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The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, ca. 1600-1925
The Calvert papers, Vol INo. 11. FATHER ANDREW WHITE TO LORD BALTIMORE.
[Superscription.]
20. February 1638.
Mr Andrew alias Tho: White to the
Lo: Baltemore
from Maryland.
R. Honble Sir
Hauing ended in a former my tedious apologie for my reputation, I reflected tht I had troubled yr Lp and my selfe to much and yett had filled the measure of yr Lps expectation nor of my liege duety in signifieng such occurrences and mysteries
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of the reale publique wch some solitarie howers in studie of yr Lps happines haue recounted vnto mee. As concerning our present estate euery day bettering itt selfe by encrease of Planters and plantations and large cropps this yeare of Corne and Tobacco the seruants time now expiring: I am well assured tht is the subiects of many better pens: therefore I will spare supfluous repetition. This yeare indeed hath prooued sick and epidemicall and hath taken away 16 of our Colony rather by disorder of eating flesh and drinking hott waters and wine by aduice of our Chirurgian rather by any great malice of their feuers for they who kept our diett and absteinence generally recouered. Really my Lord I take the cause of the sickness to bee the ouergoodnesse of land wch maketh the viands to substantiall that if duely regulation be not vsed the tyme of summer when the heate of stomakes is comonly weakest eyther they lye vndisgested and to breed agues or are thoroughly disgested and so breed great quantities of blood and vitall spiritts wch taking fyer eyther from the heat of the season our buildings beeing farre unfitt for such a climate or from some violent exercise begett feuers troublesome enough where wee want physick, yet not dangerous at all if people wilbee ruled in their diett, wch is hard for the uulgar wries wee had an hospitall heere to care them and keepe them to rule perforce wch some worthy persons of this place doe think upon. I had my share thereof beeing twice giuen ouer; but yett left heere for a while to amend and to serue yr Lp and this Colony better then before. The reliques thereof I carry still about mee not in weakeness of body wch I neuer had less; butt in a decay of my hearing when people speake low and I feare in tyme I may loose alltogether: yett as itt is now itt is a hindrance as well in an office I haue as yr Lp knowes as allso in lerning the Indian language wch hath many darke gutturalls, and drowneth often the last syllable or
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letteth it so soffely fall as itt is euen bv a good care harde to bee vnderstood. I am tould of one in London who is excellent for such cures: and therefore I write to our Great man there for leaue to returne for one yeare for helpe: who knowes whether itt may prooue to wayte upon yr Lp hither the yeare following, ffor wch cause I shall humbly entreat yr Lp to obteyne of the said party one couple more to come wth the next Shipps to Mr Englebey who liueth in Suffolk and Mr Benett in Dorcettshyer who both doe infinitely desyre to serue God and yr Lp uppon this place and haue signified their desyres to mee by letter. Their coming will relieue mee from the duety I stand heere; for one yeare: and art my returne I trust to bring more with mee, who will not come alone. This wilbee to uery good purpose, as well humbly to represent sundry things vnto yr Lp wch I dare not committ to letters wch are no better then blabs: as allso to assist a solitude wch since my Cosen Coplays departure thence I conceaue the affaires of our Colonye are in; and haue not many who take them actingly to harte and euen freynds heare our successes as men doe musick for their owne curiosity: not for our good. And indeede my Lord neyther could my Cosen or any body else tyed to other employments and fixed in the firmament of one place sufficiently doe the busines wee desyre for itt requires a whole man and more; who will take itt to harte making iourney to and fro throughout Engld to bring in aduenturers and putt a new heate and Spiritt of action therein: for I haue marked that halfe endeauours and want of energye begett delay and delay workes often dishonour and dispayer. I wish I might haue Mr Altam with mee thither for one who is a true zelante of the good of this place, uery actiue, and stirring and hath many noble freyndes and allies who haue sent him since our coming large signes of their Lone: who wilbee able to giue
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his disculpa to yr Lp and cleere his innocency, I hope and returne to hclpe the Colonye againe.
