How the Spaniards raise their wealth in the West Indies. {MN}
Therefore let us not be discouraged, but rather animated by those conclusions, seeing we are so well assured of the goodnesse and commodities may bee had in Virginia, nor is it to be much doubted there is any want of Mines of most sorts, no not of the richest, as is well knowne to some yet living that can make it manifest when time shall serve: and yet to thinke that gold and silver Mines are in a country otherwise most rich and fruitfull, or the greatest wealth in a Plantation, is but a popular error, as is that opinion likewise, that the gold and silver is now the greatest wealth of the West Indies at this present. {MN} True it is indeed, that in the first conquest the Spaniards got great and mighty store of treasure from the Natives, which they in long space had heaped together, and in those times the Indians shewed them entire and rich Mines, which now by the relations of them that have beene there, are exceedingly wasted, so that now the charge of getting those Metals is growne excessive, besides the consuming the lives of many by their pestilent smoke and vapours in digging and refining them, so that all things considered, the cleere gaines of those metals, the Kings part defraied, to the Adventurers is but small, and nothing neere so much as vulgarly is imagined; and were it not for other rich Commodities there that inrich [IV.149.] them, those of the Contraction house were never able to subsist by the Mines onely; for the greatest part of their Commodities are partly naturall, and partly transported from other parts of the world, and planted in the West-Indies, as in their mighty wealth of Sugarcanes, being first transported from the Canaries; and in Ginger and other things brought out of the East-Indies, in their Cochanele, Indicos, Cotton, and their infinite store of Hides, Quick-silver, Allum, Woad, Brasill woods, Dies, Paints, Tobacco, Gums, Balmes, Giles, Medicinals and Perfumes, Sassaparilla and many other physicall drugs: These are the meanes whereby they raise that mighty charge of drawing out their gold and silver to the great & cleare revenue of their King. Now seeing the most of those commodities, or as usefull, may be had in Virginia by the same meanes, as I have formerly said; let us with all speed take the priority of time, where also may be had the priority of place, in chusing the best seats of the Country, which now by vanquishing the salvages, is like to offer a more faire and ample choice of fruitfull habitations, then hitherto our gentlenesse and faire comportments could attaine unto.
A.D. 1622.
The numbers that were slaine in those severall
Plantations.
| 1 | At Captaine Berkleys Plantation, himselfe and 21. others, seated at the Falling-Crick, 66. miles from James City. | 22 |
| 2 | Master Thomas Sheffelds Plantation, some three miles from the Falling-Crick, himselfe and 12. others. | 13 |
| 3 | At Henrico Iland, about two miles from Sheffelds Plantation. | 6 |
| 4 | Slaine of the College people, twenty miles from Henrico. | 17 |
| 5 | At Charles City, and of Captaine Smiths men. | 5 |
| 6 | At the next adjoyning Plantation. | 8 |
| 7 | At William Farrars house. | 10 |
| 8 | At Brickley hundred, fifty miles from Charles City, Master Thorp and | 10 |
| 9 | At Westover, a mile from Brickley. | 2 |
| 10 | At Master John Wests Plantation. | 2 |
| 11 | At Captaine Nathaniel Wests Plantation. | 2 |
| 12 | At Lieutenant Gibs his Plantation. | 12 |
| 13 | At Richard Owens house, himselfe and | 6 |
| 14 | At Master Owen Macars house, himselfe and | 3 |
| 15 | At Martins hundred, seven miles from James City | 73 |
| 16 | At another place. | 7 |
| 17 | At Edward Bonits Plantation. | 50 |
| 18 | At Master Waters his house, himselfe and | 4 |
| 19 | At Apamatucks River, at Master Perce his Plantation, five miles from the College. | 4 |
| 20 | At Master Macocks Divident, Captaine Samuel Macock, and | 4 |
| 21 | At Flowerda hundred, Sir George Yearleys Plantation. | 6 |
| 22 | On the other side opposite to it. | 7 |
| 23 | At Master Swinhows house, himselfe and | 7 |
| 24 | At Master William Bickars house, himselfe and | 4 |
| 25 | At Weanock, of Sir George Yearleys people. | 21 |
| 26 | At Powel Brooke, Captaine Nathaniel Powel, and | 12 |
| 27 | At South-hampton hundred. | 5 |
| 28 | At Martin Brandons hundred. | 7 |
| 29 | At Captaine Henry Spilmans house. | 2 |
| 30 | At Ensigne Spences house. | 5 |
| 31 | At Master Thomas Perse his house by Mulbery Ile, himselfe and | 4 |
The whole number 347.
