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against　Smith　at　this　date。　　Wingfield　says　that　Captain　Newport　before　he　departed　asked　him　how　he　thought　himself　settled　in　the　government；　and　that　he　replied　〃that　no　disturbance　could　endanger　him　or　the　colony；　but　it　must　be　wrought　either　by　Captain　Gosnold　or　Mr。　Archer；　for　the　one　was　strong　with　friends　and　followers　and　could　if　he　would；　and　the　other　was　troubled　with　an　ambitious　spirit　and　would　if　he　could。〃

The　writer　of　Newport's　〃Relatyon〃　describes　the　Virginia　savages　as　a　very　strong　and　lusty　race；　and　swift　warriors。　　〃Their　skin　is　tawny；　not　so　borne；　but　with　dyeing　and　painting　themselves；　in　which　they　delight　greatly。〃　　That　the　Indians　were　born　white　was；　as　we　shall　see　hereafter；　a　common　belief　among　the　first　settlers　in　Virginia　and　New　England。　　Percy　notes　a　distinction　between　maids　and　married　women：　〃The　maids　shave　close　the　fore　part　and　sides　of　their　heads；　and　leave　it　long　behind；　where　it　is　tied　up　and　hangs　down　to　the　hips。　　The　married　women　wear　their　hair　all　of　a　length；　but　tied　behind　as　that　of　maids　is。　　And　the　women　scratch　on　their　bodies　and　limbs；　with　a　sharp　iron；　pictures　of　fowls；　fish；　and　beasts；　and　rub　into　the　'drawings'　lively　colors　which　dry　into　the　flesh　and　are　permanent。〃　　The　〃Relatyon　〃　says　the　people　are　witty　and　ingenious　and　allows　them　many　good　qualities；　but　makes　this　exception：　〃The　people　steal　anything　comes　near　them；　yea；　are　so　practiced　in　this　art；　that　looking　in　our　face；　they　would　with　their　foot；　between　their　toes；　convey　a　chisel；　knife；　percer；　or　any　indifferent　light　thing；　which　having　once　conveyed；　they　hold　it　an　injury　to　take　the　same　from　them。　　They　are　naturally　given　to　treachery；　howbeit　we　could　not　find　it　in　our　travel　up　the　river；　but　rather　a　most　kind　and　loving　people。〃




VI

QUARRELS　AND　HARDSHIPS

On　Sunday；　June　21st；　they　took　the　communion　lovingly　together。　That　evening　Captain　Newport　gave　a　farewell　supper　on　board　his　vessel。　　The　22d　he　sailed　in　the　Susan　Constant　for　England；　carrying　specimens　of　the　woods　and　minerals；　and　made　the　short　passage　of　five　weeks。　　Dudley　Carleton；　in　a　letter　to　John　Chamberlain　dated　Aug。　18；　1607；　writes　〃that　Captain　Newport　has　arrived　without　gold　or　silver；　and　that　the　adventurers；　cumbered　by　the　presence　of　the　natives；　have　fortified　themselves　at　a　place　called　Jamestown。〃　　The　colony　left　numbered　one　hundred　and　four。

The　good　harmony　of　the　colony　did　not　last。　　There　were　other　reasons　why　the　settlement　was　unprosperous。　　The　supply　of　wholesome　provisions　was　inadequate。　　The　situation　of　the　town　near　the　Chickahominy　swamps　was　not　conducive　to　health；　and　although　Powhatan　had　sent　to　make　peace　with　them；　and　they　also　made　a　league　of　amity　with　the　chiefs　Paspahegh　and　Tapahanagh；　they　evidently　had　little　freedom　of　movement　beyond　sight　of　their　guns。　Percy　says　they　were　very　bare　and　scant　of　victuals；　and　in　wars　and　dangers　with　the　savages。