Now my Lord in the interim heere is Captayne George Euelin who wisheth much happines to yr Lp and the place. Hee sheweth us a draught of our Prouince deuided into Countres, Baronies, Lordships, etts. Hee speaketh of Citties and townes; of iudicatures, iudges, armes, Captaynies, etts. wch hee tells us yr Lp much approoued, and thereon certayne Gentlemen ioyned to come to us wth 500 men: butt entring treaty about the trade of beuer they broake of againe. I see this frame doth not much displease butt itt is thought rather too timely then vnfitt for neyther haue the Indians deserted the land and left itt to our diuision nor our paucity of men as yett fbr itt. The greatness of the lordshippes not vnder 5000 akers and reaching to 9000 is thought by eury body too much. and would bee better from 2000 to 4000 for so, as wee stand att the present wee shall sett closer and make more roome for new aduenturers; and haue more markett townes and some uery soone. There was allso proposed a consideration of yr Lps infinite charge about this prouince both abroad and att hoame and meanes treated how some profitts might bee raysed for the mayntenance of yr Lps person after that decent manner as princes are by right of nations mainteyned in splendor according to their place. Truely my Lord the proposition was well liked and I heard no body so forward in itt as Captayne Cornewallyes. Only hee desyred tht for satisfaction of all and for the legality of the way tht itt might bee treated in parlament and the pouerty and paucity of the Planters for the present bee duely allso considered, and yet some what presentely acted therein: and many wayes wilbee found out. I doubt not, where loyall loue seeketh the way, yr Lp is much beloued, and honoured of all. And so to remaine I humbly
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yr Lp not easily to lend both cares to any information for emulation wilbee, and this will ouersay. I could wish yr Lp a graue vnptiall freynd to write you the truth. Vis scire cuius rei inopia laborant magna fastigia: qued omnia possidentibus desit. Qui verum dicat. So seneca and an other found none to tell Alexander truth, but his horse; who once casting him made him know bee was not Juppiters sonne when his flatterers chaunted itt to him. Why I say thus: yr Lp shall vnderstand if wee euer meete. In the interim bee itt a riddle: and I returne to the poynt againe. Concerning therefore yr Lps profitts I beleeue ueryly one in twenty of all menage and trade, for 7 yeares will easily bee graunted bv our present pouerty and paucity: and when our number groweth greater and richer; then I thinke tht wch Capt. Euelin proposeth to witt. 1. in 100 for euer little enough and too little too. If all weare of mv mind I should say to yr Lp as yr Lps father of glorious memorie said to mec in a lr' from newfound Land tht I would deuide euen euery and the uery last bitt wth yr Lp Therefore my Lord to act in the discipline of affayer. the mayster-poynt is to know where to begin. And truely wth dew reuerence to yr better and grauer iudgt wee must vse all meanes to full people the country for so small matters from many will grow paramount in the whole. Men must bee brought by the acting diligence of such persons in England who as eyewittnesses can; and, as faythfull seruants to yr Lp and this Colony for Gods glory, will, employ themselues wholy about itt visiting all the shyres of the Land and worke sollicitously by themselues, their freynds, and their allies: wth such a spirit of feruour and paynes: as if God required no other thing in this world att their hands but this. To wch if itt bee added: tht euery planter for euery 2000 lb. of Tob. they gather and cure shall putt one man upon the place to serue
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them and for euery 5000 shall putt two men: wee shall soone grow uppe. I suppose all would bee glad to bee so bound for certayne yeares. To this I shall humbly represent this calculation to yr Lp for certayne and indubitable out of our common experience: tht if yr Lp laying out 300th for transporting of 45 men att 6th the man, will adde butt one hundred more for the first yeares prouision and putt them vnder a carefull ouerseer you may binde him to glue you 1000th of Tob. viritim, and 7 barrells of Corne entersett wth pease beanes and mazump wth obligation allso to breed you 200 head of poultry and turkeys wch (excepting this last) was my aggreement wth my ouerseer this last yeare and God bee thanked hee pformed itt well and wth ease. I gaue him for his paynes one mans worke of the gang and his owne and all surplusage aboue 1000 a head and about 7 brls item a head: and I thinke hee gained nigh 