persecutions of malignant envy, he never revived the memory of the faults of his enemies. He was accustomed to lead, not to send, men to danger; would suffer want rather than borrow, and starve sooner than not pay. He had nothing counterfeit in his nature; but was open, honest, and sincere. He clearly discerned that it was the true interest of England not to seek in Virginia for gold and sudden wealth, but to enforce regular industry. Nothing,' said he, is to be expected thence but by labor.'"'*

Smith never revisited Virginia, but several times sailed along the coast of New England in the services of the Plymouth Company as will be explained later. He died at London in June, 1631, in the fifty-second year of his age. "The debt of gratitude due to him is national and American, and so should his glory be. Wherever upon this continent the English language is spoken, his deeds should be recounted, and his memory hallowed. His services should not only be not forgotten, but should be freshly remembered. His name should not only be honored by the silent canvass, and the cold marble, but his praises should dwell living upon the lips of men, and should be handed down by fathers to their children. Poetry has imagined nothing more stirring and romantic than his life and adventures, and history, upon her ample page,

* Bancroft, History of the United States, vol. i.. p. 138 (1st ed.).

167

has recorded few more honorable and spotless names.'

When Smith sailed away Jamestown contained about 50 or 60 houses, built of wood, some of which were two stories in height with roofs of board or mats or reed thatch. There was a church and a storehouse - the whole enclosed by a palisade of strong logs 15 feet high. At the neck of the peninsula was a fort with cannon mounted on platforms. There were 200 fighting men and in all about 500 men, women and children in the settlement. There was a plentiful supply of provisions, provided they were judiciously used; 500 hogs, horses, sheep and goats; fishing nets and working tools, three ships, seven boats, 20 cannon, 300 muskets, swords and pikes, and a good stock of ammunition.† But immediately after Smith's departure, the colony plunged into misery and wretchedness. They failed to make judicious use of their supplies, and consequently the provisions were soon exhausted; the Indians, now being from under the influence of Smith, refused

*Hillard, Life of Captain John Smith, p. 143. See also W. G. Simms' Life; Edward Arber's edition of his Works in the English Scholars Library; Deane's edition of Smith's True Relation; Neill, English Colonization of America (1871); Poindexter, Captain John Smith and His Critics (1893); True, Memoir of Captain John Smith (1882); Tyler, History of American Literature (1879); Tyler, Cradle of the Republic (1900); and Lives of Smith by Hill (1858), G. S. Hillard (1834), Robinson (1845), Warner (1881), and Woods (1901); Morris, Discoverers and Explorers of America, pp. 181-189.

Cooke, Virginia, pp. 76-77.

to send further aid and murdered a number of the men, among whom was Ratcliffe; and in less than six months from the day of Smith's sailing a horrible famine known as the "starving time" brought the colony to the verge of ruin. Out of the 500 persons left by Smith in the colony only 60 remained,* and indolence, vice and starvation had SO reduced these that had the famine lasted ten days longer the remaining 60 would undoubtedly have succumbed. "Throughout the whole winter of 1609-10 suffering was intense; every horse, hog and cow were slaughtered and eaten. The colonists even ate rats, dogs and adders, and it was also reported that an Indian, who had been killed, was eaten. Other horrible accounts of cannibalism are also given us." t

Before the colony had entirely disappeared, succor came in the persons of Gates and Somers. These, it will be remembered, had been shipwrecked on one of the Bermuda Islands, and they had not only succeeded in saving their provisions and stores‡ but in

addition, while the Jamestown settlers had been suffering so severely because of want of supplies, Gates and Somers had been richly supported for many months by the bounties of nature found on the island. Nevertheless, despite their happy surroundings, Gates and Somers were anxious to get to Virginia, and, constructing two primitive vessels, they succeeded in reaching the colony on May 24, 1610. Upon their arrival, they were horrorstricken at the appearance of the few surviving colonists, and finding that the combined stores would last them all for a period of only 16 days, it was decided to abandon Virginia.† Upon their departure the colonists decided to burn the town, but fortunately this insane act was prevented by Gates. Setting out on the 7th of June in four small pinnaces, the colonists fell down the river with the tide, but the next morning before they had reached the open sea, they were surprised and pleased by the sudden Delaware, who had just at that moappearance of the long boat of Lord

vol. i., pp. 100-101; Bancroft, vol. i., p. 101; Cooke, Virginia, pp. 78-80.

The South in the Building of the Nation, vol. i., p. 14.