Smith　says　in　his　〃True　Relation；〃　which　was　written　on　the　spot；　and　is　much　less　embittered　than　his　〃General　Historie；〃　that　they　were　in　good　health　and　content　when　Newport　departed；　but　this　did　not　long　continue；　for　President　Wingfield　and　Captain　Gosnold；　with　the　most　of　the　Council；　were　so　discontented　with　each　other　that　nothing　was　done　with　discretion；　and　no　business　transacted　with　wisdom。　　This　he　charges　upon　the　〃hard…dealing　of　the　President；〃　the　rest　of　the　Council　being　diversely　affected　through　his　audacious　command。　　〃Captain　Martin；　though　honest；　was　weak　and　sick；　Smith　was　in　disgrace　through　the　malice　of　others；　and　God　sent　famine　and　sickness；　so　that　the　living　were　scarce　able　to　bury　the　dead。　　Our　want　of　sufficient　good　food；　and　continual　watching；　four　or　five　each　night；　at　three　bulwarks；　being　the　chief　cause；　only　of　sturgeon　we　had　great　store；　whereon　we　would　so　greedily　surfeit；　as　it　cost　many　their　lives；　the　sack；　Aquavite；　and　other

preservations　of　our　health　being　kept　in　the　President's　hands；　for　his　own　diet　and　his　few　associates。〃

In　his　〃General　Historie；〃　written　many　years　later；　Smith　enlarges　this　indictment　with　some　touches　of　humor　characteristic　of　him。　　He　says：

〃Being　thus　left　to　our　fortunes；　it　fortuned　that　within　ten　days　scarce　ten　amongst　us　could　either　go；　or　well　stand；　such　extreme　weakness　and　sicknes　oppressed　us。　　And　thereat　none　need　marvaile　if　they　consider　the　cause　and　reason；　which　was　this：　whilst　the　ships　stayed；　our　allowance　was　somewhat　bettered；　by　a　daily　proportion　of　Bisket；　which　the　sailors　would　pilfer　to　sell；　give；　or　exchange　with　us　for　money；　Saxefras；　furres；　or　love。　　But　when　they　departed；　there　remained　neither　taverne；　beere…house；　nor　place　of　reliefe；　but　the　common　Kettell。　　Had　we　beene　as　free　from　all　sinnes　as　gluttony；　and　drunkennesse；　we　might　have　been　canonized　for　Saints。　　But　our　President　would　never　have　been　admitted；　for　ingrissing　to　his　private；　Oatmeale；　Sacke；　Oyle；　Aquavitz；　Beef；　Egges；　or　what　not；　but　the　Kettell：　that　indeed　he　allowed　equally　to　be　distributed；　and　that　was　half　a　pint　of　wheat；　and　as　much　barley　boyled　with　water　for　a　man　a　day；　and　this　being　fryed　some　twenty…six　weeks　in　the　ship's　hold；　contained　as　many　wormes　as　graines；　so　that　we　might　truly　call　it　rather　so　much　bran　than　corrne；　our　drinke　was　water；　our　lodgings　Castles　in　the　ayre；　with　this　lodging　and　dyet；　our　extreme　toile　in　bearing　and　planting　Pallisadoes；　so　strained　and　bruised　us；　and　our　continual　labour　in　the　extremitie　of　the　heat　had　so　weakened　us；　as　were　cause　sufficient　to　have　made　us　miserable　in　our　native　countrey；　or　any　other　place　in　the　world。〃

Affairs　grew　worse。　　The　sufferings　of　this　colony　in　the　summer　equaled　that　of　the　Pilgrims　at　Plymouth　in　the　winter　and　spring。　Before　September　forty…one　were　buried；　says　Wingfield；　fifty；　says　Smith　in　one　statement；　and　forty…six　in　another；　Percy　gives　a　list　of　twenty…four　who　died　in　August　and　September。　　Late　in　August　Wingfield　said；　〃Sickness　had　not　now　left　us　seven　able　men　in　our　town。〃　　〃　As　yet；〃　writes　Smith　in　September；　〃we　had　no　houses　to　cover　us；　our　tents　were　rotten；　and　our　cabins　worse　than　nought。〃