100?? sterl. by the bargaine and itt so pleased my Cosen Copley, as hee contineweth the same one yeare more. Now my Ld by this meanes you will receaue the first yeare 45000?? besides Corne, to vittuall yr men for the yeare following att 3 brls the head, and to buy cloathes for them wth the other 4 brls. wch 45000???. in Tob. is more then a thousand?? sterl. wch beeing turned to buy more men for the 2d yeare will putt you att 61 transptation 177 men wch ioyned wth the former make 222 men whose worke the 2d yeare pduceth you 222000??? Tob. id est, 5550?? sterl. wch some employed for men att the end of the 2d yeare for the third yeares planting makes together wth the former 1143 men wch yeld you the same third yeares end 1143000?? of Tob. wch will bee able to buy and freight many a shippe. To make this solid itt wilbee necessary to haue each head the 2 and 3 yeare to plante 10 barrells of wheate, tht is, three akers a man as some vse heere: tht yr Lp may bee att no charge for diett or apparell and after
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they haue ended their these men beeing sett on Copies may for euer by their chieferent maynteyne yr Lps house and vses with corne etts. Secondly as in ffrance Spaine and Italie, the Soueraignes doe appropriate the sayle of certayne things for themselues: So I conceaue yr Lp may for a tyme monopolize certayne trades as bringing in a brikeman to serue you for yeares and oblieging all to take so many bricks of him as will sett upp so many foote of building more or less according to the degree of person: in contemplation that such houses are cheaper upon the reckoning: necessary for health against heate and coald in this country: and fitter for defense of mens liues against the infidels. And for this a conuenient price may be sett on the thousand; no man pmitted to make bricks but one; vnless hee bee a seruant and makes for his maysters vse alone. The like I say off Carpenters Hatters, Sawers, Coopers, Smiths, etc. Thirdly, though for the present I should not aduise to deale any more wth hiring of Shipps wch is a busines of great entangle till three yeares of yr forsaid plantation bee ended tht you may bee able to haue two or three fayer shipps of yr owne bought by yr mens labours and seamen in them hyred for yeares wth boyes growing upp for the sea vnder them wth one Pilot and his mate wth any Mayster or Captayne but yr substitute wth a steward of yr wth out any purser: Then my Lord the sea will bring in pfitt butt otherwise I neuer heard any way sufficiently warrented to gett by shipp hyre no not though a hyring a shippe I should lett itt to a mayster reseruing transportation of some men and goods gratis wth out any charge of vittualing hir for if shee should eyther miscarry by the maysters faulte wch I putt in hir: or the mayster not able to pay or the like; all would recambye upon mee. Only Seamen themselves are to deale in shipp hyer; as I think Saluo meliori iudicio. But when yr Lp hath ships of yr owne then
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may yr Lordshp send Tobacchoes to such places where they uent best and bring in all manner of comodityes sett uppe magazines in this Colony att reasonable prices and yett make thereby a uery great gayne: as the Duke of florence doth out of his Innes. ffourthly itt would be uery expedient to trie what wine this land will yeld: I haue a strong prsumption that itt will proue well for this autumne I have drank wine made of the wilde grapes not inferiour in its age to any wine of Spaigne. Itt had much of muscadine grape but was a dark redd inclining to browne. I haue not seene as yett any white grape excepting the foxgrape wch hath some stayne of white but of the red grape I haue scene much diuersity: some less some greater, some stayne, some doe not, some are aromaticall; some not. Now if yr Lp would cause some to plante vineyards why may not yr Lp monopolize the wine for some yeares: to yr Lps great pfitt especially if all sortes of vines be gotten out of Spaine and ffrance. True itt is you must haue patience for two or three yeares before the yeld wine but afterward itt is a Constant comoditye and tht a uery great one too. ffifthly yr Lp may please to choose some large Iland for a breede of Swine vnder a carefull swineyard who may allso looke to a heard of goates and yong calfes from milke all wch bought when they bee uery little for no great matter will in few yeares grow upp into great flocks wthout any farther cost art all: whence you may draw for your Darys and yr table abundantly. A sixth thing offred ittselfe vnto mee much more beneficiall then all this aforesayd: wch I will not committe to writing: but will reserue itt to a meeting.
