Various

“ The first Plantation in Virginia consisted of one hundred persons, so slenderly provided for that before they had remained halfe a yeare in this new Collony they fell into extreame want, not havinge anything left to sustein them save a little ill conditioned Barley, which ground to meal & pottage made thereof, one smale ladle full was allowed each person for a meale, without bread or aught else whatsoever, so that had not God, by his great providence, moved the Indians, then our utter enemies, to bringe us reliefe, we had all utterlie by famine perished. ”

“ In April, 1619, Sir George Yeardley arrived. Of the emigrants who had been sent over at great cost, not one in twenty then remained alive. "In James Citty were only those houses that Sir Thomas Gates built in the tyme of his government, with one wherein the Governor allwayes dwelt, and a church, built wholly at the charge of the inhabitants of that citye, of timber, being fifty foote in length and twenty foot in breadth." At Henrico, now Richmond, there were no more than "three old houses, a poor ruinated Church, with some few poore buildings in the Islande." ”

“ The total corresponds with the statement in Smith's Historie.
The number of deaths in the census list shows a mortality amounting in one year to upwards of twenty per cent. of the whole population, exceeding the number which fell in the massacre by twenty-four. The fullest details of this and many other matters relating to the Colony while under the Virginia Company, can be found more fully shown in Neill's History of the Virginia Company than in any other work we have seen. ”

“ Be it enacted by this present assembly that for laying a surer foundation of the conversion of the Indians to Christian Religion, eache towne, citty, Borrough, and particular plantation do obtaine unto themselves by just means a certaine number of the natives' children to be educated by them in true religion and civile course of life—of wch children the most towardly boyes in witt & graces of nature to be brought up by them in the first elements of litterature, so [218] to be fitted for the Colledge intended for them that from thence they may be sente [219] to that worke of conversion. ”

“ And farther that free libertie was given to all men to make choice of their dividents of lande and, as their abilities and meanes wd permitt, to possesse and plant uppon them. And that they might have a hande in the governinge of themselves, it was granted that a general assemblie should be helde yearly once, wherat were to be present the Govr and Counsell with two Burgesses from each Plantation freely to be elected by the inhabitants thereof; this assembly to have power to make and ordaine whatsoever lawes and orders should by them be thought good and proffittable for our subsistance. ”

“ Some adventuringe to seeke releife in the woods, dyed as they fought it, & weare eaten by others who found them dead. Many putt themselves into the Indians' handes, though our enemies, and were by them slaine. In this extremitye of famine continued the Collony till the twenteth of Maye, when unexpected, yet happely, arrived Sir Thomas Gates & Sir George Somers in two small Barques [FF] which they had built in the Sommer Islands after the wreake of the Sea adventure wherin they sett forth from Englande, with them one hundred persons barely provided of vittel for themselves. ”

“ Smith, by some of his new frendes, that a flourish [Pg 81] inge plantation in Virginia, erected in the time of his 12 yeares government, hath since been distroyed through the ignorance of succeedinge Governors heere, for that by what we have already saide all the worlde may judge in what a flourishinge estate it was, and to what growth of perfection it was advanced, at the arivall of Sir Geo. Yeardley to be Govr here, it beinge then in our judgements, that were members of the colony, in a poore estate. ”

“ The residue alsoe disabled by reason of sicknes could performe nothing that yeare to the advancement of the Collony, yet with the help of those people which had arrived with Sir Thomas Gates, together with some of the ancient Planters, who by use weare growen practique in a hard way of livinge, two small forts weare erected neare the rivers mouth at Kicoughtun, encompassed with small younge trees, haveinge for housing in the one, two formerlie built by the Indians & covered with bark by them, in the other a tent with some few thatcht cabbins which our people built at our comming thether. ”

“ Under this Tiranus Government the Collony continued in extreame slavery and miserye for the space of five yeares, in which time many, whose necessities enforced the breach of those lawes by the strictness and severitye therof, suffered death and other punishments. Divers gentlemen both there and at Henrico towne, and throughout the wholl Collonye (beinge great adventurers and no trendes or alliance to Sir Thomas Smith) weare feeling members of those generall calamities, as far forth as the meanest fellow sent over. ”

