ied on the
islands.

[Illustration: Entrance to St. George Harbor, between Smith's and
Paget's Islands. (Fac-simile re-production of Smith's engraving. 1614.)]

Two successive conspiracies were formed by large parties to separate
from the rest and form a colony. Both were defeated by the vigilance of
Gates, who allowed the ringleaders to escape with a slight punishment.
This lenity only emboldened the malcontents, and a third plot was formed
to seize the stores and take entire possession of the islands. It was
determined to make an example of one of the leaders named Payne; He was
condemned to be hanged, but, on the plea of being a gentleman, his
sentence was commuted into that of being shot, which was immediately
done. This had a salutary effect, and prevented any further trouble.

[Illustration: View of ancient forts. (Re-produced from Smith's
engraving, 1614)]

Two children, a boy and girl, were born during this period; the former
was christened Bermudas and the latter Bermuda; they were probably the
first human beings born on these islands.

Before leaving the islands Gates caused a cross to be made of the wood
saved from the wreck of his ship, which he secured to a large cedar; a
silver coin with the king's head was placed in the middle of it,
together with an inscription on a copper plate describing what had
happened--That the cross was the remains of a ship of three hundred
tons, called the Sea Venture, bound with eight more to Virginia; that
she contained two knights, Sir Thomas Gates, governor of the colony, and
Sir George Summers, admiral of the seas, who, together with her captain,
Christopher Newport, and one hundred and fifty mariners and passengers
besides, had got safe ashore, when she was lost, July 28, 1609.

On the tenth of May, 1610, they sailed with a fair wind, and, before
reaching the open sea, they struck on a rock and were nearly wrecked the
second time. On the twenty-third they arrived safely at Jamestown. This
settlement they found in a most destitute condition on their arrival,
and it was determined to abandon the place, but Sir George Summers,
"whose noble mind ever regarded the general good more than his own
ends," offered to undertake a voyage to the Bermudas for the purpose of
forming a settlement, from which supplies might be obtained for the
Jamestown colony. He accordingly sailed June 19, in his cedar vessel,
and his name was then given to the islands, though Bermuda has since
pr