A word of explanation.....
In the first decade of the seventeenth century England began a
second round of colonizing attempts. This time jointstock
companies were used as the vehicle to plant settlements rather
than giving extensive grants to a landed proprietor such as
Gilbert or Raleigh, whose attempts at colonization in the 1570s
and 1580s had failed.
The founding of Virginia marked the beginning of a twenty-five
year period in which every colony in the New World was
established by means of a joint-stock company. A variety of
motives intensified the colonizing impulse - international
rivalry, propagation of religion, enlarged opportunity for
individual men - but none exceeded that of trade and profit. The
companies were created to make a profit; their in vestments in
the colonies were based on this assumption. Early in the 16305
merchants and investors discovered that they could employ their
money in other more rewarding enterprises. After 1631, therefore,
no colony was founded by mercantile enterprise, but by that date
the enterprisers had left a legacy of colonization that was to
endure.
In these instructions for the Virginia Company, the power of
Spain and the fear derived from past failures invade every line.
The detail and precision of the instructions reflect the work of
experienced men; Richard Hakluyt, the younger, for example,
probably had a hand in writing them.
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As we doubt not but you will have especial care to observe the
ordinances set down by the King's Majesty and delivered unto you
under the Privy Seal; so for your better directions upon your
first landing we have thought good to recommend unto your care
these instructions and articles following.
When it shall please God to send you on the coast of Virginia,
you shall do your best endeavour to find out a safe port in the
entrance of some navigable river, making choice of such a one as
runneth farthest into the land, and if you happen to discover
divers portable rivers, and amongst them any one that hath two
main branches, if the difference be not great, make choice of
that which bendeth most toward the North-West for that way you
shall soonest find the other sea.
When you have made choice of the river on which you mean to
settle, be not hasty in landing your victuals and munitions; but
first let Captain Newport discover how far that river may be
found navigable, that you make election of the strongest, most
wholesome and fertile place; for if you make many removes,
besides the loss of time, you shall greatly spoil your victuals
and your caske, and with great pain transport it in small boats.
But if you choose your place so far up as a bark of fifty tuns
will float, then you may lay all your provisions ashore with
ease, and the better receive the trade of all the countries about
you in the land; and such a place you may perchance find a
hundred miles from the river's mouth, and the further up the
better. For if you sit down near the entrance, except it be in
some island that is strong by nature, an enemy that may approach
you on even ground, may easily pull you out; and if he be driven
to seek you a hundred miles [in] the land in boats, you shall
from both sides of the river where it is narrowest, so beat them
with your muskets as they shall never be able to prevail against
you.
And to the end that you be not surprired as the French were in
Florida by Melindus, and the Spaniard in the same place by the
French, you shall do well to make this double provision. First,
erect a little stoure at the mouth of the river that may lodge
some ten men; with whom you shall leave a light boat, that when
any fleet shall be in sight, they may come with speed to give you
warning. Secondly, you must in no case suffer any of the native
people of the country to inhabit between you and the sea coast;
for you cannot carry yourselves so towards them, but they will
grow discontented with your habitation, and be ready to guide and
assist any nation that shall come to invade you; and if you
neglect this, you neglect your safety.
When you have discovered as far up the river as you mean to plant
yourselves, and landed your victuals and munitions; to the end
that every man may know his charge, you shall do well to divide
your six score men into three parts; whereof one party of them
you may appoint to fortifie and build, of which your first work
must be your storehouse for victuals; the other you may imploy in
preparing your ground and sowing your corn and roots; the other
ten of these forty you must leave as centinel at the haven1s
mouth. The other forty you may imploy for two months in discovery
of the river above you, and on the country about you; which
charge Captain Newport and Captain Gosnold may undertake of these
forty discoverers. When they do espie any high lands or hills,
Captain Gosnold may take twenty of the company to cross over the
lands, and carrying a half dozen pickaxes to try if they can find
any minerals. The other twenty may go on by river, and pitch up
boughs upon the bank's side, by which the other boats shall
follow them by the same turnings. You may also take with them a
wherry, such as is used here in the Thames; by which you may send
back to the President for supply of munition or any other want,
that you may not be driven to return for every small defect.
