yeere being the meane and most indifferent temper betwixt heat and cold of all the Regions betwixt the Line and the Pole but the Furs Northward are much better and in much more plenty then Southward The remarkablest Iles and Mountaines for land Markes are these the highest Ile is Sorico in the Bay of Pennobscot but the three Iles and the Iles of Matinack are much further in the Sea Merynacus is also three plaine Iles but many great Rocks Monahigan is a round high I le and close by it Monanis betwixt which is a small Harbour where we rid in Damerils Iles is such another Sagadahocke is knowne by Satquin and foure or fiue Iles in their mouth Smiths Iles are a heape together none neere them against Accomintycus the three Turkes heads are three Iles seene farre to Sea-ward in regard of the Head-land The chiefe Head-lands are onely Cape Tragabigzanda and Cape Cod now called Cape Iames and Cape Aâ—ne The chiefe Mountaines them of Pennobscot the twinkling Mountaine of Acocisco the great Mountaine of Sassanow and the high Mountaine of Mâ—ssâ—câ—uset Each of which you shall finde in the Map their places forme and alâ—â—â—des The waters are most pure proceeding from the intrailes of rocky Mountaâ—â—es the Herbs and Fruits are of many sorts and kinds as Alkermes Currans Muâ—beries Vines Respises Gooseberies Plums Wall-nuts Chesse-nuts Small 〈◊〉 Pumpions Gourds Strawberies Beanes Pease and Maize a kinde or two of Flax wherewith they make Nets Lines and Ropes both small and great very strong for their quantities Oake is the
mortall disease for where I had seene one hundred or two hundred Saluages there is scarce ten to be found and yet not any one of them touched with any sicknesse but one poore French man that died They say this plague vpon them thus sore fell It was because they pleas'd not Tantum well From the West Country to make triall this yeere onely to fish is gone six or seuen saile three of which I am certainly informed made so good a voyage that euery Sailer that had a single share had twenty pound for his seuen moneths work which is more then in twenty moneths he should haue gotten had he gone for wages any where Now although these former ships haue not made such good voiages as they expected by sending opinionated vnskilfull men that had not experienced diligence to saue that they tooke nor take that there was which now patience and practice hath brought to a reasonable kinde of perfection in despight of all detractors and calumniations the Country yet hath satisfied all the defect hath beene in their vsing or abusing it not in it selfe nor me But Adue desert for fortune makes prouision For Knaues and Fooles and men of base condition Now all these proofes and this relation I now called New-Englands triall I caused two or three thousand of them to be printed one thousand with a great many Maps both of Virginia and New-England I presented to thirty of the chiefe Companies in London at their Halls desiring either generally or particularly them that would to imbrace it and by the vse of a stocke of fiue thousand pound to ease them of the superfluity of the most of their companies that had but strength and health to labour neere a yeere I spent to vnderstand their resolutions which was to me a greater toile and torment then to haue beene in New-England about my businesse but with bread and water and what I could get there by my labour but inconclusion seeing nothing would be effected I was contented as well with this losse of time and charge as all the rest A Plantation in New-England VPon these inducements some few well disposed Gentlemen and Merchants of London and other places prouided two ships the one or a hundred and threescore tunnes the other of threescore and ten they left the Coast of England the two and thirtieth of August with about a hunred and twenty persons but the next day the lesser ship sprung a leake that forced their returne to Plimoth where discharging her and twenty passengers with the greater ship and one hundred passengers besides Sailers they set saile againe the sixt of September and the ninth of Nouember fell with Cape Iames but being pestred nine weekes in this leaking vnwholsome ship lying wet in their Cabins most of them grew very weake and weary of the Sea then for want of experience ranging two and againe six weekes before they found a place they liked to dwell on forced to lie on the bare ground without couerture forty of them died and threescore were left in very weake estate at the ships comming away about the fifth of Aprill following and arriued in England the sixth of May. Though the Harbour be good the shore is so shallow they were forced to wade a great way vp to the knees in water vsed that that did them much hurt little fish they found but Whailes and a great kinde of Muftell so fat that few did eat of them that