Another instance of Smith's false reasoning may be found in his comments on the revocation of the charter of the Virginia Company. He states that the company in carrying out "their owne conceits consumed more than £200,000 and neere eight thousand men's lives," and, referring to the administration of Sir Edwin Sandys and the Earl of Southampton, attributes the result to want of "good order and government." The simple facts are that the misfortunes of the colony, under these two eminent statesmen, were due to climatic diseases and an Indian massacre, for neither of which they were responsible. L. G. T. THE GENERALL HISTORIE OF VIRGINIA BY CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH, 1624; THE FOURTH BOOKE To make plaine the True Proceedings of the Historie for 1609. we must follow the examinations of Doctor Simons, and two learned Orations published by the Companie; with the relation of the Right Honourable the Lord De la Ware. What happened in the first government after the alteration, in the time of Captaine George Piercie their Governor. THE day before Captaine Smith returned2 for England with the ships, Captaine Davis arrived in a small Pinace, with some sixteene proper men more: To these were added a company from James towne, under the command of Captaine John Sickelmore alias Ratliffe, to inhabit Point Comfort. Captaine Martin and Captaine West, having lost their boats and neere halfe their men among the Salvages, were returned to James towne; for the Salvages no sooner understood Smith was gone, but they all revolted, and did spoile and murther all they incountered. 3 Now wee were all constrained to live onely on that Smith had onely for his owne Companie, for the rest had consumed their proportions. And now they had twentie Presidents with all their appurtenances: Master Piercie, our new President, was so sicke hee could neither goe nor stand. But ere all was consumed, Captaine West and Captaine Sickel 1 "The examinations of Doctor Simons" (or Simmonds) may mean the portions of Book III. immediately preceding. "Two learned Orations published by the Companie" most probably refers to Nova Britannia (London, 1609) and A True and Sincere Declaration (London, 1610). About October 4, 1609. I.e., the portion of the settlers retained at Jamestown. more, each with a small ship and thirtie or fortie men well appointed, sought abroad to trade. Sickelmore upon the confidence of Powhatan, with about thirtie others as carelesse as himselfe, were all slaine; onely Jeffrey Shortridge escaped; and Pokahontas the Kings daughter saved a boy called Henry Spilman, that lived many yeeres after, by her meanes, amongst the Patawomekes. Powhatan still, as he found meanes, cut off their Boats, denied them trade: so that Captaine West set saile for England. Now we all found the losse of Captaine Smith, yea his greatest maligners could now curse his losse as for corne provision and contribution from the Salvages, we had nothing but mortall wounds, with clubs and arrowes; as for our Hogs, Hens, Goats, Sheepe, Horse, or what lived, our commanders, officers and Salvages daily consumed them, some small proportions sometimes we tasted, till all was devoured; then swords, armes, pieces, or any thing, wee traded with the Salvages, whose cruell fingers were so oft imbrewed in our blouds, that what by their crueltie, our Governours indiscretion, and the losse of our ships, of five hundred within six moneths after Captaine Smiths departure, there remained not past sixtie men, women and children, most miserable and poore creatures; and those were preserved for the most part, by roots, herbes, acornes, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish: they that had startch in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea, even the very skinnes of our horses. Nay, so great was our famine, that a Salvage we slew and buried, the poorer sort tooke him up againe and eat him; and so did divers one another boyled and stewed with roots and herbs: And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered1 her, and had eaten part of her before it was knowne; for which hee was executed, as hee well deserved: now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or carbonado'd, I know not; but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard of. This was that time, which still to this day 2 we called the starving time; it were too vile to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our owne, for want of providence industrie and government, and not the barrennesse and defect of the Countrie, as is generally supposed; for till then in three yeeres, for the numbers were landed us, we had never from England provision sufficient for six moneths, though it seemed by the bils of loading sufficient was sent us, such a glutton is the Sea, and such good fellowes the Mariners; we as little tasted of the great proportion sent us, as they of our want and miseries, yet notwithstanding they ever overswayed and ruled the businesse, though we endured all that is said, and chiefly lived on what this good Countrie naturally afforded. Yet had wee beene even in Paradice it selfe with these Governours, it would not have beene much better withe us; yet there was amongst us, who had they had the government as Captaine Smith appointed, but that they could not maintaine it, would surely have kept us from those extremities of miseries. This in ten daies more, would have supplanted us all with death. But God that would not this Countrie should be unplanted, sent Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir George Sommers with one hundred and fiftie people most happily preserved by the Bermudas to preserve us: strange it is to say how miraculously they were preserved in a leaking ship, as at large you may reade in the insuing Historie of those Ilands.' The government resigned to Sir Thomas Gates 1610. When these two Noble Knights did see our miseries, being but strangers in that Countrie, and could understand no more of the cause, but by conjecture of our clamours and complaints, of accusing and excusing one another: They embarked us with themselves, with the best meanes they could, and abandoning James towne,2 set saile for England: whereby you may see the event of the government of the former Commanders The history of the Bermudas or Somers Islands to 1624 is contained in the fifth book of the Generall Historie. Gates and Somers arrived May 23, 1610. 'June 7, 1610. 'Ratcliffe, Martin, and Archer. 3 left to themselves; although they had lived there many yeeres, as formerly hath beene spoken (who hindred now their proceedings, Captaine Smith being gone). At noone they fell to the Ile of Hogs, and the next morning to Mulberypoint, at what time they descried the Long-boat of the Lord la Ware; for God would not have it so abandoned. For this honourable Lord, then Governour of the Countrie, met them with three ships exceedingly well furnished with all necessaries fitting; who againe returned them to the abandoned James towne.1 Out of the observations of WILLIAM SIMMONS The government devolved to the Lord la Ware. His Lordship arrived the ninth of June 1610. accompanied with Sir Ferdinando Waynman, Captaine Houlcroft, Captaine Lawson, and divers other Gentlemen of sort; the tenth he came up with his fleet, went on shore, heard a Sermon, read his Commission, and entred into consultation for the good of the Colonie: in which secret counsell we will a little leave them, that we may duly observe the revealed counsell of God. Hee that shall but turne up his eie, and behold the spangled canopie of heaven, or shall but cast downe his eie, and consider the embroydered carpet of the earth, and withall shall marke how the heavens heare the earth, and the earth the Corne and Oile, and they relieve the necessities of man, that man will acknowledge Gods infinite providence. But hee that shall further observe, how God inclineth all casuall events to worke the necessary helpe of his Saints, must needs adore the Lords infinite goodnesse. Never had any people more just cause, to cast themselves at the very foot-stoole of God, and 1 An account of these transactions, by Delaware and his council, in the form of a letter, dated July 7, 1610, is printed in Brown's Genesis, pp. 404413, and in Neill's Virginia Company of London, pp. 36-49. I.e., what precedes is derived from The Proceedings of the English Colony in Virginia, by W. S. Its text is followed closely; see pp. 198–204, above. |