Purchas his pilgrimes. part 4 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

An Abstract of Letters sent from the Colony in New England, Iuly sixteene, 1622.

Since the newes of the Massacre in Virginia, though the Indians continue their wonted friendship, yet

are wee more wary of them then before; for their hands haue beene embrued in much English bloud, one∣ly by too much confidence, but not by force.

Here I must intreat a little your fauours to digresse. They did not kill the English, because they were Christians, but for their weapons and commodities, that were rare nouelties; but now they feare we may beat them out of their Dens, which Lions and Tygers would not admit but by force. But must this be an argument for an Englishman, or discourage any either in Virginia or New Eng∣land? No: ••or I haue tried them both. For Virginia, I kept that Countrey, with thirtie eight, and had not to eate but what we had from the Sauages. When I had ten men able to goe abroad, our Common-wealth was very strong: with such a number I ranged that vnknowne Countrey fourteene weekes; I had but eighteen to s••bdue them all, with which great Army I stayed sixe weeks before their greatest Kings habitations, till they had gathered together all the power they [ 10] could; and yet the Dutchmen sent at a needlesse excessiue charge did helpe Powhatan how to betray mee.

Of their numbers wee were vncertaine; but those two honourable Gentlemen, Captaine George Percie, and Captaine Francis West, two of the Phittiplaces, and some other such noble Gen∣tlemen and resolute spirts bore their shares with me, and now liuing in England, did see me take this murdering Opechankanough, now their Great King by the long lock on his head, with my Pi∣stoll at his breast, I led him among his greatest forces, and before wee parted, made him fill our Barke of twentie Tuns with Corne. When their owne wants was such, I haue giuen them part a∣gain in pitty, & others haue bought it again to plant their fields. For wronging a Souldier but the [ 20] value of a peny, I haue caused Powhatan send his own men to Iames Town to receiue their punish∣ment, at my discretion. It is true in our greatest extremity they shot me, slue three of my men, and by the folly of them that fled tooke me prisoner: yet God made Pocahontas the Kings Daughter the meanes to deliuer me: and thereby taught mee to know their treacheries to preserue the rest. It was also my chance in single combate to take the King of Paspahegh prisoner, and by keeping him, forced his subiects to worke in Chaines, till I made all the Countrey pay contribution, hauing little else-whereon to liue.

Twice in this time I was their President, & none can say in all that time I had a man slain: but for keeping them in that feare I was much blamed both there and heere: yet I left fiue hundred behind mee that through their confidence in sixe monethes came most to confusion, as you may [ 30] reade at large in the description of Virginia. When I went first to those desperate designes, it cost me many a forgotten pound to hire men to goe; and procrastination caused more runne away then went. But after the Ice was broken, came many braue Voluntaries: notwithstanding since I came from thence, the Honorable Company haue beene humble Suters to his Maiestie to get Vagabonds and condemned men to goe thither; nay, so much scorned was the name of Virgnia, some did chuse to be hanged ere they would goe thither, and were: yet for all the worst of spite, detraction and discouragement, and this lamentable Massacre, there are more honest men now suters to goe, then euer haue been constrained knaues; and it is not vnknowne to most men of vn∣derstanding, how happy many of those Callumners doe thinke themselues, that they might bee admitted, and yet pay for their passage to goe now to Virginia: and had I but meanes to transport [ 40] as many as would goe, I might haue choice of ten thousand that would gladly bee in any of those new places, which were so basely contemned by vngratefull base minds.

To range this Countrie of New England, in like manner I had but eight, as is said, and amongst their bruite conditions I met many of their silly incounters, and without any hurt, God be thank∣ed: when your West Countrie men were many of them wounded, and much tormented with the Sauages that assaulted their Ship, as they did say themselues, in the first yeare I was there 1614. and though Master Hunt then Master with me, did most basely in stealing some Sauages from that coast to sell, when he was directed to haue gone for Spaine, yet that place was so remote from Capawuck, where Epenew should haue fraughted them with Gold Ore, that his fault could be no cause of their bad successe, howeuer it is alledged for an excuse. I speake not this out of vain glory, as it may be some gleaners, or some was neuer there, may censure mee: but to let all [ 50] men be assured by those examples, what those Sauages are that thus strangely doe murder and be∣tray our Co••ntrie men. But to the purpose.

