evailed.

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

Contrary winds and storms carried him to the northward, to the vicinity
of Cape Cod. Somers persevered and reached the islands, but age, anxiety
and exertion contributed to produce his end. Perceiving the approach of
death he exhorted his companions to continue their exertions for the
benefit of the plantations, and to return to Virginia. Alarmed at the
untimely fate of their leader, the colonists embalmed his body, and
disregarding his dying injunction, sailed for England. Three only of the
men volunteered to remain, and for some time after their companions left
they continued to cultivate the soil, but unfortunately they found some
ambergris, and they fell into innumerable quarrels respecting its
possession. They at length resolved to build a boat and sail for
Newfoundland with their prize, but, happily for them, they were
prevented by the arrival of a ship from Europe. An extraordinary
interest was excited in England by the relation of Captain Mathew
Somers, the nephew and heir of Sir George. The usual exaggerations were
published, and public impressions were heightened by contrast with the
dark ideas formerly prevalent concerning these islands. A charter was
obtained of King James I., and one hundred and twenty gentlemen detached
themselves from the Virginia company and formed a company under the name
and style of the Governor and Company of the City of London, for the
plantation of the Somer Islands.

On the twenty-eighth of April, 1612, the first ship was sent out with
sixty emigrants, under the charge of Richard Moore, who was appointed
the Governor of the colony. They met the boat containing the three men
left on the island, who were overjoyed at seeing the ship, and conducted
her into the harbor. It was not long before intelligence of the
discovery of the ambergris reached the Governor; he promptly deprived
the three men of it. One of them named Chard, who denied all knowledge
of it, and caused considerable disturbance, which at one time seemed
likely to result in a sanguinary encounter, was condemned to be hanged,
and was only reprieved when on the ladder.

The Governor now applied himself actively to his duties. He had
originally landed on Smith's Island, but he soon removed to the spot
where St. George's now stands, and built the town which was named after