by　her　fisheries　and　the　training　of　hardy　sailors。　The　fishery　would　support　a　colony　until　it　had　obtained　a　good　foothold；　and　control　of　these　fisheries　would　bring　more　profit　to　England　than　any　other　occupation。　　There　are　other　reasons　than　gain　that　should　induce　in　England　the　large　ambition　of　founding　a　great　state；　reasons　of　religion　and　humanity；　erecting　towns；　peopling　countries；　informing　the　ignorant；　reforming　things　unjust；　teaching　virtue；　finding　employment　for　the　idle；　and　giving　to　the　mother　country　a　kingdom　to　attend　her。　　But　he　does　not　expect　the　English　to　indulge　in　such　noble　ambitions　unless　he　can　show　a　profit　in　them。
  〃I　have　not　＇he　says＇　been　so　ill　bred　but　I　have　tasted　of　plenty　and　pleasure；　as　well　as　want　and　misery；　nor　doth　a　necessity　yet；　nor　occasion　of　discontent；　force　me　to　these　endeavors；　nor　am　I　ignorant　that　small　thank　I　shall　have　for　my　pains；　or　that　many　would　have　the　world　imagine　them　to　be　of　great　judgment；　that　can　but　blemish　these　my　designs；　by　their　witty　objections　and　detractions；　yet　（I　hope）　my　reasons　and　my　deeds　will　so　prevail　with　some；　that　I　shall　not　want　employment　in　these　affairs　to　make　the　most　blind　see　his　own　senselessness　and　incredulity；　hoping　that　gain　will　make　them　affect　that　which　religion；　charity　and　the　common　good　cannot。。。。　　For　I　am　not　so　simple　to　think　that　ever　any　other　motive　than　wealth　will　ever　erect　there　a　Commonwealth；　or　draw　company　from　their　ease　and　humours　at　home；　to　stay　in　New　England　to　effect　any　purpose。〃
  But　lest　the　toils　of　the　new　settlement　should　affright　his　readers；　our　author　draws　an　idyllic　picture　of　the　simple　pleasures　which　nature　and　liberty　afford　here　freely；　but　which　cost　so　dearly　in　England。　　Those　who　seek　vain　pleasure　in　England　take　more　pains　to　enjoy　it　than　they　would　spend　in　New　England　to　gain　wealth；　and　yet　have　not　half　such　sweet　content。　　What　pleasure　can　be　more；　he　exclaims；　when　men　are　tired　of　planting　vines　and　fruits　and　ordering　gardens；　orchards　and　building　to　their　mind；　than　〃to　recreate　themselves　before　their　owne　doore；　in　their　owne　boates　upon　the　Sea；　where　man；　woman　and　child；　with　a　small　hooke　and　line；　by　angling；　may　take　divers　sorts　of　excellent　fish　at　their　pleasures？　　And　is　it　not　pretty　sport；　to　pull　up　two　pence；　six　pence；　and　twelve　pence　as　fast　as　you　can　hale　and　veere　a　line？。。。　And　what　sport　doth　yield　more　pleasing　content；　and　less　hurt　or　charge　than　angling　with　a　hooke；　and　crossing　the　sweet　ayre　from　Isle　to　Isle；　over　the　silent　streams　of　a　calme　Sea？　wherein　the　most　curious　may　finde　pleasure；　profit　and　content。〃
  Smith　made　a　most　attractive　picture　of　the　fertility　of　the　soil　and　the　fruitfulness　of　the　country。　　Nothing　was　too　trivial　to　be　mentioned。　　〃There　are　certain　red　berries　called　Alkermes　which　is　worth　ten　shillings　a　pound；　but　of　these　hath　been　sold　for　thirty　or　forty　shillings　the　pound；　may　yearly　be　gathered　a　good　quantity。〃　　John　Josselyn；　who　was　much　of　the　time　in　New　England　from　1638　to　1671　and　saw　more　marvels　there　than　anybody　else　ever　imagined；　says；　〃I　have　sought　for　this　berry　he　speaks　of；　as　a　man　should　for　a　needle　in　a　bottle　of　hay；　but　could　never　light　upon　it；　unless　that　kind　of　Solomon's　seal　called　by　the　English　treacle…　berry　should　be　it。〃
