began the return trip to England.
He took letters from those remaining in Virginia and carried accounts
describing Virginia and the events that had occurred. The settlement had
been made, and the future seemed promising.

SUMMER AND FALL, 1607

Within the short span of two months, conditions changed drastically. The
Indians became cautious and distrustful, and provisions, not
sufficiently augmented from the country, began to run low. Spoilage
destroyed some food, and, with the coming of the hot, humid weather, the
brackish drinking water proved dangerous. In August, death struck often
and quickly, taking among others the stabilizing hand of Captain
Gosnold. Inexperience, unwillingness, or inability due to insufficient
food, to do the hard work that was necessary and the lack of sufficient
information about how to survive in a primeval wilderness led to
bickering, disagreements, and, to what was more serious still, inaction.

As the first summer wore on it was natural that hostility should develop
toward the titular head of the Colony. Had the first president, Edward
Maria Wingfield, been a stronger, more adventurous, and more daring man,
conditions might have been a little better, despite his lack of real
authority. He was not the leader to act, and, to reason later.
Consequently, opinion was arrayed against him and charges, some unjust
no doubt, were formed that led to his deposition and replacement in one
of the two celebrated jury trials which occurred at Jamestown about
mid-September. His successor, perhaps no more able, was John Ratcliffe
who continued for about a year until he was deposed and replaced by
Matthew Scrivener, one of those who came over with the first supply. It
was a little later, in 1608, that Captain John Smith took the helm as
chief councilor, which was what the president really was. It was under
the presidency of Ratcliffe, however, that Smith emerged as an able,
experienced leader, who preferred action to inaction even though it
might be questioned later. His work and his decisions, sometimes wise,
sometimes not so wise, did much to insure the initial survival of the
Colony.

When the first cool days of approaching autumn touched Jamestown, in
1607, spirits rose and hopefulness supplanted despair. Disease, which
had reduced the number to less than fifty persons, subsided; the
oppressive heat lessened; and Indian crops of peas, corn, and beans
began to mature. Friendly relations were estab