In the early years at Jamestown, much grain was shipped from England
for the use of the colonists. The extract, which follows, is from
Markham's _Farewell to Husbandry_, 4th edition, 1638. The term "corn"
as used by Markham does not mean maize (Indian corn), but wheat,
barley, rye, or oats.
And first for transportation of graine by sea, it is two waies
to be done, as either in great quantities for trade and the
victuallyng of other nations, or in smaller quantity for
victualling the men in the ship, prepared for a long and tedious
voyage.
For the transporting of graine for trade in great quantities, it
is to be intended the voyage is seldom long, but from neighbor
to neighbor, and therefore commonly they make close decks in the
ships to receive the graine, faire and even boorded, yet if such
decks be matted and lined both under and on each side, it is
much the better, and this matting would be strong and thinne;
there bee some which make the decks only of mats, and sure it is
sweet, but not so strong as the boord, therefore the best way of
transportation is to have strong boorded deckes well matted, and
then spreading the corne of a reasonable thicknesse, to cover it
with matting againe, and then to lay corne on it againe, and
then mats againe, that betweene every reasonable thicknesse of
graine a mat may lie, the profit whereof is, that when the corne
with his owne heate and the working of the sea shall beginne to
sweate, which sweat for want of aire to drie it up, would turne
to putrifaction, then the mats thus lying betweene, will not
only exhale and sucke up the sweate, but also keep the corne so
coole and dry, that no imperfection shall come unto it: and here
is to be noted, that these mats should rather be made of dry
white bents, than of flagges and bulrush, for the bent is a
firme, dry, crispe thing, and will not relent or sweat of it
selfe, but the flag or bulrush is a spungy and soft substance
which is never empty of his own and other moystures.
Now for transporting of graine, for victualls for the ship,
which is in much smaller quantity, because it is best for the
private use of a few within the ship; the only best and safest
way, is, to take salt-fish barrells, or any caske in which any
salt-fish hath beene piled, as cod, herrings, salmon, sprats, or
any other powdred [_i.e._, _salted_] fish; and whilest the
vessels are sweet, you shall calke them both, within and
without, plaster [and] daubing them all over; then into them put
your graine of what kinde soever it be, and head them up close,
and then stow them in such convenient dry place of the ship, as
you shall thinke fit; and questionlesse, if beliefe may be given
to the worthiest authors, which hath writ in this kinde, you may
thus keepe your graine sweet, sound and in full perfection from
one yeere to an hundred and twenty yeers; but certainly daily
experience shows us, that all kind of graine thus put up and
kept, will remaine sound and sweet, three, foure, and as some
say, seven yeeres, for so far hath lately been try'd; and what
here I speake of [on] ship-boord, the like may be done in any
town of war or garrison, whether besieged, or not besieged, or
in any other place, where any necessity shall compell; the
proofe of this manner of piling or putting up of graine, serveth
as well for land as sea.