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In this excerpt from A true reportory of the wracke,
and redemption of Sir Thomas Gates Knight, William Strachey describes how the English
colonists marooned on Bermuda built
two new pinnaces, or small boats, in order to save themselves. After the Sea Venture,
the flagship of a resupply fleet en route to Jamestown, nearly sank in a fierce storm, the
colonists, including Governor Sir
Thomas Gates, Admiral Sir
George Somers, and Captain Christopher Newport, spent ten months, from
1609 to 1610, in Bermuda. Addressed to an unknown "Lady," Strachey's account is
believed to have been important source material for William Shakespeare's play The
Tempest (ca. 1610–1611). Strachey's account was not published until
1625 but likely circulated years before that.
Wee had brought our Pinnasse so forward by this time, as the
eight and twentieth of August we having laid her Keele. The sixe and twentieth of
February, we now began to calke: old Cables we had preserved unto us, which affoorded
Ocam enough: and one barrell of Pitch, and another of Tarre, we likewise saved, which
served our use some little way upon the Bilg. wee breamed her otherwise with Lime
made of Wilke-shels, and an hard white stone which we bur-
— page 1747 —
ned in a Kill, slaked with fresh water, and tempered with
Tortoyses Oyle. The thirtieth of March being Friday, we towed her out in the morning
Spring-tyde, from the Wharfe where she was built, boying her with foure Caske in her
runne only: which opened into the North-west, and into which when the Breeze stood
North and by West with any stiffe gale, and upon the Spring-tydes, the Sea would
increase with that violence, especially twice it did so, as at the first time (before
our Governour had caused a solid Causey of an hundred load of stone to bee brought
from the Hils and Neighbour Rockes, and round about her ribs from stemme to stemme,
where it made a pointed Baulke, and thereby brake the violence of the Flowe and
Billowe) it indangered her overthrow and ruine, beeing greene as it were upon the
Stockes. With much difficultie, diligence, and labour, we saved her at the first, all
her Bases, Shores, and Piles, which under-set her, being almost carried from her,
which was the second of January, when her knees were not set to, nor one joynt firme:
We launched her unrigged, to carrie her to a little round the Iland, lying West
North-west, and close aboord to the backe side of our Iland, both neerer the Ponds
and Wels of some fresh water, as also from thence to make our way to the Sea the
better: the Channell being there sufficient and deepe enough to leade her forth, when
her Masts, Sayles, and all her Trimme should bee about her. Shee was fortie foot by
the Keele, and nineteene foot broad at the Beame, sixe foote floore, her Rake forward
was fourteene foot, her Rake aft from the top of her Post (which was twelve foot
long) was three foot, shee was eight foot deepe under her Beame, betweene her Deckes
she was foure foot and an halfe, with a rising of halfe a foot more under her fore
Castle, of purpose to scowre the Decke with small shot, if at any time wee should bee
boarded by the Enemie. Shee had a fall of eighteene inches aft, to make her sterage
and her great Cabbin the more large: her sterage was five foote long, and sixe foote
high, with a close Gallerie right aft, with a window on each side, and two right aft.
The most part of her timber was Cedar, which we found to be bad for shipping, for
that it is wonderous false inward, and besides it is so spault or brickle, that it
will make no good plankes, her Beames were all Oke of our ruine ship, and some
plankes in her Bow of Oke, and all the rest as if aforesaid. When shee began to
swimme (upon her launching) our Governour called her The
Deliverance, and shee might be some eighty tunnes of burthen.
Before we quitted our old quarter, and dislodged to the fresh water with our
Pinnasse, our Governour set up in Sir George Summers Garden a
faire Mnemosynon in figure of a Crosse, made of some of the
timber of our ruined shippe, which was scrued in with strong and great trunnels to a
mightie Cedar, which grew in the middest of the said Garden, and whose top and upper
branches he caused to be lopped, that the violence of the winde and weather might
have the lesse power over her.
In the middest of the Crosse, our Governour fastened the Picture of his Majestie in a
piece of Silver of twelve pence, and on each side of the Crosse, hee set an
Inscription graven in Copper, in the Latine and English to this purpose.
In memory of our great Deliverance, both from a mightie storme and
leake: wee have set up this to the honour of God. It is the spoyle of an
English ship (of three hundred tunne) called the Sea Venture,
bound with seven ships more (from which the storme divided us)
to Virginia, or Nova Britania, in America. In it were two Knights, Sir Thomas Gates
Knight, Governour of the English Forces
and Colonie there: and Sir George Summers Knight, Admirall
of the Seas. Her Captaine was Christopher Newport, Passengers and Mariners shee had beside (which came all safe to Land) one hundred
and fiftie. We were forced to runne her ashore (by reason of her leake) under a
Point that bore South-east from the Northerne Point of the Iland, which wee
discovered first the eight and twentieth of July 1609.
About the last of Aprill, Sir George Summers launched his
Pinnasse, and brought her from his building Bay, in the Mayne Iland, into the
Channell where ours did ride, and shee was by the Keele nine and twentie foot: at the
Beame fifteene foot and an halfe: at the Loose fourteene, at the Transam nine, and
she was eight foot deepe, and drew sixe foote water, and hee called her the Patience.
