The expedition of 1607 included a cargo of supplies and 144 persons, of
whom 104 or 105 (depending on which of the more detailed contemporary
accounts is accepted) were to remain in Virginia as the first settlers.
The expedition left England late in 1606. The ships sailed down the
Thames River from London on December 20 and, after a slow start, they
proceeded over the long route through the West Indies. There were stops
in the islands, new experiences, and disagreements among the leaders.
Captain Newport was in command, and the identity of the councilors who
were to govern in Virginia lay hidden in a locked box not to be opened
until their destination had been reached. Dissension at one point led to
charges against Capt. John Smith who reached the New World in
confinement. This was suggestive of the later personal and group feuds
and disagreements that plagued the first years of the Virginia Colony.
[Illustration: _The arrival of the settlers at Jamestown in 1607. (A
painting by Griffith Baily Coale in the State Capitol, Richmond,
Va.)_]
The “Land of Virginia” was first seen by the lookout on April 26, and
just a little later in the same day a party was sent ashore at Cape
Henry to make sure what was the first landing in the wilderness which
they came to conquer. Having been aboard ship for many weeks, the
settlers found the expanse of land, the green virgin trees, the cool,
fresh water, and the unspoiled landscape a pleasant view to behold. At
Cape Henry they saw Indians and several of the party were wounded by
their arrows, notably Capt. Gabriel Archer, one of the experienced
leaders. They built a “shallop” (a small boat), went exploring into the
country for short distances by land and water, enjoyed the spring
flowers, and tasted roasted oysters and “fine beautiful strawberries.”
On April 29, a cross was set up among the sand dunes. The next day the
ships were moved from Cape Henry into Chesapeake Bay to the site on
Hampton Roads which they named Point Comfort (now Old Point Comfort).
For about 2 weeks, explorations were made along both banks of the James,
below and above Jamestown, from its mouth to a point as far upstream
perhaps as the Appomattox River (Hopewell, Va.). Parties went ashore to
investigate promising areas, and communication was established with the
native tribes. On May 12, a point of land at the mouth of Archer’s Hope
(now College) Creek, a little below Jamestown, was examined in detail.
Capt. Gabriel Archer was particularly impressed with this location and
urged that it be the point of settlement. The soil seemed good, timber
and wildlife were abundant, and it appeared adaptable for defensive
measures if these should become necessary. It was not possible, however,
to bring the ships close to the shore, and consequently Archer’s Hope
was rejected. From this site the ships moved directly to Jamestown,
where they arrived May 13. On May 14, they landed and broke ground for
the fort and the town that ultimately won the distinction of the first
permanent English settlement in America and the capital of the Virginia
Colony for almost a century.
In May 1607, the days were warm, the nights, cool. Life was stirring in
the wilderness and nature had been generous, the colonists thought.
There were fruits, abundant timber, deer and other animals for food, and
a not too numerous native population. The hot, humid weather of
midsummer and the snow, ice, and emptiness of winter were not in
evidence. The choice of a site for settlement was both good and bad. The
anchorage for ships at Jamestown was good. The island had not then
become a true island and had an easily controlled dry land isthmus
connection with the mainland. As the river narrows here, it was one of
the best control points on the James. It was not used by the Indians;
and it was a bit inland, hence somewhat out of range of the Spanish
menace. Arable land on the island was limited by inlets and “guts.” The
swamps were close and bred mosquitoes in abundance and, with
contamination so easy, drinking water was a problem. All of these facts
became evident to these first English Americans as the months went by.
When the orders were opened after arrival in Virginia, it was found that
the governing body in the colony was to be made up of seven councilors.
They were Edward Maria Wingfield, of gallant service in the Low
Countries; Bartholomew Gosnold and Christopher Newport, both seasoned
seamen and captains; John Ratcliffe, who piloted the _Discovery_ to
Virginia; John Martin, an earlier commander under Drake; John Smith,
already an experienced adventurer; and George Kendall, a cousin of Sir
Edwin Sandys who later was to play a dominant role in the Virginia
Company. To this list can be added other prominent names—George Percy,
brother to the Earl of Northumberland and a trained sailor; Gabriel
Archer, a lawyer who had already explored in the New England country;
and Rev. Robert Hunt, the vicar at Jamestown, whose pious and exemplary
living was noted by his associates.