The generall historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles with the names of the adventurers, planters, and governours from their first beginning. an⁰: 1584. to this present 1624. With the procedings of those severall colonies and the accidents that befell them in all their journyes and discoveries. Also the maps and descriptions of all those countryes, their commodities, people, government, customes, and religion yet knowne. Divided into sixe bookes. By Captaine Iohn Smith sometymes governour in those countryes & admirall of New England.

The first English ship knowne to haue beene cast away vpon the Bermudas 1609. From the relation of M^r. Iordan, Master Iohn Euens, Master Henry Shelly, and diuers others.

YOu haue heard, that when Captaine Smith was Gouernor of Virginia, there were nine ships sent with Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir George Somers, and Captaine Nuport with fiue hundred people, to take in the old Com∣mission, and rectifie a new gouernment: they set saile in May, and in the height of thirty degrees of Northerly latitude, they were taken with an ex∣treme storme,* 1.1 or rather a part of Hericano, vpon the fiue and twentieth of Iuly, which as they write, did not onely separate them from the Fleet, but with the vio∣lent working of the Seas, their ship became so shaken, torne, and leake, she recei∣ued so much water as couered two tire of Hogsheads aboue the ballace, that they stood vp to the middles, with Buckets, Baricos, and Kettles, to baile out the wa∣ter. Thus bailing and pumping three daies and three nights without intermissi∣on, and yet the water seemed rather to increase then diminish, in so much that being all vtterly spent with labour, were euen resolued without any hope to shut vp the hatches, and commit themselues to the mercy of the Sea, which is said to be mercilesse, or rather to the mercy of Almighty God, whose mercy farre ex∣ceeds all his workes; seeing no sense or hope in mans apprehension, but present∣ly to sinke: some hauing some good and comfortable waters, fetched them and dranke one to another, as taking their last leaues vntill a more happy, and a more ioyfull meeting in a more blessed world, when it pleased God out of his most gracious and mercifull prouidence, so to direct and guide their ship for her most aduantage;

* 1.2That Sir George Somers all this time sitting vpon the poupe, scarce taking lei∣sure to eat nor sleepe, couing the ship to keepe her as vpright as he could, other∣waies she must long ere that needs haue foundered, most wishedly and happily de∣scried land; whereupon he most comfortably incouraged them to follow their worke, many of them being fast asleepe: this vnlooked for welcome newes, as if it had bin a voice from heauen, hurrieth them all aboue hatches, to looke for that they durst scarce beleeue, so that improuidently forsaking that taske which impor∣ted no lesse then their liues, they gaue so dangerous aduantage to their greedy ene∣my the salt water, which still entred at the large breaches of their poore wooden castle, as that in gaping after life, they had well-nigh swallowed their death. Surely it is impossible any should now be vrged to doe his best, and although they knew it,* 1.3 that place all men did so shun, yet they spread all the faile they could to attaine them: for not long it was before they strucke vpon a rocke, till a surge of the sea cast her from thence, and so from one to another, till most luckily at last so vp∣right betwixt two, as if she had beene in the stocks, till this they expected but e∣uery blow a death: But now behold, suddenly the wind giues place to a calme, and the billowes, which each by ouertaking her, would in an instant haue shiue∣red her in peeces, become peaceable and still, so that with all conueniency and ease, they vnshipped all their goods, victuall, and persons into their Boats, and with extreme ioy, euen almost to amazednesse, arriued in safetie, though more then a league from the shore, without the losse of a man; yet were they in all one hundred and fiftie: yet their deliuerance was not more strange in falling so hap∣pily vpon the land, as their feeding and preseruation was beyond their hopes; for you haue heard, it hath beene to the Spaniards more fearefull then an Vtopian Purgatory, and to all Sea-men no lesse terrible then an inchanted den of Furies and Deuils, the most dangerous, vnfortunate, and forlorne place in the world, and they found it the richest, healthfullest and pleasantest they euer saw, as is for∣merly said.* 1.4

