those commodities, or as usefull, may be had in Virginia by the same meanes, as I have formerly said; let us with all speed take the priority of time, where also may be had the priority of place, in chusing the best seats of the Country; which now by vanquishing the salvages, is like to offer a more faire and ample choice of fruitfull habitations, then hitherto our gentlenesse and faire comportments could attaine unto. The numbers that were slaine in those severall Plantations. 1 At Captaine Berkleys Plantation, himselfe and 21. others, seated at the Falling-Crick, 66. miles from James City. 2 Master Thomas Sheffelds Plantation, some three miles from the Falling-Crick, himselfe and 12. others. 3 At Henrico Iland, about two miles from Sheffelds 4 Slaine of the College people, twenty miles from Henrico. 22 13 6 17 5 8 10 8 At Brickley hundred,' fifty miles from Charles City, Master Thorp and 7 At William Farrars house. 9 At Westover, a mile from Brickley. 10 At Master John Wests Plantation. 11 At Captaine Nathaniel Wests Plantation. 12 At Lieutenant Gibs his Plantation. 13 At Richard Owens house, himselfe and 14 At Master Owen Macars house, himselfe and 15 At Martins hundred, seven miles from James City. 16 At another place. 17 At Edward Bonits 2 Plantation. 3 18 At Master Waters his house, himselfe and 1 Berkeley Hundred. 'Bennett's 'This was a mistake. Edward Waters escaped. 20 At Master Macocks Divident, Captaine Samuel Macock and 4 21 At Flowerda hundred, Sir George Yearleys Plantation. 6 22 On the other side opposite to it. 23 At Master Swinhows house, himselfe and 24 At Master William Bickars house, himselfe and 25 At Weanock, of Sir George Yearleys people. 26 At Powel Brooke, Captaine Nathaniel Powel, and 27 At South-hampton hundred. 28 At Martin Brandons hundred. 29 At Captaine Henry Spilmans house. 30 At Ensigne Spences house. 31 At Master Thomas Perse his house by Mulbery Ile, himselfe and The whole number 347. Men in this taking bettered with affliction, 7 7 4 21 12 5725 4 This lamentable and so unexpected a disaster caused them all beleeve the opinion of Master Stockam, and drave them all to their wits end. It was twenty or thirty daies ere they could resolve what to doe, but at last it was concluded, all the petty Plantations should be abandoned, and drawne onely to make good five or six places, where all their labours now for the most part must redound to the Lords of those Lands where they were resident. Now for want of Boats, it was impossible upon such a sudden to bring also their cattle, and many other things, which with much time, charge and labour they had then in possession with them; all which for the most part at their departure was burnt, ruined and destroyed by the Salvages. Only Master Gookins at Nuports-newes would not obey the Commanders command in that, though hee had scarce five and thirty of all sorts' with him, yet he thought Boys and men. 1 himselfe sufficient against what could happen, and so did to his great credit and the content of his Adventurers. Master Samuel Jorden gathered together but a few of the straglers about him at Beggers-bush, where he fortified and lived in despight of the enemy. Nay, Mistrisse Proctor, a proper, civill, modest Gentlewoman did the like, till perforce the English Officers forced her and all them with her to goe with them, or they would fire her house themselves; as the Salvages did when they were gone, in whose despight they had kept it and what they had, a moneth or three weekes after the Massacre; which was to their hearts a griefe beyond comparison, to lose all they had in that manner, onely to secure others pleasures. Now here in England it was thought,' all those remainders might presently have beene reduced into fifties or hundreds in places most convenient with what they had, having such strong houses as they reported they had, which with small labour might have beene made invincible Castles against all the Salvages in the Land: and then presently raised a company, as a running Armie to torment the Barbarous and secure the rest, and so have had all that Country betwixt the Rivers of Powhatan and Pamaunke to range and sustaine them: especially all the territories of Kecoughtan, Chiskact and Paspahege, from Ozenies to that branch of Pamaunke, comming from Youghtanund, which strait of land is not past 4. or 5. miles, to have made a peninsula much bigger then the Summer Iles, invironed with the broadest parts of those two maine Rivers, which for plenty