A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 601 



hew "the best and straightest of the cedars in David's Island," were 

 given in 1615, when other freight was not available. In 1616 the 

 shipment of a cargo entirely of cedar is recorded. 



Much cedar timber was also destroyed in Governor Tucker's time, 

 about 1616 to 1618, by burning over large tracts and entire small 

 islands to kill the Wood Rats, which were then a great pest.* 



Governor Butler (1619) speaks of Governor Tucker as "often 

 lireinge of the whole ilands to the huge wast and spoyle of much 

 excellent cedar timber." And yet he says that the rats, in spite of this 

 and all other efforts, " every day multiplied and grew." He had even 

 " determined once againe to fall upon another generall burneinge of 

 the whole ilands, to the extreame discontent of all men, and especially 

 of Mr. Lewes, the minister, who openly preached against it, so that 

 the governor could never endure him afterwards." 



Fortunately for the inhabitants, the rats all suddenly died just at 

 that time (in the winter of 1618—19), probably of starvation or a 

 pestilence, so that the remaining cedars were saved from burning. 

 Governor Butler's statement indicates, however, that there had been 

 one general burning. In another place he states that the governor 

 and his men had burned over one of the Brothers Islands, and found 

 it full of rats, and therefore ordered the other burned, but it was not 

 done. The name " Burnt Point," early applied to the western end 

 of St. George's Island, may refer to one of these burnings, for it was 

 thus named on Norwood's map of 1622. The islands were perhaps 

 overpopulated, even before 1630, by inferior classes of laborers, 

 taken from the slums of London and continually sent out by the 

 Bermuda Company. Many of these persons w r ere lazy and shiftless, 

 and according to Governor Butler, some women were taken from 

 Bridewell and some men from the Newgate Prison, f and others were 

 impressed. The good soil is very limited' in extent to support any 

 considerable number of people by agriculture alone. It was thus 

 nearly impossible to immediately build fortifications and other works, 

 as the Company required, and to clear the land and raise so much 

 tobacco as was demanded by the Company, and at the same time 

 raise enough corn and other food-stuffs for the inhabitants, even in 

 the best seasons. Many times there was great scarcity of food, or 

 even famine in the winters. Therefore, nearly all the best arable 

 land must have been rapidly cleared of trees in the early years. 



* This plague of rats will be discussed in a later chapter. (See ch. 33, b.) 

 \ This probably accounts for an early law, forbidding any one referring to the 

 previous bad life of any colonist before leaving England. 