  Towards　the　last　of　August；　1614；　Smith　was　back　at　Plymouth。　　He　had　now　a　project　of　a　colony　which　he　imparted　to　his　friend　Sir　Ferdinand　Gorges。　　It　is　difficult　from　Smith's　various　accounts　to　say　exactly　what　happened　to　him　next。　　It　would　appear　that　he　declined　to　go　with　an　expedition　of　four　ship　which　the　Virginia　company　despatched　in　1615；　and　incurred　their　ill…will　by　refusing；　but　he　considered　himself　attached　to　the　western　or　Plymouth　company。　　Still　he　experienced　many　delays　from　them：　they　promised　four　ships　to　be　ready　at　Plymouth；　on　his　arrival　〃he　found　no　such　matter；〃　and　at　last　he　embarked　in　a　private　expedition；　to　found　a　colony　at　the　expense　of　Gorges；　Dr。　Sutliffe；　Bishop　o　Exeter；　and　a　few　gentlemen　in　London。　　In　January　1615；　he　sailed　from　Plymouth　with　a　ship　Of　20　tons；　and　another　of　50。　　His　intention　was；　after　the　fishing　was　over；　to　remain　in　New　England　with　only　fifteen　men　and　begin　a　colony。
  These　hopes　were　frustrated。　　When　only　one　hundred　and　twenty　leagues　out　all　the　masts　of　his　vessels　were　carried　away　in　a　storm；　and　it　was　only　by　diligent　pumping　that　he　was　able　to　keep　his　craft　afloat　and　put　back　to　Plymouth。　　Thence　on　the　24th　of　June　he　made　another　start　in　a　vessel　of　sixty　tons　with　thirty　men。　But　ill…luck　still　attended　him。　　He　had　a　queer　adventure　with　pirates。　　Lest　the　envious　world　should　not　believe　his　own　story；　Smith　had　Baker；　his　steward；　and　several　of　his　crew　examined　before　a　magistrate　at　Plymouth；　December　8；　1615；　who　support　his　story　by　their　testimony　up　to　a　certain　point。
  It　appears　that　he　was　chased　two　days　by　one　Fry；　an　English　pirate；　in　a　greatly　superior　vessel；　heavily　armed　and　manned。　　By　reason　of　the　foul　weather　the　pirate　could　not　board　Smith；　and　his　master；　mate；　and　pilot；　Chambers；　Minter；　and　Digby；　importuned　him　to　surrender；　and　that　he　should　send　a　boat　to　the　pirate；　as　Fry　had　no　boat。　　This　singular　proposal　Smith　accepted　on　condition　Fry　would　not　take　anything　that　would　cripple　his　voyage；　or　send　more　men　aboard　（Smith　furnishing　the　boat）　than　he　allowed。　　Baker　confessed　that　the　quartermaster　and　Chambers　received　gold　of　the　pirates；　for　what　purpose　it　does　not　appear。　　They　came　on　board；　but　Smith　would　not　come　out　of　his　cabin　to　entertain　them；　〃although　a　great　many　of　them　had　been　his　sailors；　and　for　his　love　would　have　wafted　us　to　the　Isle　of　Flowers。〃
  Having　got　rid　of　the　pirate　Fry　by　this　singular　manner　of　receiving　gold　from　him；　Smith's　vessel　was　next　chased　by　two　French　pirates　at　Fayal。　　Chambers；　Minter；　and　Digby　again　desired　Smith　to　yield；　but　he　threatened　to　blow　up　his　ship　if　they　did　not　stand　to　the　defense；　and　so　they　got　clear　of　the　French　pirates。　　But　more　were　to　come。
