pioneers of the old south-第7章

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not　first　taken　the　oath　of　supremacy。　But　in　the　wide　field　beside　all
this　the　Presidentcalled　the　Treasurer　…and　the　Council；　henceforth　to　be
chosen　out　of　and　by　the　whole　body　of　subscribers；　had　full　sway。　No
longer　should　there　be　a　second　Council　sitting　in　Virginia；　but　a　Governor
with　power；　answerable　only　to　the　Company　at　home。　That　Company　might　tax
and　legislate　within　the　Virginian　field；　punish　the　ill…doer　or　〃rebel；〃
and　wage　war；　if　need　be；　against　Indian　or　Spaniard：

〃One　of　the　first　actions　of　the　newly　constituted　body　was　to　seek　remedy
for　the　customary　passage　by　way　of　the　West　Indies　…so　long　and　so　beset
by　dangers。　They　sent　forth　a　small　ship　under　Captain　Samuel　Argall；　with
instructions　〃to　attempt　a　direct　and　cleare　passage；　by　leaving　the
Canaries　to　the　East；　and　from　thence　to　run　a　straight　westerne　course　。　。
。　。　And　so　to　make　an　experience　of　the　Winds　and　Currents　which　have
affrighted　all　undertakers　by　the　North。〃

This　Argall；　a　young　man　with　a　stirring　and　adventurous　life　behind　him
and　before　him；　took　his　ship　the　indicated　way。　He　made　the　voyage　in　nine
weeks；　of　which　two　were　spent　becalmed；　and　upon　his　return　reported　that
it　might　be　made　in　seven；　〃and　no　apparent　inconvenience　in　the　way。〃　He
brought　to　the　great　Council　of　the　Company　a　story　of　necessity　and
distress　at　Jamestown；　and　the　Council　lays　much　of　the　blame　for　that　upon
〃the　misgovernment　of　the　Commanders；　by　dissention　and　ambition　among
themselves；〃　and　upon　the　idleness　of　the　general　run；　〃active　in　nothing
but　adhearing　to　factions　and　parts。〃　The　Council；　sitting　afar　from　a
savage　land；　is　probably　much　too　severe。　But　the　〃factions　and　parts〃
cannot　easily　be　denied。

Before　Argall's　return；　the　Company　had　commissioned　as　Governor　of
Virginia　Sir　Thomas　Gates；　and　had　gathered　a　fleet　of　seven　ships　and　two
pinnaces　with　Sir　George　Somers　as　Admiral；　in　the　ship　called　the　Sea
Adventure；　and　Christopher　Newport　as　Vice…Admiral。　All　weighed　anchor　from
Falmouth　early　in　June　and　sailed　by　the　newly　tried　course；　south　to　the
Canaries　and　then　across。　These　seven　ships　carried　five　hundred　colonists；
men；　women；　and　children。

On　St。　James's　day　there　rose　and　broke　a　fearsome　storm。　Two　days　and
nights　it　raged；　and　it　scattered　that　fleet　of　seven。　Gates；　Somers；　and
Newport　with　others　of　〃rancke　and　quality〃　were　upon　the　Sea　Adventure。
How　fared　this　ship　with　one　attendant　pinnace　we　shall　come　to　see
presently。　But　the　other　ships；　driven　to　and　fro；　at　last　found　a
favorable　wind；　and　in　August　they　sighted　Virginia。　On　the　eleventh　of
that　month　they　came；　storm…beaten　and　without　Governor　or　Admiral　or　Sea
Adventure；　into　〃our　Bay〃　and　at　last　to　〃the　King's　River　and　Town。〃　Here
there　swarmed　from　these　ships　nigh　three　hundred　persons；　meeting　and　met
by　the　hundred　dwelling　at　Jamestown。　This　was　the　third　supply；　but　it
lacked　the　hundred　or　so　upon　the　Sea　Adventure　and　the　pinnace；　and　it
lacked　a　head。　〃Being　put　ashore　without　their　Governor　or　any　order　from
him　（all　the　Commissioners　and　principal　persons　being　aboard　him）　no　man
would　acknowledge　a　superior。〃

With　this　multitude　appeared　once　more　in　Virginia　the　three　ancient
councilorsRatcliffe；　Archer；　and　Martin。　Apparently　here　came　fresh　fuel
for　factions。　Who　should　rule；　and　who　should　be　ruled？　Here　is　an
extremely　old　and　important　question；　settled　in　history　only　to　be
unsettled　again。　Everywhere　it　rises；　dust　on　Time's　road；　and　is　laid　only
to　rise　again。