“ The reader will infer from the preceding remarks that the State has two complete copies of the record of the proceedings of the first Assembly which met at Jamestown, viz: the McDonald and the De Jarnette copies, and also an abstract furnished by Mr. Sainsbury. Bancroft, the historian, obtained a copy of this paper, which was printed in the collections of the New York Historical Society for 1857. ”

“ Counsell & Company in England for being constrained by the intemperature of the weather and the falling sick of diverse of the Burgesses to breake up so abruptly—before they had so much as putt their lawes to the ingrossing. This they wholly comited to [454] the fidelity of their speaker, who therin [455] (his conscience telles him) hath done the parte [456] of an honest man, otherwise he would be easily founde [457] out by the Burgesses themselves, who wth all expedition are to have so many bookes of the same lawes as there be both Incorporations and Plantations in the Colony. ”

“ The effect of which proceedinge gave such incouragement to every person heere that all of them followed their perticular labours with singular alacrity and industry, soe that, through the blessinge of God uppon our willinge labors, within the space of three yeares, our countrye flourished with many new erected Plantations, from the head of the River to Kicoughtan, beautifull and pleasant to the spectators, and comfortable for the releife and succor of all such as by occasion did travaile by land or by water; every man giveinge free entertainment, both to frendes or others. ”

“ Against Idlenes, Gaming, durunkenes & excesse in apparell the Assembly hath enacted as followeth:
First, in detestation of Idlenes [196] be it enacted, that if any men be founde to live as an Idler or renagate, though a freedman, it shalbe [197] lawfull for that Incorporation or Plantation to wch he belongeth to appoint him a Mr to serve for wages, till he shewe apparant signes of amendment. ”

“ Against excesse in [206] apparell that every man be cessed in the churche for all publique contributions, if he be unmarried according to his owne apparrell, if he be married, according to his owne and his wives, or either of their apparell.
As touching the instruction [207] of drawing some of the better disposed of the Indians to converse wth our people & to live and labour amongst [208] them, the Assembly who knowe [209] well their dispositions thinke it fitte to enjoine, [210] least to counsell those of the Colony, neither utterly to rejecte them nor yet to drawe them to come in. ”

“ Martin's Patente, namely, where it is saide That he is to enjoye [159] his landes in as lardge [160] and ample manner, to all [Pg 19] intentes and [161] purposes, as any lord of any manours in England dothe holde his grounde out of wch some have collected that he might by the same graunte protecte men from paying their debts and from diverse other dangers of lawe. The least the Assembly can alledge against this clause is, that it is obscure, and that it is a thing impossible for us here to knowe the Prerogatives of all the manours in Englande. ”

“ As touching the busines of planting corne this present Assembly doth ordaine that yeare by yeare all & every householder and householders have in store for every servant he or they shall keep, and also for his or their owne persons, whether they have any Servants or no, one spare barrell of corne, to be delivered out yearly, either upon sale or exchange as need shall require. For the neglecte [220] of wch duty he shalbe [221] subjecte to the censure of the Governr [222] and Counsell of Estate. Provided alwayes that the first yeare of every newe man this lawe shall not be of [223] force. ”

“ Some for stealinge to satisfie their hunger were hanged, and one chained to a tree till he starved to death; others attemptinge to run awaye in a barge and a shallop (all the Boates that were then in the Collonye) and therin to adventure their lives for their native countrye, beinge discovered and prevented, were shott to death, hanged and broken upon the wheele, besides continuall whippings, extraordinary punishments, workinge as slaves in irons for terme of yeares (and that for petty offences) weare dayly executed. ”

“ Also that they wilbe pleased to allowe to the male children, of them and of all others begotten in Virginia, being the onely hope of a posterity, a single share a piece, and shares for their issues or [106] for themselves, because that in a newe plantation it is not knowen whether man or woman be the more necessary. ”

