538 A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



The "Sea Venture," a ship of 300 tons, was the flag-ship of a 

 fleet of eight vessels, on its way to the young colony at Jamestown, 

 Virginia, having on board Sir Thomas Gates, governor-elect of Vir- 

 ginia, and Sir George Somers (also written Summers and Sommers), 

 the admiral, Avith about 1 o0 others. 



On July 24th (old style), when about 20*) leagues from Bermuda, 

 they encountered a terrific hurricane, which caused the ship to spring 

 a bad leak that could not be stopped. For three days and four 

 nights they were driven about helplessly by the storm. All the 

 company worked day and night with three pumps and many buckets 

 to keep the ship from sinking; 100 men working at a time. 



According to Strachy* the governor and the admiral took their 

 turns at the pumps to encourage the men. The following extracts 

 are from his account of this storm and shipwreck : 



" Windes and Seas were so mad, as fury and rage could make 

 them; for mine owne part, I had ben in some stormes before, as 

 well upon the coast of Barbary and Algeere, in the Levant, and 

 once more distresful in the Adriatique gulfe, in a bottome of Candy. 

 . . . Yet all that I had ever suffered gathered together, might not 

 hold comparison with this ; there was not a moment in which the 

 sodaine splitting, or instant over-setting of the Shippe was not 

 expected. 



* Full descriptions of this tempest and wreck were published by Strachy, 

 Jourdan, and others. The narratives of this remarkable storm and shipwreck 

 were published at about the time when Shakespeare was wri ting his "Tempest.' 

 The coincidences in many of the details are so striking that it has been thought 

 that he derived some of his ideas from these accounts, and that Bermuda was. 

 in a way, the island described. During the height of the storm the bright elec- 

 tric discharges, called " St. Elmo's Fire," appeared, gliding about on the masts, 

 yards, and shrouds for several hours together, during the night, much as 

 described in the " Tempest." Strachy described this appearance as follows : — 



"During all this time, the heavens look'd so blacke upon us, that it was not 

 possible the elevation of the Pole might be observed : nor a Starre by night, nor 

 Sun beame by day was to be seene. Onely upon the thursday night Sir Geoi'ge 

 Summers being upon the watch, had an apparition of a little round light, like a 

 faint Starre, trembling, and streaming along with a sparkleing blaze, halfe the 

 height upon the Main Mast, and shooting sometimes from Shroud to Shroud, 

 tempting to settle as it were upon any of the four< Shrouds: and for three or 

 foure houres together, or rather more, halfe the night it kept with us, running 

 sometimes along the Mainyard to the very end, and then returning. At which, 

 Sir George Summers called divers about him. and showed them the same, who 

 observed it with much wonder, and carefulnesse : hut upon a sodaine, towards 

 the morning watch, they lost the sight of it. and knew not what way it made." 



