Pilgrimage, Book 8 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of VIRGINIA.
LEauing New France, let vsus draw nearer the Sunne to New Britaine, whose Virgin soile not yet polluted with Spaniards lust, by our late Virgin-Mother, was iustly called Virginia. Whether shall I here beginne with Elogies or Elegies? Whether shall I warble sweet Carolls in praise of thy louely Face, thou fairest of Virgins, which from our other Britaine-World, hath wonne thee Wooers and Suters, not such as Leander, whose loues the Poets hauehave blazed for swimming ouer the Straits betwixt Sestos and Abydus, to his louely Hero; but, which for thy sake hauehave for-saken their Mother-earth, encountered the most tempestuous forces of the Aire, and so often ploughed vp Neptunes Plaines, furrowing the angrie Ocean, and that to make thee of a ruder Virgin, not a wanton Minion; but, an honest and Christian Wife? Or shall I change my accent, and plaine mee (for I know not of whom, to whom, to complaine) of those disaduentures, which these thy louely Louers hauehave sustayned in secking thy louelove? What enuie, I know not, whether of Nature, willing to reserue this Nymph for the treasurie of her owne louelove, testified by the many and continuall presents of a temperate Clymate, fruitfull Soile, fresh and faire Streames, sweet and holsome Aire, except neare the shore (as if her iealous policie had prohibited forraine Suters:) or of the sauage Inhabitants, vnworthie to embrace with their rustike armes so sweet a bosome, and to appropriate with greatest disparagement so faire a Virgin to Sauage Loues: or haply some conceiued indignitie, that some Parents should thither send their most vnruly Sonnes, and that our Britannia should make her Virginian lap to bee the voider, for her lewder and more disordered Inhabitants, whose ill parts hauehave made distastfull those kinder Offices of other our Britan Worthies, which else had beene long since with greatest gladnesse, and the recompense of her selfe entertayned: Or whether it bee Virginian modestie, and after the vse of Virgins, shee would say nay at first, holding that louelove surest in continuance, which is hardest in obtayning: Whether any, or all of these, or what else hath hindered; hindered wee hauehave beene, and hauehave not yet obtayned the full fruition of her LoueLove, and possession of her gainefull Dowrie, which yet now (more then euer before) shee seemeth to promise, and doubtlesse will quickly performe, if niggardise at home doe not hinder. And should men bee niggardly in this aduenture, where Nabal must needes verifie his name, where keeping looseth, aduenturing promiseth so faire a purchase? Miserie of our times, that miserable men should here want what they alreadie hauehave, and refuse to hauehave there, at no rate, abundant supply to their too miserable feares of want. Lift vp your eyes and see that brightnesse of Virginia's beautie: which the Mountaines lift vp themselues alwayes with wilde smiles to behold, sending downe siluer streames to salute her, which powre themselues greedily into her louely lap, and after many winding embracements, loth to depart, are at last swallowed of a more mightie corriuall, the Ocean: Hee also sends Armies of Fishes to her coasts, to winne her LoueLove, euen of his best store, and that in store and abundance: the Mountaines out-bid the Ocean, in offering the secret store-houses of vndoubted mines: hee againe offereth pearles: and thus while they seeke to out-face each other with their puffed and bigge swollen cheekes, who shall get the Bride, the one laies hold on the Continent and detaines the same, maugre the Oceans furie, and hee againe hath gotten the Ilands all along the coast, which he guardeth and keepeth with his waterie Garrisons. Virginia, betwixt these two sower-faced Suters, is almost distracted, and easily would giuegive entertainement to English louelove, and accept a New Britan appellation, if her Husband be but furnished out at first in sorts and sutes, befitting her marriage solemnitie: all which her rich Dowrie would maintayne for euer after with aduantage.
And well may England …ourt her, rather then any other Europaean Louers, in regard of his long continued amitie, and first discouerie of her Lands and Seas: this by Sebastian Cabot with his English Mariners, a hundred and fifteene yeares since, and the other by Sir Walter Raleighs charge and direction, Anno Domini one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and foure.
