USA > Virginia > The generall historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer isles: with the names of the adventurers, planters, and governours, from their first beginning, an. 1584. To this present 1626. With the proceedings of those severall colonies > Part 19
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201 How New England is more proper for the benefit.
till it be able to creepe, to stand 'and goc, and to encou- rage desert by all possible meanes; yet time enough to keepe it from running, for there is no feare it will grow too fast, or euer to any thing, except libertie, profit, honor, and prospe- ritie there found, more binde the Planters of those affaires in deuotion to effect it; then bondage, violence, tyrannie, ingra- titude, and such double dealing, as bindes free men to be- come slaues, and honest men turne knaues; which hath euer beene the ruine of the most popular Common-weales, and is very unlikely cuer well to begin anew.
Who seeth not what is the greatest good of the Spaniard, but these new conclusions in searching those vnknowne parts of this vnknowne world; by which meanes he diues euen into the very secrets of all his neighbours, and the most part of the world; and when the Portugals and Spaniards had found the East and West-Indies, how many did con- demne themselues, that did not accept of that honest offer of Noble Columbus, who vyon our neglect brought them to it, perswading our selues the world had no such places as they had found: and yet cuer since we finde, they still (from time to time) haue found new Lands, new Nations, and Trades, and still daily doe finde, both in Asia, Affrica, Terra incog- nita, and America, so that there is neither Souldier nor Me- chanicke, from the Lord to the Begger, but those parts af- foords them all imploiment, and discharges their native soile of so many thousands of all sorts, that else by their sloth, pride, and imperfections, would loug ere this haue troubled their neighbours, or haue caten the pride of Spaine itselfe.
Now hee knowes little that knowes not England may well spare many more people then Spaine, and is as well able to furnish them with all manner of necessaries; and seeing for all they haue, they cease not still to search for that they haue not, and know not; it is strange we should be so dull, as not maintaine that which we hane, and pursue that we know: Surely, I am sure many would take it ill, to be abridged of the titles and honors of their predecessors: when if but truly they would iudge themselues, looke how inferior they are to their Noble Vertues, so much they are voworthy of their honors and linings, which neuer were ordained for shewes and shadowes, to maintaine idlenesse and vice, but to make them more able to abound in honor, by Heroicall deeds of action, indgement, pietic, and vertue. What was it
205
of England, then any other Notion
both in their purse and person they would not doe, for the good of their Commonwealth, which might moue them pre- ently to set out their spare children in these generous de- signes; Religion aboue all things should moue vs, especially the Clergie, if we are religious, to shew our faith by our works, in conuerting those poore Saluages to the knowledge of God, seeing what paines the Spaniards takes to bring them to their adulter'ed faith. Honor might moue the Gen- try, the valiant and industrions, and the hope and assurance of wealth, all, if we were that we would seeme, and be accoun - ted; or be we so farre inferior to other Nations, or our spi- rits so farre deiected from our ancient predecessors, or our mindes so vpon spoile, piracy, and such villany, as to seruc the Portugall, Spaniard, Dutch, French, or Turke, (as to the cost of Europe too many doc) rather then our God, our King, our Country, and our selues; excusing our idlenesse and our base complaints by want of imploiment, when here is such choice of all sorts, and for all degrees, in the planting aud discouering these North parts of America.
My second voyage to New England.
IN the ycere of Lord 1615. I was imploied by many my friends of London and Sir Ferdinando Gorges, a noble Knight, and a great fauourer of those actions, who perswaded the reuer- end Deane of Exeter Doctor Sutliffe, and divers Merchants of the West, to entertaine this Plantation. Much labour I had taken to bring the Londoners and them to ioyne toge- ther, because the Londoners haue most Money, and the Wes- lerne men are most proper for fishing; and it is necre as much trouble, but much more danger, to saile from London to Plimoth, then from Plimoth to New- England, so that halfe the voiage would thus be saued, yet by no meanes I could preuaile, so desirous they were both to be Lords of this Gish- ing. Now to make my words more apparant by my deeds, to begin a Plantation for a more ample triall of those conclu- sions, I was to haue staied there but with sixteene men. whose names were;
...
206 Acaueat for the owners and setters forth of shipping.
Tho. Dirmer.
Edw. Stallings.
Thomas Digby. Gentle- Daniel Baker.
Daniel Cage.
men.
Adam Smith.
Souldiers,
Francis Abbot.
Thomas Watson.
John Gosling.
Walter Chisell.
Were to
William Ingram. David Cooper.
Robert Miller, learne to
Souldiers. And tico Boyes.
be sailers
John Partridge.
