University of Virginia Library

CCCV. William Capps. Letter to John Ferrar
March 31, 1623

Em̃anuel

Right worthy Sr, according to my promise I now begin to write to you in
folio, but know not where to begin:

Complements I must refuse, and begin I must somewhere, and thus first.
You would make all men to forsweare yor dealing, for you know I was
awarded xxxli and by yor meanes I was not to haue it my selfe but was
first to aduenture it wth Sr Wyll͠m Naughtworth: He dying in Virginia
the Threãr seizeth of all, & there is an end of that and my 7 yeares toyle in
breeding of Swyne and Capt Newce hath wth his Company deuowred them
almost all wth himselfe and those men you sent to him & their is an end of
that: I tould you of entertayning new Com̃anders over yor men but you lightlie
regarded it: those men must haue large guifts and large Com̃issions and
worshipped and what good haue they done for you? marry if euen this brought
all to nought: Thorp he hath brought such a misery vpon vs by letting
th' Indians haue their head and none must controll them. The Gouernor
stood at that tyme for a Cypher whilest they stood ripping open or gutts:
Captaine Newce he cutts our throate on the other side and he letts in
th' Indians, and that while the other prouides to kill all the swyne as it
were of sett purpose to ou9throw all: and who must make this good againe?
The old smoker our (I know not how to terme him but) Gouernor, so good
so carefull mild, Religious, iust, honest that I protest God I thinke God
hath sent him in mercie for good to vs, he vndergoeth all your cares & ours,
and I feare not but god will bless him in all his p̳ceedingℯ but who must be
th' Instrument to make all this whole againe? Why Capps: all voyces
can sett him forth about these businesses: But who must pay him his
hyer? The Contrey is poore and the Companie is poore and Capps is poore
already, & poorer he wilbe if he follow this course. You see I neu9 had
penny of you for all my paines: I thinke you Mr Farrar know th' inside of
my hart, but seeing I must to it againe I pray Sr be you carefull to doe me
what good you can, first in acquainting the Companie what a deale of

trouble it wilbe & hinderance to me: My Lord of Southampton did promise
me he would see me satisfied but p̱haps its forgotten therefore you must
bestirr yor selfe, and when you see any lustie yong men that will pay their
passage and some or no permission, you may thinke well this fellow if he
were bound to such a man for 4 or 5 yeares it might doe him some good but
I am sure if I had xx it could not counteruayle my labour, for I must hang
at it like a Beare to the stake: You haue seene that pastime, but com̃only
it lasteth but an hower, but I doubt this will last 12 Monethes, and by hap
bring you in 3 or 4 score slaues to work about a ffort or ther seruile worke,
but before I deliuer them vp I will make them sing new Toes, old Toes,
no Toes at all, because they shall not outrun me, for I am sure they haue
made vs sing a song this twelue moneth to the Tune of O man where is thy
hart become so not fearing but you will be mindfull of my welfare as well
for some comfortable drinke and Meate as otherwise for my benefitt
I rest

[2] Sr I haue here taken some paynes for yor Instruction, wch if you will
receaue may breed much health: for of force this must be granted that
either its a plague from heauen, or els the plague from those great Shipps
so pestered wth men: I meane the death of all those men that haue dyed this
Winter and before a little: I promised you to write in folio but had it not
ben seed tyme I would haue sent it in foliorũ: Ffor Martyns Hundred
if I had but one Body more I would haue ben there to haue secured them:
The Counsell was very earnest wth me to haue com̃anded there, but the
greater worke must be before the lesser: yet I will see them now & then, &
be often on their Backes for their guard. I pray good Sr take these few
lynes and p̱use them well for these are dangers that may be auoyded: I
meane the vnhealthines at Sea, and worse when it comes a shoare

The first cause is for want of cleaneliness, for betwixt the decks there can
hardlie a man fetch his breath by reason there ariseth such a ffunke in the
night that it causeth putrifaction of bloud & breedeth a disease much like
the plague: the more fall sick the more they annoy and poyson their ffel-

lowes the wch may be preuented by care had by you: Ffor I remember
when I was in the voyage wth Sr Thom̃s Gates and Sr George Som̃ers: We
came in heate of Som̃er & were at sea fifteene Weekes & lost not a man and
farr southerlie wch was indeed the great m9cie of God, & the meanes of
health was not neglected, wch were these: By that tyme we had layd our
owne latitude & raysed 2 or 3 degrees to the Southward they appointed that
euery man should haue halfe a Biskett Cake and halfe a small Can of Beare
euery morning: Then were appointed swobbers for the cleansing of the
Orlopp and euery part of the Ship below: Then euery man was forced in
faire Weather to bring vp his Bed to ayre in the shrowdes: In the meane
tyme the quarter Masters were busied in the swobbing of euery cabbine
belowe wth Vinigar as also betweene Decks wch cast such a sauor of sharpnes
to the Stomach that it bred health.

Likewise the dogged vsage of the Saylers I meane those in com̃and as
namely old Tuke fforteron & the Purser by whose means I dare sweare hath
ben the death of halfe the Passengers wth the help of the Poyson they gaue
vs instead of Beare: And for my owne part as I am a Christian I had
no allowance at all nor none could gett, for the Purser tould me my Passage
was not payd: Therefore by my consent neu9 hire Shipp of three Decks
for they of force must breed the Sea plague: I doe not meane because I
had no allowance but by reason of such vehement ffunkes that com̃eth
from below.

Next for Sr Wm Newce he came indeed into the Contrey and dyed; & Mr
Sandys he gripes all for the Companie for all yor Order of Court: and if
you looke well about you may see the iust hand of God on that very place:
Ffor by true Report since the day it was torne from vs, there haue dyed
aboue a hundred: more by halfe then eu9 dyed there in eleauen yeare
before, and one himselfe: Mum9. And now if the Company will send
me ou9 x or xij Carpenters Sawyers & brickmakers with p̳uision for the
first yeare (I will [3] take paynes & care to prouide after for them) and
build a substantiall guesthouse: the ferst at Elizabeth & the other at James:
ffor if you did but see how miserable they dye for want of prouision and
housing you could not but pittie their cases: There must be to this busi-
ness two yoake of Oxen & a Horse This being effected by gods help their
wilbe health, & after they may be sett to building of a skonce for defence:

but I must tell you if I meddle wth it I will no man to comd thē any thing
for if they doe I will meddle no more wtth thē.

[Indorsed:[79] ] Wyll͠m Capps to Mr Jo. Farrar from Virginia: Ap. 1623.