Then, first of all Christians, did Master Philip Amadas, and Master Arthur Barlow, take possession in Queene Elizabeths name. The next yeare, that mirrour of Resolution, aHak. voiag. tom.3. pag.246. & d. Gaspar. Eus. hist. Ind. oc.l.3.c.23. Theodor. de Bry.Sir Richard Greenvile, conuaied thither an English Colonie, which hee there left for plantation, vnderunder the gouernement of Master Ralphe Lane, which there continued vntill the eighteenth of Iune in the yeare following, and then (vponupon some vrgent occasions) returned with Sir Francis Drake into England. Yet, had they staied but a little longer, a ship of Sir Walter Raleighs had supplyed their necessities: and soone after Sir Richard againe repayred thither with three ships, and then also left fifteene men more to keepe possession. In the yeare 1587. a second Colonie were sent vnderunder the gouernement of Master Iohn White. To their succour Sir Walter Raleigh hath sent fiue seuerall times, the last bBriefe Note of a Barke, &c. printed 1602.by Samuel Mace of Weymouth, in March one thousand six hundred and two, but hee and the former performed nothing, but returned with friuolous allegations. The same yeare, Captaine Bartholomew Gosnold, and Captaine Gilbert, discouecred the North parts of Virginia, of which voyage Iohn Brereton cIohn Brereton.hath written a Treatise. And in the yeare one thousand six hundred and fiue, Captaine George Waymouth made thither a prosperous voyage, and discouered threescore miles vp a most excellent Riuer. His voyage was set forth-in print by Iames dIames Rosier.Rosier.
After this followed the plantation by the present Aduenturers, in the yeare one thousand six hundred and six eRelat. Cap. Smith. M.S. & W.S. M.S., at which time a hundreth of our men were left there for the foundation of a New Britanian Common-wealth: and the East and West parts of England ioyned in one purpose of a two-fold plantation, in the North and South parts of Virginia.
True it is, that some emulations did euen then becloude that morning Starre, and some disastrous Comets did arise in that Hemisphaere, in place of better Starres, shining rather with combustion in ciuill broiles, and bralls, then comfortable illumination and influence to the common good: these disorders were attended with idlenesse of the most, sicknesse of many, and some dyed. A cleare skie did afterwards appeare in their agreement on the choise of Captaine Smith for their President, who hauing before fallen into the hands of the Virginians, had beene presented Prisoner to Powhatan, where hee tooke aduantage by that disaduantage, to acquaint himselfe with the State and condition of the Countrie and Inhabitants.
The Sauages were now in good termes with the English, their plantation at Iames Towne where they had built a Church and many Houses, in some reasonable manner flourished; the Countrie was with great paines and perills of the President further discouered; their Swine, Hennes, and other prouision, nourished; and some quantitie of many commodities, as Furres, Dies, Mineralls, Sassafrasse, Sturgeon, and other thinges sent hither, in testimonie of their industrie and successe. And (not to mention other supplies,) Virginia grew now in such request *New life of Virginia., that nine Ships were furnished with the better part of fiue hundred men, to inhabite there, in the yeare one thousand six hundred and nine.
Sir Thomas Gates was appointed Lieutenant Generall; Sir George Sommers Admirall of Virginia, and were sent to reside there as Gouernours of the Colonie. But the Sea Venture, wherein the two Knights, and Captaine Newport, with a hundred and fiftie persons sayled, after long conflict with the two angrie Elements, was sent to be imprisoned in Bermuda, where betweene two Rocks the Ship split, the people escaping to Land. In the meane time gMan Script. W.….ex. lit. maol. torum.the other three ships had landed their men in Virginia, some of whom were such as had beene the emulous and enuious corriualls of the President, which they then beganne to shew: and to second the same, a greater hurt by gunne-powder befell him, which forced him for his recouerie to set sayle for England, after he had liued there three yeares, maintayning himselfe and his that time principally, with such foode as the Countrie yeelded. Hee saith, he left behinde at his returne fiue hundred men and women, three ships, seuen boats, two hundred expert Souldiers, thirtie nine of their Weroances or Kings as Subiects and contributers to the English, so farre subiect, that at his command they hauehave sent their subiects to Iames Towne, to receiue correction at his appointment for wrongs done; and their Countries were free to the English for trauell or trade. But necessitie forced him to leaue the Countrie, which it forced the other appointed Gouernours not to finde. Hine illae lachrymae. Hence proceeded the disorder and confusion which after hapned amongst them. A great body was here, which acknowledged no head, and therefore grew vnweldie and distempered. Some sought for rule ouer others, which were ouer-ruled by vnruly passions of Ambition, and faction in themselues: others sought their ease, except sometimes they were ouer-busie in diseasing others, and deuouring that which others had carefully laboured for: Ruine seiseth on the Church, Rapine makes prey and spoile of the goods; Rauine deuoureth their beasts; Famine consumeth the men; Iniuries make the Indians their enemies; two of the ships perish vponupon Vshant, and one man alone was left to bring home newes of their perishing: the rest returne laden with letters of discouragement, painting our Famine, Sedition, and other Furies, which had broken loose amongst them, in the blackest colours: which were sealed with report of the losse of their Admirall, to make vp the measure of mischiefe.
