Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/133

 Early History of the Bermuda Islands.

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��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 concern- ing these islands. A charter was ob- tained of King James I ., and one hun- dred and twenty gendemen 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 planta- tion 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 Gov- ernor 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 inio the harbor. It was not long before intelli- gence of the discovery of the amber- gris 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 encoun- ter, 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 to\vn which was named after Sir George Somers, and which became, and remained for two centuries, the capital of Bermuda. He laid the foundation of eight or nine forts for the defence of the harbor, and also trained the men to arms in order that they might defend the infant colony from attack. This proved necessary, for, in 16 14, two Spanisli ships at-

��tempted to enter the harbor ; the forts were promptly manned and two shots fired at the enemy, who, finding them better prepared than they imagined, bore away.

Before the close of 1615 six vessels had arrived with three hundred and forty passengers, among whom were a Marshall and one Bartlett, who were sent out expressly to divide the colony into tribes or shares ; but the Governor finding no mention of any shares for himself, and the persons with him, as had been agieed on, forbade his pro- ceeding with his survey. The survey was afterward made by Richard Nor- wood, which divided the land into tribes, now parishes ; these shares form the foundation of the land tenure of the islands, even to this day, the divisional lines in many cases yet remaining in- tact. Moore, whose time had expired, went back to England in 16 15, leaving the administration of the government to six persons, who were to rule, each in turn, one month. They proceeded to elect by lot their first ruler, the choice falling upon Charles Caldicot, who then went, with a crew of thirty- two men, in a vessel to the West Indies for the pur- pose of procuring plants, goats and young cattle for the islands. The ves- sel was wrecked there, and the crew were indebted to an English pirate for being rescued from a desert island on which they had been cast.

For a time the colony was torn by contention and discord, as well as by scarcity of food. The news of these dissensions having reached England the company sent out Daniel Tucker as Governor. Tucker was a stern, hard master, and he enforced vigorous meas- ures to compel the people to work for the company. The provisions and stores he issued in certam quantities, and paid each laborer a stated sum in brass coin,

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