INTRODUCTION CAPTAIN NATHANIEL BUTLER served as governor of the Bermuda Islands from the spring of 1619 to October, 1622, during which time he got into trouble by extorting money from some Spaniards who had been shipwrecked there. He spent the winter of 1622-1623 in Virginia, and on his return to England in the spring presented to the king a document called "The Unmasked face of our Colony in Virginia as it was in the Winter of the yeare 1622." After this no more was heard of the complaint which the Spanish minister had lodged against him for his conduct in the Bermudas. The company, deeming it necessary to reply to Butler at once, drew up the paper below and sent out and secured the affidavits of each of the persons in London best acquainted with Virginia affairs. As far as Butler's attack proved anything, it showed how much credit the managers of the company deserved for having rescued the colony from the depths of despair to which it had been brought by the evils of the old government of martial law. The text of this document is taken from the "court books" of the Virginia Company preserved in the Library of Congress. It occurs in The Records of the Virginia Company of London (Washington, 1906), II. 381-385. It was first printed by Neill in his Virginia Company of London, pp. 395–404. Butler's paper is embodied in it. L. G. T. THE VIRGINIA PLANTERS' ANSWER TO CAPTAIN BUTLER, 1623 The Answers of divers Planters that have long lived in Virginia, as alsoe of sundry Marriners and other persons that have bene often at Virginia unto a paper intituled: The Unmasked face of our Colony in Virginia, as it was in the Winter of the yeare 1622. 1. I FOUNDE the Plantacions generally seated uppon meere Salt marishes full of infectious Boggs and muddy Creekes and Lakes, and therby subjected to all those inconveniences and diseases which are soe commonly found in the moste Unsounde and most Unhealthy parts of England wherof everie Country and Clymate hath some. 1 Answere 1. Wee say that there is no place inhabited but is conveniently habitable. And for the first plantacion wch is Kiccoutan against wch (if any be) most exception may be made, itt is every way soe well disposed that in that place well governed men may enjoy their healthes and live as plentifully as in any parte of England or other his Maties Dominions, yett that there are Marishes in some places wee acknowledge; Butt soe as they are more Comodious for divers good respects and uses then if they were wantinge. As for Boggs wee knowe of none in all the Country and for the rest of the Plantacions as Newports News, Blunt poynt, Wariscoyake, Martins Hundred, Paspahey, and all the Plantacions right over against James Citty, and all the Plantacions above these we are many, 1I.e., the plantation nearest the mouth of the river. 'Eastern Virginia is intersected with great numbers of creeks and rivers, lined with marshes, the favorite resorts of sora, ducks, and other toothsome birds. |