I confesse I could have wished them as many thousand .. Kad all other prouisions beene in like proportion; nor would I have had so few, could I have had meanes for more: vet would God haue pleased we had safely arrived, I doubted not but to hane performed more then I promised, and that many thousands ere . this would haue bin there ere non .- The maine assistance next God I had to this small number. was my acquaintance amongst the Saluages, especially with Dohoday, oue of their greatest Lords, who had lived loag in England, and another called Tantum, I caried with ince from England, and set on shore at Cape Cod; by the meanes of this proud Saluage, I did not doubt but quickly to baue got that credit amongst the rest of the Salnages and their alliance, to haue had as many of them as I desired in any designe I intended, and that trade also they had by such a Rinde of exchange of their Country Commodities, which both with ease and securitie might then baue beene vsed with him and diuers others: I had concluded to inhabit and defend; them against the Parentines, with a better power then the French did them: whose tyrannie did inforce them to embrace mv offer with no small deuotion: and though many may think me more bold then wise, in regard of their power, dexteritie, treachery, and inconstancy, bauing so ils- perately assaulted, and betraied many others: I say bat tis (because with so many. I baue many times done much mit .. in Virginia then I intended here, when Iwanted that cafe rience Virginia taught mee) that to me it seemes no mon danger then ordinary: and though I know my selfe the mean- est of many thousands, whose apprehensive inspection can pierce beyond the bounds of my abilities, into the bilden things of Nature, Art, and Reason: yet i intreat such, good. mee leave to excuse my seffe of so much imbecillitie, as to şay, that in these eighteene yeeres which I have bech
207
How I set suile and returned.
condersant with these affaires, I have not learned, there is a great difference betwixt the directionsand judgement of experi- mentall knowledge, and the superficiall coniecture of variable relation: wherein rumour, humour, or misprision haue such power, that oft times one is enough to beguile twentie, but twentie not sufficient to keepe one from being deceived .- Therefore I know no reason but to beleeue my owne eies before any mans imagination, that is but wrested from the conceits of my owne projects and endenours, but I honor with all affection, the councell and instructions of iudiciall directions, or any other honest aduertisement, so farre to obserue, as they tie me, not to the crueltie of vnknowne euents. These are the inducements that thus drew me to neglect all other imploiments, and spend my time and best abilities in these adventures, wherein though I haue had many discouragements, by the ingratitude of some, the ma- licious slanders of others, the falsenesse of friends, the treach- ery of cowards, and slownesse of Aduenturers.
Now you are to remember, as I returned first from New England at Plimoth, I was promised foure good ships ready prepared to my hand the next Christmas, and what conditions and content I would desire, to put this businesse in practise, and arriuing at London, foure more were offered me with the like courtesie. But to joyne the Londoners and them in one, was most impossible: so that in January with two hun- dred pound in Chash for aduentare, and six Gentiemea weil furnished, I went from London to the foure ships were pro- mised me at Plimoth, but I found no such matter: and the most of those that had made such great promises, by the bad returne of the ship went for Gold, and their private emula- tions, were extinct and qualified. Notwithstanding at last, with a labyrinth of trouble, though the greatest of the bur- den lay on me, and a few of my particular friends, I was furnished with a ship of two hundred tunpes, and another of fiftie: But ere I hed sailed one hundred and thendie logues. she brake all her Masts, pumping each watch fine or six thousand strokes; onely her spret-saile remained to spoonc before the winde, till we had ro accommodated a lury -must to returne for Plimoth, or founder in the Seas.
My Vice-Admirall being fost, not knowing of this. pro- ceeded her voyaze: now with the remainder of those proni- Nous, I got out againe in a small Darke of sixtie tous with
208 The examination of Captaine Smiths Company.
thirty men: for this of two hundred, and prouision for seuen- tie, which were the sixteene before named, and fouretcene other Sailers for the ship; with those I set saile againe the foure and twentieth of lune, where what befell me (because my actions and writings are so publike to the world) enuy still seeking to scandalize my endeuours, and seeing no pow- er but death can stop the chat of ill tongues, nor imagination of meus minds, lest my owne relations of those hard cuents might by some constructors bee made doubtfull, I have thought it best to insert the examinations of those proceed- ings, taken by Sir Lewis Stukely, a worthy Knight, and Vice- Admirall of Devonshire, which was as followeth.
The Examination of Daniel Baker, late Steward lo Captaine John Smith, in the returne of Plimoth, taken before Sir Lewis Stukeley Knight, the eighth of December, 1615.
