s History, p. 105, in what is
called "the examinations of Doctor Simons." This writer gives full
details of the straits to which the Colonists were reduced and the
expedients to which they resorted to appease hunger in 1609; adding,
after the statements in regard to eating the Indian who had been buried
several days and their eating "one another boyled, and stewed with
rootes and herbes," the account of the man who "did kill his wife,
powdered her, and had eaten part of her before it was known," and adding
with a grim humour, "now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or
carbonado'd, I know not, but of such a dish as powdered wife, I never
heard of." His statements are copied, with more or less variation, by
Beverley, Stith, Keith and Burke, but not one of them go into the
disgusting and improbable details named in the "Brief Declaration."
Campbell also reports the stories, but adds, in regard to the wife
murderer, "upon his trial it appeared that cannibalism was feigned to
palliate the murder," p. 93. Neill quotes from the Records of the
Virginia Company, "The Tragical Relation of Virginia Assembly," which
was transmitted to England about 1621; this was intended as a reply to a
petition of Alderman Johnson and others, who had represented to the King
that the reports in regard to Sir Thos. Smith's management were false,
and desiring an investigation. These petitioners were members of a
faction which desired to break up the Virginia Company. In the Relation
of the Assembly, Smith is charged with all the cruelties to the
Colonists which are mentioned in this "Brief Declaration"; torturing
and starving to death being the punishments for minor offences; and
asserting their confidence in the truth of these statements by
concluding it with these words: "And rather to be reduced to live under
the like government we desire his Ma^{ties} commissioners may be sent
over w^{th} authoritie to hange us." This is signed by thirty members of
the General Assembly, including among the names, those of George Sandys,
the poet, traveller and Secretary of the Colony, and Raph Hamor, the
chronicler--See Neill, pp. 407-411.

There is another reference to this starving time (as it is called) and
its accompanying horror, which should not be allowed to pass without
notice. As above stated, the worst state of affairs was reported to have
existed in 1609, and in the next year a pamphlet with the following
title was issued, "A true declaration of