(Among the other people on board the Nassau were many "poor" English people who had been guilty of some crime and were, as a result, sold in servitude for four years. Michel claimed that the majority of the people who lived in Virginia had arrived there under these circumstances. The ones that were on board the ship Nassau with Michel created a spot of trouble. While at the dock they prepared to take over the ship but made so much noise in the process that Michel and a few Frenchmen defended the access to the upper decks with their swords (at first, Michel and his friends thought they were the objects of the uprising). As a consequence, the revolt failed and the grateful owner gave Michel and his friends free passage to Virginia. The ringleaders of the revolt were put into irons for the duration of the trip.)
"On the 14th of January the ship left the dock. On the 7th of February we sailed by Dover. We made Cowes on the Isle of Wight where we stayed until the 18th of February. So far, we were only 44 miles from London. When we sailed on the 18th, there were many ships of different nationalities in the harbor who sailed with them but the Nassau was the only one who took a westward course. The Nassau was a larger ship which was sometimes pressed into naval service so she carried 18 pieces of cannon. There was a total of 218 souls on board of which 130 persons had been sold into servitude. The balance of 88 was the crew and paying passengers.
"Food was distributed in this manner: Five persons had to club together. They received daily four pounds of biscuits, one quart of beer, two quarts of water, two pieces of beef or pork, weighing six pounds, and a dish full of large peas. On Sundays and Wednesdays there was flour and pork lard (in place of the meat) which were cooked with meat. Usually grape juice was added and the result was called pudding. Sometimes beans and butter were handed out in lieu of meat. The food and water were of a bad taste and the large number of mice spoiled the bread. One could eat at the captain's table, but it was expensive: ten pounds on the west trip and six pounds on the east trip. Those who sat at the captain's table ate much better, with fresh meat, wine, and strong beer.
"Until the 8th of March, the winds blew strongly from the east and the captain kept as many sails up around the clock as the ship would allow. We made about three miles each hour. There was much sickness with the fever and a few people died each week. For these, a sack would be filled with stones and tied to the person and they would be consigned to the deep. An English lady of high family and great wealth died and for her a coffin was built with holes in it. She was placed in it with some stones and buried at sea. She had been sent to Virginia by her family because she had committed some indiscretion.
"Even though progress had been good, a long journey was anticipated; therefore, rations were diminished. The reduction in water hurt. On Easter day we had a big storm and could not cook. On the 1st of April we had beautiful weather again. We were overtaken by another ship which we thought might belong to pirates so we made ready for a fight, but the ship was another English ship to our great relief. The captains consulted each other and agreed that we were about 250 to 300 miles from the Virginia coast. They measured the speed in the water and, using this, calculated the distance we had gone."
(On the 16th, Michel lost consciousness due to a fever which he had. He could not stand the ship's food.)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.