Deliverance
What they found when they came to Virginia was dolor enough. On Jamestown
strand they beheld sixty skeletons "who had eaten all the quick things
that weare there, and some of them had eaten snakes and adders." Somers,
Gates, and Newport, on entering the town, found it "rather as the ruins of
some auntient fortification than that any people living might now inhabit
it."
A pitiable outcome, this, of all the hopes of fair "harbours and
habitations," of golden dreams, and farflung dominion. All those whom
Raleigh had sent to Roanoke were lost or had perished. Those who had named
and had first dwelled in Jamestown were in number about a hundred. To
these had been added, during the first year or so, perhaps two hundred
more. And the ships that had parted from the Sea Adventure had brought in
three hundred. First and last, not far from seven hundred English folk had
come to live in Virginia. And these skeletons eating snakes and adders
were all that remained of that company; all those others had died
miserably and their hopes were ashes with them.
What might Sir Thomas Gates, the Governor, do? "That which added
most to his sorowe, and not a little startled him, was the impossibilitie.
. how to amend one whitt of this. His forces were not of habilitie to
revenge upon the Indian, nor his owne supply (now brought from the
Bermudas) sufficient to relieve his people." So he called a Council and
listened in turn to Sir George Somers, to Christopher Newport, and to "the
gentlemen and Counsaile of the former Government." The end and upshot was
that none could see other course than to abandon the country.
England-in-America had tried and failed, and had tried again and failed.
God, or the course of Nature, or the current of History was against her.
Perhaps in time stronger forces and other attempts might yet issue from
England. But now the hour had come to say farewell!
Upon the bosom of the river swung two pinnaces, the Discovery and
the Virginia, left by the departing ships months before, and the
Deliverance and the Patience, the Bermuda pinnaces. Thus the English
abandoned the little town that was but three years old. Aboard the four
small ships they went, and down the broad river, between the flowery
shores, they sailed away. Doubtless under the trees on either hand were
Indians watching this retreat of the invaders of their forests. The plan
of the departing colonists was to turn north, when they had reached the
sea, and make for Newfoundland, where they might perhaps meet with English
fishing ships. So they sailed down the river, and doubtless many hearts
were heavy and sad, but others doubtless were full of joy and thankfulness
to be going back to an older home than Virginia.
The river broadened toward Chesapeake--and then, before them, what
did they see? What deliverance for those who had held on to the uttermost?
They saw the long boat of an English ship coming toward them with flashing
oars, bringing news of comfort and relief. There, indeed, off Point
Comfort lay three ships, the De La Warr, the Blessing, and the Hercules,
and they brought, with a good company and good stores, Sir Thomas West,
Lord De La Warr, appointed, over Gates, Lord Governor and Captain-General,
by land and sea, of the Colony of Virginia.
The Discovery, the Virginia, the Patience, and the Deliverance
thereupon put back to that shore they thought to have left forever. Two
days later, on Sunday the 10th of June, 1610, there anchored before
Jamestown the De La Warr, the Blessing, and the Hercules; and it was thus
that the new Lord Governor wrote home: "I . . . in the afternoon went
ashore, where after a sermon made by Mr. Buck . . . I caused my commission
to be read, upon which Sir Thomas Gates delivered up ...unto me his owne
commission, both patents, and the counsell seale; and then I delivered
some few wordes unto the Company .. . . and after . . . did constitute and
give place of office and chardge to divers Captaines and gentlemen and
elected unto me a counsaile."
The dead was alive again. Saith Rich's ballad:
And to The Virginia Company thus he writes, "Be not dismayed at all,
For scandall cannot doe us wrong, God will not let us fall. Let England
knowe our willingnesse, For that our worke is good, WE HOPE TO PLANT A
NATION WHERE NONE BEFORE HATH STOOD."
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