In England Sir Walter Cope, another financial backer of the Virginia company starts building Holland House in London.
In Jamestown the steamy summer creates terrible
conditions. Food runs low and the brackish drinking water becomes dangerous. On August 10th Brewster, who has described Virginia
as having ‘Rokes (i.e. rocks) and mountaynes, that promyseth infynyt treasur’ dies of a wound given by savages.’
Following soon, on the 22nd Gosnold dies of a sickness, another great loss.
Dissatisfaction with President Wingfield also grows to such an extent
that the Council meet secretly among themselves, draw up new articles in writing and take oaths to observe them. They vow
(1) to depose Wingfield (2) to make Ratcliffe the next President (3) not to depose one another (4) not to take Wingfield into
the Council again (5) not to take Archer or any other into the Council again without unanimous agreement. The plotters stage
their coup on September 10th when Ratcliffe, Smith and Martin go to Wingfield’s tent with a warrant and declare that
he is unworthy to be President or Councillor ‘and therefore discharged’. Wingfield records later ‘I was
comyted to a sergeant and sent to the Pinnace (i.e. small boat) but I was answered with if they did me harm they must answer
for it.’ However, his problems do not end there for soon afterwards he is sued by Smith and another of the party for
slander and the case tried by the Council. He loses and is heavily fined.
In October
and November the death toll among the planters continues to rise and their original numbers are more than halved down to 50.
Luckily, Smith is emerging more and more as the Colony’s real dynamic leader on the Council and determined to avert
starvation. In an attempt to find meat and supplies of corn for the starving colonists in December he goes inland, up the
Chickahominy river. Later he leaves his barge and five men and journeys up the narrowing river with two others and two Indian
guides in their canoe. Finally he explores on foot with one Indian guide. Meanwhile Indians out hunting catch one of the barge
party, skin him, using mussel shells, then roast him alive. Next, with bows and arrows they kill his companions at the barge
and later, the men guarding the canoe.
