1. THE FIRST LANDING

THE story of Jamestown has its roots in English history, yet for convenience it can be said to have started with the grant of a charter by King James I of England to the Virginia Company of London in the spring of 1606. This charter, carrying rights to settle, explore, and govern limited sections of the New World, made possible the first permanent English settlement in America. The Virginia Company, organized on a joint stock basis, resembled other such colonizing and trading companies of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries that began primarily as profit-making enterprises. Its membership embraced all classes of English society. By the end of 1606 the company had projected and organized an expedition with the purpose of settling in the New World and Captain Christopher Newport, its commander, was ready to sail from London. The history of the voyage and the first landing is quaintly told by Master George Percy as follows:

ON Saturday the twentieth of December in the yeere 1606. the fleet fell from London, and the fift of January we anchored in the Downes: but the winds continued contrarie so long, that we were forced to stay there some time, where wee suffered great stormes, but the skilfulnesse of the Captaine wee suffered no great losse or danger . . .

The three and twentieth day [of March] we fell with the Iland of Mattanenio, in the West Indies. The foure and twentieth day we anchored at Dominico within fourteene degrees of the Line, a very faire Iland, the Trees full of sweet and good smels; inhabited by many Savage Indians. . . .

The tenth day [of April] we set saile, and disimboged out of the West Indies, and bare oure course Northerly. . . . The six and twentieth day of Aprill, about foure a clocke in the morning, wee descried the Land of Virginia. The same day wee entred into the Bay of Chesupioc directly, without any let or hinderance. There wee landed and discovered a little way, but wee could find nothing worth the speaking of, but faire meddowes and goodly tall Trees, with such Fresh-waters running through the woods, as I was almost ravished at the first sight thereof. . . .

The nine and twentieth day we set up a Crosse at Chesupioc Bay, and named that place Cape Henry. Thirtieth day, we came with our ships to Cape Comfort; where we saw five Savages running on the shoare. . . .

The twelfth day [of May] we went backe to our ships, and discovered a point of Land, called Archers Hope, which was sufficient with a little labour to defend our selves against any Enemy. The soile was good and fruitfull, with excellent good Timber . . . . If it had not beene disliked, because the ship could not ride neere the shoare, we had setled there to all the Collonies contentment.

The thirteenth day, we came to our seating place in Paspihas Countrey, some eight miles from the point of Land, which I made mention before: where our shippes doe lie so neere the shoare that they are moored to the Trees in six fathom water.

The fourteenth day, we landed all our men, which were set to worke about the fortification, and others some to watch and ward as it was convenient. . . .

The fifteenth of June we had built and finished our Fort, which was triangle wise, having three Bulwarkes, at every corner, like a halfe Moone, and foure or five pieces of Artillerie mounted in them. We had made our selves sufficiently strong for these Savages. We had also sowne most of our Corne on two Mountaines. It sprang a mans height from the ground.

Observations in 1607 BY MASTER GEORGE PERCY.

Last Modified: Thurs, Sep 11 2003 10:00:00 pm PST source/5/sb5b.htm