I Being in ship called the sea­venture, with Sir THOMAS Gates, our Go­uernour, Sir GEORGE Som­mers, and Ca­ptaine New­port, three most worthy honoured Gentlemen, (whose valour and forti­tude the world must needes take no­tice off, and that in most Honourable [Page 4]designes) bound for Virginia, in the height of thirty degrees of northerly latitude, or thereabouts: we were taken with a most sharpe and cruell storme vpon the fiue and twentieth day of Iuly, Anno 1609. which did not only separate vs from the residue of our fleete, (which were eight in number) but with the violent wor­king of the Seas, our ship became so shaken, torne, and leaked, that shee receiued so much water, as couered two [...]ire of hogsheads aboue the bal­last; that our men stoode vp to the middles, with buckets, baricos, and kettles, to baile out the water, and continually pumped for three dayes and three nights together, without any intermission; and yet the water seemed rather to increase, then to di­minish: in so much that all our men, being vtterly spent, tyred, and disa­bled for longer labour, were euen re­solued, without any hope of their [Page 5]liues, to shut vp the hatches, and to haue committed themselues to the mercy of the sea, (which is said to be mercilesse) or rather to the mercy of their mighty God and redeemer, (whose mercies exceed all his works) seeing no helpe, nor hope, in the ap­prehension of mans reason, that any mothers child could escape that ine­uitable danger, which euery man had proposed and digested to himselfe, of present sinking. So that some of them hauing some good and comfortable waters in the ship, fetcht them, and drunke one to the other, taking their last leaue one of the other, vntill their more ioyfull and happy meeting, in a more blessed world; when it pleased God out of his most gracious and mercifull prouidence, so to direct and guide our ship, (being left to the mer­cy of the sea) for her most aduantage; that Sir George Sommers (sitting vpon the poope of the ship, (where he sate [Page 6]three dayes and three nights toge­ther, without meales meate, and lit­tle or no sleepe) couning the shippe to keepe her as vpright as he could, (for otherwise shee must needes instantly haue foundred) most wishedly happi­ly discryed land; whereupon he most comfortably encouraged the compa­ny to follow their pumping, and by no meanes to cease bayling out of the water, with their buckets, baricos, and kettles; whereby they were so o­uer wearied, and their spirits so spent with long fasting, and continuance of their labour, that for the most part they were fallen asleepe in corners, and wheresoeuer they chanced first to sit or lie: but hearing news of land, wherewith they grew to bee some­what reuiued, being carried with wil and desire beyond their strength, eue­ry man busled vp, and gathered his strength and feeble spirits together, to performe as much as their weake [Page 7]force would permit him: through which weake meanes, it pleased God to worke so strongly as the water was staide for that little time, (which as we all much feared, was the last period of our breathing) and the ship kept from present sinking, when it pleased God to send her within halfe an English mile, of that land that Sir George Sommers had not long before discryed: Which were the Ilandes of the Barmudas. And there neither did our ship sincke, but more fortu­nately in so great a misfortune, fell in betweene two rockes, where shee was fast lodged and locked, for fur­ther budging: whereby we gayned, not only sufficient time, with the pre­sent helpe of our boate, and skiffe, safely to set, and conuey our men a­shore (which were one hundred and fifty in number) but afterwards had time and leasure to saue some good part of our goodes and prouision, [Page 8]which the water had not spoyled, with all the tackling of the ship, and much of the yron about her, which were necessaries not a litle auaileable, for the building and furnishing of a new ship and pinnis, which we made there, for the transporting and carry­ing of vs to Virginia. But our deli­uery was not more strange in falling so opportunely, and happily vpon the land, as our feeding and preserua­tion, was beyond our hopes, and all mens expectations most admirable. For the Ilands of the Barmudas, as euery man knoweth that hath heard or read of them, were neuer in­habited by any Christian or Heathen people, but euer esteemed, and repu­ted, a most prodigious and inchanted place, affoording nothing but gusts, stormes, and foule weather; which made euery Nauigator and Mariner to auoide thē, as Scylla and Charib­dis; or as they would shunne the De­uill [Page 9]himselfe; and no man was euer heard, to make for the place, but as against their wils, they haue by stormes and dangerousnesse of the rocks, lying seauen leagues into the Sea, suffered shipwracke; yet did we finde there the ayre so temperate and the Country so aboundantly fruitful of all fit necessaries, for the sustenta­tion and preseruation of mans life, that most in a manner of all our pro­uisions of bread, beare, and victuall, being quite spoyled, in lying long drowned in salt water, notwithstan­ding we were there for the space of nine moneths (few dayes ouer or vn­der) not only well refreshed, comfor­ted, and with good satiety contented, but out of the aboundance thereof, prouided vs some reasonable quanti­ty and proportion of prouision, to car­ry vs for Virginia, and to maintaine our selues, and that company wee [...]ound there, to the great releefe of [Page 10]them, as it fell out in their so great ex­tremities, and in respect of the short­nesse of time, vntill it pleased God, that by my Lords comming thither, their store was better supplyed. And greater, and better prouisions wee might haue made, if we had had bet­ter