General, Lord Delaware, did not fail with this fleet; but waited till the next year, to go with a further fupply. The names of the thips and their commanders were as follow. The Sea-Adventure, Admiral Sir George The Diamond, Captain Radcliffe and Cap- The Falcon, Captain Martin and Master The Bleffing, Gabriel Archer and Captain The Unity, Captain Wood and Master Pett. The Swallow, Captain Moone and Master The fleet was attended by two smaller veffels, one of which was a ketch, commanded by Matthew Fitch, the other a pinnace, in which went Captain Davies and Mafter Davies.* This fleet failed from Plymouth on the fecond day of June, 1609. Though their orders were not to go by the old route of the Canaries and the Weft-Indies, but to fteer. directly *Purchas, v. 1733. directly for Virginia, yet they went as far fouthward as the twenty-fixth degree of latitude; where the heat was fo exceffive, that' many of the people were taken with calentures. In two fhips, thirty-two persons died; others fuffered severely, and one veffel only was free from fickness. The whole fleet kept company till the twenty-fourth of July, when they supposed themselves to be within eight days fail of Virginia, ftretching to the north-west, and croffing the Gulf Stream. On that day, began a violent tempeft from the north-east, accompanied with a horrid darkness, which continued forty-four hours. In this gale the fleet was fcattered. The Admiral's fhip, on board of which was the Commiffion for the new Government, with the three principal officers, was wrecked on the ifland of Bermuda. The ketch foundered at fea. The remainder, much damaged and diftreffed, arrived one after another in James River, about the middle of Auguft. The provifions brought by these ships were infufficient for the Colony and the pasfengers. This deficiency proved very detrimental, and occafioned the miferies and reproaches D proaches which have been already mentioned. The space of ten months from August 1609, to the arrival of Lord Delaware, in June 1610, was known in Virginia for many years after, by the name of "the ftarving time." But the want of provifion was not the only deficiency; there was a total want of principle and of order. Of the company who arrived at this time, the following description is given by a native Virginian.* "A great part of them confifted of unruly sparks, packed off, by their friends, to escape a worse destiny at home. The reft were chiefly made up of poor gentlemen, broken tradefmen, rakes and libertines, footmen, and fuch others as were much fitter to ruin a Commonwealth than to help to raise or maintain one. This lewd company were led by their feditious Captains into many mischiefs and extravagancies. They affumed the power of difpofing of the Government; and conferred it sometimes on one, and sometimes on another. To day the old Commiffion must rule, to-morrow the new, and the next day neither. All was anarchy and distraction." Stith, 103. Such Such being the character of the people, there could not have been any great hope of fuccefs, if the whole fleet had arrived in fafety. The Admiral's fhip had on board a great quantity of provifion. She was separated from the fleet in the storm, and sprang a leak at sea, fo that with conftant pumping and bailing, they could fcarcely keep her above water for three days and four nights; during which time Sir George Somers did not once leave the quarter-deck. The crew, worn out with fatigue and despairing of life, broached the ftrong liquors, and took leave of each other with an inebriating draught, till many of them fell asleep. In this dreadful extremity, Sir George discovered land; the news of which awoke and revived them, and every man exerted himself to do his duty. At length the ship struck ground in fuch a pofition between two rocks, at the distance of half a mile from the shore, that the people and a great part of the cargo were fafely landed. The Bermuda Iflands were uninhabited, and had the reputation of being enchanted,* But * "Whereas it is reported that this land of Bermudas, with the islands about it, are enchanted and kept by evil and But when the people were on fhore they found the air pure and falubrious, and fruits of various kinds growing in luxuriant plenty and perfection. The fhore was covered with tortoifes, the fea abounded with fish, and in the woods they found wild hogs, which it is fuppofed had escaped from fome veffel wrecked on the ifland. Here they remained nine months. The two fenior officers lived apart, and each, with the affistance of the men, built a veffel of the cedars which grew on the island, and the iron and cordage faved from the wreck, Sir George Somers laboured with his own hands every day till his veffel was completed, One of thefe veffels was called the Patience, the other the Deliverance. It is remarked,* that during their abode on this ifland, they had morning and evening prayers daily; divine fervice was performed and two fermons were preached every Lord's day, by their Chaplain Mr. Bucke. and wicked fpirits; it is a moft idle and false report. God grant that we have brought no wicked spirits with us, or that there come none after us; for we found nothing there fo ill as ourselves." Jordan's News from Bermudas, 1613. * Purchas, v. 1746. |