For an account of this see A True Repertory of the Wrack and Redemption of Sir Thomas Gates, Knt., upon and from the Islands of the Bermudas, his coming to Virginia and the estate of that Colony then and afterwards, under the Government of the Lord de la Warre, by William Strachey, secretary of the colony, who was wrecked in the Sea-Venture and wrote his nar

and using his authority with those

who were not willing, Delaware induced the melancholy band to return. His first act on the 10th of June was to publish his commission and to consecrate his assumption of authority in the colony with divine services.*

Delaware's arrival filled the colonists with renewed energy and activity, and they began anew the struggle against the difficulties of their situation, soon finding that their combined efforts overcame the difficulties to which they had viously succumbed. The new governor, though mild and gentle, was firm in his restraint of the factious, and by a judicious exercise of his powers and a display of concern in their personal

pre

affairs won over the dissolute and refractory. He established a system of daily labor by which every member of the colony had a certain amount of work assigned to him and every act was regularly preceded by public worship. It seemed as if the colony were now permanently established and had come into an era of prosperity, but scarcely had Delaware brought about these gratifying results when he was compelled by failing health to return to England (March, 1611), leaving George Percy as deputy-governor during his ab

169

sence.* Although in the colony only a short time, Delaware had succeeded in reducing the colonists, who now numbered about 200, to a certain degree of order and had also prevented the encroachments of the Indians by erecting new forts and subduing some tribes. After Delaware left, Sir George Somers was sent to the Bermudas for supplies but he did not live to return. not live to return. Captain Samuel Argall, however, who accompanied him in another vessel, succeeded in obtaining a supply of corn from the Indians living on the shores of the Potomac. In May, 1611, Sir Thomas Dale, together with three ships containing 300 emigrants and a supply of cattle, provisions and other needed articles, arrived in the colony. Dale had power to administer summary justice upon any and all classes of offenders, and he administered this justice " in such a way that his term of office became known as "the five years of slavery." A further addition was made to the colony in the latter part of August when Sir Thomas Gates arrived with six ships, 280 men and 20 women, a large number of cattle and hogs, military stores Immediately and other supplies.

upon his arrival, he assumed supreme authority in the colony. Under

*Neill, The Early Settlement of Virginia (1878); Proceedings of the Virginia Company (Virginia Historical Society, 1888). † Arber, pp. 512, 536.

For some of his methods see Eggleston, Beginners of a Nation, p. 45 et seq.; Cooke, Virginia, pp. 88-89.

Gates' administration, the colony soon began to extend up the James River, upon the banks of which several settlements were made and a town built, which, in honor of Prince Henry, was called Henrico.*

Still the adventurers in England were not satisfied with the powers they possessed under the charter granted them by the king, and in March, 1612, obtained from the king an enlargement of their grants. To the Company was now transferred the supreme power formerly vested in the council, and business was generally transacted at frequent meetings, which thus gave the corporation something of a democratic form. The new grant gave the Bermudas to the Company, but they were subsequently transferred to the administration of a new Company, and in honor of Sir George Somers named the Somers Islands. The frequent meetings of the court were to consider only ordinary matters. "Matters and Affairs of Greater Weight and Importance and such as in any Sort [should] concern the Weal, Publick and General

*

Brown, First Republic, p. 156 et seq.; Osgood, American Colonies, vol. i., p. 69 et seq.; Cooke, Virginia, pp. 90-91. A code of civil and military laws was also introduced at this time, the chief provisions of which are given in Doyle, English Colonies, vol. i., pp. 138-141; Fiske, Old Virginia, vol. i., p. 164 et seq.

Brown, English Politics in Early Virginia History, pp. 21-26, 217 et seq. This new charter is given in Stith, History of Virginia, App. iii.; see also Fiske, Old Virginia, vol. i., pp. 177-182; Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. vii., pp. 3802-3810; Hening, Statutes of Virginia, vol. i., pp. 98-110.

Good of the said Company and Plantation, as namely the Manner of Government from Time to Time to be used, the Ordering and Dispensing of the Lands and Possessions and the Settling and Establishing of a Trade there, or Such like " were to be considered every year upon the last Wednesday save one of Hillary Term, Easter, Trinity and Michaelmas, in a Great, General, and Solemn Assembly" these four assemblies being "Stiled & Called The four Great & General Courts of the Council and Company of Adventurers of Virginia."

66

The treasurer and other members of the Company were to elect the members of this assembly and it was further provided that "in all Questions and Doubts that [should] arise upon any Difficulty of Construction Construction or Interpretation of anything contained in these or any other [our] former Letters-patent, the same should be taken and interpreted in the most ample and beneficial Manner for the said Treasurer and Company and their Suc

cessors.

At about this time the colonists made a treaty of alliance with Powhatan and the Indians which was effected chiefly through the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. In the spring of 1612, Argall had conducted a foraging party into the interior and captured Poca

*See F. N. Thorpe, The Story of the Constitution of the United States, p. 21 et seq.