legh.

In the yeere of our Lord 1586 Sir Walter Ralegh at his owne charge
prepared a ship of an hundred tunne, fraighted with all maner of things in
most plentifull maner, for the supply and reliefe of his Colony then
remaining in Virginia: but before they set saile from England it was after
Easter, so that our Colony halfe despaired of the comming of any supply:
wherefore euery man prepared for himselfe, determining resolutely to spend
the residue of their life time in that countrey. And for the better
performance of this their determination, they sowed, planted, and set such
things as were necessary for their reliefe in so plentifull a maner as
might haue sufficed them two yeeres without any further labour. Thus
trusting to their owne haruest, they passed the Summer till the tenth of
Iune: at which time their corne which they had sowed was within one
fortnight of reaping: but then it happened that Sir Francis Drake in his
prosperous returne from the sacking of Sant Domingo, Cartagena, and Saint
Augustine, determined in his way homeward to visit his countreymen the
English Colony then remaining in Virginia. So passing along the coasts of
Florida, he fell with the parts where our English Colony inhabited: and
hauing espied some of that company, there be ankered and went aland, where
he conferred with them of their state and welfare, and how things had
passed with them. They answered him that they liued all; but hitherto in
some scarsity: and as yet could heare of no supply out of England:
therefore they requested him that hee would leaue with them some two or
three ships, that if in some reasonable time they heard not out of
England, they might then returne themselues. Which hee agreed to. Whilest
some were then writing their letters to send into England, and some others
making reports of the accidents of their trauels to ech other, some on
land, some on boord, a great storme arose, and droue the most of their
fleet from their ankers to Sea, in which ships at that instant were the
chiefest of the English Colony: the rest on land perceiuing this, hasted
to those three sailes which were appointed to be left there; and for feare
they should be left behinde they left all things confusedly, as if they
had bene chased from thence by a mighty army: and no doubt so they were;
for the hand of God came vpon them for the cruelty and outrages committed
by some of them against the natiue inhabitants of that countrey.

(M301) Immed