The third Assise.
To begin his second yeere, he called the third Assise, where divers were punished as their faults deserved: three were condemned to die; two were reprived, but the third was hanged: the next day there was also a levy for the repairing two Forts; but that labour tooke not such effect as was intended, for want of good directions.
The country neere devoured with rats.
But the great God of heaven being angry at somewhat happened in those proceedings, caused such an increase of silly rats, in the space of two yeeres so to abound, before they regarded them, that they filled not onely these places where they were first landed, but swimming from place to place, spread themselves into all parts of the Countrey, insomuch that there was no Iland but it was pestered with them; and some fishes have beene taken with rats in their bellies, which they caught in swimming from Ile to Ile: their nests they had almost in every tree, and in most places their burrowes in the ground like conies: they spared not the fruits of the plants, or trees, nor the very plants themselves, but ate them up. When they had set their corne, the rats would come by troupes in the night and scratch it out of the ground. If by diligent watch any escaped till it came to earing, it should then very hardly escape them: and they became noysome even to the very persons of men. They used all the diligence they could for the destroying of them, [V.186.] nourishing cats both wilde and tame, for that purpose; they used rats-bane, and many times set fire on the woods, that oft ran halfe a mile before it was extinct; every man was enjoyned to set twelve traps, and some of their owne accord have set neere an hundred, which they ever visited twice or thrice in a night; they also trained up their dogges to hunt them, wherein they became so expert, that a good dog in two or three houres would kil forty or fifty. Many other devices they used to destroy them, but could not prevaile, finding them still increasing against them: nay they so devoured the fruits of the earth, that they were destitute of bread for a yeere or two; so that when they had it afterwards, they were so wained from it, they easily neglected to eat it with their meat. Besides they endevoured so much for the planting Tobacco for present gaine, that they neglected many things might more have prevailed for their good, which caused amongst them much weaknesse and mortality, since the beginning of this vermine.
A strange confusion of rats.
At last it pleased God, but by what meanes it is not well knowne, to take them away; in so much that the wilde cats and many dogs which lived on them, were famished, and many of them leaving the woods, came downe to their houses, and to such places where they use to garbish their fish, and became tame. Some have attributed the destruction of them to the encrease of wild cats, but that is not likely they should be so suddenly encreased rather at that time, then foure yeeres before; and the chiefe occasion of this supposition was, because they saw some companies of them leave the woods, and slew themselves for want of food. Others by the coldnesse of winter, which notwithstanding is never so great there, as with us in March, except it be in the wind: besides the rats wanted not the fethers of young birds and chickins, which they daily killed, and Palmeta mosse to build themselves warme nests out of the wind, as usually they did; neither doth it appeare that the cold was so mortall to them, seeing they would ordinarily swimme from place to place, and bee very fat even in the midst of winter. It remaineth then, that as God doth sometimes effect his will without subordinate and secondary causes, so wee need not doubt, but that in the speedy encrease of this vermine; as also by the preservation of so many of them by such weake meanes as they then enjoyed, and especially in the so sudden removall of this great annoyance, there was joyned with and besides the ordinary and manifest meanes, a more mediate and secret worke of God.
About this time Henry Long, with seven others in an extreame storme were cast away, but three of them escaped. One of them being asked what hee thought in the worst of that extremity, answered, he thought nothing but gallowes claime thy right, and it seemes God well heard his prayer, and rewarded his ingratitude; for he was hanged within halfe a yeere after. In that March also five men went to Sea, but as yet was never heard of, and three more drowned in a boat. By Hilliards house grew a very faire Cedar, which by a thunder clap was rent almost to small shivers, and a man stood by him, and Samuel Tanton, most fearfully blasted, yet neither they, the house, nor a little childe, yet a paire of racks in the house was all torne to fitters. The Neptune not long after arriving to fish for whale, her fortune proved no better then the Governours, yet some are of opinion, profit might be made by them.
The returne of M. Powel from the Indies.
In May they discried foure saile, so that manning all their Forts, they stood two daies in Armes, expecting what they were; at last they found it Master Powell returned from the West-Indies in the Hopewell, where missing such trade as he expected, these three Frigots comming in his way, he could not chuse but take them; Meale, Hides and Munition was their lading: Faire weather the Governor made with Powell till he had got all the goods into his owne possession, and then called Powell to a strict account for doing such an unwarrantable act; much a doe then was betwixt the taker and receiver; but Powell was glad to be excused to answer it in England, leaving all hee had taken behinde him in the Iles: The Neptune also returned with him, but noble Powell lost all his pay and pillage for this yeeres worke. For which the Company [V.187.] sent for to Tuckar, so that he also lost his part as well as Powell: Notwithstanding, the Governour by this meanes being strong in shipping, fitted the Carvill with twelve men, under the command of Edward Waters formerly spoken of, and sent them to Virginia about such businesse as hee had conceived. Arriving there, they obtained some goates, and hogs, & what they could spare, and so returned for the Summer Iles; but whether they could not finde the Iles for want of skill, or beaten off by ill weather, or the ill will they bare the Governor, it matters not much: but they bare up again for Virginia, where they all remained, and would returne no more to Summer lies.
A supposed mutiny by M. Pollard, and M. Rich.