(Decorative banner)To his Worshipfull FriendM. Samvel Pvrchas,Preacher of the Word, at the Church a little withinLudgate, London.
(Decorative banner)
To his Worshipfull FriendM. Samvel Pvrchas,Preacher of the Word, at the Church a little withinLudgate, London.
To his Worshipfull FriendM. Samvel Pvrchas,Preacher of the Word, at the Church a little withinLudgate, London.
Sir,
IT was the nineteenth of May,1619 Maybefore I was fitted for my discouery, when fromMonahigganI set sayle in an open Pinnace of fiue tun, for the Iland I told you of.MonheganI passed alongst the Coast where I found some antient Plantations, not long since populous now vtterly void; in other places a remnant remaines, but not free of sicknesse. Their disease the Plague, for wee might perceiue the sores of some that had escaped, who described the spots of such as vsually die. When I arriued at my Sauages natiue Country (finding all dead) I trauelled alongst a daies iourney Westward, to a place calledNummastaquyt, where finding Inhabitants, I dispatched a Messenger a dayes iourney further West, toPoconaokitwhich bordereth on the Sea; whence came to see me two Kings, attended with aguard of fiftie armed men, who being well satisfied with that my Sauage and I discoursed vnto them (being desirous of noueltie) gaue mee content in whasoeuer I demanded, where I found that former relations were true. Here I redeemed aFrenchman, and afterwards another atMastachusit, who three yeeres since escaped shipwracke at the North-east of CapeCod. I must (amongst many things worthy obseruation) for want of leisure, therefore hence I passe (not mentioning any place where we touched in the way) to the Iland, which wee discouered the twelfth of Iune.JuneHere we had good quarter with the Sauages, who likewise confirmed former reports. I found seuen seuerall places digged, sent home of the earth, with samples of other commodities elsewhere found, sounded the Coast, and the time being farre spent bare vp forMonahiggan, arriuing the three and [twen]tieth of Iune, where wee found our Ship ready to depart. To this Ile are two other neere adioyning, all which I called by the name of KingIameshis Iles, because from thence I had the first motiues to search. For that (now probable passage) which may hereafter be both honourable and profitable to his Maiestie. When I had dispatched with the ships ready to depart, I thus concluded for the accomplishing my businesse. In regard of the fewnesse of my men, not being able to leaue behind mee a competentnumber for defence, and yet sufficiently furnish my selfe, I put most of my prouisions aboord theSampsonof CapeWardready bound forVirginia, from whence hee came, taking no more into the Pinnace then I thought might serue our turnes, determining with Gods helpe to search the Coast along, and atVirginiato supply our selues for a second discouery, if the first failed. But as the best actions are commonly hardest in effecting and are seldome without their crosses, so in this we had our share, and met with many difficulties: for wee had not sayled aboue forty leagues, but wee were taken with a Southerly storme, which draue vs to this strait; eyther we must weather a rockie point of Land, or run into a broad Bay no lesse dangerous;Incidit in Syllam, &c.the Rockes wee could not weather, though wee loosed till we receiued much water, but at last were forced to beare vp for the Bay, and run on ground a furlong off the shoare, where we had beene beaten to pieces, had wee not instantly throwne ouerboord our prouisions to haue our liues; by which meanes we escaped and brought off our Pinnace the next high water without hurt, hauing our Planke broken, and a small leake or two which we easily mended. Being left in this misery, hauing lost much bread, all our Beefe and Sider, some Meale and Apparell, with other prouisions and necessaries; having now little leftbesides hope to encourage vs to persist: Yet after a little deliberation we resolued to proceed and departed with the next faire winde. We had not now that faire quarter amongst the Sauages as before, which I take it was by reason of our Sauages absence, who desired (in regard of our long iourney) to stay with some of our Sauage friends atSawahquatooke, for now almost euery where, where they were of any strength they sought to betray vs. AtManamockMonomoy(the Southerne part of CapeCod, now calledSutcliffe Inlets) I was vnawares taken prisoner, when they sought to kill my men, which I left to man the Pinnace; but missing of their purpose, they demanded a ransome, which had, I was as farre from libertie as before; yet it pleased God at last, after a strange manner to deliuer me, with three of them into my hands, and a little after the chiefeSacheumhimselfe; who seeing me weigh anchor, would haue leaped ouerboord, but intercepted, craued pardon, and sent for the Hatchets giuen for ransome, excusing himselfe by laying the fault on his neighbours; and to be friends sent for aCanoaslading of Corne, which