Tus effect in briefe was this: being chased by one Fry an English Pyrat, Edward Chambers the Master, John Mil- ler his Mate, Thomas Digby the Pylot, and diuers others importuned him to yeeld; much swaggering wee had with them, more then the Pirats, who agreed ypon such faire conditions as we desired, which if they broke, he vowed to sinke rather then be abused. Strange they thought it. that a Barke of threescore tuns with foure guns should stand vp- on such termes, they being eightie expert Sea-men, in an excellent ship of one hundred and fortie tuns, and thirty six cast Perces and Murderers: But when they knew our Cap- taine, so many of them had beene his Souldiers, and they but lately runne from Tunis, where they had stolne this ship, wanted vietuall, and in combustion amongst themselues. would haue veelded all to his protection, or wafted vs any whither: but those mutinies occasioned vs to reicct their of- fer, which afterward we all repented. For at Fiull we met with two French Firats, the one of two hundred tuns, the other thirty: no disgrace would cause our mutiners fight. 11 the Captaine offered to blow vp the ship rather then yeeid
His proceedings among the French men of warre. 209
till hee had spent all his powder: so that together by the eares we went, and at last got cleere of them for all their shot. At Flowers we were againe chased with foure Freach men of warre, the Admirall one hundred and fortie tuns, and ninety men well armed: the rest good ships, and as well pro- uided: much parly we had, but vowing they were Rochilers, and had a Commission from the King onely to secure true mea, and take Portugals, Spaniards, and Pirats, and as they requested, our Captaine went to shew his Commission, which was vader the broad Seale, but neither it nor their vowes they so much respected, but they kept him, rifled our ship, manned her with French men, and dispersed vs amongst their Fleet: within fue or six daies they were increased to eight or nine saile. At last they surreadred vs our ship, and most of our prouisions, the defects they promised the next day to supply, and did. Notwithstanding, there was no way but our mutiners would for England; though we were as neere New England, till the maior part resolued with our Captaine to proceed. But the Admirull sending his Boat for our Captaine, they espying a Saile, presently gque chase, whereby our matiners finding an opporomit's in the night ran away, and thus left our Captaine in his Cap, Bretches, and Wast-coat, alone among the French mea: ais clothes, armes and what he had, our mutiners shared among them, and with a false excuse, faining for feare lest he should turne man of warre, they returned for Plimoth: fifteene of vs being Land-men, not knowing what they did. Daniel Cage, Edward Stalings, Walter Chisell, Dauid Cooper, Ko- bert Miller, and John Partridge, ypon oath affirmes this for truth before the Vice- Admirall.
Now the cause why the French detained mee againe, was the suspition this Chambers and Minter gaue them, that I would reuenge my selie vpon the Banke, or in New found land, of all the French I could there encounter, and don ! would hane fired the ship. had they not ouer-perswadod tite: and that if I had but agnine my Armes, I would rather siake by them, then they should haue from me but the value of a Bisket; and many other such like tales to catch but opportu- nitie in this manner to leane me, and thus they returned to Planoth, and perforce with the French men I thi proceeded. Being a fleet of eight or nine saile, we watched for the West- Indies deet, till itt weather separated vs from the other eight:
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210 His proceedings among the French men of warre.
still wee spent our time about the Iles of the Assores, where to keepe my perplexed thoughts from too much meditation of my miserable estate, I writ this Discourse, thinking to have sent it to you of his Maiesties Councell by some ship or other, for I saw their purpose was to take all they could. At last we were chased by one Captaine Barra, an English Pirat in a small ship, with some twelue Peece of Ordnance, about thirty men, and necre all starucd. They sought by courtsle releefe of vs, who gave them such faire promises, as at last they betraied Captaine Wollistone his Lieutenant. and foare or fine of his meu aboord vs, and then prouided to take the rest perforce. Now my part was to be prisoner in the Con-roome, and not to speake to any of them vpon my life, vet had Barre knowledge what I was. Then Burre porcelning well those French intents, made ready to fight, and Wollstone as resolutely regarded not their threats, which cause: os deterre vpon the matter longer some sixtrene houres, and then returned them againe Captaine Wollistone and all their Prisoners, and some victuall also vpon a small composition: But whilest we were bartering thus with them: a Caruill before our faces gor ender the Castle of Gratiosa, from whence they beat vs with their Ordnance.
The next wee tooke was a small English man of Poole from New found land: the great Cabben at this present was my prison, trom whence I could see them pillage these poore men of all that they had, and halfe their fish: when hee was gone, they sold his poore clothes at the maine Mast by an out-cry, which scarce gane each man seuen pence a peece.
Not long after we tooke a Scot fraught from Saint Michu- els to Bristow, he had better fortune then the other; for ba- uing but taken a Boats loading of Sugar, Marmelade, Suck- ets, and such like, we descried foure saile, after whom we stood, who forling their inaine Sailes attended vs to Bebi. but our French spirits were content onely to perceine they were English red Crosses. Within a very small time after wee chased 4. Spanish ships that came from the Indies, we fought with them foure or fine houres, tore their sailes and sides with many a shot betwixt wind and weather, yet not dario: to boord them, lost them, for which all the Sailers euc! atu died the Captaine as a professed coward.
Caruill of Brasile was the next wee chased: and after a small hight, thirteene of fourteene of her mea Id ..
+
His proceedings among the French men of warre. 211
wounded, which was the better halfe, we tooke her with three hundred and seuenty chests of Sugar, one hundred hides, and thirty thousand Rialls of eight.
The next was a ship of Holland, which had lost her Con- sorts in the Streights of Magiluns, going for the South sea she was put roomy, she also these French men with fire promises, cunningly betraled to come aboord them to Be their Commission, and so make prise of all: the most : : the Dutch-men we tooke aboord the Admirall, and manned Fer with French-men, that within two or three nights after ran away with her for France, the wounded Spaniards we set on shore on the lle of Tercera, the rest we kept to saile the Caruill.
Within a day or two after, we met a West-Indies man of warre, of one hundred and sixtie tuns, a fore noone wee fought with her, and then tooke ber with one thousand one hundred Hides, fiftie Chests of Cutchanele, fourteene Cof- fers of wedges of Silver, eight thousand Rialls of eight, and six Coffers of the King of Spaines Treasure, besides the good pillage and rich Coffers of many rich Passengers.
Two moneths they kept me in this manner to manage their fights against the Spaniards, and bee a Prisoner when they tooke any English. Now though the Captaine had oft broke his promise, which was to put me on shore the Iles, or the next ship he tooke; yet at the last he was contented { should goe in the Caruill of Sugar for France, himselfe seeming as resolued to keepe the Seas, but the next moin- ing we all set saile for France, and that night we were sepa- rated from the Admirall and the rich prise by a storme .- Within two daies after wec were hailed by two West-indies men: but when they saw vs waife them for the King of France, they gaue vs their broad sides, shot thorow our maine Mast, and so left vs. Having lined now this Summer amongst those French men of warre, with much adoe we arrived at the Caution, not farre from Ketchell: where in stead of the great promises they alwaies fed me with. of don- ble satisfaction and full content, and ten thousand Crownes was generally concluded I should haus; they kept me fue or six daies Prisoner in the Caruill, accusing me to be. he that burat their Colony in Mate-France, to force me to give them a discharge before the judge of the Admiraltie, and stand to their courtesies for satisfaction, or lie in prison, or a worse
¥
212
How they used him, and his desperate escape. :
mischiefe: Indeed this was in the time of Combustion. that the Prince of Candy was with his Army in the field, and every poore Lord, or men in authoritie, as little Kings of themselues: For this iniury was done me by them that set out this rovage (not by the Sailers) for they were cheated of all as well as 1, by a few Officers aboord, and the owners on shore.
But to prevent this choise, in the end of such a storme that beat them all ynder hatches, I watched my opportunitie to get a short in their Boat, whereinto the darke night I so- cretiv got. and with a halfp Pike that lay by me, put a drift for Rat Ile: but the currant was so strong, and the Sea so great, I went a drift to Sea, till it pleased God the wind so turned with the tide, that although I was all this fcareful! night of gusts and raine in the Sea the space of twelue houres, when many ships were driven ashore, and diners split: (and being with skulling and bavling the water tired, I expected each minute would sinke me) at last I arrived in an Oazy Ile by Charonne, where certaine Fowlers found me neere drowned, and halfe dead, with water, cold, and hunger .- My Boat I pawned to finde meanes to get to Rotchell: where I vederstood our man of war and the rich prize, wherein was the Cap. called Mounsieur Pourune, and the thirty thou- sand Rialls of eight we tooke in the Caruill, was split, the Captaine drowned and halfe his Company the same night. within six or seuen leagues of that place; from whence l'es- caped in the little Boat by the mercy of God, far beyond all mens reason or my expectation, arriving at Rotchell: vpon my complaint to the Judge of the Admiraltic, I found many - good words and faire promises, and ere long many of them that escaped drowning, told me the newes they heard of my owne death: These I arresting, their seuerall examinations did so confirme my complaint, it was held proofe sufficient. All which being performed according to their order of ius- tice, from vnder the Judges band, I presented it to Sir Tho- mas Edmonds, then Ambassadour at Burdeaux, where it was my chance to see the arrivall of the Kings great mariage brought from Spaine.
