A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. ."U7 



voyage and the conditions then existing at the islands, but the name 

 of the writer is unknown. This narrative, or rather report, concern- 

 ing the islands and their productions, was written at Bermuda, in 

 1612, just before the return of the "Plough." The writer was, in 

 my opinion, Governor Moore hirnsejf. 



This is indicated by the business-like style of the document itself ; 

 by the statement that " Hastie occasione of business doth make mee 

 write somewhat hastilie, etc. " ; by the remark that " Ave sent out for 

 Hogges"; and "but our order is not to take Fish or Fowle, but for 

 one or two meales, because that by reason of the flies, and heate of 

 the countrey they will not keep "; and by the fact that he does not 

 in any other way refer to any acts or orders of the governor, nor 

 mention him by name or title, as any subordinate person would 

 have been sure to have done. 



He does not say that the governor ordered this or that, in any 

 case. The whole character of the paper indicates that the writer 

 was the leader and the one in authority. His lucid descriptions of 

 the trees and their timber indicates his expert or professional 

 knowledge of such matters, but Governor Moore had been educated 

 as a master carpenter. It is apparently the first official report of 

 the Governor to the Company, written rather hastily, owing to the 

 pressure of numerous official duties, cares, and details incident to 

 the first settlement. If my conclusion be true, it will add somewhat 

 to the value and importance of this report, for it is one of the most 

 detailed of the early accounts, in several respects.* I shall, therefore, 

 hereafter speak of it as Governor Moore's Report of 1612. Gover- 

 nor Moore was a very conscientious and reliable man, with more 

 education and brains than most of his colleagues, and the character 

 of this useful report is in keeping with his personalit}\ 



Governor Butler (1619) said of Governor Moore "although he 

 was but a Carpenter, he was an excellent Artist, a good Gunner, 

 very witty and industrious ; he built and laid the foundations of 

 eight or nine Forts, called the Kings Castle, Charles Fort, Pem- 

 brookes Fort, Smiths Fort, AVarwicks Castle, Saint Katherines Fort, 

 &c, mounting in them all the Ordnance he had, preparing the 

 ground to build Houses, plant Come, and such fruits as they had." 

 The " forts " built at that time were of cedar wood, but the rock 

 had to be cut away in order to make level places for the gun plat- 

 forms. All the labor had to be done by hand, for they had no 

 beasts of burden, nor machinery. 



* This report was printed in full by Governor Lefroy, in his Memorials of the 

 Bermudas, i, pp. 65-72, 1877, but without suggestions as to the authorship. 



