eares (and that for petty offences) weare dayly executed. Many famished
in holes and other poore cabbins in the grounde, not respected because
sicknes had disabled them for labour, nor was their sufficient for them
that were more able to worke, our best allowance beinge but nine ounces
of corrupt and putrified meale and haife a pinte of oatmeale or pease
(of like ill condition) for each person a daye. Those provisions were
sent over by one Winne, a Draper, and Caswell, a baker, by the
appointment (as we conceave) of Sir Thomas Smith. Under this Tiranus
Government the Collony continued in extreame slavery and miserye for the
space of five yeares, in which time many, whose necessities enforced the
breach of those lawes by the strictness and severitye therof, suffered
death and other punishments. Divers gentlemen both there and at Henrico
towne, and throughout the wholl Collonye (beinge great adventurers and
no trendes or alliance to Sir Thomas Smith) weare feeling members of
those generall calamities, as far forth as the meanest fellow sent over.

The buildings and fortifications of that Towne, or thereabouts, were noe
way extraordinary, neither could want, accompanied with bloode and
crueltie, effect better.

Fortification against a foreign enemy there was none, only two or three
peeces of ordenance mounted, and against a domestic noe other but a pale
inclosinge the Towne to the quantitye of foure acres, within which those
buildings that weare erected, coulde not in any man's judgement, neither
did stande above five yeares and that not without continuall
reparations; true it is that there was a Bricke Church intended to be
built, but not soe much as the foundation therof ever finished, but we
contentinge our selves with a church of wood answerable to those houses.
Many other workes of like nature weare by him donne at Henrico and the
precincts therof, but so slightly as before his departure hence, he
himself saw the ruine and desolation of most of them.

Sir Thomas Gates likewise in his time erected some buildinges in and
about James Towne, which by continuall cost in repaireinge of them doe
yet for the most part in some sort remaine.

A framed Bridge was alsoe then erected, which utterly decayed before the
end of Sir Thomas Smith's government, that being the only bridge (any
way soe to be called) that was ever in the country. At this time in all
these labours, the miserye throughout the wholl Collony, in the
scarcity