What is already writ of the healthfulnesse of the ayre, the richnesse of the soyle, the goodnesse of the Woods, the abundance of Fruits, Fish, and Fowle in their season, they still affirme that haue beene there now neer two yeeres, and at one draught they haue taken one thousand Basses, and in one night twelue hogs∣heads of Herring. They are building a strong Fort, they hope shortly to finish, in the interim they are well prouided: their number is about a hundred persons, all in health, and well neere sixtie Acres of ground well planted with Corne, besides their Gardens well replenished with vsefull fruits; and if their Aduentu∣rers would but furnish them with necessaries for fishing, their wants would quickly bee supplied. To supply [ 60] them this sixteenth of October, is going the Paragon, with sixtie seuen persons, and all this is done by pri∣uate mens purses. And to conclude in their owne words, should they write of all plenties they haue found, they thinke they should not be beleeued.

For the twentie sixe sayle of Ships, the most I can yet vnderstand is. M. Ambrose Iennens of London,

and Master Abraham Iennens of Plimmoth sent (their Abraham) a Ship of two hundred and twen∣tie Tuns, and the Nightingale of Porchmouth of a hundred: whose Fish at the first penie came to 3150 pounds: in all they were fiue and thirty saile: and wherein New found Land they shared sixe or seuen pounds for a common man, in New England they shared foureteene pounds; besides six Dutch and French Ships made wonderfull returnes in Furres.

Thus you may see plainely the yearely successe from New England (by Virginia) which hath bin so costly to this Kingdome, and so deare to me, which either to see perish or but bleede, par∣don me though it passionate me beyond the bounds of modesty, to haue bin sufficiently able to foresee it, and had neither power nor meanes how to preuent it. By that acquaintance I haue with them, I may call them my children, for they haue bin my Wife, my Hawkes, my Hounds, [ 10] my Cards, my Dice, and in totall my best content, as indifferent to my heart as my left hand to my right: and notwithstanding all those miracles of disasters haue crossed both them and me, yet were there not one Englishman remaining (as God be thanked there is some thousands) I would yet begin againe with as small meanes as I did at the first; not for that I haue any secret encou∣ragement from any I protest, more then lamentable experiences: for all their Discoueries I can yet heare of, are but Pigs of my owne Sowe; nor more strange to me then to heare one tell mee he hath gone from Billings gate and discouered Greenwich, Grauesend, Tilberry, Quinborow, Lee and Margit, which to those did neuer heare of them, though they dwell in England, might be made seeme some rare secrets and great Countries vnknowne, except the Relation of Master Dirmer. But to returne: It is certaine, from Cannada and New England within these sixe yeares, hath [ 20] come neere 20000. Beuer Skins. Now had each of those Ships transported but some small quan∣titie of the most increasing Beasts, Fowles, Fruites, Plants and Seedes, as I proiected, by this time their increase might haue bin sufficient for a thousand men. But the desire of present gaine (in many) is so violent, and the endeuours of many vndertakers so negligent, euery one so regar∣ding their priuate gaine, that it is hard to effect any publicke good, and impossible to bring them into a body, rule, or order, vnlesse both authority and money assist experiences. It is not a worke for euery one to plant a Colony; but when a House is built, it is no hard matter to dwell in it. This requireth all the best parts of art, iudgement, courage, honesty, constancy, diligence and experience to doe but neere well: your home-bred ingrossing proiectors shall finde there a great difference betwixt saying and doing. But to conclude, the Fishing will goe forward if you plant [ 30] it or no; whereby a Colonie may be transported with no great charge, that in a short time might prouide such fraughts to buy of vs there dwelling, as I would hope no Ship should goe or come empty from New England.

The charge of this is onely Salt, Nets, Hookes, Lines, Kniues, Irish Rugs, course Cloath, Beades, Glasse, and such like trash, onely for fishing and trade with the Sauages, beside our owne necessa∣ry prouisions, whose endeuours will quickly defray all this charge: and the Sauages haue intrea∣ted me to inhabite where I will. Now all these Ships, till this last yeare, haue bin fished with∣in a square of two or three leagues, and not one of them all would aduenture any further, where questionlesse fiue hundred saile may haue their fraught better then in Island, New found Land, or elsewhere, and be in their markets before the other can haue their fish in their Ships, because New [ 40] Englands fishing begins with February, the other not till mid May: the progression hereof tends much to the aduancement of Virginia and the Bermudas, whose emptie Ships may take in their fraught there, and would be a good friend in time of neede to the Inhabitants of New found Land, &c.

Notes

• Opechancanough taken in ••he midst of his ar∣mie, as Atabali∣pa was by Pi∣çarra.
• 1622.