The causes of these alterations are as follows: First and mainly, the many losses and crosses at sea and the abuses of seamen have incurred such heavy expenses for us that we could not continue without impoverishing ourselves, unless our means had been greater and our associates had stuck together. Secondly, there has been a faction against you, which, though influenced to abandon you mainly for want of money, pretended to charge you with being Brownists, etc. But how you or we ought to turn all this to account remains to be considered; for we know the hand of God to be in all these things, and no doubt He would admonish us hereby to see what is amiss.
While we ourselves are ready to take every opportunity to further so hopeful an enterprise, it must rest with you to put it on its feet again. And whatever else may be said, let your honesty and conscience remain approved, and lose no jot of your innocence amidst your crosses and afflictions; and surely if you behave yourselves wisely and go on fairly, you will need no other weapon to wound your adversaries; for when your righteousness is revealed as the light, they, who have causelessly sought your overthrow, shall cover their faces with shame.
We think it only right that everything belonging to the common stock shall be kept together and increased, rather than dispersed for any private ends whatever; and that after your necessities are met, you shall send over such commodities as the country affords, to pay the debts and clear the engagements here, which amount to not less than £1400. Let us all endeavour to keep an honest course, and see what time will bring forth, and what God in His providence will work for us. We are still convinced that you are the people who must make the settlement a success when all others fail and return; and your experience of God’s providence and preservation of you is such that we hope your hearts will not fail you, though your friends should forsake you,—which we ourselves will not do whilst we live and your honesty of purpose remains unchanged.
We have sent you some cattle, clothes, stockings, shoes, leather, etc. We have consigned them to Mr. Allerton and Mr. Winslow as our agents, at whose discretion they are to be sold in exchange for commodities. Go on, good friends, comfortably; pluck up your spirits and quit yourselves like men in all your difficulties, that, notwithstanding all the threats of men, your good work may continue; for in as much as it is for the glory of God and the good of our countrymen, it is a better course for a man to run than to live the life of Methuselah in wasting the plenty of a tilled land or eating the fruit of a grown tree.
With hearty salutations to you all, and hearty prayers for you all, we lovingly take our leaves, this 18th of Dec., 1624.
Your assured friends to our power,
J. S. W. C. T. F. R. H. etc.
This letter shows the state of affairs of the colony at this time. They bought the goods, but at dear rates. The adventurers put 40% on them for profit and risk outward bound; and for risk on the goods sent back in payment, homeward bound, they added another 30%,—in all 70 per cent. This seemed unreasonable to some, and too oppressive, considering the case of the purchasers. The cattle were most valuable; the other things were neither of the best quality nor at the best prices.
They also sent over two fishing ships on their own account. One was the pinnace, which was wrecked the previous year here, and saved by the planters, and which, after she reached home, was attached by one of the company for a private debt, and had now been sent out again on his account. The other was a large ship, well fitted, with an experienced captain and crew of fishermen, to make a fishing cruise, and then to go to Bilbao or Sebastian to sell her fish. The pinnace was ordered to load with codfish, and to bring home to England the beaver received for the goods sold to the plantation. This big ship was well laden with good dry fish, which at market prices would have yielded £1800. But as there was a rumour of war with France, the captain feared to carry out his orders, and on getting over, put first into Plymouth, and afterwards into Portsmouth, and so met with a heavy loss, being obliged to sell at lower prices. The pinnace met with no better success. She was laden with a cargo of codfish caught on the banks, as full as she could float; and besides she had some 800 lbs. of beaver, as well as other furs to a good value, from the plantation. The captain seeing so much lading, wished to put aboard the bigger ship, for greater safety; but as Mr. Winslow, their agent in the business, was bound in a bond of £500 to send it to London in the small ship, there was some discussion between the captain and him about it. But he told the captain he must obey his orders about it, or ignore them at his peril. So the furs went in the small ship, and he sent bills of lading in both. The captain of the big ship was so careful, both vessels being so well-laden, that he towed the small ship at his stern all the way over. So they went joyfully home together, and had such fine weather that he never cast her off till they were well within the England channel, almost in sight of Plymouth. But even there she was unhappily taken by a Turkish man of war, and carried off to Saller, where the captain and crew were made slaves, and many of the beaver skins were sold for 4d. a piece. Thus all their hopes were dashed, and the joyful news they meant to carry home was turned to heavy tidings. Some thought this was the hand of God in punishment for their too great exaction of the poor colony; but God’s judgments are unsearchable, nor dare I make bold with them. However, it shows us the uncertainty of all human things, and how foolish it is to take pleasure in them or trust to them.
In the big ship Captain Standish was sent over from the settlement, with instructions and letters both to their friends of the company and to the honourable Council of New England. They requested the company, since they only meant to let them have goods for sale, that they might have them upon easier terms, as they would never be able to bear such high interest or allow so much per cent; and that they should send goods which were useful and suitable to them. They wished the company to be informed of the contents of the letter to the Council of New England. This letter sought the Council’s favour and help, and asked that the adventurers who had forsaken them might be brought to order and not keep the colony bound while they themselves went free; and that they might either stand by their former agreement, or else reach some fair conclusion by dividend or composition. But he arrived at a very bad time, for the country was full of trouble, and the plague very deadly in London, so that no business could be done. However, he spoke with some of the honoured Council, who promised all possible help to the colony. Several of the friendly adventurers were so reduced by their losses last year, and now by the ship taken by the Turks, and the decreased profits on their fish, and such multitudes in London were dying weekly of the plague, that all trade was dead and little money was available; so that with great difficulty he raised £150 (and spent a good deal of it in expenses) at 50 per cent, which he expended on trading goods and such other commodities as he knew they needed. He returned as passenger on a fishing ship, having made good preparations for the settlement that was afterwards made with the adventurers.