Here it was my good fortque to meet my old friend Mas- ter Crampton, that no lesse grieued at my losse, then willing- ly to his power did supply iny wants, and I must confesso, i tras more beholden to the French mon that escaped drownins
How he arrested the Frenchmen, and his successe. 213
in the man of warre, Madam Chanoyes at Rotchell, and the Lawvers of Burdeaux, then all the rest of my Country- meu I met in France. Of the wracke of the rich prise, some three thousand six hundred crownes worth of goods came ashore, and was saued with the Caruill, which i did my best to arrest: the Judge promised I should have Justice, what will be the conclusion as vet I know not. But veder the couler to take Pirats and the West-Indie men (becaus, the Spaniards will not suffer the French to trade in the West- Indies) any goods from thence, though they take them vpon the Coast of Spaine are lawfull prize, or from any of his Teritories out of the limits of Europe: and as they betraied me, though I had the broad-seale, so did they rob and pittage twentie saile of English men more, besides them I knew not of the same yeere.
Leauing thus my businesse in France I returned to Pli- moth, to finde them had thus buried me amongst the French; and not onely buried me, but with so much infamy as such trecherous cowards could suggest to excuse their villanies. The Chiefetaines of this mutiny that I could finde, I laid by the heeles, the rest like themselues confessed the truth, as you haue heard. Now how I haue or could prevent these ac- cidents, hauing no more meanes, I rest at your censures; but to proceed to the matter; vet must I sigh and say, How oft hath Fortune in the world (thinke I) brought slauery. free- dome, and turned all diuersly. Newfoundland I baue heard at the first, was held as desperate a fishing as this I proiect for New England, Placentia, and the Banke neare also as doubtfull to the French: But for all the disasters hapned me, the businesse is the same it was, and the fiue ships went from London, whereof one was reported more then three hundred tunnes, found fish so much, that neither Iceland man, nor Newfoundland man I could heare of bath bin there, will go any more to either place, if they may go thither. So that vpon the good returne of my Vice- Admirall, this yeere are gone 4 or 5 saile from Plimoth, and from London as many, only. to make voyages of profit: whereas if all the English had bin there till my returne, put all their returnes together, they would scarce make one a sanour of neere a dozen I could nominate, except one sent by Sir Francis Popam; though there be fish sufficient, as I am perswaded. to fraught ycerely foure or tiuc hundred Saile, or as many as will goe.
214 The benefit of fishing, according to ancient Authors.
For this fishing stretcheth along the Sea Coast from Cape James to Newfoundland, which is seuen or eight hundred miles at the least, and hath his course in the deepes, and by the shore, all the vere long, keeping their hants and feedings. as the beasts of the field, and the birds of the aire. But all men are not such as they should be, that haue undertaken those voyages: All the Romans were not Scipioes, nor Car- thugenians Hanibals, nor all the Genweses Columbusses, nor all the Spaniards Courteses: had they dined no deeper in the secrets of their discoveries then we, or stopped at such doubts and poore accidental chances, they had neuer beene remembered as they are, yet had they no such certainties to begin as we.
But to conclude, Adam and Eve did first begin this inno- cent worke to plant the earth to remaine to posterity, but not without labour, trouble, and industry. Noe and his fa- mily began againe the second Plantation; and their seed as it still increased, bath still planted new Countries, and one Countrey another, and so the world to that estate it is: but not without much hazard, trauell, mortalities, discontents. and many disasters, Hlad those worthy Fathers, and their incmorable off-spring, not beene more diligent for vs now in those ages, then we are to plant that yet is vnplanted for the after litters, Had the seed of Abraham, our Sauiour Christ, and his Apostles, exposed themselues to no more dangers to teach the Gospell then we, euen wee our selues had at this present beene as saluage, and as miserable as the most bar- barous Saluage, vet viejullized. The Hebrewes and Lace- demonians, the Gothes, the Grecians, the Romanes, and the jest. what was it they would not vndertake to inlarge their Teritories, enrich their subiects, resist their enemies. Those that were the founders of those great Monarchies and their Torres, were no siluered idle golden Pharises, but indus- trions Iron steeled Publicans: They regarded more pronisioas and necessaries for their people, then levels, riches. case. or delight for themselues; Riches were their Seruants, not their Masters, They ruled (as Fathers, not as Tirants) their people as Children, not as Slaues; there was no disaster could discourage them: and let none thinke they incountred Hot with all manner of incumbrances. And what hath euer brene the worke of the greatest Princes of the Earth, but planting of Countries, and cinilizing barbarous and inhumano
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