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JAMES TOWNE In the Words of Contemporaries |
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9. SOME INDUSTRIAL BEGINNINGS
IT was expected that Virginia would yield a profit to Company and settlers and a search for profitable ventures was a dominating theme at Jamestown. Early in 1608 "masts [for ships], cedar ["logs"], blacke wallnutt, clapboarde" and "Gould oare [gold ore] . . . which . . . proved dirt" were sent home. With the arrival of the Second Supply in the fall of 1608 effort was renewed with some success and additional proofs were sent home.
Captaine Newport being dispatched with the tryals of pitch, tarre, glasse, frankincense and sope ashes, with that clapboard and wainscot [which] could bee provided, met with Mr. Scrivener at point Comfort, and so returned for England . . .
Proceedings of the English Colony
Many things were attempted. Among them were glassmaking and sericulture.
. . . the country wants not salsodiack enough to make glasse of, and of which we have made some stoore [store] in a goodly house sett up for the same purpose, with all offices and furnaces thereto belonging, a litle without the island, where James towne stands. . .
The Historic of Travaile into Virginia Britannia by William Strachey
The silke wormes sent thither from England, in seeds the last winter [1614], came forth many of them the beginning of March, others in Aprill, Maye and June, thousands of them grown to great bignesse, and a spinning, and the rest well thriving of their increase, and commodity well knowne to be reaped by them, we have almost assurance (since sure I am) no Country affordeth more store of Mulberry trees, or a kind with whose leafe they more delight, or thrive better.
A True Discourse of the Present Estate of Virginia by Ralph Hamor
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Last Modified: Thurs, Sep 11 2003 10:00:00 pm PST |