ons, wherof many of
their people had died at Sea, soe that these times alsoe of plenty and
libertie were mixed with the calamities of sicknes and mortalitie.

* * * * *

_In October, 1621_, Arived Sir Fras. Wyatt, Knight, with commission to
be Gov^r and Capt. Gen^l of Virginia. He ratified and confirmed all the
afore mentioned liberties, freedomes and priveledges, to our great
happines and content; the country alsoe flourished and increased in her
former proceedinges, as iron workes, plantinge of vines and mulberrie
for silke, &c. A ship alsoe was sent to the Summer Islandes for such
commodities as that place afforded, as Potatoes, Fig Trees, Orange and
Lemon Trees, and such like, many of which prosper and growe very likely
to increase. But amidst this happines was the Hande of God sett against
us, in great part, no doubt, for the punishment of our ingratitude in
not being thankefull but forgettfull that by his mercye we were
delivered from such bondage and calamitie as before time we had
suffered. Justly likewise were we punished for our greedy desires of
present gaine and proffit, wherin many showed themselves insatiable and
covetous; we beinge too secure in trustinge of a treacherous enimie, the
Salvadges, they, whilest we entertained them frendley in our houses,
tooke their opportunities and suddenly fell uppon us, killing and
murdering very many of our people, burninge and devastinge their houses
and plantations, this happeninge uppon the _two and twenteth of March_
followinge (1622), stroocke so at the life of our wellfare by blood and
spoile, that it almost generally defaced the beautie of the wholl
Collonye, puttinge us out of the way of bringinge to perfection those
excellent workes wherin we had made soe faire a beginninge.

This deadly stroake being given to the great amazement and ruine of our
State, caused our Governor and Counsell, withall speede, for the safetie
of the rest (lest the Indians shoulde take courage to pursue what they
had begunne), to re-collect the straglinge and woefull Inhabitants, soe
dismembered, into stronger bodies and more secure places. This enforced
reducement of the Collony into fewer bodies, together with the troble of
warre then in hande, caused the year following a slender harvest to be
reaped, wherby we weare constrained to relye upon hopes for our reliefe
by shippinge out of Englande, and by trading with the more remote
Salvadges, most part of