Smith　was　still　President。　Who　was　in　the　right　and　who　in　the　wrong　in
these　ancient　quarrels；　the　recital　of　which　fills　the　pages　of　Smith　and
of　other　men；　is　hard　now　to　be　determined。　But　Jamestown　became　a　place　of
turbulence。　Francis　West　was　sent　with　a　considerable　number　to　the　Falls
of　the　Far　West　to　make　there　some　kind　of　settlement。　For　a　like　purpose
Martin　and　Percy　were　dispatched　to　the　Nansemond　River。　All　along　the　line
there　was　bitter　falling　out。　The　Indians　became　markedly　hostile。　Smith
was　up　the　river；　quarreling　with　West　and　his　men。　At　last　he　called　them
〃wrongheaded　asses；〃　flung　himself　into　his　boat；　and　made　down　the　river
to　Jamestown。　Yet　even　so　e　found　no　peace；　for；　while　he　was　asleep　in　the
boat；　by　some　accident　or　other　a　spark　found　its　way　to　his　powder　pouch。
The　powder　exploded。　Terribly　hurt；　he　leaped　overboard　into　the　river；
whence　he　was　with　difficulty　rescued。

Smith　was　now　deposed　by　Ratcliffe；　Archer；　and　Martin；　because；　〃being　an
ambityous；　onworthy；　and　vayneglorious　fellowe；〃　say　his　detractors；　〃he
wolde　rule　all　and　ingrose　all　authority　into　his　own　hands。〃　Be　this　as　it
may；　Smith　was　put　on　board　one　of　the　ships　which　were　about　to　sail　for
England。　Wounded；　and　with　none　at　Jamestown　able　to　heal　his　hurt；　he　was
no　unwilling　passenger。　Thus　he　departed；　and　Virginia　knew　Captain　John
Smith　no　more。　Some　liked　him　and　his　ways；　some　liked　him　not　nor　his　ways
either。　He　wrote　of　his　own　deeds　and　praised　them　highly；　and　saw　little
good　in　other　mankind；　though　here　and　there　he　made　an　exception。　Evident
enough　are　faults　of　temper。　But　he　had　great　courage　and　energy　and　at
times　a　lofty　disinterestedness。

Again　winter　drew　on　at　Jamestown；　and　with　it　misery　on　misery。　George
Percy；　now　President；　lay　ill　and　unable　to　keep　order。　The　multitude；
〃unbridled　and　heedless；〃　pulled　this　way　and　that。　Before　the　cold　had
well　begun；　what　provision　there　was　in　the　storehouse　became　exhausted。
That　stream　of　corn　from　the　Indians　in　which　the　colonists　had　put
dependence　failed　to　flow。　The　Indians　themselves　began　systematically　to
spoil　and　murder。　Ratcliffe　and　fourteen　with　him　met　death　while　loading
his　barge　with　corn　upon　the　Pamunkey。　The　cold　grew　worse。　By　midwinter
there　was　famine。　The　four　hundredalready　noticeably　dwindleddwindled
fast　and　faster。　The　cold　was　severe；　the　Indians　were　in　the　woods；　the
weakened　bodies　of　the　white　men　pined　and　shivered。　They　broke　up　the
empty　houses　to　make　fires　to　warm　themselves。　They　began　to　die　of　hunger
as　well　as　by　Indian　arrows。　On　went　the　winter；　and　every　day　some　died。
Tales　of　cannibalism　are　told　。　。　。　。This　was　the　Starving　Time。

When　the　leaves　were　red　and　gold；　England…in…America　had　a　population　of
four　hundred　and　more。　When　the　dogwood　and　the　strawberry　bloomed；
England…in…America　had　a　population　of　but　sixty。

Somewhat　later　than　this　time　there　came　from　the　pen　of　Shakespeare　a　play
dealing　with　a　tempest　and　shipwreck　and　a　magical　isle　and　rescue　thereon。
The　bright　spirit　Ariel　speaks　of　〃the　still…vex'd　Bermoothes。〃　These　were
islands　〃two　hundred　leagues　from　any　continent；〃　named　after　a　Spanish
Captain　Bermudez　who　had　landed　there。　Once　there　had　been　Indians；　but
these　the　Spaniards　had　slain　or　taken　as　slaves。　Now　the　islands　were
desolate；　uninhabited；　〃forlorn　and　unfortunate。〃　Chance　vessels　might
touch；　but　the　approach　was　dangerous。　There　grew　rumors　of　pirates；　and
then　of　demons。　〃The　Isles　of　Demons；〃　was　the　name　given　to　them。　〃The
most　forlorn　and　unfortunate　place　in　the　world〃　was　the　description　that
fitted　them　in　those　distant　days：

All　torment；　trouble；　wonder　and　amazement　Inhabits　here：　some　heavenly
power　guide　us　Out　of　this　fearful　country。

