[John] Smith, President, who reigned sole Governor, and is now
sent home to answer some misdemeanor."

Captain Archer also regards this matter in a different light from that
in which Smith represents it. In a letter from Jamestown, written in
August, he says:

"In as much as the President [Smith], to strengthen his authority,
accorded with the variances and gave not any due respect to many worthy
gentlemen that were in our ships, wherefore they generally, with my
consent, chose Master West, my Lord De La Ware's brother, their Governor
or President de bene esse, in the absence of Sir Thomas Gates, or if
he be miscarried by sea, then to continue till we heard news from our
counsell in England. This choice of him they made not to disturb the old
President during his term, but as his authority expired, then to take
upon him the sole government, with such assistants of the captains or
discreet persons as the colony afforded.

"Perhaps you shall have it blamed as a mutinie by such as retaine old
malice, but Master West, Master Piercie, and all the respected gentlemen
of worth in Virginia, can and will testify otherwise upon their oaths.
For the King's patent we ratified, but refused to be governed by the
President--that is, after his time was expired and only subjected
ourselves to Master West, whom we labor to have next President."

It is clear from this statement that the attempt was made to supersede
Smith even before his time expired, and without any authority (since the
new commissions were still with Gates and Somers in Bermuda), for
the reason that Smith did not pay proper respect to the newly arrived
"gentlemen." Smith was no doubt dictatorial and offensive, and from his
point of view he was the only man who understood Virginia, and knew how
successfully to conduct the affairs of the colony. If this assumption
were true it would be none the less disagreeable to the new-comers.

At the time of Smith's deposition the colony was in prosperous
condition. The "General Historie" says that he left them "with three
ships, seven boats, commodities ready to trade, the harvest newly
gathered, ten weeks' provision in store, four hundred ninety and
odd persons, twenty-four pieces of ordnance, three hundred muskets,
snaphances and fire-locks, shot, powder, and match sufficient, curats,
pikes, swords, and morrios, more than men; the Salvages, their language
and habitations well known to a hundred well-trained and expert
sold