repossess the parts of Virginia. Sir Thomas Gates happily arrived in the bay of Jessepiok [in August], in which navigation Sir George Summers unhappily cast away his ship upon the islands of Bermathaes, since called the Summer Islands, in memory of him that deserved the honor for the great pains, care and industry he used out of the carcass of his wrecked ship to build a new barque sufficient for the transportation of himself, distressed company, and provision, to find out Sir Thomas Gates, who timely arrived, to the wonder of the rest of his consorts.

CHAPTER VII.

The despatch of the first Plantation for the second Colony sent from Plymouth.

By the same authority all things fully agreed upon between both the colonies, the Lord Chief Justice, his friends and associates of the West country, sent from Plymouth Captain Popham as President for that employment, with Captain Rawley Gilbert, and divers other gentlemen of note, in three sail of ships, with one hundred landmen for the seizing such a place as they were directed unto by the Council of that colony; who departed from the coast of England the one-and-thirtieth day of May, anno 1607, and arrived at their rendezvous the 8th of August following. As soon as the President had taken notice of the place, and given order for landing the provisions, he despatched away Captain Gilbert, with Skitwarres his guide, for the thorough discovery of the rivers and habitations of the natives; by whom he was brought to several of them, where he found civil entertainment and kind respects, far from brutish or savage natures, so as they suddenly became familiar friends; especially by the means of Dehamda, and Skitwarres, who had been in England, Dehamda being sent by the Lord Chief Justice with Captain Prin, and Skitwarres by me in company; so as the President was earnestly entreated by Sassenow, Aberemet, and others the principal sagamores (as they call their great lords) to go to the Bashabas, who it seems was their king, and held a state agreeable, expecting that all strangers should have their address to him, not he to them.

To whom the President would have gone after several invitations, but was hindered by cross winds and foul weather, so as he was forced to return back without making good what he had promised, much to the grief of those sagamores that were to attend him. The Bashabas notwithstanding, hearing of his misfortune, sent his own son to visit him, and to beat a trade with him for furs. How it succeeded, I could not understand, for that the ships were to be despatched away for England, the winter being already come, for it was the 15th day of December before they set sail to return; who brought with them the success of what had passed in that employment, which so soon as it came to the Lord Chief Justice's hands, he gave out order to the Council for sending them back with supplies necessary.

CHAPTER VIII.

The sending supplies to the Colony, and the unhappy death of the Lord Chief Justice before their departure.

THE supplies being furnished and all things ready, only attending for a fair wind, which happened not before the news of the Chief Justice's death was posted to them to be transported to the discomfort of the poor planters; but the ships arriving there in good time, was a great refreshing to those that had had their storehouse and most of their provisions burnt the winter before.

Besides that, they were strangely perplexed with the great and unseasonable cold they suffered, with that extremity as the like hath not been heard of since, and it seems was universal, it being the same year that our Thames was so locked up that they built their boats upon it, and sold provisions of several sorts to those that delighted in the novelties of the times. But the miseries they had passed were nothing to that they suffered by the disastrous news they received of the death of the Lord Chief Justice, that suddenly followed the death of their President; but the latter was not so strange, in that he was well stricken in years before he went, and had long been an infirm man. Howsoever heartened by hopes, willing he was to die in acting something that might be serviceable to God and honorable to his

W

country. But that of the death of the Chief Justice was such a corrosive to all, as struck them with despair of future remedy, and it was the more augmented, when they heard of the death of Sir John Gilbert, elder brother of Rawley Gilbert that was then their President, a man worthy to be beloved of them all for his industry and care for their well-being. The President was to return to settle the state his brother had left him; upon which all resolved to quit the place, [1608] and with one consent to away, by which means all our former hopes were frozen to death; though Sir Francis Popham could not so give it over, but continued to send thither several years after in hope of better fortunes, but found it fruitless, and was necessitated at last to sit down with the loss he had already undergone.

CHAPTER IX.

My resolution not to abandon the prosecution of the business, in my opinion so well grounded.

