h respects many noble & well
minded persons were induced to adventure great sums of money to the
advancement of soe pious & noble a worke, who have from the very first
been frustrate of their expectation, as wee conceive, by the
misgovernment of Sir Thomas Smith, aiminge at nothinge more then a
perticular gaine, to be raised out of the labours of such as both
voluntarilie adventured themselves and were otherwise sent over at the
common charge. This will cleerely appeare in the examination of the
first expedition & severall supplies in the tyme of his government.

The first Plantation in Virginia consisted of one hundred persons, so
slenderly provided for that before they had remained halfe a yeare in
this new Collony they fell into extreame want, not havinge anything left
to sustein them save a little ill conditioned Barley, which ground to
meal & pottage made thereof, one smale ladle full was allowed each
person for a meale, without bread or aught else whatsoever, so that had
not God, by his great providence, moved the Indians, then our utter
enemies, to bringe us reliefe, we had all utterlie by famine perished.
How unable so small a companye of people, soe poorely sent over, were to
make way for such as shoulde followe, may easily be judged.

The first supplie beinge two shippes, the John & Francis & Phenix, with
one hundred & twenty persons, worse every way provided for then the
former, arrived heere about eight or nine months after & found the
Collony consistinge of no more then forty persons (of those) tenn only
able men, the rest at point of death, all utterly destitute of howses,
not one as yet built, so that they lodged in cabbins & holes within the
grounde; victualls they had none, save some small reliefe from the
Indians, as some yet living weare feelinge witnesses, neither were we
for our future and better maintenance permitted to manure or till any
grounde, a thing in a new Plantation principally to be regarded, but
weare by the direction of Sir Thomas Smith, and his officers heere,
wholly imployed in cuttinge downe of masts, cedar, blacke wallnutt,
clapboarde, &c., and in digginge gould oare (as some thought) which
beinge sent for England proved dirt. These works to make retorne of
present proffit hindered others of more necessary consequence of
Plantation.

After this first supplie there were some few poore howses built, &
entrance made in cleeringe of grounde to the quantitye of foure acres
for the who