The [28th] day ... we went further into the Bay, and saw a plaine plot of ground where we went on Land ... we saw nothing there but a Cannow, which was made out of the whole tree, which was five and fortie foot long, by the Rule. Upon this plot of ground we got good store of Mussels and Oysters, which lay upon the ground as thicke as stones: wee opened some and found in many of them Pearles. ... We passed through excellent ground full of Flowers of divers kinds and colours, and as goodly trees as I have seene, as cedar, cipresse, and other kindes. Going a little farther, we came into a little plot full of fine and beautifull strawberries, foure times bigger and better than ours in England.
[The closing pages are in the main a list of deaths, through August and September.] Our men were destroyed with cruell diseases, as Swellings, Fluxes, Burning fevers, and by warres; and some departed suddenly, but for the most part they died of meere famine. There were never Englishmen left in a forreigne Countrey in such miserie as wee were ... Wee watched every three nights, lying on the bare cold ground, what weather soever came; [and] warded all the next day, which brought our men to bee most feeble wretches. Our feed was but a small can of Barlie sod in Water to five men a day; our drinke, cold water taken out of the River, which was at a flood verie Salt, at a low tide full of slime and filth, which was the destruction of many of our men. Thus we lived for the space of five months in this miserable distresse, not having five able men to man our Bulwarkes upon any occasion. If it had not pleased God to have put a terrour in the Savages heartes, we had all perished by those vild and cruell Pagans, being in that weake estate ... our men night and day groaning in every corner of the Fort most pittiful to heare. If there were any conscience in men, it would make their harts to bleede to heare the pittifull murmurings and outcries of our sick men without reliefe every night and day for the space of sixe weekes, some departing out of the World, many times three or foure in a night, in the morning their bodies trailed out of their Cabines like Dogges to be burried.
b. "Gentlemen" in Virginia in 1608
From an account written probably by Captain Todkill, a rough soldier, and published in Smith's Works (Birmingham edition), 439.
But 30 of us he [Smith] conducted doune the river some 5 myles from James toune, to learne to make Clapbord, cut doune trees, and lye in the woods. Amongst the rest he had chosen Gabriel Beadle, and John Russell, the onely two gallants of this last Supply, and both proper Gentlemen. Straunge were these pleasures to their conditions; yet lodging, eating, and drinking, working or playing, they [were] but doing as the President did himselfe. All these things were carried so pleasantly as within a weeke they became Masters: making it their delight to heare the trees thunder as they fell; but the Axes so oft blistered their tender fingers that many times every third blow had a loud othe to droune the eccho; for remedie of which sinne, the President devised how to have every mans othes numbred, and at night for every othe to have a Cann of water poured doune his sleeve, with which every offender was so washed (himselfe and all) that a man should scarce heare an othe in a weeke.
By this, let no man thinke that the President and these Gentlemen spent their times as common Wood haggers at felling of trees, or such other like labour, or that they were pressed to it as hirelings, or common slaves; for what they did, after they were but once a little inured, it seemed ... onely as a pleasure and recreation: yet 30 or 40 of such voluntary Gentleman would doe more in a day than 100 of the rest that must be prest to it by compulsion; but twentie good workemen had beene better than them all.
20. Second Charter of Virginia; May 23/June 2, 1609
The text is printed in Stith's History of Virginia; cf. introduction to No. 16.
I.—[A recital of the grant of 1606.]