ALTHOUGH I Were interested in all these misfortunes, and found it wholly given over by the body of the adventurers, as well for that they had lost the principal support of the design, as also that the country itself was branded by the return of the Plantation, as being over cold, and in respect of that not habitable by our nation.

Besides, they understood it to be a task too great for particular persons to undertake, though the country itself, the rivers, havens, harbors upon that coast might in time prove profitable to us.

These last acknowledgments bound me confidently to prosecute my first resolution, not doubting but God would effect that which man despaired of. As for those reasons, the causes of others' discouragements, the first only was given to me, in that I had lost so noble a friend, and my nation so worthy a subject. As for the coldness of the clime, I had had too much experience in the world to be frighted with such a blast, as knowing many great kingdoms and large territories more northerly seated, and by many degrees colder than the clime from whence they came, yet plentifully inhabited, and divers of them stored with no

better commodities from trade and commerce than those parts afforded, if like industry, art and labor be used. For the last, I had no reason greatly to despair of means, when God should be pleased, by our ordinary frequenting that country, to make it appear it would yield both profit and content to as many as aimed thereat, these being truly (for the most part) the motives that all men labor, howsoever otherwise adjoined with fair colors and goodly shadows.

CHAPTER X.

A resolution to put new life into that scattered and lacerated Body.

FINDING I could no longer be seconded by others, I became an owner of a ship myself, fit for that employment, and under color of fishing and trade, I got a master and company for her, to which I sent Vines and others my own servants with their provision for trade and discovery, appointing them to leave the ship and ship's company for to follow their business in the usual place, (for I knew they would not be drawn to seek by any means). By these and the help of those natives formerly sent over, I came to be truly informed of so much as gave me assurance that in time I should want no undertakers, though as yet I was forced to hire men to stay there the winter quarter at extreme rates, and not without danger, for that the war had consumed the Bashaba and the most of the great sagamores, with such men of action as followed them, and those that remained were sore afflicted with the plague, [1616-17] so that the country was in a manner left void of inhabitants. Notwithstanding, Vines and the rest with him that lay in the cabins with those people that died, some more, some less mightily, (blessed be God for it) not one of them ever felt their heads to ache while they stayed there. And this course I held some years together, but nothing to my private profit, for what I got one way I spent another; so that I began to grow weary of that business, as not for my turn

till better times.

CHAPTER XI.

Captain Harley coming to me with a new proposition of other hopes.

WHILE I was laboring by what means I might best continue life in my languishing hopes, there comes one Captain Henry Harley unto me, bringing with him a native of the island of Capawick [Martha's Vineyard], a place seated to the southward of Cape Cod, whose name was Epenowe, a person of a goodly stature, strong and well proportioned. This man was taken upon the main with some twenty-nine others by a ship of London, that endeavored to sell them for slaves in Spain; but being understood that they were Americans, and found to be unapt for their uses, they would not meddle with them, this being one of them they refused. Wherein they expressed more worth than those that brought them to the market, who could not but know that our nation was at that time in travail for settling of Christian colonies upon that continent, it being an act much tending to our prejudice, when we came into that part of the countries, as it shall further appear. How Captain Harley came to be possessed of this savage, I know not; but I undestood by others how he had been showed in London for a wonder. It is true (as I have said) he was a goodly man, of a brave aspect, stout, and sober in his demeanor, and had learned so much English as to bid those that wondered at him, "Welcome! Welcome!" this being the last and best use they could make of him, that was now grown out of the people's wonder. The Captain, falling further into his familiarity, found him to be of acquaintance and friendship with those subject to the Bashaba, whom the Captain well knew, being himself one of the Plantation sent over by the Lord Chief Justice, and by that means understood much of his language, found out the place of his birth, nature of the country, their several kinds of commodities and the like; by which he conceived great hope that good might be made of him, if means could be found for his employment. But finding adventurers of that kind were worn out of date, after so many failings and so soon upon the return of our late colony, the gentleman calling to mind my aptness to designs of