A Voyage to Virginia in 1609: Two Narratives: Strachey's "True Reportory" and Jourdain's Discovery of the Bermudas

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~ IV ew The .fJrd ,ea "Warr's beginnings and proceedings in Jamestown; ~ir Thomas 9ates sent into england; his and the Gompany's testimony ifVirginia and cause ifthe late miseries i1i~ PON His Lordship's landing at the 61JUOUCI6 south gate of the palisade (which looks 6 U 6 into the river), our governor caused -r~- his company in arms to stand i~ order ~'+"~ and make a guard. It pleased hlm that I should bear his colors for that time. His Lordship, landing, fell upon his knees and before us all made a long and silent prayer to himself, and after marched up into the town, where at the gate I bowed with the colors and let them fall at His Lordship's feet, who passed on into the chapel, where he heard a sermon by Master Bucke, our governor's preacher, and after that caused a gentleman, one of his own followers, Master Anthony Scot, his ancient, to read his commission, which entitled him lord governor and captain general during his life of the colony and plantation in Virginia (Sir Thomas Gates, our governor hitherto, being now styled therein lieutenant general). 84 "A TRUE REPORTORY" 85 After the reading of His Lordship's commission, Sir Thomas Gates rendered up unto His Lordship his own commission, both patents, and the council seal. After which the lord governor and captain general delivered some few words unto the company, laying many blames upon them for many vanities and their idleness, earnestly wishing that he might no more find it so lest he should be compelled to draw the sword of justice to cut off such delinquents, which he had much rather, he protested , draw in their defense to protect them from injuries ; heartening them with the knowledge of what store of provisions he had brought for them, viz., sufficient to serve four hundred men for one whole year. The twelfth of June, being Tuesday, the lord governor and captain general did constitute and give places of office and charge to divers captains and gentlemen and elected unto him a council, unto whom he did administer an oath (mixed with the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy to His Majesty; which oath likewise he caused to be administered the next day after to every particular member of the colony) of faith, assistance, and secrecy. The council which he elected were: Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, lieutenant general; Sir George Somers, Knight, admiral; Captain Percy, Esquire, and in the fort captain of fifty; Sir Ferdinando Wainman, Knight, master of the ordnance; Captain Christopher Newport, vice-admiral; William Strachey, Esquire, secretary and recorder. 86 A VOYAGE TO VIRGINIA IN 1609 As likewise the lord governor and captain general nominated Captain John Martin master of the battery works for steel and iron, and Captain George Webb sergeant major of the fort; and especial captains over companies were these appointed: Captain Edward Bruster, who hath the command of His Honor's own company, Captain Thomas Lawson, Captain Thomas Holecroft, Captain Samuel Argall, Captain George Yeardley, who commandeth the lieutenant general's company. Divers other officers were likewise made, as Master Ralph Hamor and Master Browne, clerks of the council, and Master Daniel Tucker and Master Robert Wilde, clerks of the store, etc. The first business which the lord governor and captain general (after the settling of these officers) thought upon was to advise with his council for the obtaining of such provisions of victuals for store and quality as the country afforded. It did not appear that any kind of flesh, deer, or what else of that kind could be recovered from the Indian or to be sought in the country by the travail or search of his people and the old dwellers in the fort (together with the Indians not to friend1l4 ), who had the last winter destroyed and killed up all the hogs, insomuch as of five or six hundred (as it is supposed) there was not one left alive; nor an hen nor chick in the fort; and our horses and mares they had eaten with the first; and the provision which 114Unfriendly. "A TRUE REPORTORY" the lord governor and captain general had brought concerning any kind of flesh was little or nothing, in respectll5 it was not dreamt of by the adventurers in England that the swine were destroyed. In council, therefore, the thirteenth of June, it pleased Sir George Somers, Knight, admiral...