University of Virginia Library

CCCXIX. Council in Virginia. Letter to Virginia Company of
London
April 4, 1623

May it please you to understande, yt since our laste L̃re, there cam two
Indians to m[artins] Hunndred, who accordinge to order were sent vp to
James Cyttie, one of which Called (Chauco) who had lived much amost
the English, and by revealinge yt pl[ot] To divers vppon the day of Mas-
sacre, saued theire lives, was sent by the great Kinge, wth a messuage, the
effect wherof was this, that blud inough had already been shedd one
both sides, that many of his People were starued, by our takinge Away
theire Corne and burninge theire howses, & that they desired, they might
be suffred to plante at Pomunkie, and theire former Seates, wch yf they
might Peaceablely do they would send home our People (beinge aboute
twenty) whom they saued alive since the massacre, and would suffer us to
plant quietly alsoe in all places, The other (called Comahum) an Actor
in the Massacre at Martins Hundred, beinge agreat man and not sent by
the greate Kinge, Wee putt in Chaines, resolvinge to make such vse of
him, as the tyme shall require. The Messenger (beinge dispatched back,
wth that answere, that yf Accordinge to theire p̳mise, they would send
home ou[r] People, they should quietly sett theire Corne) wthin A weeke
retorned, wth Mrs [B]oyse (the Chiefe of the prisoners) sent home ap-
pareled like one of theire Queens, wch they desired wee should take notice
of). The reasone why the rest came not, was because Robert Poole (the
Interpreter) had given owte threatinge Speeches, whom they desired To
haue called home from tradinge, and that an Englishman should be sent
to tell them that they might plant theire Corne securely, At ye messengers
retorninge, Robert Poole was come back, but we haue dispatched the
messenger alone, sufferinge him to carry Certen beads from the ffreends
of the Prissoners, wch §by§ our experience of their Couetousne[ss] (we

doupt not) will hasten theire retourne; Yf they send home our people &
grow secure vppon the treatie, we shall haue the better Advantage both
to surprise[112] them, & to cutt downe theire Corne, by knowinge where they
plant, wch otherwise they will plant in such Corners, as §it§ will nott be
possible for us to finnde owte.

Hauinge receved instructiones from you for ye sendinge home of sassafras,
it was ordered by us that thre should be gathered, 66ll͠ a head for euery
laboringe man through out ye coll[onie] (to wch purpose) Proclamations
haue gone out longe since to all Plantations, vppon the penaltie of 10ll͠
waight of Tobacco, for euery 100ll͠ waight of Sassafras, not brought in by
the first of marche, wch p̳portione, most of ye principall officers, & others
about James Cyttie haue deliuered aboorde, as appeereth by the ladinge, the
rest haue fayled by rea[son] of theire buildinge, and vppon theire removinge
* * *[113] to theire Plantations, but shall paye theire forfeittures at
the next Cropp, since they make a great matter of this p̱ticuler, wch by
Experience wee finde is nott of such difficultie as they p̢tend,

The desire wee haue to send you of the fayrest sorte of silkegrass, wch
ys towards the Suthwarde, (whyther we could not yett sende, by reasone
of the Troubles of ye last ye[ere)] hath enforced us to respitt it vntill the
next shippinge, at wch tyme, we hope to se[nd] it accompened wth yt earth
of the nature of terra Lemnia, to be had in Potomack River (both if they
proue of value) we cann send you in abundance.

What ys donne Concerninge ye duty boyes, the Cyttie boys, and the
Cyttie maides, Mr Threasurer will informe you.

Capt Nuce beinge lately dead, Mr Threar is goinge downe, who will take
an Accompt [&] give you to knowe in what state your affayrs there doe
stande, wee Conceave it [to] be the most advantagious Course yt your
officers (wch haue ye Comand of youre Re * * * be bound to give
you yeerely a Certen rate by the polle, for soe many as shall * * *,
and an Accompt to be taken of them yeerely by Mr Threasurer

We haue lett as many returne to theire Plantationes as haue desired
the same [we] could haue wished that your Comands, had concurred
wth our opinions of planting together for (nott to speake of other in-
conveniences) though they went foor[th] * * * p̱tiys yett the in-

fectione (in great p̱te) brought in by these shipps, hath * * * them
alredie, not only in the losse of ordinary men, but alsoe of theire Com
* * * and how much fourther it may p̳ceede in the Summer, we know
nott, it Ly[inge] in the good p̳uidence of the Highest.

[6a] Wee must needs beseech you, that strict order may be taken, for ye
p̳visionℯ for ye shipps be well Conditioned, for it is Certaine, That Duppaes
beare hath beene the death of A very great number of ye Passengers and
others after theire Landinge, & yf he bee notte by your authoritie made an
Ensample, you are like to be noe better served, heerafter, and the Plan-
tatione to be much ympayred, both in reputation & strength,

What hath been donne concerninge the Peticions recomended vnto us Mr
Secretary will informe you.

Captn Eache died soe sodenly, as wee could nott vnderstande his p̳iecte
nor his groundes for the p̢feringe it, but Capt Roger Smith, wth ye best
experienced of the shipp beinge sent downe to proue the place and trye the
grounde, fownde all, but the vppermost crust (of oyster shells) to be a false
loose grownde, of a deapth wch they could nott discouer, whervppon all
those of the shipp (yt pretended any knowledg in such woorks,) refused
absolutly to medle wth it (receavinge this answere, wth the Testimony of
Capt Roger Smith) we gaue order they should make all the hast they
could to retourne for Englande (it noe way appearinge to us, by the Charter
p̱tie who should vndertake the busines, in case yf Capt Each die §his
death§) They were wholie ympployed about the lighter, a vessell of noe
vse, and wth ill aduise brought ouer, wch they haue not yett finished, nor
thought we it fitt to detayne the shipp (beinge of soe great a Charge) for
the finishinge a thinge of soe smale ymportance, Beside the most of those
that were shipped for Carpenters, fell sick of ye Scurvy (But observinge
vppon vewe of the place, That a forte vppon the shore, would as fully
Comande the Channell, beinge not aboue muskett shott ouer) wee intend
owt of hande to fall vppon yt worke and haue raysed every 20th man out
of the Colonie, vnder the Comande of Capt. Roger Smith (whom we haue
Entertayned to yt purpose) A man of most knowledge in those affayrs,
And now the Gournor wth divers of the Councell, are goinge downe to sett
out the forme therof accordinge to the nature of ye place, the number of
workmen wee purpose to encrease as we shalbe able.

As for ye fraightinge of the shipp, wee are exceedinge sorry yt she returns
thus empty, it not lyinge in our power to help it, except we should haue
forced both planters & adventurers to send home theire Comodities in the
shipp, and haue caused theyrs to returne, without theyre owne goods,
wch we conceave, would both haue wronged them, and not pleased you,
Besides Mr Blany shippid agreat p̱te of the Magazine Tobacco in the
hopewell, (by order as he affirmeth owte of Englande) How vnable wee
are to Sustaine these burthens, wherof the Charge ys soe Certen, the
frewt and effect soe vncerten (not to saye vnlikely) our great troubles,
and this yeers povertie, too sufficiently Testifie, but at the next Cropp (by
the grace of God) we hope not to faile to giue you Satisfaction, but we
must beseech you, (for the tyme to Come) we may haue fare §for§ knowl-
edg of bargaines of soe greate a Charge, lest as this, they growe §proue§
see expensive and vnprofitable.

Thus desiringe you to conceaue, yt you shall always finde us redie for the
good of the Colony, to doe our vttermost endevors, we most humblie take
our leave, & remane