Instructions for the
Virginia Colony (1606)
American State Papers
Kolbe Library
Kolbe Home
As we doubt not but you will have especial care to
observe the ordinances set down by the King's Majesty and delivered unto you
under the Privy Seal; so for your better directions upon your first landing we
have thought good to recommend unto your care these instructions and articles
following.
2 When it shall please God to send you on the coast of
Virginia, you shall do your best endeavour to find out a safe port in the
entrance of some navigable river, making choice of such a one as runneth
farthest into the land, and if you happen to discover divers portable rivers,
and amongst them any one that hath two main branches, if the difference be not
great, make choice of that which bendeth most toward the North-West for that
way you shall soonest find the other sea.
3 When you have made choice of the river on which you
mean to settle, be not hasty in landing your victuals and munitions; but first
let Captain Newport discover how far that river may be found navigable, that
you make election of the strongest, most wholesome and fertile place; for if
you make many removes, besides the loss of time, you shall greatly spoil your
victuals and your caske, and with great pain transport it in small boats.
4 But if you choose your place so far up as a bark of
fifty tuns will float, then you may lay all your provisions ashore with ease,
and the better receive the trade of all the countries about you in the land;
and such a place you may perchance find a hundred miles from the river's
mouth, and the further up the better. For if you sit down near the entrance,
except it be in some island that is strong by nature, an enemy that may
approach you on even ground, may easily pull you out; and if he be driven to
seek you a hundred miles [in] the land in boats, you shall from both sides of
the river where it is narrowest, so beat them with your muskets as they shall
never be able to prevail against you.
5 And to the end that you be not surprired as the
French were in Florida by Melindus, and the Spaniard in the same place by the
French, you shall do well to make this double provision. First, erect a little
stoure at the mouth of the river that may lodge some ten men; with whom you
shall leave a light boat, that when any fleet shall be in sight, they may come
with speed to give you warning. Secondly, you must in no case suffer any of
the native people of the country to inhabit between you and the sea coast; for
you cannot carry yourselves so towards them, but they will grow discontented
with your habitation, and be ready to guide and assist any nation that shall
come to invade you; and if you neglect this, you neglect your safety.
6 When you have discovered as far up the river as you
mean to plant yourselves, and landed your victuals and munitions; to the end
that every man may know his charge, you shall do well to divide your six score
men into three parts; whereof one party of them you may appoint to fortifie
and build, of which your first work must be your storehouse for victuals; the
other you may imploy in preparing your ground and sowing your corn and roots;
the other ten of these forty you must leave as centinel at the haven1s mouth.
The other forty you may imploy for two months in discovery of the river above
you, and on the country about you; which charge Captain Newport and Captain
Gosnold may undertake of these forty discoverers. When they do espie any high
lands or hills, Captain Gosnold may take twenty of the company to cross over
the lands, and carrying a half dozen pickaxes to try if they can find any
minerals. The other twenty may go on by river, and pitch up boughs upon the
bank's side, by which the other boats shall follow them by the same turnings.
You may also take with them a wherry, such as is used here in the Thames; by
which you may send back to the President for supply of munition or any other
want, that you may not be driven to return for every small defect.
7 You must observe if you can, whether the river on
which you plant doth spring out of mountains or out of lakes. If it be out of
any lake, the passage to the other sea will be more easy, and [it] is like
enough, that out of the same lake you shall find some spring which run[s] the
contrary way towards the East India Sea; for the great and famous rivers of
Volga, Tan[a]is and Dwina have three heads near joynd; and yet the one falleth
into the Caspian Sea, the other into the Euxine Sea, and the third into the
Paelonian Sea.
8 In all your passages you must have great care not to
offend the naturals [natives], if you can eschew it; and imploy some few of
your company to trade with them forcorn and all other . . . victuals if you
have any; and this you must do before that they perceive you mean to plant
among them; for not being sure how your own seed corn will prosper the first
year, to avoid the danger of famine, use and endeavour to store yourselves of
the country corn.
9 Your discoverers that pass over land with hired
guides, must look well to them that they slip not from them: and for more
assurance, let them take a compass with them, and write down how far they go
upon every point of the compass; for that country having no way nor path, if
that your guides run from you in the great woods or desert, you shall hardly
ever find a passage back.
10 And how weary soever your soldiers be, let them never
trust the country people with the carriage of their weapons; for if they run
from you with your shott, which they only fear, they will easily kill them all
with their arrows. And whensoever any of yours shoots before them, be sure
they may be chosen out of your best marksmen; for if they see your learners
miss what they aim at, they will think the weapon not so terrible, and thereby
will be bould to assault you.
11 Above all things, do not advertize the killing of any
of your men, that the country people may know it; if they perceive that they
are but common men, and that with the loss of many of theirs they diminish any
part of yours, they will make many adventures upon you. If the country be
populous, you shall do well also, not to let them see or know of your sick
men, if you have any; which may also encourage them to many enterprizes.
12 You must take especial care that you choose a seat
for habitation that shall not be over burthened with woods near your town; for
all the men you have, shall not he able to cleanse twenty acres a year;
besides that it may serve for a covert for your enemies round about.
13 Neither must you plant in a low or moist place,
because it will prove unhealthfull. You shall judge of the good air by the
people; for some part of that coast where the lands are low, have their people
blear eyed, and with swollen bellies and legs; but if the naturals he strong
and clean made, it is a true sign of a wholesome soil.
14 You must take order to draw up the pinnace that is
left with you, under the fort: and take her sails and anchors ashore, all but
a small kedge to ride by; least some ill-dispositioned persons slip away with
her.
15 You must take care that your marriners that go for
wages, do not mar your trade; for those that mind not to inhabite, for a
little gain will debase the estimation of exchange, and hinder the trade for
ever after; and therefore you shall not admit or suffer any person whatsoever,
other than such as shall be appointed by the President and Counsel there, to
buy any merchandizes or other things whatsoever.
16 It were necessary that all your carpenters and other
such like workmen about building do first build your storehouse and those
other rooms of publick and necessary use before any house be set up for any
private person: and though the workman may belong to any private persons yet
let them all work together first for the company and then for private men.
17 And seeing order is at the same price with confusion,
it shall be adviseably done to set your houses even and by a line, that your
street may have a good breadth, and be carried square about your market place
and every street's end opening into it; that from thence, with a few field
pieces, you may command every street throughout; which market place you may
also fortify if you think it needfull.
18 You shall do well to send a perfect relation by
Captaine Newport of all that is done, what height you are seated, how far into
the land, what commodities you find, what soil, woods and their several kinds,
and so of all other things else to advertise particularly; and to suffer no
man to return but by pasport from the President and Counsel, nor to write any
letter of anything that may discourage others.
19 Lastly and chiefly the way to prosper and achieve
good success is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your
country and your own, and to serve and fear God the Giver of all Goodness, for
every plantation which our Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted
out.
1606
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