We have now sent you, we hope, men and means to accomplish three things, viz., fishing, salt-making, and boat-making: if you can master them your wants will be supplied. I pray you exert yourselves to do so. Let the ship be loaded as soon as you can, and sent to Bilbao. You must send some competent representative, whom, once more, you must authorize to confirm the conditions. If Mr. Winslow could be spared, I wish he could come again. The boat-builder is believed to be one of the best in his trade, and will no doubt be of much service. Let him have absolute command over his assistants, and whomever you put under him. Let him build you two catches, a lighter, and some six or seven shallops, as soon as you can. The salt-maker is a skilful and industrious man. Put some assistants under him who will quickly learn the secret of it. The preacher we have sent is, we hope, an honest plain man, though none of the most eminent and rare. About his appointment, use your own liberty and discretion; he knows he has no authority among you, though perhaps custom and habit may make him forget himself. Mr. Winslow and myself gave way to his going, to satisfy some here, and we see no reason against it except his large family of children. We have taken a patent for Cape Ann.... I am sorry more discretion is not used by some in their letters home.[6] Some say you are starved in body and soul; others that you eat pigs and dogs that have died; others that the reports of the fertility of the country are gross and palpable lies, that there is scarcely a fowl to be seen, or a fish to be caught, and so on. I wish such discontented men were back again, rather than the whole plantation shall be thus exposed to their passionate humours. Hereafter I shall prevent some from going who are not better disposed; in the meantime it is our cross, and we must bear it. I am sorry we have not sent you more provisions, but we have run into so much expense to victual the ship, provide salt, fishing implements, etc., that we could not afford other comforts, such as butter, sugar, etc. I hope the return of this ship, and the James, will put us in cash again. The Lord make you full of courage in this troublesome business, which must now be stuck to, till God give us rest from our labours. Farewell, in all hearty affection. Your assured friend, R. C. _Jan. 24th, 1623._ With the former letter from Mr. Sherley were sent various charges against the colony, of which he writes thus: “These are the chief objections which those just returned raise against you and the country. I pray you consider them, and answer them at your first convenience.”