When　Shakespeare　so　wrote；　there　was　news　in　England　and　talk　went　to　and
fro　of　the　shipwreck　of　the　Sea　Adventure　upon　the　rocky　teeth　of　the
Bermoothes；　〃uninhabitable　and　almost　inaccessible；〃　and　of　the　escape　and
dwelling　there　for　months　of　Gates　and　Somers　and　the　colonists　in　that
ship。　It　is　generally　assumed　that　this　incident　furnished　timber　for　the
framework　of　The　Tempest。

The　storm　that　broke　on　St。　James's　Day；　scattering　the　ships　of　the　third
supply；　drove　the　Sea　Adventure　here　and　there　at　will。　Upon　her　watched
Gates　and　Somers　and　Newport；　above　a　hundred　men；　and　a　few　women　and
children。　There　sprang　a　leak；　all　thought　of　death。　Then　rose　a　cry　〃Land
ho！〃　The　storm　abated；　but　the　wind　carried　the　Sea　Adventure　upon　this
shore　and　grounded　her　upon　a　reef。　A　certain　R。　Rich；　gentleman；　one　of
the　voyagers；　made　and　published　a　ballad　upon　the　whole　event。　If　it　is
hardly　Shakespearean　music；　yet　it　is　not　devoid　of　interest。

。　。　。　The　Seas　did　rage；　the　windes　did　blowe；
　　　Distressed　were　they　then；
Their　shippe　did　leake；　her　tacklings　breake；
　　　In　daunger　were　her　men；
But　heaven　was　pylotte　in　this　storme；
　　　And　to　an　Iland　neare；
Bermoothawes　called；　conducted　them；
　　　Which　did　abate　their　feare。

Using　the　ship's　boats　they　got　to　shore；　though　with　toil　and
danger。　Here　they　found　no　sprites　nor　demons；　nor　even　men；　but
a　fair；　half…tropical　verdure　and；　running　wild；　great　numbers　of
swine。

And　then　on　shoare　the　iland　came
　　　Inhabited　by　hogges；
Some　Foule　and　tortoyses　there　were；
　　　They　only　had　one　dogge；
To　kill　these　swyne；　to　yield　them　foode；
　　　That　little　had　to　eate。
Their　store　was　spent　and　all　things　scant；
　　　Alas！　they　wanted　meate。

They　did　not；　however；　starve。

A　thousand　hogges　that　dogge　did　kill
　　　Their　hunger　to　sustaine。

Ten　months　the　Virginia　colonists　lived　among　the　〃still…vex'd　Bermoothes。〃
The　Sea　Adventure　was　but　a　wreck　pinned　between　the　reefs。　No　sail　was
seen　upon　the　blue　water。　Where　they　were　thrown；　there　Gates　and　Somers
and　Newport　and　all　must　stay　for　a　time　and　make　the　best　of　it。　They
builded　huts　and　thatched　them；　and　they　brought　from　the　wrecked　ship；
pinned　but　half　a　mile　from　land；　stores　of　many　kinds。　The　clime　proved　of
the　blandest；　fairest；　with　fishing　and　hunting　they　maintained　themselves。
Days；　weeks；　and　months　went　by。　They　had　a　minister；　Master　Buck。　They
brought　from　the　ship　a　bell　and　raised　it　for　a　church…bell。　A　marriage；　a
few　deaths；　the　birth　of　two　children　these　were　events　on　the　island。　One
of　these　children；　the　daughter　of　John　Rolfe；　gentleman；　and　his　wife；　was
christened　Bermuda。　Gates　and　Somers　held　kindly　sway。　The　colonists　lived
in　plenty；　peace；　and　ease。　But　for　all　that；　they　were　shipwrecked　folk；
and　far；　far　out　of　the　world；　and　they　longed　for　the　old　ways　and　their
own　kin。　Day　followed　day；　but　no　sail　would　show　to　bear　them　thence；　and
so　at　last；　taking　what　they　could　from　the　forests　of　the　island；　and　from
the　Sea　Adventure；　they　set　about　to　become　shipwrights。

And　there　two　gallant　pynases；
　　　Did　build　of　Seader…tree；
The　brave　Deliverance　one　was　call'd；
　　　Of　seaventy　tonne　was　shee；
The　other　Patience　had　to　name；
　　　Her　burthen　thirty　tonne　。　。　。　。

。　。　。　The　two　and　forty　weekes　being　past
　　　They　hoyst　sayle　and　away；
Their　shippes　with　hogges　well　freighted　were；
　　　Their　harts　with　mickle　joy。

And　so　to　Virginia　came　。　。　。

What　they　found　when　they　came　to　Virginia　was　dolor　enough。　On　Jamestown
strand　they　beheld　sixty　skeletons　〃who　had　eaten　all　the　quick　things　that
weare　there；　and　some　of　them　had　eaten　snakes　and　adders。〃　Somers；　Gates；
and　Newport；　on　entering　the　town；　found　it　〃rather　as　the　ruins　of　some
auntient　fortification　than　that　any　people　living　might　now　inhabit　it。〃

A　pitia