SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER. 85 



need not wonder, therefore, that we hear of only one artizan, a blacksmith, connected 

 with the expedition, the other emigrants being generally agricultural labourers of the 

 lowest class. Probably, however, in none of the early attempts at settlement in America 

 were the terms offered more favourable, and the material engaged in them was no better. 

 The preA'alent idea seemed to be to establish in America a state of society similar to that 

 of medieval Europe, with the soil in the possession of certain lords paramount, under 

 whom the masses should hold their lands in a condition approaching more or less that of 

 serfs. Had Sir "William offered lands in fee he would have gathered a different class of 

 emigrants — men who could have provided the means of subsistence, men who would have 

 become attached to the soil and who would have birilt irp a free and prosperous society. 

 Such an idea, h( wever, was far ahead of the time and opposed to the social ideas of the age. 

 It must be added that with the religious spirit of the period, and with the avowed design 

 of the undertaking to propagate true religion, the services of a Presbyterian minister were 

 secured for the spiritual interests of the new colonists. 



Besides the difhculty of obtaining suitable settlers. Sir William met with another 

 obstacle. Provisions had lately trebled in price, and were scarce at that rate, and he 

 seems to have been pressed for means of procuring them. The vessel, however, 

 sailed in the end of June, proceeding first to the Isle of Man. The voyage was resumed 

 early in August, and about the middle of September the emigrants sighted St. Peter's 

 Island off the coast of Newfoundland. Continuing their course westward, they reached 

 the coast of Cape Breton, but met a storm which drove them back to Newfoundland. 

 Here they took refuge in the harbour of St. Johns, and resolved to pass the winter there, 

 despatching the vessel back to Britain for further supplies, while those who remained 

 sought to eke out a precarious existence by fishing. It is easy to see how injudicious their 

 arrangements were — in sailing so late in the season, and in not ha^dug sent a party in 

 advance, under some qualified leader, to select a site for commencing settlement, and to 

 make arrangements for the reception of the settlers on arrival, — but such unwisdom was 

 common at the time and long after. 



Sir William was not discouraged, and in the end of March, 1623, despatched a vessel 

 named " The St. Luke," from Loudon, with additional colonists and supplies. By contrary 

 winds she was detained at Plymouth till the 28th of April, and it was the 5th of June 

 before she arrived at St. Johns, about eight months after the landing there of the former 

 band. During that time, amid other casualties, "their minister and smith — both, for 

 spiritual and tempérai respects, the two most necessary members — had both died." The 

 rest had scattered, and were earning a scanty subsistence as fishermen. 



" Seeing no hope to plant themselves in any good fashion that yeere, ten of the 

 principall persons concluded to go alongst with the ship to New Scotland to discouer the 

 countrcy, and to make choice of a fit place for a habitation against the next yeere 

 considering very well that they could not doe so much good by staying there with so 

 few a number as they might do at their return by reporting the truth to their friends 

 of that which they had seen, whereby a new Colonie might be encouraged to set forth 

 well-furnished and instructed according to that might be learned by their experience." 



" The three and twentieth of June they loosed from Saint lohn's Harbour and sayled 

 towards New Scotland, where for the space of fourteen days they w-ere, by foggs and 

 contrary winds, kept back from spying land till the eighth of luly, that they saw the 



