[Illustration:  Entrance to Castle Harbor, between Castle and Southhampton Islands. (Fac-simile re-production of Smith’s engraving, 1614.)]

Contrary winds and storms carried him to the northward, to the vicinity of Cape Cod.  Somers persevered and reached the islands, but age, anxiety and exertion contributed to produce his end.  Perceiving the approach of death he exhorted his companions to continue their exertions for the benefit of the plantations, and to return to Virginia.  Alarmed at the untimely fate of their leader, the colonists embalmed his body, and disregarding his dying injunction, sailed for England.  Three only of the men volunteered to remain, and for some time after their companions left they continued to cultivate the soil, but unfortunately they found some ambergris, and they fell into innumerable quarrels respecting its possession.  They at length resolved to build a boat and sail for Newfoundland with their prize, but, happily for them, they were prevented by the arrival of a ship from Europe.  An extraordinary interest was excited in England by the relation of Captain Mathew Somers, the nephew and heir of Sir George.  The usual exaggerations were published, and public impressions were heightened by contrast with the dark ideas formerly prevalent concerning these islands.  A charter was obtained of King James I., and one hundred and twenty gentlemen detached themselves from the Virginia company and formed a company under the name and style of the Governor and Company of the City of London, for the plantation of the Somer Islands.

On the twenty-eighth of April, 1612, the first ship was sent out with sixty emigrants, under the charge of Richard Moore, who was appointed the Governor of the colony.  They met the boat containing the three men left on the island, who were overjoyed at seeing the ship, and conducted her into the harbor.  It was not long before intelligence of the discovery of the ambergris reached the Governor; he promptly deprived the three men of it.  One of them named Chard, who denied all knowledge of it, and caused considerable disturbance, which at one time seemed likely to result in a sanguinary encounter, was condemned to be hanged, and was only reprieved when on the ladder.

The Governor now applied himself actively to his duties.  He had originally landed on Smith’s Island, but he soon removed to the spot where St. George’s now stands, and built the town which was named after Sir George Somers, and which became, and remained for two centuries, the capital of Bermuda.  He laid the foundation of eight or nine forts for the defence of the harbor, and also trained the men to arms in order that they might defend the infant colony from attack.  This proved necessary, for, in 1614, two Spanish ships attempted to enter the harbor; the forts were promptly manned and two shots fired at the enemy, who, finding them better prepared than they imagined, bore away.