Now my noble Ld as concerning the trade of beauer; whatsoeuer I can say, after so wise and graue personages who haue fully considerd itt, will bee of little importance, yett if your Lp pleaseth that I lay my opinion together with myselfe att
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yr Lps feete: and humbly vnder correction reprsent in secrett to yr selfe alone what I thinke concerning the last concordate of fiue years. If I vnderstand not amisse the sharers are to pay the tenth of their cloath and the tenth of theyre beauer for flue yeares and then to haue no more right in trade. As concerning the former I feare itt will haue no other effect then to hinder both yr Lp and all the first aduenturers from trading att all yr Lp by couenant; the aduenturers, by impossibility of sauing there owne, wch yr Lp will euidently see by this paper of calculation in wch euery parte is our comon experience. As concerning the 2d I heare men say: that if the right of truck bee taken from them first, by this couert and after ward by open meanes, they can haue no assurance for the lands you giue them: seeing in the declaration and conditions of plantation both share in trade and the land runnes in one and the selfe same tenor and would bee esteemed so if itt weare brought to any hearing. I remember when yr Lp corrected the written Copie wch I made, I gave yr Lp an occasion vppon the graunt of trade to reflecte whether itt weare not fitt to limitt the graunt for tearme of life and notwthstanding this suggestion yr Lp would haue itt goe absolute as the graunt of land: and now my Lord this beeing only the specially reward of the first Aduenturers, who exposed their liues and fortunes and banished themselues from their freynds, allies, and Country to serue yr Lp in this plantation: doe not blame them my Ld if they feele itt and stand for their supposed right on wch their maintenance doth much depend. vntill they shall vnderstand how they can loose that; and may not heereafter haue their land taken from them too. the forme of graunt for each beeing all one. And as for the concordate signed by so many who vnderstand little of truck and trade, excepting relinquishers; who care little how itt wayeth: that seemeth to suppose a common stock wch hath
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ben none since the bad successe of the two former in wch euery body was losers wch makes euery body protest against itt as an engine and mystery to vndoe yr Lp and them from whence itt followeth tht howbeitt all Aduenturers in Engld subscribe yett heere beeing no guilde nor body of traders, as they say, to carry their right by most uoices: though all butt one should forgoe theeir right; yett may that one retayne his. Truely my Ld this doth much trouble the thoughts of our Colony who takes this to bee a stepp to take also their land from them, in tyme vnles they defend this. Good my Ld I humbly beseech you for reuerence to God and yr loue to this xpian Colony of his and yrs rather ask this right by way of honour of them for some yeares then presse itt from against their will, wch can not bee wth out losse of their loue at least though no farther inconuenience should follow. Itt is here rather not vnderstood then doubted how such a right bought by a deere aduenture of life and fortunes and giuen as the honorary and distinctiue signe of the first noble vndertakers for yr Lps Prouince can by any man bee taken from them. Bee the right as itt will: whereof I am no iudge, and may not speake till yr Lp giues mee leaue and I am asked: I beleeue the former way as itt was att first wch begett more profitt for yr Lp for the trade lyeth farre and wide out of our Colony and much in new Albion then heere: and easie itt will be for yr Lps subiects to absent themselues from hoame to trade there or att many places besides: from whence will follow that the trade wilbee diuerted from us and a markett sett upp in some neighbouring land: as Capt. ffleetes and Roberts proiect was: and still is as I feare to a uery bad example and diminution of ours. Much better (with humble awe and reuerence bee itt spoken) would itt prooue for yr Lp to haue 3 factoridges in the best places, tht is one man in each wth sufficient truck: the one
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at Palmers Ile for the trade of the Sasquesahanoes the other att Nantakoke for all the Easterne foreland and the third at Anacostans for the Mattomecks: and att the end of May our boate may goe and fetch the beuer wth uery small charge, and thus much I signified to yr Lp by the doue and to leaue itt to yr Lps greater wisdome & consideration. And by this tyme I haue wearied yr Lp I am sure: and am much ashamed at my tedious manner of expression. A pardon therefore is to bee asked: wch in honour I hope you will glue to this great Partiall and humble seruant of yr Lps who dayly prayeth for yr Lps happines and the good of yr Prouince
Yr Lps euer all all
Tho. White 20. feb.
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