Being thus safe on shore, they disposed themselues to search the Iles for food

and water; others to get a shore what they could from the ship; not long Sir George wandred but found such a fishing, that in halfe an houre with a hooke and line, he tooke so many as sufficed the whole company, in some places they were so thicke in the Coues, and so great, they durst not goe in left they should bite them, and these rocke fish are so great two will load a man, and fatter nor better fish cannot be. M^r. Shelly found a Bay neere a quarter of a mile ouer, so full of Mul∣lets, as none of them before had euer seene or heard of the like: the next day seeking to kill them with fis-gigs, they stracke so many the water in many places was red with bloud, yet caught not one, but with a net they caught so many as they could draw a shore, with infinite number of Pilchards and diuers other sorts; great craw-fishes in a night by making a fire they haue taken in great quantity. Sir George had twice his hooke and line broke out of his hand, but the third time he made it so strong he caught the same fish, which had pulled him into the Sea had not his men got hold of him, whereby he had his three hookes againe were found in her belly. At their first hunting for hogs they found such abundance; they killed 32 and this hunting & fishing was appointed to Captaine Robert Walsingham, and M^r. Henry Shelly for the company in general: they report they killed at least 500. besides Pigs, and many that were killed by diuers others; for the birds in their seasons, the faci∣lity to make their cabens of Palmera leaues, caused many of them vtterly forget or desire euer to returne from thence, they liued in such plenty, peace and ease.

But let vs remember how the Knights began to resolue in those desperat affaires:* 1.5 many proiects they had, but at last it was concluded, to decke their long boat with their ship hatches; which done, with all expedition they sent Master Rauen, a very sufficient Mariner, with eight more in her to Virginia, to haue shipping from thence to fetch them away; three weekes or a moneth they expected her returne, but to this day she was neuer more heard of; all this time was spent in searching the Iles: now although God still fed them with this abundance of plenty, yet such was the malice of enuy or ambition, for all this good seruice done by Sommers, such a great difference fell amongst their Commanders, that they liued asunder in this distresse, rather as meere strangers then distressed friends: but necessity so commanded, patience had the victory.

Two ships at this time by those seuerall parties were a building;* 1.6 in the meane time two children were borne, the Boy was called Bermudas, the Girle Bermuda, and amongst all those sorrowes they had a merry English mariage; the forme of those Iles you may see at large in the Map of M^r. Norwood, where you may plainly see no place knowne hath better walls, nor a broader ditch. But hauing finished and rigged their two new Cedar ships with such prouisions they saued from the Sea-aduenturer they left amongst the Rocks, they called the one the Patience, the other the Deliuerance; they vsed Lime and Oile, as May did for Pitch and Tar. Sir George Summers had in his Barke no Iron at all but one bolt in her Keele; now hauing made their prouisions of victuall and all things ready, they set saile the tenth of May 1610. onely leauing two men behinde them, called Christopher Carter and Edward Waters, that for their offences, or the suspition they had of their iudgements, fled into the woods, and there rather desired to end their daies then stand to their trials and the euent of Iustice; for one of their consorts was shot to death, and Waters being tied to a tree also to be executed, had by chance a Knife about him, and so secretly cut the Rope, he ran into the woods where they could not finde him. There were two Saluages also sent from Virginia by Captain Smith, the one called Namuntack, the other Matchumps, but some such differen∣ces fell betweene them, that Matchumps slew Namuntack, and hauing made a hole to bury him, because it was too short, he cut of his legs and laid them by him, which murder he concealed till he was in Ʋirginia.

The foure and twentieth of the same moneth they arriued in Virginia at Iames towne,* 1.7 where they found but threescore persons, as you may reade at large in the History of Ʋirginia, of the fiue hundred left by Captaine Smith, also of the arriuall

of the Lord Laware, that met them thus bound for England, returned them backe, and vnderstanding what plenty there was of hogs and other good things in the Bermudas, was desirous to send thither to supply his necessary occasions; where∣upon Sir George Summers, the best acquainted with the place, whose noble minde euer regarded a generall good more then his owne ends, though aboue threescore yeeres of age, and had meanes in England sutable to his ranke, offered himselfe by Gods helpe to performe this dangerous voyage againe for the Bermudas, which was kindly accepted, so vpon the 19. of Iune, he imbarked in his Cedar ship, about the burthen of thirty tunnes, and so set saile.