  At　〃Flowers〃　they　were　chased　by　four　French　men…of…war。　　Again　Chambers；　Minter；　and　Digby　importuned　Smith　to　yield；　and　upon　the　consideration　that　he　could　speak　French；　and　that　they　were　Protestants　of　Rochelle　and　had　the　King's　commission　to　take　Spaniards；　Portuguese；　and　pirates；　Smith；　with　some　of　his　company；　went　on　board　one　of　the　French　ships。　　The　next　day　the　French　plundered　Smith's　vessel　and　distributed　his　crew　among　their　ships；　and　for　a　week　employed　his　boat　in　chasing　all　the　ships　that　came　in　sight。　　At　the　end　of　this　bout　they　surrendered　her　again　to　her　crew；　with　victuals　but　no　weapons。　　Smith　exhorted　his　officers　to　proceed　on　their　voyage　for　fish；　either　to　New　England　or　Newfoundland。　　This　the　officers　declined　to　do　at　first；　but　the　soldiers　on　board　compelled　them；　and　thereupon　Captain　Smith　busied　himself　in　collecting　from　the　French　fleet　and　sending　on　board　his　bark　various　commodities　that　belonged　to　herpowder；　match；　books；　instruments；　his　sword　and　dagger；　bedding；　aquavite；　his　commission；　apparel；　and　many　other　things。　　These　articles　Chambers　and　the　others　divided　among　themselves；　leaving　Smith；　who　was　still　on　board　the　Frenchman；　only　his　waistcoat　and　breeches。　　The　next　day；　the　weather　being　foul；　they　ran　so　near　the　Frenchman　as　to　endanger　their　yards；　and　Chambers　called　to　Captain　Smith　to　come　aboard　or　he　would　leave　him。　　Smith　ordered　him　to　send　a　boat；　Chambers　replied　that　his　boat　was　split；　which　was　a　lie；　and　told　him　to　come　off　in　the　Frenchman's　boat。　　Smith　said　he　could　not　command　that；　and　so　they　parted。　　The　English　bark　returned　to　Plymouth；　and　Smith　was　left　on　board　the　French　man…of…war。
  Smith　himself　says　that　Chambers　had　persuaded　the　French　admiral　that　if　Smith　was　let　to　go　on　his　boat　he　would　revenge　himself　on　the　French　fisheries　on　the　Banks。
  For　over　two　months；　according　to　his　narration；　Smith　was　kept　on　board　the　Frenchman；　cruising　about　for　prizes；　〃to　manage　their　fight　against　the　Spaniards；　and　be　in　a　prison　when　they　took　any　English。〃　　One　of　their　prizes　was　a　sugar　caraval　from　Brazil；　another　was　a　West　Indian　worth　two　hundred　thousand　crowns；　which　had　on　board　fourteen　coffers　of　wedges　of　silver；　eight　thousand　royals　of　eight；　and　six　coffers　of　the　King　of　Spain's　treasure；　besides　the　pillage　and　rich　coffers　of　many　rich　passengers。　　The　French　captain；　breaking　his　promise　to　put　Smith　ashore　at　Fayal；　at　length　sent　him　towards　France　on　the　sugar　caravel。　　When　near　the　coast；　in　a　night　of　terrible　storm；　Smith　seized　a　boat　and　escaped。　It　was　a　tempest　that　wrecked　all　the　vessels　on　the　coast；　and　for　twelve　hours　Smith　was　drifting　about　in　his　open　boat；　in　momentary　expectation　of　sinking；　until　he　was　cast　upon　the　oozy　isle　of　〃Charowne；〃　where　the　fowlers　picked　him　up　half　dead　with　water；　cold；　and　hunger；　and　he　got　to　Rochelle；　where　he　made　complaint　to　the　Judge　of　Admiralty。　　Here　he　learned　that　the　rich　prize　had　been　wrecked　in　the　storm　and　the　captain　and　half　the　crew　drowned。　　But　from　the　wreck　of　t