meanes for the storing and trans­portation thereof. Wherefore my o­pinion sincerely of this Iland is, that whereas it hath beene, and is still accounted, the most dangerous infortunate, and most forlorne place of the world, it is in truth the richest, healthfullest, and pleasing land, (the quantity and bignesse thereof consi­dered) and meerely naturall, as euer man set foote vpon: the particular profits and benefits whereof, shal be more especially inserted, and hereun­to annexed, which euery man to his owne priuate knowledge, that was there, can auouch and iustifie for a truth. Vpon the eight and twentieth [Page 11]day of Iuly 1609. (after the extre­mity of the storme, was something qualified) we fell vpon the shore at the Barmudas; where after our ge­nerall Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Sommers, and Captaine Newport, had by their prouident carefulnesse lan­ded all their men, and so much of the goods and prouisions out of the ship, as was not vtterly spoyled, euerie man disposed and applyed himselfe, to search for, and to seeke out such re­leefe and sustentation, as the Coun­try afforded: and Sir George Sommers, a man inured to extremities, (and knowing what thereunto belonged) was in this seruice, neither idle nor backward, but presently by his care­full industry, went and found out suf­ficient, of many kind of fishes, and so plentifull thereof, that in halfe an houre, he tooke so many great fishes with hookes, as did suffice the whole company one day. And fish is there [Page 12]so aboundant, that if a man steppe in­to the water, they will come round about him; so that men were faine to get out for feare of byting. These fi­shes are very fat and sweete, and of that proportion and bignesse, that three of them will conueniently lade two men: those we called rock fish. Besides there are such aboundance of mullets, that with a seane might be taken at one draught one thousand at the least, and infinite store of pil­chards, with diuers kindes of great fishes, the names of them vnknowne to me: of crayfishes very great ones, and so great store as that there hath beene taken in one night with ma­king lights, euen sufficient to feede the whole cōpany a day. The Coun­try affordeth great aboundance of Hogs, as that there hath beene taken by Sir George Sommers, who was the first that hunted for them, to the number of two and thirty at one [Page 13]time, which he brought to the com­pany in a boate, built by his owne hads. There is Fowle in great num­vpon the Ilands, where they breed, that there hath beene taken in two or three houres, a thousand at the least; the bird being of the bignesse of a good Pidgeon, and layeth egges as bigge as Hen egges vpon the sand, where they come and lay them day­ly, although men sit downe amongst them; that there hath beene taken vp in one morning, by Sir Thomas Gates men, one thousand of egges: and Sir George Sommers men, comming a lit­tle distance of time after them, haue stayed there whilst they came and layed their eggs amongst them, that they brought away as many more with them; with many young birds very fat and sweet. Another Sea fowle there is that lyeth in litle holes in the ground, like vnto a cony-hole, and are in great numbers, exceeding [Page 14]good meate, very fat and sweet (those we had in the winter) and their eggs are white, and of that bignesse, that they are not to be knowne from Hen egges. The other birds egges are speckled, and of a different colour: there are also great score and plenty of Herons, and those so familiar and tame, that wee beate them downe from the trees with stones and staues; but such were young Herons: besides many white Herons, with­out so much as a blacke or gray fea­ther on them; with other small birds so tame and gentle, that a man wal­king in the woods with a slicke, and whistling to them, they wil come and gaze on you, so neare that you may strike and kill many of them with your sticke; and with singing and hollowing you may doe the like. There are also great store of Torto­ses, (which some call Turtles) and those so great, that I haue seene a [Page 15]bushel of egges in one of their bellies, which are sweeter then any Henne egge: and the Tortose it selfe, is all very good meate, and yeeldeth great store of oyle, which is as sweete as a­ny butter; and one of them will suffice fifty men a meale, at the least: and of these hath beene taken great store, with two boates, at the least forty in one day. The Country yeeldeth di­uers fruits, as prickled peares, great aboundance, which continue greene vpon the trees all the yeare; also great plenty of Mulberries, white and red: and on the same are great store of Silke-wormes, which yeeld cods of silke, both white and yellow, being some course, and some fine. And there is a tree called a Palmito tree, which hath a very sweet berry, vp­on which the hogs doe most feede; but our men finding the sweetnesse of them, did willingly share with the hogs for them, they being very plea­sant [Page 16]and wholsome, which made them carelesse almost of any bread with their meate; which occasioned vs to carry in a manner all that store of flower and meale, we did or could saue for Virginia. The head of the Palmito tree is very good meate, ei­ther raw or sodden, it yeeldeth a head which waigheth about twenty pound, and is farre better meate, then any cabbidge. There are an infi­nite number of Cedar trees, (the fai­rest I thinke in the world) and those bring forth a very sweet berry, and wholsome to eate. The Country (for as much as I could find my self, or heare by others) affords no veni­mous creature, or so much as a Rat or Mouse, or any other thing vn­wholsome. There is great store of Pearle, and some of them very faire, round, and Orientall; and you shall finde at least one