University of Virginia Library

CDLXXVI. Governor and Council in Virginia. A Letter to the
Commissioners for Virginia
January 4, 1625/6

Vppon the 20th of december last arived ye good Shipp caled the fflyinge
harte of Vlushinge sett owt by mr Arthur Swaine & William Counnstable
Adventurers of the Company, who brought no Comissione wth them, yt
mr Huett (who was to be theire Pilott) beinnge ymployde to london for
p̳curinnge a Comissione, returned nott, though they staide for him a longe
tyme to theire great hinderance Wherfore conceivinge it not any willfull
error or neglect, we haue offered them ye priviledge due to Adventurers,
Chiefly in regard ye extreeme wantℯ of the Country enforced us, howsoever

not to refuse supplyes, Besides the wante of a Comissione, we finde yt
aboue halfe ye passengers com in wthowt any p̳visione at all, who although
they com in as servantℯ to Planters, who havinge been seated heere may
be supposed to haue made provisione for them, Yet till the Countrey be
better aforehande, a care would be had, not only to new Comers, but even
to Planters that they com over well p̳vided, But that wch happilie is the
gretest inconvenyenc is, yt after so longe an expectacione, and soe great
Charges they come wthowt any letters or Direction at all, to guide or
p̳ceedingℯ, All wch we humbly desire yt you would be pleased to take into
your Considerationes And accordinge to your graue wisdomes to prevent
ye like inconvenyences heerafter, and to give us instructiones yf ye like
case should happen at any tyme, What one our p̱tes is to be done. Not-
wthstandinge these irregularities, the substance of the newes they bringe
is soe ioyfull and welcome, as after many discomfortes and perplexities,
hath revived the hartℯ of all men namely yt it hath pleased God, to place
in the Royall Throne, our gracious Souerainge Charles (whose happie
Raigne God of his mercy longe Contynue over us) who not only in pietye,
iustice, and wysdome treads in the stepps of his Royall father of famous
memory, butt in his affectione and favor to this hopefull Colony, not only
by contynuinge ye favors formerly granted, but by addinge and enlarginge
them, and takinge the care therof, amidst ye multiplicytie of his great
affayrs, into his more neere and specyall Consideratione, wch gives us
assured hope that our peticyons, formerly exhibited, shall haue a favorable
admittance & such order taken therin, as may best conduce to the advance-
ment of the Plantatione, wch as it is noe lesse to be Cherished in the fflorish-
inge tymes of peace, then necessary to advance ye enterpryses of warr, Soe
it well agres wth ye fortitude and magnanimytie of his most excellent Matie
(wherin he emulates the glorie of his renowned p̱decessors, to p̳secute and
give p̱fectione, by his Royall favor and bountie to this Honorll Accõne,
We humbly therefore desire you to make remonstrance to his gratious
highnes, That not only we are vtterlye vnfortified against a forren Enymie,
wch we are now allways to expect, but our store of powder and munitione
(of late soe scantlie supplyed) is soe extreme shorte as is not sufficyent to
secure our Plantations against our Domestique Enymies much less for
defence againste Invasione, prosequtione againste the Treacherous Salvages
(and the last supplie of powder sent in the Elzabeth (wthowt wch royall
bountie of his Matie we could not haue subsisted) cam in so late in Sommer,
as the tyme of preparatione for Cuttinge downe the Salvages Corne was
paste, And since no additione beinnge made, we cannott vnfurnish our
selves of any for that soe necessary service, wch surcease of ours, owt of
meere necessitie, gives the Salvages an hope of our inclynatione to peace,
of wch they are infinitlye desirous wherby it is probable, that they will
plant great quantities of corne in knowne places, soe as yf suplyes of
people powder and munitione com in in tyme, we may haue fayre oper-tunitie to revenge theire former Trecheries, wch we haue, and ever shalbe
most willinge to p̱forme wth our Vttmost abilities although we hope yt
some course wilbe taken to ease the Countrey of that greate Charge.

About the middle of July last arived Capt Jones in a Spanish ffriggott wch
he had taken the west indies vnder the Comissione of the States, as he
pretended, graunted to Capt Powell from whose Consort shipp he seperated
himself, and putt in heere for reliefe, his vessell beinge very leakey and
theire victualls spent. She brought in noe pryze, but some few rawe hides
wch by necligenc laye suncke in the shipp and were spoyled, him self dyed
shortlie after, and since his death, there are rumors risen contrarie to
theire first examinations, of mutyneis & disorders comitted by Joanes and
some of his Compeny against Capt Powell, of wch perhaps we may haue
more light from England or the lowe Countreys, accordinge to wch, we
may the better know how to p̳ceed, since we conceave the substance of
theire Actℯ against the Spaniards are not now to strictlie to be questioned.
They brought in wth them for theire Pilott owt of the Gulfe (wherin they
had loste them selves divers monethes) a Portugall, who seemes to be
expert in all places vppon the Coaste of ye west Indyes who is yett livinge,
how to dispose of him we know nott till we heere from you.

Uppon yor former letters we did forbeare to execute our p̳clamation con-
cerninge ye rates of Comodities, though we then certified you how excessiue
they grew, and have since exceded all boundes and lymmitℯ, but findinge,
That notwthstandinge it hath pleased his matie to disanull the pernitious
Contract Pryzes rather encrease then dimishe we haue been constrayned
[69] To [revive] by * * * the former Edict by a new Proclamatione,
wherof we [heerewith] * * * you, desiringe yt we may rather be
beleved in that we finde necessarie to the vpholdinge of the Colonye,
then every J[ack] wch speak only for theire owne ends, submittinge it to

your Judgments, wh[ether by] soe lowe prysinge of our Tobacco for the
encoragement of Adventurers we do no[t more] preiudice ourselves then
them, What benefitt shall we haue by the sole ym[port] yf we haue not
twelve pence the pownd for our Tobacco, in exchange for Comodi[ties] how
can we compell the Planter to make his Tobacco princypall good, wch now
soe [con]cernes us, yf he be still enforced to make soe great quanteties to
furnish th[em] wth necessaries, And wheras it may be conceived yt by the
ffullnes of supplies [prices] will fale of them selves, there is little hope
thereof, and in ye meane tyme we shall [come] to as desperate a Condicione
by deptℯ and povertie, as we are now in by the scantnes. How can it be
imagined, That ye countrey should be fully supplied, Wheras accordin[ge
to the] rates lately Currante, two Thowsande pownde adventure will
exhauste all the * * * one Cropp

The Gouernor hath longe expected a Successor and ye necessitie of ye
estate compelleth him not to putt of any longer his retourne for Englande,
wch [suits?] the pourpose also, for wch though we hope it is alredy p̳vided,
yett holde it our dutie to [make] advertisement therof.

We haue benn enforced for wante of advice and a new Comissione to
p̳ceede accordinge to the former, And we humbly desire yt our con-
tynuinge the same forme & course of our p̳ce[ding] may be interpreted as
donne owt of necessitie, lest ye Colony (in the interim) should [suffer]
wante of due order and Gouerment.

Lastely beseeching you to take such order, that we may not heerafter
be * * * or amazed in our busines for want of directione, And yt
our endeavors in his Maties service [may not] be frustrate for wante of
meanes, we humblie take our leaues, Restinge