Ashley, being well supplied, had quickly gathered a good parcel of beaver, and like a crafty pate he sent it all home, and would not pay for the goods he had from here, but let them stand charged against him, and drew still more. Though they knew his object well enough, they let him go on, and wrote about it to England. However, owing to the beaver they received there and sold (which appealed to them as business men) and Mr. Allerton’s high praise of him, they were more eager to supply him than the colony, and even somewhat disparaged it in comparison. They were also forced to buy him a bark, and equip her with a captain and men to transport his corn and provisions, of which he used large quantities; for the Indians of those parts grew no corn, and at harvest time, when the corn here is ready, the weather is so bad and the season so dangerous that a shallop is no good for the purpose. This spring the settlers looked anxiously for timely supplies in the fishing ship which they expected, and for which they had been at the expense of keeping a dock. But no ship came, nor were any goods heard of. Later they learned that supplies had been sent to Ashley by a fishing ship, which puzzled them,—the more so that they had received no letters from Mr. Allerton or Mr. Sherley. However, they carried on their business as well as they could. At last they heard of the arrival of Mr. Pierce at the Bay of Massachusetts, with passengers and goods. They sent a shallop at once, supposing he would have something for them. But he told them he had nothing, and that a ship had been sent out fishing, but after eleven weeks beating at sea she met with such foul weather that she was forced to return to England, and the season being over she gave up the voyage. Nor had he heard much about goods in her for the settlers, or that she belonged to them, though he had heard something of that kind from Mr. Allerton. But Mr. Allerton had bought another ship, in which he was coming, which was to fish for bass to the eastward, and was bringing goods, etc. These reports troubled them and much astonished them. Mr. Winslow having been eastward brought similar news with more particulars, and that probably Mr. Allerton would not arrive till late. At length, having an opportunity, they resolved to send Mr. Winslow to England with what beaver they had ready, to see how their business stood, being dubious about it, especially Mr. Allerton’s behaviour. They wrote letters, and gave him such instructions as they thought proper—and if he found things unsatisfactory he was to discharge Mr. Allerton from being agent and from dealing any more for them in the business, and he was to see how the accounts stood, etc.