hundred seede of Pearle in one Oyster; there hath [Page 17]beene likewise found, some good quantity of Amber Greece, and that of the best sort. There are also great plenty of Whales, which I conceaue are very easie to be killed, for they come so vsually, and ordi­narily to the shore, that we heard them oftentimes in the night a bed; and haue seene many of them neare the shore, in the day time. There was borne vpon the Barmudas, at the time of our being there two chil­dren, the one a man child, there bap­tised, by the name of Barmudas: and a woman child, baptised by the name of Barmuda: as also there was a marriage betweene two En­glish people vpon that Iland. This Iland, I meane the mayne Iland, with all the broken Ilandes adia­cent, are made in the forme of a half Moone, but a little more rounder, and diuided into many broken I­lands, [Page 18]and there are many good harbours in it, but wee could finde one especiall place to goe in, or ra­ther to goe out from it, which was not altogether free from some dan­ger, and that lyeth on the South­east-side, where there is three fa­thoms water, at the entrance ther­of, but within sixe, seauen, or eight fathoms at the least, where you may safely lie land-locked, from the danger of all winds and weathers, and more to the trees. The cōming into it, is so narrow and straight be­tweene the rocks, as that it will with small store of munition be for­tified, and easily defended, with all aduantage the place affords, against the forces of the Potentest King of Europe. There are also plenty of Haukes, and very good Tobacco, as I thinke, which through forget­fulnesse, I had almost omitted: [Page 19]now hauing finished and rigged our ship, and pinnis, the one called the Deliuerance, the pinnis the Pati­ence, wee prepared and made our selues ready, to ship for Virginia, hauing powdred some store of hogs flesh, for prouision thither, and the company thereof, for some reasona­ble time: but were compelled to make salt there for the same pur­pose, for all our salt was spent and spoyled, before wee recouered the shore. Wee carryed with vs also a good portion of Tortose oyle, which either for frying or baking did vs very great pleasure, it being very sweete, nourishing, and wholsome: the greatest defects we found there, was tarre and pitch for our ship and pinnis, in steede whereof wee were forced to make lime there of a hard kinde of stone, and vse it: which for the present occasion and necessity, [Page 20]with some wax we found cast vp by the Sea, from some ship wracke, ser­ued the turne to pay the seames of the pinnis Sir George Sommers built, for which hee had neither pitch nor tarre: so that God in the supplying of all our wants, beyond all mea­sure, shewed himselfe still mercifull vnto vs, that we might accomplish our intended voyage to Virginia, for which I confidently hope, hee doth yet reserue a blessing in store, and to the which I presume, euery honest and religious heart will rea­dily giue their Amen. When all thinges were made ready, and commodiously fitted, the winde comming faire, wee set saile and put off from the Barmudas, the tenth day of May, in the yeare 1610. and arriued at Iames towne in Virginia, the foure and twentieth day of the same Moneth: where [Page 21]wee found some threescore persons liuing. And being then some three weeks or thereabouts passed, & not hearing of anye supply, it was thought fitting by a generall con­sent, to vse the best meanes for the preseruation of all those people that were liuing, being all in number two hundred persons. And so vp­on the eight of Iune one thousand six hundred and ten, wee imbarked at Iames Towne: not hauing a­boue fourteene dayes victaile, and so were determined to direct our course for new-found-land, there to refresh vs, and supply our selues with victaile, to bring vs home; but it pleased God to dispose other­wise of vs, and to giue vs better meanes. For being all of vs ship­ped in foure pinnices, and departed from the towne, almost downe half the Riuer, wee met my Lord de la [Page 22]Warre comming vp with three ships, well furnished with victaile, which reuiued all the company, and gaue them great content. And after some few dayes, my Lord vn­derstanding of the great plenty of Hogges and Fish, was at the Bar­mudas, and the necessity of them in Virginia, was desirous to send thither, to supply himselfe with those things, for the better com­forting of his men, and the planta­tion of the Country. Whereupon Sir George Sommers being a man best acquainted with the place, and be­ing willing to doe seruice vnto his Prince and Country: without any respect of his owne priuate gaine: and being of threescore yeares of age at the least, out of his worthy and valiant minde, offered himselfe to vndertake to performe with Gods help that dangerous voyage [Page 23]for the Barmudas, for the better releefe and comfort of the people in Virginia, and for the better planta­tion of it, which offer my Lord de la warre, very willingly and thank­fully accepted: and so vpon the nine­teenth of Iune, Sir George Sommers imbarked himself at Iames towne in a small barge of thirty tonne, or therabout, that he built at the Bar­mudas: wherein he laboured from morning vntill night, as duelie as any workeman doth labour for wa­ges, and built her all with Cedar, with little or no yron worke at all: hauing in her but one boult, which was in the k [...]son: notwithstanding thanks be to God, shee brought vs in safety to Virginia, and so I trust he will protect him, and send him well backe againe, to his hearts de­sire, and the great comfort of all the company there.

The Barmudas lyeth in the height of two and thirty degrees and a halfe, of Northerly latitude, Virginia bearing directly from it, West, North west, two hundred and thirty leagues.