* 1.8Much foule and crosse weather he had, and was forced to the North parts of Virginia, where refreshing himselfe vpon this vnknowne coast, he could not bee diuerted from the search of the Bermudas, where at last with his company he safe∣ly arriued: but such was his diligence with his extraordinary care, paines and in∣dustry to dispatch his businesse, and the strength of his body not answering the euer memorable courage of his minde, hauing liued so long in such honourable seruices, the most part of his well beloued and vertuous life, God and nature here determined, should euer remaine a perpetuall memory of his much bewailed sor∣row for his death: finding his time but short, after he had taken the best course he could to settle his estate, like a valiant Captaine he exhorted them with all diligence to be constant to those Plantations, and with all expedition to returne to Virginia. In that very place which we now call Saint Georges towne, this noble Knight died, whereof the place taketh the name. But his men, as men amazed, seeing the death of him who was euen as the life of them all, embalmed his body and set saile for England, being the first that euer went to seeke those Ilands, which haue beene euer since called Summers Iles, in honour of his worthy memory, leauing three men behind them, that voluntarily stayed, whose names were Chri∣stopher Carter, Edward Waters, there formerly left as is said, and Edward Chard. This Cedar ship at last with his dead body arriued at Whit-Church in Dorsetshire, where by his friends he was honourably buried, with many vollies of shot, and the rites of a Souldier, and vpon his tombe was bestowed this Epitaph.

* 1.9Hei mihi Virginia quod tam cito praeterit Aestas, Autumnus sequitur, saeuiet inde & biems; At ver perpetuum nascetur, & Anglialaeta, Decerpit flores florida terra tuas.

In English thus:

Alas Virginia's Summer so soone past, Autumne succeeds and stormy Winters blast, Yet Englands ioyfull Spring with ioyfull showers, O Florida, shall bring thy sweetest flowers.

* 1.10THe honour of this resulution belongs principally to Carter, for through his importunity, not to leaue such a place abandoned, Chard & Waters were mo∣ued to stay with him, and the rest promised w••th all the speed they could againe to reuisit them. But the ship once out of sight, those three Lords, the sole inhabitants of all those Ilands, began to erect their little common wealth for a while with bro∣therly regency, repairing the ground, planting Corne, and such seeds and fruits as they had, building a house, &c. Then making priuy search amongst the cre∣usses and corners of those craggy Rocks, what this maine Ocean since the worlds creation had throwne amongst them, at last they chanced vpon the greatest peece of Amber-greece was euer seene or heard of in one lumpe,* 1.11 being in weight foure∣score pound, besides diuers other small peeces.

But now being rich, they grew so proud and ābitious, contempt tooke such

place, they fell out for superiority, though but three forlorne men, more then three thousand miles from their natiue Country, and but small hope euer to see it againe. Notwithstanding, they sometimes fell from words to blowes about meere trifles: in one of which fights, one of them was bitten with his owne dog, as if the dumbe beast would reproue them of their folly; at last Chard and Waters, the two greater spirits, must try it out in the field, but Carter wisely stole away their weapons, affecting rather to liue amongst his enemies, then by being rid of them liue alone; and thus those miserable men liued full two yeeres, so that all their clothes were neere worne cleane from their backs, and their hopes of any forraine releefe as naked as their bodies. At last they began to recouer their wits, yet in a fashion perhaps would haue cost them dearer then when they were mad; for concluding a tripartite peace of their Marachin warre, they resolued to frame as good a Boat as they could, and therein to make a desperate attempt for Ʋirginia, or New found Land; but no sooner were they entred into that resolution, but they descried a saile standing in for the shore, though they neither knew what she was, nor what she would, they were so ouer-ioyed, with all possible speed they went to meet her, and according to their hearts desire she proued an English-man, whom they safely conducted into their harbour.

Now you are to vnderstand, that Captaine Matthew Somers.* 1.12 Nephew and heire to Sir George, that returned with his dead body, though both he and his Com∣pany did their vtmost in relating all those passages to their Countrey-men and aduenturers, their relations were beleeued but as trauellers tales, till it came to be apprehended by some of the Ʋirginia Company, how beneficiall it might be, and helpfull to the Plantation in Virginia, so that some one hundred and twentie of them bought the pretended right of all the Company, and had sent this ship to make a triall; but first they had obtained Letters Patents of the Kings most ex∣cellent Maiestie. Sir Thomas Smith was elected Treasurer and Gouernor heere, and Master Richard More to be Gouernor of the Iles and Colony there.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A most desperate estate by a storm.
• * 1.2

  The care and iudgement of Sir George Somers.
• * 1.3

  An euident to∣ken of Gods mercy.
• * 1.4

  Sir George Somers 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.5

  What meanes they m••de to send to Virginia.
• * 1.6

  A mariage, and two children borne.
• * 1.7

  Their arriuall in Virginia.
• * 1.8

  Sir George S••m∣mers his returne to the Bermudas.
• * 1.9

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.10

  The proceedings of the three men.
• * 1.11

  A peece of Am∣ber-greece of 80. pound weight.
• * 1.12

  How they were supplied. 1611.