University of Virginia Library

CCCLXVIII. Robert Bennett. A Letter to Edward Bennett[248]
June 9, 1623

From Bennetes Wellcome this 9th of June, 1623

Yours Out of the John and Frances I received with letters from Edwarde
Haresse and Robert Bennet out of Spain, the 27th of Maye the shippe
arrived heare in saftie God be thancked, and out of her I received some
19 Buttes of exclent good wynes, 750 jarse of oylle, 16 Barelles of Resones
of the Sonne, and 18 Barelles of Rysse, tooe halfe hoghedes of Allmondes,
3 halfe hoghedes of wheate and one which was staved at seae, 18 hog-
hedes of Olives and some 5 ferkenes of butter and one Chesse. Allso I
received 1 chest and tooe barelles of Candells, with 3 packes of Linen
Cloth marked in your marke and tooe dryfattes of Mr. Kinge's. All
these goodes came safe and well condisioned to my handes and the beste
that I received since I came in to the lande, and I macke noe question
but to macke you by God's helpe good profet one them, and your retorne

to sende you home in the same shipe. She is gone, God sende her well,
for Canadaye but with her ladinge to retorn hether agene. For the yeare
beinge soe fare spente I knowe that fysh will yealde more her thene in
Spayne and I knowe her frayght hom wilbe a great mater more, soe I
hope I shall not incore your displesures doinge as I hope all thinges to the
best for your profet. My laste letter I wrotte you was in the Adame from
Newfowndland the which I hope you have received er this. God sende
her backe in saftye and this from Canaday. I hope the fyshe will come
to a good reckning for vytelese is verye scarse in the contrye. Your
Newfowndland fyshe is worthe 30 s. per cente, your Drye Canada 3 l.
10 s. and the wette 5 l. 10 s. per cent, and I doe not knowe nor hier of
anye that is comyinge hether with fyshe but onlye the Teger, which wente
in companye with the Adam from this plase and I knowe the contrye will
carye awaye all this forthe with. Our men stande well to ther helthe God
be thanckd and I hope to macke you a good crope, bothe for Tobaco and
Corne. The Fortte is abuyldinge apase. I hope yt wilbe a great strenth-
ning unto us, for God sende us well to doe this yeare; the nexte year,
God willinge, we meane to seatte by them and sette out all this lande, and
howsses. Therefore praye lette me intreat you to wrytte me at large
whether Capten Basse or Leftenent Barklye or anye other have anye
thinge to doe or claym anye lande as ther ryghte, for I macke noe question
yf plese God but to blese us this yeare the nexte to have tooe or three
hondred men more into our plantasions to be our terretory for yt is the
beste state in all the lande, and not the lycke quantitie is grown for good-
nes in the lande. Newse I have not anye worthe the wryting but onlye
this. The 22 of Maye Captin Tucker was sente with 12 men in to
Potomacke Ryver to feche som of our Engleshe which the Indianes de-
tayned, and withall in culler to conclude a pease with the great Kinge
Apochanzion; soe the interpreter which was sente by lande with an
Indian with hime to bringe the kinge to parle with Captain Tucker
broughte them soe. After a manye fayned speches the pease was to be
concluded in a helthe or tooe in sacke which was sente of porpose in the
butte with Capten Tucker to poysen them. Soe Capten Tucker begane
and our interpreter tasted before the kinge woulde tacke yt, but not of
the same. Soe thene the kinge with the kinge of Cheskacke, [their]
sonnes and all the great men weare drun[torn] howe manye we canot
wryte of but yt is thought some tooe hundred weare poysned and thaye
comyng backe killed som 50 more and brought hom parte of ther heades.
At ther departure from Apochinking the worde beinge geven by the inter-
preter which strode by the kinge one a highe rocke, The interpretour, the
worde beinge paste tumbled downe, soe they gave in a volie of shotte and
killed the tooe kinges and manye alsoe as ys reporte to the cownsell for
serten. Soe this beinge done yt wilbe a great desmayinge to the blodye
infidelles. We purpose god willinge after we have wedid our Tobaco and
cornne with the helpe of Captn Smythe and otheres to goe upon the
Waresquokes and Nansemomes to cute downe ther corne and put them to
the sorde. God sende us vyctrie, as we macke noe question god asistinge.

I praye comende me most kyndlye to Mr. Oxwige and tell hime that
I hope at the comynge home of the shipes which I hope shalbe the firste
that comes for Englande, he shall receive a good parsell of Tobacoe from
me with good profet: praye forgete me not to all the reste of our good
frindes yourselfe and your wyfe, my brother Richarde and his wyfe
with your fatther in lawe and mother and all the reste not forgettinge my
chillder whom I praye God to blesse and us all and sende us a joyfull
mettinge. This in some haste. I leve you to the mersifull tuision of
thallmyghtie in whom I reste