That Sir George Somers all this time sitting upon the poupe, scarce taking leisure to eat nor sleepe, coving the ship to keepe her as upright as he could, otherwaies she must long ere that needs have foundered, most wishedly and happily descried land; whereupon he most comfortably incouraged them to follow their worke, many of them being fast asleepe: this unlocked for welcome newes, as if it had bin a voice from heaven, hurrieth them all above hatches, to looke for that they durst scarce beleeve, so that improvidently forsaking that taske which imported no lesse then their lives, they gave so dangerous advantage to their greedy enemy 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 urged to doe his best, and although they knew it, that place all men did so shun, yet they spread all the saile they could to attaine them: {MN} for not long it was before they strucke upon a rocke, till a surge of the sea cast her from thence, and so from one to another, till most luckily at last so upright betwixt two, as if she had beene in the stocks, till this they expected but every blow a death: But now behold, suddenly the wind gives place to a calme, and the billowes, which each by overtaking her, would in an instant have shivered her in peeces, become peaceable and still, so that with all conveniency and ease, they unshipped all their goods, victuall, and persons into their Boats, and with extreme joy, even almost to amazednesse, arrived 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 deliverance was not more strange in falling so happily upon the land, as their feeding and preservation was beyond their hopes; for you have heard, it hath beene to the Spaniards more fearefull then an Utopian Purgatory, and to all Sea-men no lesse terrible then an inchanted den of Furies and Devils, the most dangerous, unfortunate, and forlorne place in the world, and they found it the richest, healthfullest and pleasantest they ever saw, as is formerly said.
Sir George Somers his first ranging the land.
Being thus safe on shore, they disposed themselves to [V.175.] 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 Coves, and so great, they durst not goe in lest they should bite them, and these rocke fish are so great two will load a man, and fatter nor better fish cannot be. Mr. Shelly found a Bay neere a quarter of a mile over, so full of Mullets, as none of them before had ever seene or heard of the like: the next day seeking to kill them with fis-gigs, they strucke 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 divers other sorts; great craw-fishes in a night by making a fire they have 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 Mr. Henry Shelly for the company in general: they report they killed at least 500. besides Pigs, and many that were killed by divers others; for the birds in their seasons, the facility to make their cabens of Palmeta leaves, caused many of them utterly forget or desire ever to returne from thence, they lived in such plenty, peace and ease.
What meanes they made to send to Virginia.
But let us remember how the Knights began to resolve in those desperat affaires: many projects 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 Raven, a very sufficient Mariner, with eight more in her to Virginia, to have shipping from thence to fetch them away; three weekes or a moneth they expected her returne, but to this day she was never 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 envy or ambition, for all this good service done by Sommers, such a great difference fell amongst their Commanders, that they lived asunder in this distresse, rather as meere strangers then distressed friends: but necessity so commanded, patience had the victory.
A mariage and two children borne.
Two ships at this time by those severall parties were a building; 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 Mr. Norwood, where you may plainly see no place knowne hath better walls, nor a broader ditch. But having finished and rigged their two new Cedar ships with such provisions they saved from the Sea-adventurer they left amongst the Rocks, they called the one the Patience, the other the Deliverance; they used 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 having made their provisions of victuall and all things ready, they set saile the tenth of May 1610. onely leaving two men behinde them, called Christopher Carter and Edward Waters, that for their offences, or the suspition they had of their judgements, fled into the woods, and there rather desired to end their daies then stand to their trials and the event of Justice; 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 Salvages also sent from Virginia by Captain Smith, the one called Namuntack, the other Matchumps, but some such differences fell betweene them, that Matchumps slew Namuntack, and having 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 Virginia.
A.D. 1610
Their arrivall in Virginia.
The foure and twentieth of the same moneth they arrived in Virginia at James towne, where they found but threescore persons, as you may reade at large in the History of Virginia, of the five hundred left by Captaine Smith, also of the arrivall of the Lord Laware, that met [V.176.] them thus bound for England, returned them backe, and understanding what plenty there was of hogs and other good things in the Bermudas, was desirous to send thither to supply his necessary occasions; whereupon Sir George Summers, the best acquainted with the place, whose noble minde ever regarded a generall good more then his owne ends, though above 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 upon the 19. of June, he imbarked in his Cedar ship, about the burthen of thirty tunnes, and so set saile.
Sir George Somers his return to the Bermudas.