ructions.

For the charge of the voyage of two or three thousand pounds we have not
received the value of one hundred pounds, and for the quartered boat to
be borne by the souldiers over the falls. Newport had 120 of the best
men he could chuse. If he had burnt her to ashes, one might have carried
her in a bag, but as she is, five hundred cannot to a navigable place
above the falls. And for him at that time to find in the South Sea
a mine of gold; or any of them sent by Sir Walter Raleigh; at our
consultation I told them was as likely as the rest. But during this
great discovery of thirtie miles (which might as well have been done
by one man, and much more, for the value of a pound of copper at a
seasonable tyme), they had the pinnace and all the boats with them but
one that remained with me to serve the fort. In their absence I followed
the new begun works of Pitch and Tarre, Glasse, Sope-ashes, Clapboord,
whereof some small quantities we have sent you. But if you rightly
consider what an infinite toyle it is in Russia and Swethland, where the
woods are proper for naught els, and though there be the helpe both
of man and beast in those ancient commonwealths, which many an hundred
years have used it, yet thousands of those poor people can scarce get
necessaries to live, but from hand to mouth, and though your factors
there can buy as much in a week as will fraught you a ship, or as much
as you please, you must not expect from us any such matter, which are
but as many of ignorant, miserable soules, that are scarce able to get
wherewith to live, and defend ourselves against the inconstant Salvages:
finding but here and there a tree fit for the purpose, and want all
things else the Russians have. For the Coronation of Powhattan, by whose
advice you sent him such presents, I know not; but this give me leave to
tell you, I feare they will be the confusion of us all ere we heare
from you again. At your ships arrivall, the Salvages harvest was newly
gathered, and we going to buy it, our owne not being halve sufficient
for so great a number. As for the two ships loading of corne Newport
promised to provide us from Powhattan, he brought us but fourteen
bushels; and from the Monacans nothing, but the most of the men sicke
and neare famished. From your ship we had not provision in victuals
worth twenty pound, and we are more than two hundred to live upon
this, the one halfe sicke, the other little better. For the saylers (I
confes