Julie.
THE first day we weyed anker at Musketoes Bay, where
were left behind two Irish men of our company, Darbie
Glaven, and Denice Carrell, bearing along the coast of
S. Johns till evening, at which time wee fell with Rosse
Bay. At this place Ferdinando had promised wee should
take in salte, and had caused us before, to make and
provide as many sackes for that purpose, as we could.
The Governour also, for that hee understood there was
a Towne in the bottome of the Bay, not farre from the
salt hils, appointed thirty shot, tenne pikes, and ten
targets, to man the Pinnesse, and to goe aland for salt.
Ferdinando perceiving them in a readines, sent to the
Governour, using great perswasions with him, not to take
in salt there, saying that hee knew not well whether the
same were the place or not: also, that if the Pinnesse
went into the Bay, she could not without great danger
come backe, till the next day at night, and that if in the
meane time any storme should rise, the Admirall were in
danger to bee cast away. Whilest he was thus perswading, he caused the lead to be cast, and having craftily
brought the shippe in three fadome and a halfe water,
he suddenly began to sweare, and teare God in pieces,
dissembling great danger, crying to him at the helme,
beare up hard, beare up hard: so we went off, and were
disappointed of our salt, by his meanes.
The next day sayling along the West end of S. John,
the Governour determined to go aland in S. Germans
Bay, to gather yong plants of Orenges, Pines, Mameas,
and Plantanos, to set at Virginia
, which we knew might
easily be had, for that they grow neere the shore, and the
places where they grew, well knowen to the Governour,
and some of the planters: but our Simon denied it,
saying: he would come to an anker at Hispaniola, &
there land the Governour, and some other of the Assistants, with the pinnesse, to see if he could speake with his
friend Alanson, of whom he hoped to be furnished both
of cattel, and all such things as we would have taken in
at S. John: but he meant nothing lesse, as it plainely did
appeare to us afterwards.
The next day after, being the third of July, we saw
Hispaniola, and bare with the coast all that day, looking
still when the pinnesse should be prepared to goe for the
place where Ferdinando his friend Alanson was: but
that day passed, and we saw no preparation for landing
in Hispaniola.
The 4 of July, sayling along the coast of Hispaniola,
untill the next day at noone, and no preparation yet seene
for the staying there, we having knowledge that we were
past the place where Alanson dwelt, and were come
with Isabella: hereupon Ferdinando was asked by the
Governor, whether he meant to speake with Alanson, for
the taking in of cattell, and other things, according to his
promise, or not: but he answered that he was now past
the place, and that Sir Walter Ralegh told him, the
French Ambassador certified him, that the king of Spaine
had sent for Alanson into Spaine: wherefore he thought
him dead, and that it was to no purpose to touch there
in any place, at this voyage.
The next day we left sight of Hispaniola, and haled off
for Virginia
, about foure of the clocke in the afternoone.
The sixt of July we came to the
Island Caycos, wherein
Ferdinando sayd were two salt pondes, assuring us if
they were drie, we might find salt to shift with, untill the
next supply: but it prooved as true as finding of sheepe
at
Baque. In this Island, whilest Ferdinando solaced
himselfe ashore, with one of the company, in part of the
Island, others spent the latter part of that day in other
parts of the Island, some to seeke the salt ponds, some
fowling, some hunting Swans, whereof we caught many.
The next day early in the morning we weyed anker,
leaving Caycos, with good hope, that the first land that
we saw next should be Virginia
.
About the 16 of July we fel with the maine of Virginia
,
which Simon Ferdinando tooke to be the
Island of
Croatoan, where we came to anker, and rode there two
or three dayes: but finding himselfe deceived, he weyed,
and bare along the coast, where in the night, had not
Captaine Stafford bene more carefull in looking out, then
our Simon Ferdinando, we had bene all cast away upon
the breach, called the
Cape of Feare, for we were come
within two cables length upon it: such was the carelesnes,
and ignorance of our Master.
