re we now saw daily in our
river. But let the blame of this lie where it is, both upon our
nets and the unskilfulness of our men to lay them.

The matter of sturgeon was of prime importance not only for subsistence
but for export, particularly of the roe. Caviar was in great demand in
England. But with uncertainty as to when the sturgeon would appear in
the river, plus hot weather, plus feeble facilities, the growth of the
industry was impeded. When tobacco, first commercially grown by John
Rolfe, appeared on the scene in 1612 and proved to be a sure money
maker, the export of sturgeon products came to a standstill. It was
having hard going anyway. Complaints from England regarding quality
were familiar enough. According to Lord De La Warr in 1610, on the
subject, "Virginia Commodities":

Sturgeon which was last sent came ill-conditioned, not being well
boiled. If it were cut in small pieces and powdered, put up in
cask, the heads pickled by themselves, and sent here, it would do
far better.

Roes of the said sturgeon make caviar according to instructions
formerly given. Sounds of the said sturgeon will make isinglass
according to the same instructions. Isinglass is worth here 13s.
4d. per 100 pounds, and caviar well conditioned is worth L40 per
100.

Other instances stressed the undependable fishing. Lord De La Warr
wrote to the Earl of Salisbury in England in 1610: "I sent fishermen
out to provide fish for our men, to save other provision, but they had
ill success."

Captain Samuel Argall was specially commissioned by the authorities in
England to deep-sea fish for the benefit of the Colony. After ranging
over a wide area between Bermuda and Canada, he reported in 1610:

... The weather continuing very foggy, thick, and rainy, about five
of the clock it began to cease and then we began to fish and so
continued until seven of the clock in between thirty and forty
fathoms, and then we could fish no longer. So having gotten between
twenty and thirty cods we left for that night, and at five of the
clock, the 26th, in the morning we began to fish again and so
continued until ten of the clock, and then it would fish no longer,
in which time we had taken near one hundred cods and a couple of
halibuts....

Then I tried whether there were any fish there or not [off Maine
coast], and I found reasonable good store there. So I stayed