Men in this taking bettered with affliction, [IV.150.] Better attend, and mind, and marke Religion, For then true voyces issue from their hearts, Then speake they what they thinke in inmost parts, The truth remaines, they cast off fained Arts.
How they were reduced to five or six places. {MN-1}
Gookins and Jordens resolutions. {MN-2}
The opinion of Captaine Smith. {MN-3}
This lamentable and so unexpected a disaster caused them all beleeve the opinion of Master Stockam, and drave them all to their wits end: it was twenty or thirty daies ere they could resolve what to doe, {MN-1} but at last it was concluded, all the petty Plantations should be abandoned, and drawne onely to make good five or six places, where all their labours now for the most part must redound to the Lords of those Lands where they were resident. Now for want of Boats, it was impossible upon such a sudden to bring also their cattle, and many other things, which with much time, charge and labour they had then in possession with them; all which for the most part at their departure was burnt, ruined and destroyed by the Salvages. {MN-2} Only Master Gookins at Nuports-newes would not obey the Commanders command in that, though hee had scarce five and thirty of all sorts with him, yet he thought himselfe sufficient against what could happen, and so did to his great credit and the content of his Adventurers. Master Samuel Jorden gathered together but a few of the straglers about him at Beggers-bush, where he fortified and lived in despight of the enemy. Nay, Mistresse Proctor, a proper, civill, modest Gentlewoman did the like, till perforce the English Officers forced her and all them with her to goe with them, or they would fire her house themselves, as the Salvages did when they were gone, in whose despight they had kept it, and what they had a moneth or three weekes after the Massacre; which was to their hearts a griefe beyond comparison, to lose all they had in that manner, onely to secure others pleasures. {MN-3} Now here in England it was thought, all those remainders might presently have beene reduced into fifties or hundreds in places most convenient with what they had, having such strong houses as they reported they had, which with small labour might have beene made invincible Castles against all the Salvages in the Land, and then presently raised a company, as a running Armie to torment the Barbarous and secure the rest, and so have had all that Country betwixt the Rivers of Powhatan and Pamaunke to range and sustaine them; especially all the territories of Kecourrhtan, Chiskact and Paspahege, from Ozenies to that branch of Pamaunke, comming from Youghtanund, which strait of land is not past 4. or 5. miles, to have made a peninsula much bigger then the Summer Iles, invironed with the broadest parts of those two maine Rivers, which for plenty of such things as Virginia affords is not to be exceeded, and were it well manured, more then sufficient for ten thousand men. This, were it well understood, cannot but be thought better then to bring five or six hundred to lodge and live on that, which before would not well receive and maintaine a hundred, planting little or nothing, but spend that they have upon hopes out of England, one evill begetting another, till the disease is past cure: Therefore it is impossible but such courses must produce most fearefull miseries and extreme extremities; if it prove otherwise, I should be exceeding glad. I confesse I am somewhat too bold to censure other mens actions being not present, but they have done as much of me; yea many here in England that were never there, & also many there that knowes little more then their Plantations, but as they are informed; and this doth touch the glory of God, the honour of my Country, and the publike good so much, for which there hath beene so many faire pretences, that I hope none will be angry for speaking my opinion, seeing the old Proverbe doth allow losers leave to speake; and Du Bartas saith,
Even as the wind the angry Ocean moves, Wave hunteth Wave, and Billow Billow shoves, So doe all Nations justell each the other, [IV.151.] And so one people doe pursue another, And scarce a second hath the first unhoused, Before a third him thence againe have roused.