All this did not daunt the Noble spirit of hLord de la Warre.that Resolute Lord, appointed Lord Gouernour, who in the beginning of Aprill one thousand six hundred and ten, set sayle from the coast of England, and on the ninth of Iune arriued safely at the disfortified Fort in Virginia, where hee found the present State like to the Boxe iNat. Com. Mytholog.l.4.c.6of Pandora, which Epimetheus had opened, and suffered all euill to flie out, reseruing only Hope, which he shut fast in the bottome.
All euills had now dispersed themselues, and made the Virginian Colonie a stage of Miserie: only Hope remained. But alas euen that also proued sick, and was readie to giuegive vp the Ghost, in the dangerous sicknesse, which befell that Noble kRelation to the Councell of Virginia by the Lord de la Warre. 1611.Lord, which forced him after eight Moneths sicknesse, to returne for England againe. Hee shipped himselfe indeede for Meuis, an Iland in the West Indies, famous for wholsome Bathes, but by Southerly windes was compelled to change his purpose, and at last to make home: hauing left Deputie Gouernor Captaine George Pearcie, a Gentleman of honour and resolution, with vpward of two hundred persons.
Almightie God that had thus farre tryed the patience of the English, would not suffer them to bee tempted aboue that they were able: and therefore in his secret prouidence, before any knowledge was here had of his Lordships sicknesse, had ordayned that Sir Thomas Dale should be furnisht out with a good supply of three ships, Men, Cattell, and many prouisions, all which arriued safe at the Colonie the tenth of May, one thousand six hundred and eleuen. Hee by his Letters, and the Lord Gouernour by his Relations, did animate the Aduenturers; the one protesting himselfe willing and readie to lay all that he was worth vponupon the aduenture of the action, rather then so honourable a worke should faile, and to returne with all conuenient expedition, if their friendly indeauours would therein second his resolutions: the other lSir Thomas Dales letter to the Cōmitties.writing that foure of the best Kingdomes in Christendome, put all together, may no way compare with this Countrie, either for commodities or goodnesse of soile. This sparke kindled in their hearts such constancie of zeale and forwardnesse, that they furnished out Sir Thomas Gates, (who had happily returned with the rest from Bermudas) with six ships, three hundred men, and a hundred Kine, with other Cattell, Munition, and prouision of all sorts.
Sir Thomas Dale, hauing newes that it was a fleet of enemies, prepared himselfe and the rest to an encounter, but it ended with a common ioy, in the shaking of hands, and not of Pikes. Lawes are now made (for lawlesnesse had marred so much before) for the honour of God, frequenting the Church, obseruation of the Sabbath, reuerence to Ministers, obedience to Superiours, mutuall louelove, honest labours, and against adulterie, sactilege, wrong, and other vices, harbengers of Gods wrath and mans destruction. The Colonie consisted of seuen hundred men of sundrie arts and professions (few of them sick) which hauing left the Fort at Cape Henrie fortified and kept by Captaine Dauies, and the keeping of Iames Towne, to that noble and well deseruing Gentleman Master George Pearcie, is remoued vp the Riuer fourescore miles further beyond Iames Towne, to a place of higher ground, strong and defencible by nature, with good aire, plentie of Springs, much faire and open grounds freed from woods, and wood enough at hand. Here they burnt bricks, cut downe wood, and eueryevery man falls to somewhat: they hauehave built, they say, competent houses, the first storie all of brick, that eueryevery man may hauehave his lodging and dwelling by himselfe, with a sufficient quantitie of ground allotted thereto. Here also they were building an Hospitall with fourescore lodgings, and beds alreadie sent, for the sicke and lame, as the booke, called the New life of Virginia, relateth.