You must observe if you can, whether the river on which you plant
doth spring out of mountains or out of lakes. If it be out of any
lake, the passage to the other sea will be more easy, and [it] is
like enough, that out of the same lake you shall find some spring
which run[s] the contrary way towards the East India Sea; for the
great and famous rivers of Volga, Tan[a]is and Dwina have three
heads near joynd; and yet the one falleth into the Caspian Sea,
the other into the Euxine Sea, and the third into the Paelonian
Sea.
In all your passages you must have great care not to offend the
naturals [natives], if you can eschew it; and imploy some few of
your company to trade with them forcorn and all other . . .
victuals if you have any; and this you must do before that they
perceive you mean to plant among them; for not being sure how
your own seed corn will prosper the first year, to avoid the
danger of famine, use and endeavour to store yourselves of the
country corn.
Your discoverers that pass over land with hired guides, must look
well to them that they slip not from them: and for more
assurance, let them take a compass with them, and write down how
far they go upon every point of the compass; for that country
having no way nor path, if that your guides run from you in the
great woods or desert, you shall hardly ever find a passage back.
And how weary soever your soldiers be, let them never trust the
country people with the carriage of their weapons; for if they
run from you with your shott, which they only fear, they will
easily kill them all with their arrows. And whensoever any of
yours shoots before them, be sure they may be chosen out of your
best marksmen; for if they see your learners miss what they aim
at, they will think the weapon not so terrible, and thereby will
be bould to assault you.
Above all things, do not advertize the killing of any of your
men, that the country people may know it; if they perceive that
they are but common men, and that with the loss of many of theirs
they diminish any part of yours, they will make many adventures
upon you. If the country be populous, you shall do well also, not
to let them see or know of your sick men, if you have any; which
may also encourage them to many enterprizes.
You must take especial care that you choose a seat for habitation
that shall not be over burthened with woods near your town; for
all the men you have, shall not he able to cleanse twenty acres a
year; besides that it may serve for a covert for your enemies
round about.
Neither must you plant in a low or moist place, because it will
prove unhealthfull. You shall judge of the good air by the
people; for some part of that coast where the lands are low, have
their people blear eyed, and with swollen bellies and legs; but
if the naturals he strong and clean made, it is a true sign of a
wholesome soil.
You must take order to draw up the pinnace that is left with you,
under the fort: and take her sails and anchors ashore, all but a
small kedge to ride by; least some ill-dispositioned persons slip
away with her.
You must take care that your marriners that go for wages, do not
mar your trade; for those that mind not to inhabite, for a little
gain will debase the estimation of exchange, and hinder the trade
for ever after; and therefore you shall not admit or suffer any
person whatsoever, other than such as shall be appointed by the
President and Counsel there, to buy any merchandizes or other
things whatsoever.
It were necessary that all your carpenters and other such like
workmen about building do first build your storehouse and those
other rooms of publick and necessary use before any house be set
up for any private person: and though the workman may belong to
any private persons yet let them all work together first for the
company and then for private men.
And seeing order is at the same price with confusion, it shall be
adviseably done to set your houses even and by a line, that your
street may have a good breadth, and be carried square about your
market place and every street's end opening into it; that from
thence, with a few field pieces, you may command every street
throughout; which market place you may also fortify if you think
it needfull.
You shall do well to send a perfect relation by Captaine Newport
of all that is done, what height you are seated, how far into the
land, what commodities you find, what soil, woods and their
several kinds, and so of all other things else to advertise
particularly; and to suffer no man to return but by pasport from
the President and Counsel, nor to write any letter of anything
that may discourage others.
Lastly and chiefly the way to prosper and achieve good success is
to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country
and your own, and to serve and fear God the Giver of all
Goodness, for every plantation which our Heavenly Father hath not
planted shall be rooted out.
This page last updated August 9, 2000.