receiued we set him free. I am loth to omit the story, wherein you would finde cause to admire the great mercy of God euen in our greatest misery, in giuing vs both freedome and reliefe at one time. Departing hence, the next place we arriued at wasCapaock, an Iland formerlydiscouered by theEnglish, where I met withEpinewa Sauage that had liued inEngland, and speakes indifferent goodEnglish, who foure yeeres since being carried home, was reported to haue beene slaine, with diuers of his Countreymen, by Saylors, which was false. With him I had much conference, who gaue mee very good satisfaction in euery thing almost I could demand. Time not permitting mee to search here, which I should haue done for sundry things of speciall moment: the wind faire, I stood away shaping my course as the Coast led mee, till I came to the most Westerly part where the Coast began to fall away Southerly. In my way I discouered Land about thirtie leagues in length,Martha’s Vineyardheretofore taken for Mayne, where I feared I had beene imbayed, but by the helpe of anIndianI got to the Sea againe, through many crooked and streight passages. I let passe many accidents in this iourney occasioned by treacherie, where wee were compelled twice to goe together by the eares, once the Sauages had great advantage of vs in a streight, not aboue a Bowe shot, and where a multitude ofIndianslet flye at vs from the banke, but it pleased God to make vs victours: neere vnto this wee found a most dangerous Catwract amongst small rockie Ilands, occasioned by two vnequall tydes, the one ebbing and flowing two houres before the other: here wee lost an Anchor by the strengthof the current, but found it deepe enough: from hence were wee carried in a short space by the tydes swiftnesse into a great Bay (to vs so appearing) but indeede is broken land, which gaue vs light of the Sea: here, as I said, the Land treadeth Southerly. In this place I talked with many Saluages, who told me of two sundry passages to the great Sea on the West,Long Island Soundoffered me Pilots, and one of them drew mee a Plot with Chalke vpon a Chest, whereby I found it a great Iland, parted the two Seas; they report the one scarce passable for shoalds, perillous currents, the other no question to be made of. Hauing receiued these directions, I hastened to the place of greatest hope, where I purposed to make triall of Gods goodnesse towards vs, and vse my best endeuour to bring the truth to light, but wee were but onely shewed the entrance, where in seeking to passe wee were forced backe with contrary and ouerblowing windes, hardly escaping both our liues. Being thus ouercharged with weather, I stood alongst the coast to seeke harbours, to attend a fauourable gale to recouer the streight, but being a harbourlesse Coast for ought we could then perceiue, wee found no succour till wee arriued betwixt CapeCharlesand the Maine on the East side the BayChestapeake,Chesapeake Baywhere in a wilde Roade wee anchored; and the next day (the eight of September) crossed the Bay toKecoughtan, where the first newes strookecold to our hearts, the general sicknesse ouer the Land. Here I resolued with all possible speede to returne in pursuite of this businesse, so that after a little refreshing, wee recouered vp the Riuer toIamesCitie, and from thence to CapeWardehisPlantacon, where immediately wee fell to hewing of Boords for a close Decke, hauing found it a most desired course to attempt as before. As wee were thus labouring to effect our purposes, it pleased almighty God (who onely disposeth of the times and seasons, wherein all workes shall be accomplished) to visite vs with his heauie hand, so that at one time there were but two of vs able to helpe the rest, my selfe so sore shaken with a burning feauer, that I was brought euen vnto deaths doore, but at length by Gods assistance escaped, and haue now with the rest almost recouered my former strength. The Winter hauing ouertaken vs (a time on these Coasts especially) subiect to gusts and fearefull storms, I haue now resolued to choose a more temperate season, both for the generall good and our owne safeties. And thus I haue sent you a broken discourse, though indeede very vnwilling to haue giuen any notice at all, till it had pleased God to haue blessed mee with a thorow search, that our eyes might haue witnessed the truth. I haue drawne a Plot of the Coast, which I dare not yet part with for feare of danger, let this therefore serue forconfirmation of your hopes, till I can better performe my promise and your desire; for what I haue spoken I can produce at leastmille testes; farre separate, of the Sea behinde them, and of Ships, which come many dayes iourney from the West, and of the great extent of this Sea to the North and South, not knowing any bounds thereof Westward. I cease to trouble you till a better opportunity offer it selfe, remembring my best loue, &c. I rest
Yours to command,Tho. Dermer.
From CaptaineMartynhis Plantation.27 Decemb. 1619.