This year Mr. William Pierce came over and brought goods and passengers in a ship called the Lyon which belonged chiefly to Mr. Sherley and the rest of the London partners, those here having nothing to do with her. Besides some beaver which they had sent home earlier in the year, they sent in this ship upwards of £800 worth, and some otter skins. They sent, also, copies of Mr. Allerton’s accounts, requesting them to examine them and rectify such things as they should find amiss in them, as they were better acquainted with the goods bought and the disbursements made there, than they could be here. With these they sent a book of exceptions to his accounts, where they could specify them, and did not doubt but they in England might add to them. They showed them how much Mr. Allerton was debtor to the general account, and as they had now put the ship White Angel wholly in his control and had tied their hands here, they requested them to call him to account. But it pleased God that the ship taking these papers, on her way to Virginia before going home, was wrecked on the coast not far from Virginia and their cargo was lost. This was the first loss they had sustained of that kind. But Mr. Pierce and the men saved their lives, and also the letters, and got to Virginia and so safely home. Copies of the accounts were therefore sent over again to England.
The following is part of Mr. Pierce’s letter from Virginia. It was dated Dec. 25th, 1632, and came to their hands on April 7th, before they had heard anything from England:
William Pierce in Virginia to the New Plymouth Colony:
Dear Friends,
The news of this fatal stroke that the Lord has brought upon me and you will probably come to your ears before this comes to your hands, and therefore I need not enlarge on particulars, etc. Almost all my worldly belongings have been take away,—and yours also in a great measure, by this and your various former losses. It is time to look about us, before the wrath of the Lord break forth in utter destruction. The good Lord give us all grace to search our hearts and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord and humble ourselves under His mighty hand and seek atonement.... Dear friends, know that all your beaver and books of account are swallowed up in the sea; your letters remain with me and shall be delivered if God bring me home. But what more should I say? By this we have lost our worldly goods—yet a happy loss if our souls are the gainers. There is more in the Lord Jehovah than ever we had in this world. O that our foolish hearts could be weaned from things here below, which are vanity and vexation of spirit; and yet we fools catch after shadows that fly away and are gone in a moment!... Thus with my continual remembrance of you in my poor desires to the Throne of Grace, beseeching God to renew His love and favour towards you all, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, both in spiritual and temporal good things, as may be most to the glory and praise of His name and your everlasting good, so I rest,
Your afflicted brother in Christ,
WILLIAM PIERCE.
Virginia, Dec. 25th, 1632.
CHAPTER XIV
Trouble about the accounts of the Partnership—Roger Williams—Establishment of a trading-house on the Connecticut River—Trouble with the Dutch there—Fever at New Plymouth—Scourge of Flies: 1633.