544: A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



wild hogs. The}'- made salt and salted down fishes and birds for 

 their voyage. They also killed large numbers of wild hogs, not 

 only for their immediate use, but they also dried the meat for future 

 use. These provisions, together with living turtles and what meal 

 they had left, they took to Virginia. They had fed upon palmetto 

 berries, prickly pears, cedar berries, and the heads of the palinettoes 

 so largely that considerable meal had been saved. 



They sailed for Jamestown, Ma}' 10th, 1610, and arrived there on 

 the 24th. They found the Virginia colony in a starving condition 

 on account of a famine. Three persons had already died of hunger, 

 and many were ill. Their fortunate arrival with provisions saved 

 the colony from destruction. Soon after, finding that they had 

 rations for only two weeks, the whole colony abandoned the settle- 

 ment and started for Newfoundland for food, June 8th. Lord Dela- 

 ware arriving just at this time, with three vessels and some provi- 

 sions, met them on the way and they returned. The opportune 

 arrival from Bermuda changed materially the course of history for 

 that colony. Had they not arrived just at that time, with provi- 

 sions, the colony must have been abandoned entirely, and perhaps 

 most of the people would have died of starvation. 



It is not strange that the devout men of that period attributed 

 this remarkable series of events to the direct interposition of Divine 

 Providence. But Admiral Soniers and Governor Gates were cer- 

 tainly very able and efficient men, otherwise these events never 

 could have turned out so favorably. 



Scarcity of food still prevailing at Jamestown, Admiral Somers 

 undertook to return to the Bermudas in his cedar vessel in search of 

 more food, and probably, also, to look after the two men left there 

 and to plant seeds for future increase. He sailed June 20, 1610, 

 according to his own letter, but June 19th according to others. He 

 was accompanied by another vessel, but they were delayed by fogs 

 and storms and the latter returned to Virginia, but Somers kept on. 



Thus the passage was much prolonged, the admiral became ill 

 from the hardships and exposure, and died at St. George's, Xov. 9th. 

 His heart was buried there by his request, but his body was taken to 

 England by his disheartened crew, who, contrary to his orders, 

 Avould not return to Virginia. But thev left three men behind on 

 the islands, perhaps to keep nominal possession, and very likely in 

 accordance with final instructions given by Somers, though that is 

 not stated. It is related that Christopher Carter, who had previ- 

 ously been left there by Somers, declared that he would not desert 



