Samuel Argall first visited Virginia in 1609, when he demonstrated the possibility of making the voyage from England by a more direct route than that by way of the Azores and the West Indies. For the next decade Argall was constantly associated with the affairs of the Jamestown colony. In 1610 he reached the settlement with supplies and recruits from England barely in time to prevent its abandonment. As the provisions which he brought afforded only a temporary relief, he started off at once for the Bermudas. His experiences during the voyage are told in his journal, which is here reprinted from the fourth volume of “Purchas his Pilgrimes,” printed at London in 1625.
Argall made two more voyages to the New England coast in 1613, first to investigate the reports that the French were making settlements on Mount Desert and at the mouth of the St. Croix River, and then to complete the destruction of the houses and fortifications begun by the French. For reasons of policy, it may be, no detailed accounts of these later voyages appear to have been preserved.
THE VOYAGE OF Captaine Samvel Argal, from Iames Towne in Virginia, to seek the Ile of Bermuda, and missing the same, his putting ouer toward Sagadahoc and Cape Cod, and so backe againe to Iames Towne, begun the nineteenth of Iune, 1610.
SIR GEORGE SUMMERS, being bound for the Ile of Bermuda with two Pinnaces, 1610 Junethe one called the Patience, wherein he sailed himselfe, set saile from Iames Towne in Virginia, the ninteenth of Iune, 1610. The two and twentieth at noone we came to an anchor at Cape Henry, to take more balast. The weather proued very wet: so wee road vnder the Cape till two of the clocke, the three and twentieth in the morning. Then we weighed and stood off to Sea, the wind at South-west. And till eight of the clocke at night it was all Southerly, and then that shifted to South-west. The Cape then bearing West, about eight leagues off. Then wee stirred Steeredaway South-east. The foure and twentieth, at noone I obserued the Sunne, and found my selfe to bee in thirtie sixe degrees, fortie seuen minutes, about twentie leagues off from the Land. From the foure and twentieth at noone, to the fiue and twentieth at noone, sixe leagues East, the wind Southerly, but for the most part it was calme. From the fiue and twentieth at noone, to the sixe and twentieth about sixe of the clocke in the morning, the winde was all Southerly, and but little. And then it beganne to blow a fresh gale at West South-west. So by noone I had sailed fourteene leagues East, South-east pricked. From the sixe and twentieth at noone, to the seuen and twentieth at noone, twentie leagues East, South-east. The wind shifting from the West, South-west Southerly, and so to the East, and the weather faire, but close. From the seuen and twentieth at noone, to the eight and twentieth at noone, sixe and twentie leagues East, South-east, the wind shifting backe againe from the East to the West. Then by mine obseruation I found the ship to be in thirtie fiue degrees fiftie foure minutes. From the eight and twentieth at noone, to the nine and twentieth at noone, thirtie sixe leagues East by South, the wind at West, North-west. Then by my obseruation I found the ship to be in thirtie fiue degrees, thirtie minutes pricked. From the nine and twentieth at noone to the thirtieth at noone, thirtie fiue leagues East, South-east. The winde shifting betweene West, North-west, and West, South-west, blowing a good fresh gale. Then by my obseruation I found the ship to be in thirtie foure degrees, fortie nine minutes pricked. From the thirtieth of Iune at noone, to the first of Iuly at noone, thirtie leagues South-east by East, the winde at west, then I found the ship in thirtie foure degrees pricked.
From the first of Iuly at noone, Julyto the second at noon, twentie leagues East, South-east southerly, the wind West, then I found the ship to bee in thirtie three degrees, thirtie minutes pricked, the weather very faire. From the second at noone, to the third at foure of the clocke in the afternoone it was calme, then it beganne to blow a resonable fresh gale at South-east: so I made account that the ship had driuen about sixe leagues in that time East. The Sea did set all about the West. From that time to the fourth at noone, seuenteen leagues East by North, the wind shifting betweene South-east and South South-west, then I found the ship to bee in thirtie three degrees, fortie minutes, the weather continued very faire. From the fourth at noone, to the fifth at noone, ten leagues South-east, the wind and weather as before, then I found the ship to be in thirtie three degrees, seuenteene minutes pricked. From the fift at noone, to the sixt at noone, eight leagues South-west, then I found the ship to be in thirtie two degrees, fiftie seuen minutes pricked; the wind and weather continued as before, only we had a small showre or two of raine. From the sixt at noone, to the seuenth at noone, seuenteene leagues East by North, then I found the ship to be in thirtie three degrees, the wind and weather as before. From the seuenth at noon, to the eight at noone, fourteene leagues North-east, then I found the ship to be in thirtie three degrees, thirtie two minutes, the wind and weather continued as before. From the eight at noon to the ninth at noone, fiue leagues South-east, there I found the ship to be in thirtie three degrees, twentie one minutes, the wind at South-west, the weather very faire. From the ninth at noone, to the tenth at noone, fiue leagues South, the wind westerly; but for the most part it was calme, and the weather very faire. From the tenth at noone, to the eleuenth at noone it was calme, and so continued vntill nine of the clocke the same night, then it began to blow a reasonable fresh gale at South-east, and continued all that night betweene South-east and South, and vntill the twelfth day at noone: by which time I had sailed fifteene leagues West southerly: then I found the ship in thirtie three degrees, thirtie minutes. From that time to foure of the clock the twelfth day in the morning twelue leagues West by North, the wind all southerly, and then it shifted betweene South and South-west, then wee tacked about and stood South-east, and South-east by South: so by noone I had sayled fiue leagues South-east by East; then I found the ship in thirtie three degrees ten minutes. From the thirteenth at noone, to the fourteenth at noone, twenty leagues South-east by East, the wind shifting betweene the South-west, and West South-west, then I found the ship to be in thirtie two degrees, thirtie fiue minutes. From the fourteenth at noone, to the fifteenth at noone, twentie leagues South-east, then I found the ship to be in thirty two degrees, the wind as before: then we tacked about, and lay North-west by West. From the fifteenth at noone, to the sixteenth at noone, twelue leagues North by West, the wind shifting betweene South-west and West, and the weather very stormy, with many sudden gusts of wind and rayne.