Plantations are amongst ancient, primitive, and heroical works. When
the world was young, it begat more children; but now it is old, it
begets fewer; for I may justly account new plantations to be the
children of former kingdoms. I like a plantation in a pure soil;
that is, where people are not displanted,[370] to the end to plant
in others; for else it is rather an extirpation than a plantation.
Planting of countries is like planting of woods; for you must make
account to lose almost twenty years’ profit, and expect your recompense
in the end; for the principal thing that hath been the destruction
of most plantations, hath been the base and hasty drawing of profit
in the first years. It is true, speedy profit is not to be neglected,
as far as may stand with the good of the plantation, but no further.
It is a shameful and unblessed thing[371] to take the scum of people
and wicked condemned men, to be the people with whom you plant; and
not only so, but it spoileth the plantation; for they will ever live
like rogues, and not fall to work; but be lazy, and do mischief, and
spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and then certify over to their
country to the discredit of the plantation. The people wherewith you
plant ought to be gardeners, ploughmen, laborers, smiths, carpenters,
joiners, fishermen, fowlers, with some few apothecaries, surgeons,
cooks, and bakers. In a country of plantations, first look about what
kind of victual the country yields of itself to hand; as chestnuts,
walnuts, pine-apples, olives, dates, plums, cherries, wild honey,
and the like, and make use of them. Then consider what victual, or
esculent things there are, which grow speedily, and within the year; as
parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, radish, artichokes of Jerusalem,
maize, and the like. For wheat, barley, and oats, they ask too much
labor; but with pease and beans you may begin, both because they ask
less labor, and because they serve for meat as well as for bread;
and of rice, likewise, cometh a great increase, and it is a kind of
meat. Above all, there ought to be brought store of biscuit, oatmeal,
flour, meal, and the like, in the beginning, till bread may be had. For
beasts, or birds, take chiefly such as are least subject to diseases,
and multiply fastest; as swine, goats, cocks, hens, turkeys, geese,
house-doves, and the like. The victual in plantations ought to be
expended almost as in a besieged town, that is, with certain allowance;
and let the main part of the ground employed to gardens or corn, be to
a common stock; and to be laid in, and stored up, and then delivered
out in proportion; besides some spots of ground that any particular
person will manure for his own private use. Consider, likewise, what
commodities the soil where the plantation is doth naturally yield, that
they may some way help to defray the charge of the plantation; so it be
not, as was said, to the untimely prejudice of the main business, as
it hath fared with tobacco in Virginia.[372] Wood commonly aboundeth
but too much; and therefore timber is fit to be one. If there be iron
ore, and streams whereupon to set the mills, iron is a brave commodity
where wood aboundeth. Making of bay-salt, if the climate be proper for
it, would be put in experience; growing silk, likewise, if any be, is
a likely commodity; pitch and tar, where store of firs and pines are,
will not fail; so drugs and sweet woods, where they are, cannot but
yield great profit; soap-ashes, likewise, and other things that may
be thought of; but moil[373] not too much under ground, for the hope
of mines is very uncertain, and useth to make the planters lazy in
other things. For government, let it be in the hands of one, assisted
with some counsel; and let them have commission to exercise martial
laws, with some limitation; and, above all, let men make that profit
of being in the wilderness, as they have God always, and his service,
before their eyes. Let not the government of the plantation depend upon
too many counsellors and undertakers in the country that planteth,
but upon a temperate number; and let those be rather noblemen and
gentlemen, than merchants, for they look ever to the present gain. Let
there be freedoms from custom, till the plantation be of strength; and
not only freedom from custom, but freedom to carry their commodities
where they may make their best of them, except there be some special
cause of caution. Cram not in people, by sending too fast company
after company; but rather hearken how they waste, and send supplies
proportionably; but so as the number may live well in the plantation,
and not by surcharge be in penury. It hath been a great endangering to
the health of some plantations, that they have built along the sea and
rivers, in marish[374] and unwholesome grounds; therefore, though you
begin there, to avoid carriage and other like discommodities, yet
build still rather upwards from the streams than along. It concerneth,
likewise, the health of the plantation, that they have good store of
salt with them, that they may use it in their victuals when it shall
be necessary. If you plant where savages are, do not only entertain
them with trifles and gingles,[375] but use them justly and graciously,
with sufficient guard, nevertheless; and do not win their favor by
helping them to invade their enemies, but for their defence it is not
amiss; and send oft of them over to the country that plants, that they
may see a better condition than their own, and commend it when they
return. When the plantation grows to strength, then it is time to plant
with women as well as with men; that the plantation may spread into
generations, and not be ever pieced from without. It is the sinfullest
thing in the world, to forsake or destitute a plantation once in
forwardness; for, besides the dishonor, it is the guiltiness of blood
of many commiserable persons.