The next Governour was Captain _Philip Bell,_ whose time being expired, Captain _Roger Wood_ possess'd his Place, a worthy Gentleman of good desert, and hath lived a long time in the Country; their Numbers are about 2 or 3000 Men, Women and Children, who increase there exceedingly; their greatest Complaint is want of Apparel, and too much Custom, and too many Officers; the Pity is, there are no more Men than Women, yet no great Mischief, because there is so much less Pride: the Cattle they have increase exceedingly; their Forts are well maintain'd by the Merchants here, and Planters there; to be brief, this Isle is an excellent Bit to Rule a great Horse. All the Cohow Birds and Egbirds are gone; seldom any wild Catts seen; no Rats to speak off; but the Worms are yet very troublesome; the People very healthful, and the Ravens gone; Fish enough, but not so near the shoar as it used, by the much beating it; it is an Isle that hath such a Rampire and a Ditch, and for the quantity so manned, Victualled, and Fortified, as few in the World do exceed it, or is like it. {MN} The 22d of March, two Ships came from thence; the _Peter-Bonaventure,_ near 200 Tunns, and sixteen Pieces of Ordnance; the Captain, _Thomas Sherwin;_ the Master, Mr. _Edward Some,_ like him in Condition, a Goodly, Lusty, Proper, Valiant Man: The _Lydia,_ wherein was Mr. _Anthony Thorne,_ a smaller Ship, were chased by eleven Ships of _Dunkirk;_ being thus over-match'd, Captain _Sherwin_ was taken by them in _Torbay,_ only his Valiant Master was slain; the Ship with about seventy _English_ Men they carried betwixt _Dover_ and _Callais_ to _Dunkirk;_ but the _Lydia_ safely recovered _Dartmouth._ * * * * * {MN} _An Evil Mischance._ These Noble Adventures for all thole losses patiently do bear them; but they hope the King and State will understand it is worth keeping, tho' it afford nothing but Tobacco, and that now worth little or nothing, Custom and Fraught pay'd, yet it is worth keeping, and not supplanting; tho' great Men feel not those losses, yet Gardiners, Carpenters and Smiths, do pay for it. From the Relation of _Robert Chestevan_ and others. * * * * * CHAP. XXIII. _The Proceedings and present Estate of_ New England, _since_ 1624. _to this present_ 1629.