written from Bennett's Welcome, was one of new supplies, fears
of encroachments, growth and thankfulness: "Our men stande well to ther
helthe God be thanced and I hope to make you a good crope, bothe for
tobaco and corne. The forte is abuildinge apase." The Indians were still
respected nonetheless and the plan called for an expedition "to cute
downe their corne and put them to sorde" after "we have wedid our Tobaco
and cornne." It was a little later in the year that William Bennett, the
minister at Warrascoyack, sued for his two years of back
salary--1,533-1/3 pounds of tobacco.

In 1624 the plantation was represented in the Assembly by one John
Pollington. In fact, in that year, the settlement had thirty-three
persons including three negroes even though twenty-six had died in the
preceding twelve months period. A year later, in 1625, the population
had dropped to nineteen. A dozen more deaths were recorded including
five "slayne by the Indianes." Mortality continued high at Warrascoyack
("Warwick Squeake" as it was occasionally designated).

In the February, 1625 census listings, there were two houses, a store,
and two palisadoes. Armament was light, consisting of nine suits of
armor and thirteen "fixed pieces." The largest of the four musters was
that which listed the twelve servants of Edward Bennett. The others were
one, two, and four persons respectively. Before May, 1625 it was
reported out of Virginia that some 1,750 acres of land had been
patented at "Warrasquoake plantacon downe wards from Hogg Island xiiii
miles, by the river side." This included 300 acres "planted" by Captain
Nathaniel Basse.

"BASSE'S CHOYSE" (37)

In November, 1621, the Virginia Company voted a patent to Arthur Swayne
and Nathaniel Basse, adventurers, and to their associates to transport
100 persons to Virginia. This patent for a "particular plantation" was
further confirmed in January, 1622. Basse evidently proceeded to execute
the necessary measures to translate this into reality. He was in
Virginia in October, 1622.

Basse located in the Warrascoyack area downstream from Bennett's
Plantation and proceeded to establish his settlement. In 1624 he
represented it in the Assembly. About this time the settlement numbered
some twenty persons, but a year later it had only twelve in four
separate musters. The even dozen inhabitants included three women and a
child, "borne in Virginia," all indicating family life rather than a
military out