The Governor-General and some of his suite soon returned to England, having scarcely saluted the country put under his government, as he did not find the state of things here correspond to his station and way of life. The people dispersed; some went to England, others to Virginia, some few remained and were helped with supplies from here. The Governor-General had brought over a minister of religion with him, one Mr. Morrell, who, about a year after his return, took shipping from here. He had I know not what power and authority of superintendence over other churches granted him, and sundry instructions to that end; but he never showed it or made use of it. It seems he saw it was in vain, and he only spoke of it to some here at his departure. This was the end of the second settlement there. This year there were also some scattered beginnings made in other places, as at Piscataqua by Mr. David Thomson, at Monhegan and some other places by several others.
It remains now for me to speak a word about the pinnace mentioned before, sent by the adventurers to be employed in the country. She was a fine vessel, and bravely fitted out; but I fear the adventurers were over proud of her, for she had ill success. However, they made a great mistake about two things in her. First, though she had a competent master, she was badly manned, and all the crew were upon shares, and none were to receive any wages but the captain. Secondly, though mainly busied with trade, they had sent nothing of any value to trade with. When they came over they received bad advice from Mr. Weston and others of the same stamp, until neither the captain nor the governor could control them, for they declared that they were abused and deceived; that they were told they would sail as a man of war, and take I know not whom,—French, Spaniards, etc. They would neither trade nor fish without wages; in fine, they would obey no orders of the captain, and it was feared they would either make away with the vessel, or get off on the other ships and abandon her. So Mr. Pierce and other friends persuaded the Governor to change their conditions, and give them wages; which was accordingly done. Then the vessel was sent about the Cape to the Narragansetts to trade, but they made a poor voyage of it. They got some corn and beaver, but the Dutch had been used to trade with cloth, and better commodities, and these had only a few beads and knives, which were not valued by the Indians. On her return home, at the very entrance into her own harbour, she was almost wrecked in a storm, and was forced to cut her main mast by the board, to save herself from driving onto the flats that lie outside, called Brown Islands, the force of the gale being so great that her anchors gave way, and she was being driven right upon them; but when her mast and tackling were gone, they were able to hold her till the wind shifted.
CHAPTER V
Changes in form of Government—Pinnace wrecked—Private Settlers make trouble—Winslow returns from England with the first Cattle—Faction among Adventurers in England—Objections of the Colony’s opponents—Letters from John Robinson—Opposition to sending the Leyden people—One acre apportioned for permanent holding to each Settler—Ship-building and Salt-making—Trouble with Lyford and Oldham—Pinnace salvaged and rigged: 1624.
The time for the election of the officers for the year having come, the number of people having increased and the business of government accordingly, the Governor desired them to change the officials and renew the election and give the Governor more assistants for his help and advice, pointing out that if it was an honour or advantage it was only fit that others should share it; if it was a burden,—as doubtless it was,—it was but fair that others should help to bear it, and that this, in fact, was the purpose of the annual elections. The outcome was that whereas before there had been only one assistant they now chose five, giving the Governor a double voice; and afterwards they increased them to seven. This plan has been continued to this day.
Having at some trouble and expense new-masted and rigged their pinnace, in the beginning of March they sent her well-victualed to the eastward, fishing. She arrived safely at a place called Damariscove, and was well harboured where ships were accustomed to anchor, with some other ships from England, already there. But shortly after there arose such a violent and extraordinary storm, that the seas broke into the harbour in a way that had never been known before, and drove her against great rocks, which beat such a hole in her bulk that a horse and cart might have been driven through, and then she drifted into deep water, where she lay sunk. The captain was drowned; the rest of the men, except one, with difficulty saved their lives; all her provisions, salt, etc., were lost. And here I must leave her to lie till afterwards.
Some of those who still remained here on private venture, began secretly to plot, in league with a strong faction of the adventurers in England, on whom several of them depended. By their whisperings they drew some of the weaker members of the colony itself to their side, and made them so discontented that at last nothing would satisfy them but that they might be allowed to be on their own resources also, and even made large offers to be freed from the community. The Governor consulted with the ablest members of the colony, and it was decided to permit them to separate on the same terms as the other private settlers, with the additional stipulation that they should be bound to remain here till the general partnership was concluded; and that they should pay into the common store one half of all the goods and commodities they might accumulate beyond their food, in consideration of expenses already incurred for them; and some other similar details. When this liberty was granted the defection soon stopped, for but few took this course when they came to consider it, and the rest soon wearied of it. It turned out that they had been told by the other private settlers and Mr. Weston that no more supplies would be sent to the general body, but that the private settlers had friends at home who would do I know not what for them.
Shortly after, Mr. Winslow returned from England and brought a pretty good supply of provisions, with a ship sent for fishing,—an enterprise never successful with the colony. He brought three heifers and a bull,—the first cattle in the country,—some clothing and other necessaries. He reported a strong faction amongst the adventurers against the colonists, and especially against sending the rest from Leyden. He related with what difficulty the present supply was procured, and that by their strong and long opposition his departure had been so delayed that not only had they now arrived too late for the fishing season here, but the best fishermen had gone to the west country and he was forced to take the best captain and crew he could procure. Some letters from the adventurers will make these things clearer.
James Sherley in England to the Settlers at New Plymouth: