FOOTNOTES
[FF] "The Deliverance, of 70 tonn, and the Patience, of 30 tonn." Letter from the Lord Delaware, Governor of Virginia to the patentees in England.—Introduction to Strachey's Virginia Brittania, p. xxiii.
[GG] Mr. Strachey, sailed with Lord Delaware on the 1st of April, 1610, and arrived at the Capes on the 15th of May. He remained about two years. He left a well written manuscript account of his observations, with this title: "The Historie of travaile into Virginia Brittania, * * * gathered and discovered as well by those who went first hither, as collected by William Strachey, Gent., the first secretary of the Colony;" which, edited by R.A. Major, Esq., of the British Museum, was published by the Hakluyt society in 1849.
[HH] "Their weares in which they take their fish, which are certain enclosures made with reedes, and framed in the fashion of a laborinth or maze, sett a fathome deepe in the water, with divers chambers or bedds, out of which the entangled fish cannot returne or gett out, being once in."—Strachey, p. 68.
[II] Kiskiack (now Chescake—pronounced Cheesecake) on Smith's map is located on the south side of the Pamunck (now York) river about the site of Yorktown.—See Campbell, p. 66.
For Wariscoyack [see footnote CC.]
Aprill, 1619.—Arived Sir Geo. Yeardeley, bringing certain commissions and instructions from the Company for the better establishinge of a Commonwealth heere, wherin order was taken for the removing of all those grievances which formerly were suffred and manifested the same by publishinge a Proclamation that all those that were residend heere before the departure of Sir Thos. Dale should be freed and acquitted from such publique services and labours which formerly they suffered, and that those cruell lawes by which we had soe longe been governed were now abrogated, and that we were now to be governed by those free lawes which his Maty's subjects live under in Englande. And farther that free libertie was given to all men to make choice of their dividents of lande and, as their abilities and meanes wd permitt, to possesse and plant uppon them. And that they might have a hande in the governinge of themselves, it was granted that a general assemblie should be helde yearly once, wherat were to be present the Govr and Counsell with two Burgesses from each Plantation freely to be elected by the inhabitants thereof; this assembly to have power to make and ordaine whatsoever lawes and orders should by them be thought good and proffittable for our subsistance. The effect of which proceedinge gave such incouragement to every person heere that all of them followed their perticular labours with singular alacrity and industry, soe that, through the blessinge of God uppon our willinge labors, within the space of three yeares, our countrye flourished with many new erected Plantations, from the head of the River to Kicoughtan, beautifull and pleasant to the spectators, and comfortable for the releife and succor of all such as by occasion did travaile by land or by water; every man giveinge free entertainment, both to frendes or others. The plenty of these times likewise was such that all men generally were sufficiently furnished with corne, and many alsoe had plenty of cattle, swine, poultry and other good provisions to nourish them. Monethly courtes were held in every precinct to doe justice in redressinge of all small and petty matters, others of more consequence beinge referred to the Govr, Counsell and Generall Assemblie. Now alsoe were begunne and sett a foote the erectinge of Iron Workes, plantinge of vines and mulberrie trees for the nourishinge of silke wormes; a trial made for silke grasse tillage for English graine, gardeninge, and the like, which gave great hopes of present and future plenty in their severall perticulars, wherin no doubt but much more had been effected had not great sicknes and mortalitie prevented.
Those yeares fallinge out to be generally contagious through this continent, the people alsoe sent over arrived heere at the most unseasonable time of the yeare, beinge at the heat of Sommer, and divers of the ships brought with them most pestilent infections, wherof many of their people had died at Sea, soe that these times alsoe of plenty and libertie were mixed with the calamities of sicknes and mortalitie.
In October, 1621, Arived Sir Fras. Wyatt, Knight, with commission to be Govr and Capt. Genl of Virginia. He ratified and confirmed all the afore mentioned liberties, freedomes and priveledges, to our great happines and content; the country alsoe flourished and increased in her former proceedinges, as iron workes, plantinge of vines and mulberrie for silke, &c. A ship alsoe was sent to the Summer Islandes for such commodities as that place afforded, as Potatoes, Fig Trees, Orange and Lemon Trees, and such like, many of which prosper and growe very likely to increase. But amidst this happines was the Hande of God sett against us, in great part, no doubt, for the punishment of our ingratitude in not being thankefull but forgettfull that by his mercye we were delivered from such bondage and calamitie as before time we had suffered. Justly likewise were we punished for our greedy desires of present gaine and proffit, wherin many showed themselves insatiable and covetous; we beinge too secure in trustinge of a treacherous enimie, the Salvadges, they, whilest we entertained them frendley in our houses, tooke their opportunities and suddenly fell uppon us, killing and murdering very many of our people, burninge and devastinge their houses and plantations, this happeninge uppon the two and twenteth of March followinge (1622), stroocke so at the life of our wellfare by blood and spoile, that it almost generally defaced the beautie of the wholl Collonye, puttinge us out of the way of bringinge to perfection those excellent workes wherin we had made soe faire a beginninge.
This deadly stroake being given to the great amazement and ruine of our State, caused our Governor and Counsell, withall speede, for the safetie of the rest (lest the Indians shoulde take courage to pursue what they had begunne), to re-collect the straglinge and woefull Inhabitants, soe dismembered, into stronger bodies and more secure places. This enforced reducement of the Collony into fewer bodies, together with the troble of warre then in hande, caused the year following a slender harvest to be reaped, wherby we weare constrained to relye upon hopes for our reliefe by shippinge out of Englande, and by trading with the more remote Salvadges, most part of which supplies from Englande unfortunately miscarried by the waye, the Salvadges, likewise, from whome we hoped to have helpes by trade, proved our most treacherous ennemies, cunninglye circumventinge and cruellie murderinge such as were employed abroade to gett reliefe from them, by all which misaccidents we fell that yeare into great want and scarcitye; which since, by the blessinge of God, through our supplies we have had from the Company, together with a plentifull harvest, hath bene abundantly restored. Our Govr, Counsell and others have used their uttermost and Christian endeavours in prosequtinge revenge against the bloody Salvadges, and have endeavoured to restore the Collonye to her former prosperitye, wherin they have used great diligence and industrye, imployinge many forces abroade for the rootinge them out of severall places that therby we may come to live in better securitie, doubtinge not but in time we shall clean drive them from these partes, and therby have the free libertie and range for our cattle, the increase of whom may bringe us to plentie, and maye alsoe more freely goe on againe with setting up those staple commodities which we hoped by this time to have brought to good perfection.
For the supplies of shippinge, men, cattle and provisions that have arived heere since Sir Thomas Smith left his government we can not nowe well reckon up, they beinge manye, but must referre you to the printed bookes and to the Lists and Invoices retorned by Sir Geo. Yeardley.
For the State of the Collony at this present we leave to the report of such commissioners as are nowe sent over by the Right Hon. the Lordes of his Matie's privie counsell.
This being reade in the Genl Assemblie received full approbation.
[Endorsed.]
Virginia—A relation of its Planting.
[This document is undated but is placed in the Callendar among papers of 1625?]