Page images
PDF
EPUB

much by their labours and arts, as Turners, Potters, Coopers; to make all kind of earthen and wooden Vessels, Sawyers, Carpenters, Tyle-makers, Boat-wrights, Taylors, Shoemakers, Tanners, Fishermen, and the like.

45 Young youths from 16 yeers and upward, for Apprentises and Servants for some yeers, then to have Land given them, and Cattel to set them up. Thousands of these kinds of young boyes and maydens wanting.

46 That the Government is after the Lawes of England, (that is well for men before they go, to know under what Lawes they shall live:) A Governour and Councel of State; and yearly general Assemblies, men chosen and sent out of each County, (there being 12 in Virginia;) these men Vote, and by the major part all things are concluded; and they are Elected to those places by the most voices in the County for whom they are chosen, and by whom sent.

47 They have 20 Churches in Virginia, and Ministers to each, and the Doctrine and Orders after the Church of England: the Ministers Livings are esteemed worth at least 100l. per annum. they are paid by each planter so much Tobacco per Pole, and so many bushels of Corn: they live all in peace and love.

48 That for matter of their better knowledge of the Land they dwell in, the Planters resolve to make a further Discovery into the Country West and by South up above the Fall, and over the Hills, and are confident upon what they have learned from the Indians, to find a way to a West or South Sea by land or rivers, and to discover a way to China and East Indies or unto some other Sea that shall carry them thither; For Sir Francis Drake was on the back side of Virginia in his voyage about the World in 37 degrees just opposite to Virginia, and called Nova Albion, and by the Natives kindly used: And now all the question is only how broad the Land may be to that place from the head of James River above the Falls, but all men conclude if it be not narrow, yet that there is and will be found the like rivers issuing into a South Sea or a West Sea on the other side of those Hills, as there is on this side when they run from the West down into a East Sea after a course of 150 miles: but of this certainty M. Hen. Brigs that most judicious and learned Mathematician wrote a small Tractate, and presented it to that most noble Earle of Southampton then Governour of the Virginia Company in England, Ann. 1623. to which I referre for a full information.

And by such a Discovery the Planters in Virginia, shall gain the rich trade of the East India, and so cause it to be driven

through the Continent of Virginia, part by Land and part by Water, and in a most gainfull way and safe, and far lesse expenceful and dangerous, then now it is.

And they doubt not to find some rich and beneficiall Country, and commodities not yet known to the world that lies West and by South now from their present Plantation.

49 That the Swedes have come and crept into a River called Delawar, that is, within the limits of Virginia in 38 degrees and 30 min. it lies, and are there planted, 100 of them drive a great and secret trade of Furs, which they trade for with the 1 Natives it is but 2 dayes journey by land from our Plantations, and a dayes sail by Sea from Cape Charles.

50 And again, the Hollanders have stolen into a River called Hudsons river in the limits also of Virginia (and about 39 degrees) they have built a strong Fort there, and call it Prince Maurice and New Netherlands, they drive a trade of Furres there with the Natives for above ten thousand pounds a yeer.

These two Plantations are between Virginia and New England on our side of Cape Cood which parts us and New England.

Thus are the English nosed in all places, and out-traded by the Dutch, they would not suffer the English to use them so: But they have vigilant Statesmen, and advance all they can for a Common good, and will not spare any incouragements to their people to discover.

But it is well known, that our English Plantations have had little countenances, nay, that our Statesmen (when time was) had store of Gondemores gold to destroy and discountenance the Plantation of Virginia, and he effected it in a great part, by dissolving the Company, wherein most of the Nobility, Gentry, Corporate Cities, and most Merchants of England, were Interested and Engaged; after the expence of some hundred of thousands of pounds: For Gundemore did affirme to his Friends, that hee had Commission from his Master to ruine that Plantation. For, said he, should they thrive and goe on increasing, as they have done under the Government of that Popular L. of Southampton, my masters West-Indies, and his Mexico would shortly be visited by Sea and by Land, from those Planters in Virginia. And Marquis Hambleton told the Earle of Southampton, that Gundemore said to King James, that the Virginia Courts, was but a Seminarie to a Seditious Parliament. But this is but a touch by the way, for a future Item to our Countrey not to despise Plantations.

51 The Land in Virginia is most fruitfull, and produceth with very great increase, whatsoever is committed into the Bowells of it, Planted, Sowed. A fat rich Soile every where watered with many fine Springs, small Rivolets, and wholesome Waters.

52 The Countrey is with pleasant rising small Ascents and Descents, Valleys, Hills, Meadowes, and some levell Upland: Its Woody all over, but where labour hath cleared the ground from Trees, and this truely is the great labour in Virginia, to fell Trees, and to get up the Roots, and so make cleare ground for the Plow.

53 Stones, and Rocks, and Quarries of severall kinds, and very fit for the Iron Furnaces (as triall hath been made to endure fire) are in divers places found in Virginia.

