to dwell by
vs: Yet doe they daily relinquish their houses, lands, & Cornefields,
& leaue them to vs. Is not this a piece of wonder that a nation, which
a few dayes before was in armes with the rest against vs, should yeeld
themselues now vnto vs like lambes, & giue vs their houses, land &
linings, for a trifle? _Digitus Dei est hic_: and surely some great
good is entended by God to his Nation. Some few families of Indians,
are permitted to stay by vs till next yeere, & then the land is
free....

And now to returne to the place itself, chosen for our plantation. Wee
have been vpon it but one month, and therefore can make no large
relation of it. Yet thus much I can say of it allready; For our own
safety, we haue built a good strong Fort or Palizado, & haue mounted
vpon it one good piece of Ordnance, and 4 Murderers, and haue seuen
pieces of Ordnance more, ready to mount forthwith. For our prouision,
heere is some store of Peasen, and Beanes, and Wheate left on the
ground by the Indians, who had satisfaction for it.

Wee haue planted since wee came, as much Maize (or Indian Wheate) as
will suffice (if God prosper it) much more company than we haue. It is
vp about knee high aboue ground allready, and wee expect return of
1000. for one, as wee have reason for our hope, from the experience of
the yeelde in other parts of this Countrey, as is very credibly
related to vs.

Wee haue also English Peasen, & French-beanes, Cotten, Oringes,
Limons, Melocotunes, Apples, Peares, Potatos, and Sugar-Canes of our
owne planting, beside Hortage comming vp very finely.

But such is the quantity of Vines and Grapes now allready vpon them
(though young) as I dare say if wee had Vessells and skill, wee might
make many a tonne of Wine, euen from about our Plantation; and such
Wine, as those of Virginia say (for yet we can say nothing) as is as
good as the Wine of Spaine. I feare they exceede; but surely very
good. For the Clime of this Countrey is neere the same with Sivill and
Corduba: lying betweene 38 & 40 degrees of Northerlie latitude.

Of Hoggs wee haue allready got from Achomack (a plantation in
Virginia) to the number of 100, & more: and some 30 Cowes; and more
wee expect daily, with Goates and Hennes; our Horses and Sheepe wee
must have out of England, or some other place by the way, for wee can
haue none in Virginia.

[1] This account was compiled from letters written to friends in
England by some of the original set