Percy　gives　a　doleful　picture　of　the　wretchedness　of　the　colony：　〃Our　men　were　destroyed　with　cruel　sickness；　as　swellings；　fluxes；　burning…fevers；　and　by　wars；　and　some　departed　suddenly；　but　for　the　most　part　they　died　of　mere　famine。。。。　We　watched　every　three　nights；　lying　on　the　cold　bare　ground　what　weather　soever　came；　worked　all　the　next　day；　which　brought　our　men　to　be　most　feeble　wretches；　our　food　was　but　a　small　can　of　barley；　sod　in　water　to　five　men　a　day；　our　drink　but　cold　water　taken　out　of　the　river；　which　was　at　the　flood　very　salt；　at　a　low　tide　full　of　shrimp　and　filth；　which　was　the　destruction　of　many　of　our　men。　　Thus　we　lived　for　the　space　of　five　months　in　this　miserable　distress；　but　having　five　able　men　to　man　our　bulwarks　upon　any　occasion。　　If　it　had　not　pleased　God　to　put　a　terror　in　the　savage　hearts；　we　had　all　perished　by　those　wild　and　cruel　Pagans；　being　in　that　weak　state　as　we　were：　our　men　night　and　day　groaning　in　every　comer　of　the　fort；　most　pitiful　to　hear。　　If　there　were　any　conscience　in　men；　it　would　make　their　hearts　to　bleed　to　hear　the　pitiful　murmurings　and　outcries　of　our　sick　men；　without　relief；　every　night　and　day；　for　the　space　of　six　weeks：　some　departing　out　of　the　world；　many　times　three　or　four　in　a　night；　in　the　morning　their　bodies　trailed　out　of　their　cabins；　like　dogs；　to　be　buried。　　In　this　sort　did　I　see　the　mortality　of　divers　of　our　people。〃

A　severe　loss　to　the　colony　was　the　death　on　the　22d　of　August　of　Captain　Bartholomew　Gosnold；　one　of　the　Council；　a　brave　and　adventurous　mariner；　and；　says　Wingfield；　a　〃worthy　and　religious　gentleman。〃　　He　was　honorably　buried；　〃having　all　the　ordnance　in　the　fort　shot　off　with　many　volleys　of　small　shot。〃　　If　the　Indians　had　known　that　those　volleys　signified　the　mortality　of　their　comrades；　the　colony　would　no　doubt　have　been　cut　off　entirely。　　It　is　a　melancholy　picture；　this　disheartened　and　half…famished　band　of　men　quarreling　among　themselves；　the　occupation　of　the　half…dozen　able　men　was　nursing　the　sick　and　digging　graves。　　We　anticipate　here　by　saying；　on　the　authority　of　a　contemporary　manuscript　in　the　State　Paper　office；　that　when　Captain　Newport　arrived　with　the　first　supply　in　January；　1608；　〃he　found　the　colony　consisting　of　no　more　than　forty　persons；　of　those；　ten　only　able　men。〃

After　the　death　of　Gosnold；　Captain　Kendall　was　deposed　from　the　Council　and　put　in　prison　for　sowing　discord　between　the　President　and　Council；　says　Wingfield；　for　heinous　matters　which　were　proved　against　him；　says　Percy；　for　〃divers　reasons；〃　says　Smith；　who　sympathized　with　his　dislike　of　Wingfield。　　The　colony　was　in　very　low　estate　at　this　time；　and　was　only　saved　from　famine　by　the　providential　good…will　of　the　Indians；　who　brought　them　corn　half　ripe；　and　presently　meat　and　fruit　in　abundance。

On　the　7th　of　September　the　chief　Paspahegh　gave　a　token　of　peace　by　returning　a　white　boy　who　had　run　away　from　camp；　and　other　runaways　were　returned　by　other　chiefs；　who　reported　that　they　had　been　well　used　in　their　absence。　　By　these　returns　Mr。　Wingfield　was　convinced　that　the　Indians　were　not　cannibals；　as　Smith　believed。

On　the　10th　of　September　Mr。　Wingfield　was　deposed　from　the　presidency　and　the　Council；　and　Captain　John　Ratcliffe　was　elected　President。　　Concerning　the　deposition　there　has　been　much　dispute；　but　the　accounts　of　it　by　Captain　Smith　and　his　friends；　so　long　accepted　as　the　truth；　must　be　modified　by　Mr。　Wingfield's　〃Discourse　of　Virginia；〃　more　recently　come　to　light；　which　is；　in　a　sense；　a　defense　of　his　conduct。

In　his　〃　True　Relation〃　Captain　Smith　is　content　to　say　that　〃Captain　Wingfield；　having　ordered　the　affairs　in　such　sort　that　he　was　hated　of　them　all；　in　which　respect　he　was　with　one　accord　deposed　from　the　presidency。〃

In　the　〃General　Historie〃　the　charges　against　him；　which　we　have　already　quoted；　are　extended；　and　a　new　one　is　added；　that　is；　a　purpose　of　deserting　the　colony　in　the　pinnace：　〃the