were not sicke these miseries occasioned some discord and gaue some appearance of faction but all was so reconciled that they vnited themselues by common consent vnder their hands to a kinde of combination of a body politike by vertue whereof to inact and constitute lawes and ordinances and Officers from time to time as should bee thought most conuenient for their generall good Sixteene or seuenteene daies they could doe little for want of their Shallop which was amending yet Captaine Miles Standish vnto whom was ioyned in Councell William Bradfor Stephen Hopkins and Edward Tilly went well armed a shore and by that time they had gone a mile met fiue or six Indians that fled into the Woods we traced them by the footing eight or ten miles then the night approaching we made a fire by which we lay that night and the next morning followed the Saluages by their tract thinking to finde their habitations but by the way we found a Deere amongst many faire springs of water where we refreshed our selues then we went a shore and made a fire that they at the ship might perceiue where we were and so marched to a place where we supposed was a Riuer by the way we saw many Vines Saxefras haunts of Deere Fowle and some fiâ—ty Acres of plaine ground had beene planted by the Indians where were some of their graues from thence we followed a path that brought vs through three or foure fields had beene planted that yeere in one graue we digged wee found a basket or two of Indian Corne so much as we could carry we tooke with vs the rest we buried as we found it and so proceeded to the place we intended but we found it not such a Harbour as we expected and so we returned till the night caused vs take vp our lodging vnder a tree where it rained six or seuen houres the next morning as we wandred we passed by a tree where a young sprig was bowed downe ouer a bough and some Acornes strewed vnder it which was one of their Gins to a catch a Deere and as we were looking at it Bradford was suddenly caught by the leg in a noosed Rope made as artificially as ours as we passed we see a lease of Bucks sprung some Partriges and great flocks of wilde Geese and Ducks and so we returned well wearied to our ship Master Iones our Master with foure and thirty men also went vp and downe in the frost and snow two or three daies in the extremity of the cold but could finde no harbour only among the old graues we got some ten bushels of Corne some Beanes and a bottle of Oile and had we not thus haply found it we had had no Corne for seede so that place we euer called Corne-hill the next day Master Iones with the Corne and our weakest men returned to the Ship but eighteene of vs quartered there that night and in the morning following the paths wee found in the Snow in a field a greater hill or graue then the rest diging it wee found first a Mat vnder that a boord three quarters long painted and carued with three Tyns at the top like a Croner betweene the Mats also were Bowles Traies and Dishes and such trash at length we found a faire new Mat and vnder that two bundles the one biggar the other lesse in the greater wee found a great quantity of fine red powder like a kinde of imbalmement and yeelded a strong but no offensiue smell with the bones and
skull of a man that had fine yellow hare still on it and some of the flesh vnconsumed a Knife a Pack-needle and two or three old Iron things was bound vp in a Sailers canuase Cassocke also a paire of cloth Breeches in the lesse bundle we found likewise of the same powder and the bones and head of a little childe about the legs and other parts of it was bound strings and braslets of white beades there was also a little Bow and some other odde knacks the prettiest we tooke and couered againe the corps as they were not farre from thence were two of their houses where were a great deale of their miserable houshold stuffe which we left as wee found and so returned to our Boat and lay aboord that night Many arguments we had to make here our Plantation or not in the Intrim Mistris White was brought to bed of a young sonne which was called Perigrine and a Sailer shooting at a Whale his peece flew in peeces stocke and all yet he had no hurt A foolish boy discharging his fathers peece hard by halfe a barrell of Powder and many people by it it pleased God it escaped firing so that no hurt was done But to make a more certaine discouery where to seat our selues Captaine Standish Master Caruer William Branford Edward Winsloe Iohn Tilly Edward Tilly with diuers others to the number of seuenteene vpon the sixt of December set saile and hauing sailed six or seuen leagues we espied eight or ten Saluages about a dead grampus still following the shore we found two or three more cast vp by the ill weather many we see in the water therefore we called it Grampus Bay Ships