Thus hauehave I beene bold somewhat largely to relate the proceedings of this Plantation, to supplant such slanders and imputations as some hauehave conceiued or receiued against it, and to excite the diligence and industrie of all men of abilitie, to put to their helping hand in this action, so honourable in it selfe, glorious to God in the furtherance of his truth, and beneficiall to the common-wealth, and to the priuate purses of the Aduenturers, if the blooming of our hopes bee not blasted with our negligence.
For the description of the Countrie; Master Hakluyt from others relations in his third Volume of voyages hath written largely of those parts, discouered for Sir Walter Raleigh. Concerning the later, Captaine Iohn Smith, partly by word of mouth, partly by his Mappe thereof in print, and more fully by a Manuscript which hee courteously communicated to mee, hath acquainted me with that whereof himselfe with great perill and paine, had beene the discouerer, being in his discoueries taken Prisoner, and escaping their furie, yea receiuing much honour and admiration amongst them, by reason of his discourses to them of the motion of the Sunne, of the parts of the World, of the Sea, &c. which was occasioned by a Dyall then found about him. They carryed him prisoner to Powhatan, and there beganne the English acquaintance with that Sauage Emperour.
The summe of his obseruation in that and other discoueries since, concerning the Countrie, is this. Virginia is situate betweene foure and thirtie and foure and fortie degrees of Notherly latitude; the bounds whereof on the East side are the great Ocean, Florida on the South, on the North Noua Francia: the Westerne limits are vnknowne. But that part which beganne to bee planted by the English, in the yeare one thousand six hundred and six, is vnderunder the degrees seuen and thirtie, eight and thirtie, and nine and thirtie.
The temperature agreeth with English bodies, not by other meanes distempered. The Sommer is hot as in Spaine, the Winter cold as in France and England: certayne coole Brizes doe asswage the vehemencie of the heat. The great Frost in the yeare one thousand six hundred and seuen reached to Virginia, but was recompenced with as mild a Winter with them the next yeare.
There is but one entrance by Sea into this Countrie, and that at the mouth of a very goodly Bay. The Capes on both sides are honoured with the names of our Britanian hopes, Prince Henrie, and Duke Charles; lightsome and delightsome rayes of that Sunne which shineth from this elder to that New Britania. The water floweth in this Bay neare two hundred miles, and hath a channell, for a hundred and fortie miles, of depth, betwixt seuen and fifteene fadome; of breadth, ten or fourteene miles. At the head of the Bay, the Land is Mountainous, and so runneth by a South west line: from which Mountaines proceede certaine brookes which after come to fiue principall Nauigable Riuers. The Mountaines are of diuers compositions, some like milstones, some of marble: and many peeces of crystall they found throwne downe by the waters, which also wash from the Rocks such glistering Tinctures, that the ground in some places seemeth gilded.
The colour of the earth in diuers places resembleth bole Armoniac, terra sigillata, and other such apparences: but generally is a black sandie mold. The Riuer next to the mouth of the Bay is Powhatan, the mouth whereof is neare three miles broade: it is Nauigable a hundred miles: falls, rocks, sholds, prohibite further Nauigation: hence Powhatan their greatest King hath his Title. In a Peninsula on the North-side thereof is situate Iames Towne.