54 There is divers skins of Beasts for Merchandize and uses, as Beavers, Otters, Squirrels, wild Cats, and Christall is there found.

55 Divers kinds of Druggs, Gummes, Dyes, Paints, that the Indians use.

56 There is a kind of Flax the Indians use to make threeds of and strings, we call it silke grasse, i'ts fine to make both Linnen and Stuffe of it; abundance in many places of it groweth.

57 To the Southward of James River, some fiftie miles by Land, and eighty by Sea, lyes the River Chawanok: whither Master Porey went by Land, and reported, the King there told him, that within ten days Journey Westward towards Sun setting there were a people that did gather out of a River sand, the which they washed in Sives, and had a thing out of it, that they then put into the Fire, which melted and became like to our Copper, and offered to send some of his People to guide him to that place. But master Porey being not provided with men as he would have had of English, he returned to Sir George Yearly, and acquainted him with the Relation. But before they could prepare for the Journey, and Discovery, the first Massacre happened, and so to this day it hath beene unattempted. The Company also in England was dissolved, their Patent most unjustly, against all Law and Conscience, taken from them. Procured by the Spanish Gold and Faction, and the Colony never looked after, whether sinke or swimme; and hath now these twenty foure yeares since, laboured for life, and onely to subsist with much adoe; The Cattell then left, increased to what you heare, and in all these many years no more People in it, and they having little Incouragement, and great uncertainties, whether ever to be continued a Colony, whereby men have had

no heart to Plant for Posterity, but every man for the present, Planted Tobacco to get a livelyhood by it.

And had not this present Governour beene sent as hee was, and continued, who hath done all a Gentleman could doe to mainetaine it alive: It had upon this second Massacre beene utterly deserted and ruinated; as things stand in our owne Land. If any demand the cause of this late Massacre, all having been forgiven and forgotton, what the Indians did the first time; Those that are Planters there, write the occasion of the Indians doing so wicked an Act, was. That some of them confessed, That their great King was by some English Informed, that all was under the Sword in England, in their Native Countrey, and such divisions in our Land; That now was his time or never, to roote out all the English; For those that they could not surprize and kill under the feigned masque of Friendship and feasting, and the rest would be by wants; and having no supplyes from their own Countrey which could not helpe them, be suddenly Consumed and Famished. The Indians Allaruming them night and day, and killing all their Cattell, as with ease they might doe, and by destroying in the nights, all their Corne Fields, which the English could not defend. All this had (as they write) taken full effect, if God had not abated the Courages of the Savages in that moment of time, they so treacherously slew the English; who were presently (the Act done) so affrighted in their owne minds, that they had not the heart to follow the Counsells their King had commanded but to the admiration of the English, prosecuted not their opportunitie, nor were constant to their owne Principles, But fled away and retyred themselves many miles distant off the Colony which little space of time gave the English opportunity to gather themselves together, call an Assembly, secure their Cattell, and to thinke upon some way to defend themselves, if need were and then to offend their Enemies; which by the great mercy of God was done and effected; And the particulars of all is worthy in some other place to be remembred and manifested to the World, that the great God may have his due Glory, Honour, and Praise for ever and ever, Amen, Amen, Amen. And now at this present the Colony is in good estate (and never a third time to be so surprised by a seeming Friend.) And they conclude, their conditions are now, such as they may and will greatly improve the advancement and welfare of the Colony, even by this late sad Accident; and the Pit there Enemies digged for them, they are like to fall into themselves, and their mis

chiefe will and hath assuredly fallen farre more upon their own Pates; since their great King was taken Prisoner.

And in briefe, they say in three Letters, that if God please, in mercy, now to looks upon poore England, that it fall not into a second Warre, nor relapses, but a happy Peace setled in their Native Countrey. Then they in Virginia shall be as happie a people as any under heaven, for there is nothing wanting there to produce them, Plenty, Health, and Wealth.

58 Concerning New-England, that they have Trade with them to and fro, and are but foure dayes Saile off from Virginia, that they have had many Cattell from Virginia, and Corne, and many other things; That New-England, is in a good Condition for livelyhood. But for matter of any great hopes but Fishing, there is not much in that Land; For its as Scotland is to England, so much difference, and lyes upon the same Land Northward, as Scotland doth to England: there is much Cold, Frost and Snow, and their Land so barren, except a Herring be put into the hole that you set the Corne or Maize in, it will not come up; and it was great pittie, all those people being now about twenty Thousand, did not seate themselves at first to the South of Virginia, in a warme and rich Countrey, where their Industrie would have produced Sugar, Indico, Ginger, Cotten, and the like Commodities.

And its now reported in Virginia that Thousands of them are removing (with many from Summer Islands also) unto the Bahana Islands, neere the Cape of Florida; and thats the right way for them to goe and thrive.

« PreviousContinue »