neyther was it bettered after my tyme, untill, towards th' end of March, a bisket was allowed to every working man for his breakfast, by means of the provision brought us by Captn.Newport: as will appeare hereafter.It is further said, I did much banquit and ryot.I never had but one squirrel roasted; whereof I gave part to Mr.Ratcliffe then sick: yet was that squirrel given me.I did never heate a flesh pott but when the comon pott was so used likewise.Yet how often Mr.President's and the Counsellors' spitts have night and daye bene endaungered to break their backes-so, laden with swanns, geese, ducks, etc.! how many times their flesh potts have swelled, many hungrie eies did behold, to their great longing:
and what great theeves and theeving thear hath been in the comon stoare since my tyme, I doubt not but is already made knowne to his Majesty's Councell for Virginia."Poor Wingfield was not left at ease in his confinement.On the 17th he was brought ashore to answer the charge of Jehu [John?] Robinson that he had with Robinson and others intended to run away with the pinnace to Newfoundland; and the charge by Mr.Smith that he had accused Smith of intending mutiny.To the first accuser the jury awarded one hundred pounds, and to the other two hundred pounds damages, for slander."Seeing their law so speedy and cheap," Mr.
Wingfield thought he would try to recover a copper kettle he had lent Mr.Crofts, worth half its weight in gold.But Crofts swore that Wingfield had given it to him, and he lost his kettle: "I told Mr.
President I had not known the like law, and prayed they would be more sparing of law till we had more witt or wealthe." Another day they obtained from Wingfield the key to his coffers, and took all his accounts, note-books, and "owne proper goods," which he could never recover.Thus was I made good prize on all sides."During one of Smith's absences on the river President Ratcliffe did beat James Read, the blacksmith.Wingfield says the Council were continually beating the men for their own pleasure.Read struck back.
For this he was condemned to be hanged; but "before he turned of the lather," he desired to speak privately with the President, and thereupon accused Mr.Kendall--who had been released from the pinnace when Wingfield was sent aboard--of mutiny.Read escaped.Kendall was convicted of mutiny and shot to death.In arrest of judgment he objected that the President had no authority to pronounce judgment because his name was Sicklemore and not Ratcliffe.This was true, and Mr.Martin pronounced the sentence.In his "True Relation,"Smith agrees with this statement of the death of Kendall, and says that he was tried by a jury.It illustrates the general looseness of the "General Historie," written and compiled many years afterwards, that this transaction there appears as follows: "Wingfield and Kendall being in disgrace, seeing all things at random in the absence of Smith, the company's dislike of their President's weakness, and their small love to Martin's never-mending sickness, strengthened themselves with the sailors and other confederates to regain their power, control, and authority, or at least such meanes aboard the pinnace (being fitted to sail as Smith had appointed for trade) to alter her course and to goe for England.Smiith unexpectedly returning had the plot discovered to him, much trouble he had to prevent it, till with store of sakre and musket-shot he forced them to stay or sink in the river, which action cost the life of Captain Kendall."In a following sentence he says: "The President [Ratcliffe] and Captain Archer not long after intended also to have abandoned the country, which project also was curbed and suppressed by Smith."Smith was always suppressing attempts at flight, according to his own story, unconfirmed by any other writers.He had before accused President Wingfield of a design to escape in the pinnace.
Communications were evidently exchanged with Mr.Wingfield on the pinnace, and the President was evidently ill at ease about him.One day he was summoned ashore, but declined to go, and requested an interview with ten gentlemen.To those who came off to him he said that he had determined to go to England to make known the weakness of the colony, that he could not live under the laws and usurpations of the Triumvirate; however, if the President and Mr.Archer would go, he was willing to stay and take his fortune with the colony, or he would contribute one hundred pounds towards taking the colony home.
"They did like none of my proffers, but made divers shott at uss in the pynnasse." Thereupon he went ashore and had a conference.
