_The continuation of the General History of_ Virginia; _the_ Summer
Isles, _and_ New England; _with their present Estate from_ 1624. _to
this present_ 1629.
Concerning these Countries, I would be sorry to trouble you with
repeating one thing twice, as with their Mapps, Commodities, People,
Government and Religion yet known; the beginning of these Plantations,
their Numbers and Names, with the Names of the Adventures, the Yearly
proceedings of every Governour both here and there. As for the
Misprisions, Neglect, Grievances, and the causes of all these Rumours,
losses and crosses that have happened; I refer you to the General History,
where you shall find all this at large; especially to those Pages where
you may read my Letter of Advice to the Councel and Company, what of
necessity must be done, or lose all and leave the Country, Pag. 70. what
Commodities I sent home, Pag. 163. my Opinion and offer to the Company, to
feed and defend the Colonies, Pag. 150. my Account to them here of my
Actions there, Pag. 163. and seven Answers to his Majesty's Commissioners:
Seven Questions what hath hindered _Virginia,_ and the remedy, Pag. 165.
How those Noble Gentlemen spent near two Years in perusing all Letters
came from thence; and the differences betwixt many Factions, both here and
there, with their Complaints; especially about the _Sallery_ which should
have been a new Office in _London,_ for the well ordering the sale of
_Tobacco,_ that 2500 Pounds should Yearly have been raised out of it, to
pay four or five Hundred Pounds Yearly to the Governour of that Company,
two or three Hundred to his Deputy; the rest into Stipends of forty or
fifty Pounds Yearly for their Clerks and other Officers which were never
there, Pag. 153. but not one Hundred Pounds for all them in _Virginia,_
nor any thing for the most part of the Adventures in _England,_ except the
undertakers for the Lotteries, Setters out of Ships, Adventures of
Commodities, also their Factors and many other Officers, there imployed
only by friendship to raise their Fortunes out of the Labours of the true
Industrious Planters by the Title of their Office, who under the colour of
sincerity, did pillage and deceive all the rest most cunningly: For more
than 150000 Pounds have been spent out of the Common Stock, besides many
thousands have been there Consumed, and near 7000 People that there died,
only for want of good Order and Government, otherwise long ere this there
would have been more than 20000 People, where after twenty Years spent
only in Complement and trying new Conclusions, was remaining scarce 1500,
with some few Cattel.
Then the Company dissolved, but no Account of any thing; so that his
Majesty appointed Commissioners to oversee, and give Order for their
Proceedings. Being thus in a manner left to themselves, since then within
these four Years, you shall see how wonderfully they have increased beyond
expectation; but so exactly as I desired, I cannot relate unto you: For
altho' I have tired my self in seeking and discoursing with those returned
thence, more than would a Voyage to _Virginia;_ few can tell me any thing,
but of that Place or Places they have Inhabited, and he is a great
Traveller that hath gone up and down the River of _James_ Town, been at
_Pamaunk, Smith's_ Isles, or _Accomack;_ wherein for the most part, they
keep one tune of their now particular abundance, and their former wants
having been there, some sixteen Years, some twelve, some six, some near
twenty, &c. But of their general Estate, or any thing of worth, the most
of them doth know very little to any purpose.
{MN} Now the most I could understand in general, was from the Relation of
Mr. _Nathaniel Cawsey,_ that lived there with me, and returned _Anno Dom._
1627. and some others affirm; Sir _George Yerely_ was Governour, Captain
_Francis West,_ Doctor _John Pott,_ Captain _Roger Smith,_ Captain
_Matthews,_ Captain _Tucker,_ Mr. _Clabourn,_ and Mr. _Farrer,_ of the
Council: their Habitations many. The Governour, with two or three of the
Council, are for most part at _James_ Town, the rest repair thither as
there is occasion; but every three Months they have a general Meeting, to
consider of their Publick Affairs.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their estate_ 1627.
{MN} Their Numbers then were about 1500, some say rather 2000, divided
into seventeen or eighteen several Plantations; the greatest part thereof
towards the falls, are so inclosed with Pallisadoes they regard not the
_Salvages._ and amongst those Plantations above _James_ Town, they have
now found means to take plenty of Fish, as well with Lines as Nets, and
where the Waters are the largest, having Means they need not want.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their numbers._
{MN} Upon this River they seldom see any _Salvages,_ but in the Woods,
many times their Fires: yet some few there are, that upon their
opportunity, have slain some few straglers, which have been revenged with
the Death of so many of themselves; but no other Attempt hath been made
upon them this two or three Years.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their condition with the Salvages._
{MN} Their Cattel, Namely, Oxen, Kine, Bulls, they imagine to be about
2000; Goats great store and great increase; the wild Hoggs, which were
infinite, are destroyed and eaten by the _Salvages:_ but no Family is so
poor that hath not tame Swine sufficient; and for Poultry, he is a very
bad Husband, breedeth not an Hundred in a Year, and the Richer sort doth
daily feed on them.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their increase of Cattel and Poultry._
{MN} For Bread they have plenty, and so good, that those that make it
well, better cannot be: Divers have much _English_ Corn, especially Mr.
_Abraham Perce,_ which prepared this Year to sow two Hundred Acres of
_English_ Wheat, and as much with Barly, feeding daily about the number of
sixty Persons at his own Charges.