The people inhabiting which hauehave their Weroances, are the Kecoughtans, which hauehave not past twentie fighting men. The Paspaheghes, hauehave fortie. Chichahamania, two hundred. The Weanocks, a hundred. The Arrowhatocks, thirtie. The Place called Powhatan, fortie. The Appamatucks, threescore. The Quryoughcohanocks, fiue and twentie. The Warraskoyacks, fortie. The Nandsam…nds, two hundred. The Chesapeacks, a hundred. The Chickahama…ians are not gouerned by a Weroance, but by the Priests. No place affordeth more Sturgeon in Sommer, (of which at one draught hauehave beene taken threescore and eight) nor in Winter more Fowle. Fourteene miles from Powhatan is the Riuer Pamaunk, nauigable with greater Vessells, not aboue threescore and ten miles. Toppahanock is nauigable a hundred and thirtie miles; Patamomeke, a hundred and twentie. To speake of Powtuxunt, Bolus, and other Riuers on the East side of the Bay: likewise, of diuers places which receiued name by some accident, as Fetherstones Bay, so called of the death of one of ours there happening, and the like: or to mention the numbers which eueryevery people can make, would exceede our scope, and the Readers patience. Captaine Smiths Mappe may somewhat satisfie the desirous, and his booke when it shall bee printed, further. This the Captaine saith, that hee hath beene in many places of Asia and Europe, in some of Africa and America, but of all, holds Virginia by the naturall endowments, the fittest place for an earthly Paradise. Master Thomas Hariot mHak.vol.3. p.267. Theod.de Bry. 1.part.Americae.hath largely described the commodities which the Water and Earth yeeld (set forth also in Latin with exquisite pictures by Theodore de Bry) in the relations of Brereton & Rosier, and others.
There is a grasse which yeeldeth silke, beside tht store of silke-wormes. Hemp and Flax surpassing ours in growth and goodnesse, exceeded by a new-found stuffe of a certaine sedge or water-flagge, which groweth infinitely, and with little paines of boiling yeeldeth great quantitie of sundrie sorts of skeines of good strength and length, some like silke, and some like flax, and some a courser sort, as hemp.
There is also a rich veine of Allum, of Terra Sigillata, Pitch, Tarre, Rozen, Turpentine, Sassafras, Cedar, Grapes, Oile, Yron, Copper, and the hope of better Mines, Pearle, sweet Gummes, Dies, timber Trees of sweet wood for profit and pleasure, of which kinde hauehave beene discouered foureteene seuerall kinds. Neither is it needfull that here I relate the commodities of Virginia for food in Fowles, Beasts, Fishes, Fruits, Plants, Hearbs, Beries, Graines, especially their Maiz, which yeeldeth incredible recompence for a little labour. One acre of ground will yeeld with good husbandrie two hundred bushels of corne. They hauehave two rootes nCap.Smith.M.S.; the one for medicinall vse to cure their hurts, called Weighsacan, the other called Tockawhough, growing like a flagge, of the greatnesse and tast of a Potato, which passeth a fierie purgation before they may eate it, being poison whiles it is raw. Yet in all this abundance our men hauehave had small store but of want, and no fire nor water could purge that poyson which was rooted in some, to the hinderance of the plantation. Idlenesse in the vulgar, emulation, ambition, and couetousnesse in some of the greater, treacherie in some fugitiues, all these ayming more at their owne ends then at the common good, hauehave from the beginning (I pray God it be, and I hope now is, ended) beene the poison to this honourable plantation.
The chiefe beasts of Virginia are Beares, lesse then those in other places, Deare like ours, Aroughcun much like a Badger, but liuing on trees like a Squirrell: Squirrells, as bigge as Rabbets, and other flying Squirrells, called Assapanick, which spreading out their legges and skinnes seeme to flie thirtie or fortie yards at a time. The Ouassom hath a head like a Swine, a taile like a Rat, as bigge as a Cat, and hath vnderunder her belly a bagge wherein shee carryeth her yong. Their Dogges barke not, their Wolues are not much bigger then our Foxes, their Foxes are like our siluer-haired Conies, and smell not like ours. They hauehave Eagles, Haukes, wild Turkeys, and other Fowle, and Fish, which here to repeat would to some nice fastidious stomacks breede a fullnesse.
They are a people oTho Hariot.clothed with loose mantles made of Deere skinnes, and aprons of the same, round about their middles, all else naked: of stature like to vsus in England. They vse to paint themselues, and their children, he is the most gallant which is most monstrous. Their women imbroder their legges, handes, &c. with diuers workes, as of Serpents, and such like, with blacke spots in the flesh.
Their houses are made of small poles, made fast at the top, in round forme, as is vsed in many arbours with vsus: couered with barkes or mats, twice as long as they are broade.