The two and twentieth of July wee arrived safe at
Hatorask, where our ship and pinnesse ankered: the
Governour went aboord the pinnesse, accompanied with
fortie of his best men, intending to passe up to Roanoak
foorthwith, hoping there to finde those fifteene Englishmen, which Sir Richard Grinvile had left there the yeere
before, with whom hee meant to have conference, concerning the state of the Countrey, and Savages, meaning
after he had so done, to returne againe to the fleete, and
passe along the coast, to the Bay of Chesepiok, where we
intended to make our seate and forte, according to the
charge given us among other directions in writing, under
the hande of Sir Walter Ralegh: but assoone as we were
put with our pinnesse from the ship, a Gentleman by the
meanes of Ferdinando, who was appointed to returne for
England
, called to the sailers in the pinnesse, charging
them not to bring any of the planters backe againe, but
to leave them in the Island, except the Governour, & two
or three such as he approved, saying that the Summer
was farre spent, wherefore hee would land all the planters
in no other place. Unto this were all the saylers, both
in the pinnesse, and shippe, perswaded by the Master,
wherefore it booted not the Governour to contend with
them, but passed to Roanoak
, and the same night at
sunne-set went aland on the Island, in the place where
our fifteene men were left, but we found none of them,
nor any signe that they had bene there, saving onely wee
found the bones of one of those fifteene, which the
Savages had slaine long before.
The three and twentieth of July the Governour with
divers of his company, walked to the North ende of
the Island, where
Master Ralfe Lane had his forte, with
sundry necessary and decent dwelling houses, made by
his men about it the yeere before, where wee hoped to
find some signes, or certaine knowledge of our fifteene
men. When we came thither, we found the fort rased
downe, but all the houses standing unhurt, saving that
the neather roomes of them, and also of the forte, were
overgrowen with Melons of divers sortes, and Deere
within them, feeding on those Melons: so wee returned
to our company, without hope of ever seeing any of the
fifteene men living.
The same day order was given, that every man should
be employed for the repayring of those houses, which wee
found standing, and also to make other newe Cottages,
for such as should neede.
The 25 our Flyboate and the rest of our planters
arrived all safe at
Hatoraske, to the great joy and comfort
of the whole company: but the Master of our Admirall
Ferdinando grieved greatly at their safe comming: for
hee purposely left them in the Bay of Portugal, and stole
away from them in the night, hoping that the Master
thereof, whose name was Edward Spicer, for that he
never had bene in Virginia
, would hardly finde the place,
or els being left in so dangerous a place as that was, by
meanes of so many men of warre, as at that time were
abroad, they should surely be taken, or slaine: but God
disappointed his wicked pretenses.
The eight and twentieth, George Howe, one of our
twelve Assistants was slaine by divers Savages, which
were come over to Roanoak
, either of purpose to espie
our company, and what number we were, or else to hunt
Deere, whereof were many in the Island. These Savages
being secretly hidden among high reedes, where oftentimes they find the Deere asleep, and so kill them, espied
our man wading in the water alone, almost naked, without any weapon, save only a smal forked sticke, catching
Crabs therewithall, and also being strayed two miles from
his company, and shot at him in the water, where they
gave him sixteen wounds with their arrowes: and after
they had slaine him with their woodden swords, they
beat his head in pieces, and fled over the water to the
maine.
On the thirtieth of July Master Stafford and twenty
of our men passed by water to the
Island of Croatoan,
with Manteo, who had his mother, and many of his
kinred dwelling in that Island, of whom wee hoped to
understand some newes of our fifteene men, but especially
to learne the disposition of the people of the countrey
towards us, and to renew our old friendship with them.
At our first landing they seemed as though they would
fight with us: but perceiving us begin to march with
our shot towardes them, they turned their backes, and
fled. Then Manteo their countrey man called to them
in their owne language, whom, assoone as they heard,
they returned, and threwe away their bowes and arrowes,
and some of them came unto us, embracing and entertaining us friendly, desiring us not to gather or spill any
of their corne, for that they had but little. We answered
them, that neither their corne, nor any other thing of
theirs, should be diminished by any of us, and that
our comming was onely to renew the old love, that was
betweene us and them at the first, and to live with them
as brethren and friends: which answere seemed to please
them well, wherefore they requested us to walke up to
their Towne, who there feasted us after their maner, and
desired us earnestly, that there might bee some token or
badge given them of us, whereby we might know them
to be our friends, when we met them any where out of
the Towne or Island. They told us further, that for want
of some such badge, divers of them were hurt the yeere
before, being found out of the Island by
Master Lane his
company, whereof they shewed us one, which at that very
instant lay lame, and had lien of that hurt ever since:
but they sayd, they knew our men mistooke them, and
hurt them in stead of Winginos men, wherefore they
held us excused.