of such things as Virginia affords is not to be exceeded, and were it well manured, more then sufficient for ten thousand men. This, were it well understood, cannot but be thought better then to bring five or six hundred to lodge and live on that, which before would not well receive and maintaine a hundred, planting little or nothing, but spend that they have upon hopes out of England, one evill begetting another, till the disease is past cure. There'The margin has a note against this paragraph, "The opinion of Captaine Smith." fore it is impossible but such courses must produce most fearefull miseries and extreme extremities; if it prove otherwise, I should be exceeding glad. I confesse I am somewhat too bold to censure other mens actions being not present, but they have done as much of me; yea many here in England that were never there, and also many there that knowes little more then their Plantations, but as they are informed: and this doth touch the glory of God, the honour of my Country, and the publike good so much, for which there hath beene so many faire pretences, that I hope none will be angry for speaking my opinion; seeing the old Proverbe doth allow losers leave to speake, and Du Bartas 1 saith, 1 Even as the wind the angry Ocean moves, Wave hunteth Wave, and Billow Billow shoves, Amongst the multitude of these severall Relations, it appeares Captaine Nuse 2 seeing many of the difficulties to ensue, caused as much Corne to be planted as he could at Elizabeths city, and though some destroyed that they had set, fearing it would serve the Salvages for Ambuscadoes, trusting to releefe by trade, or from England (which hath ever beene one cause of our miseries, for from England wee have not had much and for trading, every one hath not Ships, Shalops, Interpreters, men and provisions to performe it; and those that have, use them onely for their owne private gaine, not the publike good), so that our beginning this yeere doth cause many to distrust the event of the next. Here wee will leave Captaine Nuse for a while, lamenting the death of Captaine Norton, a valiant industrious Gentleman, adorned with many good qualities, besides Physicke and Chirurgery, which for 'Guillaume du Bartas, whose epic, La Création, translated into English by Joshua Sylvester, was one of the most popular poems of the time. 'Captain Thomas Newce, a member of the Council. the publike good he freely imparted to all gratis, but most bountifully to the poore; and let us speake a little of Captaine Croshaw amongst the midst of those broiles in the River of Patawomeke. Being in a small Barke called the Elizabeth, under the command of Captaine Spilman, at Cekacawone,' a Salvage stole aboord them, and told them of the Massacre; and that Opechancanough had plotted with his King and Countrey to betray them also, which they refused: but them of Wighcocomoco at the mouth of the river had undertaken it. Upon this Spilman went thither, but the Salvages seeing his men so vigilant and well armed, they suspected themselves discovered, and to colour their guilt, the better to delude him, so contented his desire in trade, his Pinnace was neere fraught; but seeing no more to be had, Croshaw went to Patawomek, where he intended to stay and trade for himselfe, by reason of the long acquaintance he had with this King that so earnestly entreated him now to be his friend, his countenancer, his Captaine and director against the Pazaticans, the Nacotchtanks," and Moyaons his mortall enemies. Of this oportunity Croshaw was glad, as well to satisfie his owne desire in some other purpose he had, as to keepe the King as an opposite to Opechancanough, and adhere him unto us, or at least make him an instrument against our enemies; so onely Elis Hill stayed with him, and the Pinnace returned to Elizabeths City; here shall they rest also a little, till we see how this newes was entertained in England. 3 It was no small griefe to the Councell and Company, to understand of such a supposed impossible losse, as that so many should fall by the hands of men so contemptible; and yet having such warnings, especially by the death of Nemattanow, whom the Salvages did thinke was shot-free, as he had perswaded them, having so long escaped so many dangers without any hurt. But now to leape out of this labyrinth of melancholy, all this did not so discourage the noble adventurers, nor divers others still to undertake new severall Plantations; 'Immune from shot. 1 1 Chicacoan. 2 Nacostans. |