Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 2.djvu/496

 for the purpose of engaging in this work. For evaporation, they appear to have relied at first principally on the heat of the sun. Until Argoll assumed the administration of affairs, the people obtained their supplies of salt from this source, but in the common wreck precipitated by his government, the little band of men were dispersed, and their appliances fell into decay; this led to much suffering, as the settlers were forced to eat their pork and other meats in the fresh state. The distempers resulting from this necessity were so severe that the Company in 1620 decided to erect the salt works again, and in the following year Miles Pirket, who was skilled in salt-making, was sent to Virginia. The object which the Company had in view was not only to furnish the people with the salt needed, but also in time to produce so great a quantity that all the fisheries on the American coast might look to the Colony for supplies of this article. In 1621, John Pory was instructed by Yeardley to visit the Eastern Shore to select a spot combining the most conveniences for the proposed manufacture. The supervision of the erection of the works was given to Maurice Berkeley, who had as his principal subordinate, Miles Pirkett, and also the assistance of a second man trained in making salt. The undertaking could not have been placed on a permanent