And thus, by the wicked and unwise acts of our own people, did we
prepare the way for another time of famine and sickness.
FEAR OF FAMINE IN A LAND OF PLENTY
However, I must set this much down as counting in our favor: when
we landed in this country we had three pigs, and a cock and six
hens, all of which we turned loose in the wilderness to shift for
themselves, giving shelter to such as came back to us when winter
was near at hand.
Within two years we had of pigs more than sixty, in addition to
many which were yet running wild in the forest. Of hens and cocks
we had upward of five hundred, the greater number being kept in
pens to the end that we might profit by their eggs.
I have heard Master Hunt declare more than once, that had we followed
Captain Smith's advice, giving all our labor to the raising of
crops, our storehouse would have been too small for the food on
hand, and we might have held ourselves free from the whims of the
savages, having corn to sell, rather than spending near to half
our time trying to buy.
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