point of death, of whom many soone
after died; the lamentable outcries of theirs soe moved the hartes of
those worthies, not being in any sorte able long to releive their wantes
they soone resolved to imbarque themselves & this poore remainder of the
Collonye, in those two pinnaces & two other small Barques then in the
River, to sett saile for Newfoundland where they might releive their
wants & procure one safer passage for Englande. Every man, glad of this
resolution, laboured his uttmost to further it, so that in three weekes
we had fitted those barques and pinnaces (the best we could) & quitted
James Towne, leaving the poore buildings in it to the spoile of the
Indians, hopeinge never to retorne to re-possess them. When we had not
sailed downe the River above twelve miles but we espied a boat which
afterwards we understoode came from the right Honourable Lorde La Ware,
who was then arived at Point Comfort with three good shipps, wherin he
brought two hundred and fifty persons with some store of Provisions for
them; but by reason he founde the Collony in so great want was forced to
put both his owne people & the rest of the Collony to a very meane
allowance, which was seven pounde of English meale for a man a weeke, &
five pounds for every woman, without the addition of any victuall
whatsoever, except, in the stead of meale, we took valuablie either
pease or oatmeale. Uppon the arrival of that boat, Sir Thomas Gates
understandinge from the Lord La Ware, that his Lordship was arrived with
commission from the Company to be Gov^r & Capt. Gen^l of Virginia, & had
brought men & provisions for the subsistinge & advancing of the
Plantation, he the very next daye, to the great griefe of all his
Company (only except Capt. John Martin), as winde and weather gave
leave, retorned his whole company with charge to take possession againe
of those poore ruinated habitations at James Towne which he had formerly
abandoned; himselffe in a boate proceeded downeward to meete his
Lordship who, making all speede up, arrived shortly after at James
Towne. The time of the yeare being then most unseasonable, by
intemperate heat, at the end of June his people suddenly fallinge
generally into most pestilent diseases of Callentures and feavors, not
lesse then one hundred & fifty of them died within few moneths after, &
that chiefly for want of meanes to comfort them in their weak estates.
The residue alsoe disabled by reason of sicknes could perform