“ Most part of the time that Sir Thomas Gates and Sir Thos. Dale governed we were at warre with the natives, so that by them divers times were many of [Pg 76] our people slaine, whose blood Sir Thomas Dale neglected not to revenge, by divers and sundry executions, in killinge many, cuttinge downe and takinge away their corne, burninge their houses, spoiling their weares, &c. ”

“ Dale, as makinge spoile of the Keschiacks [II] and Wariscoyacks, impaling some necks of Lande, for defence against the Salvadges, and in fishing for our reliefe, &c., he departed from Virginia, and left the Government to Captain George Yardley, under whom the Collony lived in peace and best plentye that ever it had till that time, yet most part of the people for that yeare of his Government continued in the generall services followinge their labors as Sir Thos. Dale left them by order. ”

“ For people then alive about the nomber of foure hundred, very many of them in want of corne, utterlie destitute of cattle, twine, Poultrie and other Provisions to nourish them.
For Barques, Pinnaces, Shallops, Barges and Boates he founde only one olde Frigott, which belonged to the Sommer Islandes, one olde Shallopp built in Sir Thos. Dale's time, one boat built in Sir Sam'l Argoll's time, with two small boates belonginge to private men. For munition a very small quantitye, the most part thereof beinge very bad and of little use. ”

“ No man shall trade [397] into the baye, either in shallop, pinnace, or ship, wthout the Governr's [398] license, and wthout putting in security that neither himself nor his Company shall force or wrong the Indians, upon paine that, doing otherwise, they shalbe censured at their returne by the Governor [399] and Counsell [400] of Estate.
All persons whatsoever upon the Sabaoth daye [401] shall frequente divine service and sermons both forenoon and afternoon, and all suche as beare armes shall bring [402] their pieces, swordes, poulder and shotte. ”

“ Many famished in holes and other poore cabbins in the grounde, not respected because sicknes had disabled them for labour, nor was their sufficient for them that were more able to worke, our best allowance beinge but nine ounces of corrupt and putrified meale and haife a pinte [Pg 75] of oatmeale or pease (of like ill condition) for each person a daye. Those provisions were sent over by one Winne, a Draper, and Caswell, a baker, by the appointment (as we conceave) of Sir Thomas Smith. ”

“ It was also ordered by the Assembly the same daye that in case Captaine Martin and the ging of his shallop would [52] not throughly answere an accusation of an outrage comitted against a certaine Canoa of Indians in the baye, that then it was thought reason (his Patent, [53] notwthstanding the authority whereof, he had in that case abused) he shoulde [54] from henceforth take leave of the Governour [55] as other men, and should putt [56] in security, that his people shall comitte no such [57] outrage any more. ”

“ Assembly, wherein their duties were described to the life.
Having thus prepared them, he read over unto them the greate Charter, or comission of priviledges, orders and lawes, sent by Sir George Yeardley out of Englande. [64] Which [65] for the more ease of the Committies, having divided into fower books, he read the former two the same forenoon for expeditious [66] sake, a second time over, and so they were referred to the perusall of twoe Comitties, wch did reciprocally consider of either, and accordingly brought in their opinions. ”

“ Provided, that the payment of the fine notwthstanding, the said servant shall acknowledge his faulte publiquely in the Churche.
No man whatsoever, coming by water from above, as from Henrico, Charles citty, or any place from the westwarde of James citty, and [Pg 28] being bound for Kiccowtan, [389] or any other parte on this side, [390] the same shall presume to pass by, either by day or by night, wthout touching firste here at James citty to knowe [391] whether the Governor [392] will comande him any service. ”

“ Whilest he governed, the Collony was slenderly provided of munition, wherby a strict proclamation was made for restraint of wastinge or shooting away of powder, under paine of great punishment; which forbiddinge to shoot at all in our peeces caused the losse of much of oure corne then growinge uppon the grounde; the Indians perceivinge our forbearance to shoote (as formerly) concluded thereuppon that our peeces were, as they saide, sicke and not to be used ”