may ride well in it but all the shore is very shallow slats of sand at last seuen or eight of vs went a shore many fields we saw where the Saluages had inhabited and a buriall place incompassed with a Palizado so we returned to our Shallop in the night we heard a hideous cry and howling of Wolues and Foxes in the morning as we were ready to goe into our Shallop one of our men being in the woods came running crying Indians Indians and with all their Arrowes flying amongst vs some of our men being in the boat and their Armes a shore so well it chanced Captaine Standish with two or three more discharged their peeces till the rest were ready one Saluage more stout then the rest kept vnder a tree till he had shot three or foure Arrowes and endured three or foure Musket shot but at last they all fled this was about breake of day in the morning when they saw vs and we not them Hauing the wind faire we sailed along the coast 8. or 10. leagues thinking to haue got to a Harbour where one of our company had beene within 8. leagues of Cape Cod for neither cricke nor Harbour in this bay we could finde and the wind so increased our Rudder broke and our Mast flew ouer-boord that we were in danger to be cast away but at last it pleased God we were in a harbor we knew not thinking it one we were acquainted with this we found to be an I le where we rid that night and hauing well viewed the land about it and founded the Bay to be a good Harbour for our ship compassed with good land and in it two faire Iles where there is in their seasons innumerable store of all sorts of fish and fowle good water much plaine land which hath beene planted with this newes we returned to our ship and with the next faire wind brought her thither being but within the sight of Cape Cod in the meane time Goodwife Alderton was deliuered of a sonne but dead borne Vpon the 28. of December so many as could went to worke vpon the hill where we purposed to build our Platforme for our ordnance which doth command all the Plaine and the Bay and from whence wee may see far into the Sea and be easily impailed so in the afternoone we went to measure out the grounds and diuided our company into 19 families alotting to euery person halfe a poule in bredth and three in length and so we cast lots where euery man should lie which we staked out thinking this proportion enough at the first to impale for lodgings and gardens Francis Billington from the top of a tree seeing a great water some three miles from vs in the land went with the Masters Mate and found it two great Lakes of fresh water the bigger fiue or six miles in circuit and an I le in it of a Cables length square the other three miles in compasse full of fish and fowle and two brooks issuing from it which will be an excellent helpe in time for vs where they saw seuen or eight Indian houses but no people Foure being sent a mile or two from our plantation two of them stragling into the woods was left for comming to a Lake of water they found a great Deere hauing a mastiue Bitch and a Spanell with them they followed so farre they could not finde the way backe that afternoone it rained and did freeze and snow at night their apparell was very thin and had no weapons but two sickles nor any victuals nor could they finde any of the Saluages habitations when the night came they were much perplexed that they had no other bed then the earth nor couerture then the skies but that they heard as they thought two Lions roaring a long time together very nigh them so not knowing what to doe they resolued to climbe vp into a tree though that would be an intollerable cold lodging expecting their cōming they stood at the trees root and the bitch they held fast by the necke for shee would haue beene gone to the Lions or what they were that as it chanced came not nigh them so they watched the tree that extreme cold night and in the morning trauelling againe passing by many lakes brooks and woods and in one place where the Saluages had burnt 4. or 5. miles in length which is a fine champion Country in the afternoone they discouered the two Iles in their Bay and so that night neere famished they got to their Plantation from whence they had sent out men euery way to seeke them that night the house they had built and thatched where lay their armes bedding powder c. tooke fire and was burnt the Coast is so shoule the ship rides more then a mile from the Fort but God be thanked no man was hurt though much was burnt All this time we could not haue conference with a Saluage though we had many times seene them and had many alarums so that we drew a Councell and appointed Captaine Standish to haue the command of all martiall actions but euen in the time of consultation the Saluages gaue an alarum the next day also as wee were agreeing vpon his orders came a tall Saluage boldly