* * * * *
{MN} _Plenty of Corn._
{MN} For Drink, Some Malt the _Indian_ Corn, others Barly, of which they
make good Ale, both strong and small, and such plenty thereof, few of the
Upper Planters drink any Water: but the better sort are well furnished
with Sack, _Aquavitae,_ and good _English_ Beer.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their Drink._
{MN} The Servants commonly feed upon Milk Homili, which is bruised
_Indian_ Corn pounded, and boiled thick, and Milk for the sawce; but
boiled with Milk, the best of all will feed oft on it, and leave their
Flesh; with Milk, Butter and Cheese; with Fish, Bulls-flesh, for they
seldom kill any other, &c. And every one is so applied to his labour about
Tobacco and Corn, which doth yield them such Profit, they never regard any
food from the _Salvages,_ nor have they any Trade or Conference with them,
but upon meer Accidents and Defiances: And now the Merchants have left it,
there having gone so many voluntary Ships within these two Years, as have
furnished them with Apparel, Sack, _Aquavitae,_ and all necessaries, much
better than any before.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their Servants diet._
{MN} For Arms, There is scarce any Man but he is furnished with a Piece, a
Jack, a Coat of Male, a Sword or Rapier; and every Holy-day, every
Plantation doth Exercise their Men in Arms, by which means Hunting and
Fowling, the most part of them are most Excellent Marks-men.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their Arms and Exercise._
{MN} For Discoveries they have made none, nor any other Commodity than
Tobacco do they apply themselves unto, tho' never any was Planted at
first. And whereas the Countrey was heretofore held most intemperate and
contagious by many, now they have Houses, Lodgings, Victuals, and the Sun
hath Power to Exhale up the moist Vapours of the Earth, where they have
cut down the Wood, which before it could not, being covered with spreading
tops of high Trees; they find it much more healthful than before; nor for
their Numbers, few Countries are less troubled with Death, Sickness, or
any other Disease, nor where overgrown Women become more fruitful.
* * * * *
{MN} _Their Health and Discoveries._
{MN-1} Since this, Sir _George Yerely_ died 1628, Captain _West_ Succeeded
him; but about a Year after, returned for _England._ Now Doctor _Poor_ is
Governour, and the rest of the Council as before: _James_ Town is yet
their chief Seat, most of the Wood destroyed, little Corn there Planted,
but all Converted into Pasture and Gardens, wherein doth grow all manner
of Herbs and Roots we have in _England,_ in abundance, and as good Grass
as can be. Here most of their Cattle do feed, their Owners being most some
one way, some another, about their Plantations, and return again when they
please, or any Shipping comes in to Trade. Here in the Winter they have
Hay for their Cattel, but in other Places they Browze upon Wood, and the
great husks of their Corn, with some Corn in them, doth keep them well.
{MN-2} Mr. _Hutchins_ saith, they have 2000 Cattle, and about 5000 People,
but _Master Floud, John Davis, William Emerson,_ and divers others say,
about 5000 People, and 5000 Kine, Calves, Oxen and Bulls; for Goats, Hoggs
and Poultry, Corn, Fish, Dear, and many sorts of other wild Beasts; and
Fowl in their Season, they have so much more than they spend, they are
able to feed three or four Hundred more than they have; and do oft much
relieve many Ships, both there, and for their Return; and this last Year
was there at least two or three and Twenty Sale. They have oft much
Salt-fish from _New England,_ but fresh Fish enough, when they will take
it; Peaches in abundance at _Kecoughtan;_ Apples, Pears, Apricocks, Vines,
Figgs, and other Fruits some have Planted that prospered exceedingly, but
their Diligence about Tobacco, left them to be spoiled by the Cattel, yet
now they begin to Revive; {MN-3} Mrs. _Pearce,_ an Honest Industrious
Woman, hath been there near twenty Years, and now returned, saith, she
hath a Garden at _James_ Town, containing three or four Acres, where in
one Year she hath gathered near an Hundred Bushels of excellent Figgs; and
that of her own Provision she can keep a better House in _Virginia,_ than
here in _London_ for 3 or 400 Pounds a Year, yet went thither with little
or nothing. They have some tame Geese, Ducks and Turkies. The Masters now
do so train up their Servants and Youth in shooting Deer and Fowl, that
the Youths will kill them as well as their Masters. They have two
Brew-houses, but they find the _Indian_ Corn so much better than ours,
they begin to leave sowing it. Their Cities and Towns are only scattered
Houses, they call Plantations, as are our Country Villages; but no
Ordnance Mounted. The Forts Captain _Smith_ left a Building, so ruined,
there is scarce Mention where they were; no Discoveries of any thing more,
than the curing of Tobacco, by which hitherto, being so present a
Commodity of Gain, it hath brought them to this abundance; but that they
are so disjointed, and every one Commander of himself to Plant what he
will: {MN-4} they are now so well provided, that they are able to subsist;
and if they would join together, now to work upon Soap, Ashes, Iron,
Rape-Oil, Mader, Pitch and Tarr, Flax and Hemp; as for their Tobacco,
there comes from many Places such abundance, and the charge so great, it
is not worth the bringing home.
* * * * *
{MN-1} _The present estate of_ Virginia 1629.
{MN-2} _Mr._ Hutchins. _Five thousand people. Five thousand Cattel.
Goats, Hogs, and Poultry infinite._
{MN-3} _Good Hospitality._
{MN-4} _Commodities worth making, Black Wallnut, Also for Pikes, Oak for
Planks, knees for ships, Cypress, for Chests, &c._
There is gone, and now a going, divers Ships, as Captain _Perse,_ Captain
_Prine,_ with Sir _John Harvey_ to be their Governour, with two or three
Hundred People; there is also some from _Bristow,_ and other Parts of the
West Country a preparing, which I heartily pray to God to Bless, and send
them a Happy and Prosperous Voyage.
_Nathaniel Causie,_ Master _Hutchins,_
Master _Floud, John Davis, William
Emerson,_ Master _William
Barnet,_ Master _Cooper,_ and others.
* * * * *