126 A. EF. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 538 
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, with about 150 others. 
On July 24th (old style), when about 200 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 writing 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 George 
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 foure 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: but upon a sodaine, towards 
the morning watch, they lost the sight of it, and knew not what way it made.’’ 
