Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/129

 Early History of the Bermuda Islands.

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��after them, and it was almost dark be- fore they reached the shore ; they were tormented with thirst, and had nearly despaired of finding a drop of water when some was discovered in a rock where the rain waters had collected.

The land was covered with one un- broken forest of cedar. Here they would have to remain for life unless a vessel could be constructed. They made a voyage to the wreck and secured the shrouds, tackles and carpenters' tools, and then began to cut down the cedars, with which they constructed a vessel of eighteen tons. For pitch they took lime, rendered adhesive by a mixture of turtle oil, and forced it into the seams, where it became hard as stone.

During a residence of five months here May had observed that Bermuda, hitherto supposed to be a single island, was broken up into a number of islands of different sizes, enclosing many fine bays, and forming good harbors. The vessel being finished they set sail for Newfoundland, expecting to meet fish- ing vessels there, on which they could obtain passage to Europe. On the elev- enth of May they found themselves with joy clear of the islands. They had a very favorable voyage, and on the twentieth arrived at Cape Breton. May arrived in England in August, 1594, where he gave a description of the islands ; he stated that they found hogs running wild all over the islands, which proves that this was not the first landing made there.

It was owing to a shipwreck that Ber- muda again came under the view of the English, and that led England to appropriate these islands.

In 1609, during the most active pe- riod of the colonization of Virginia, an expedition of nine ships, commanded by Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Som- ers and Captain Newport, bouiid for Virginia, was dispersed by a great storm.

��One of the vessels, the Sea Adventure, in which were Gates, Somers and New- port, seems to have been involved in the thickest of the tempest. The ves- sel sprung aleak, which it was found impossible to stop. All hands labored at the pumps for life, even the Governor and Admiral took their turns, and gentle- men who had never had an hour's hard work in their life toiled with the rest. The water continued to gain on them, and when about to give up in despair, Sir George Somers, who had been watch- ing at the poop deck day and night, cried out land, and there in the early dawn of morning could be seen t':ie wel- come sight of land. Fortunately they lighted on the only secure entrance through the reefs. The vessel was run ashore and wedged between two rocks, and thereby was preserved from sinking, till by means of a boat and skiff the whole crew of one hundred and fifty, with provisions, tackle and stores, reached the land. At that time the hogs still abounded, and these, with the turtle, birds and fish which they caught, af- forded excellent food for the castaways. The Isle of Devils Sir George Somers and party found " the richest, healthlul- est and pleasantest " they ever saw.

Robert Walsingham and Henry Shelly discovered two bays abounding in excel- lent fish ; these bays are still called by their names. Gates and Somers caused the long boat to be decked over, and sent Raven, the mate, with eight men, to Virginia to bring assistance to chem, but nothing was ever heard of them after- wards, and after waiting six months all hopes were then given up. The chiefs of the expedition then determined to build two vessels of cedar, one of eighty tons and one of thirty. Their utmost exertions, however, did not prevent dis- turbances, which nearly baffled the en- terprise. These were fomented by per-

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