Of Plantations
Francis Bacon
Plantations are amongst ancient, primitive, and heroical works.
When the world was young, it begat more children; but now it is old,
it begets fewer: for I may justly account new plantations to be the
children of former kingdoms. I like a plantation in a pure soil;
that is, where people are not displanted, to the end to plant in
others; for else it is rather an extirpation than a plantation.
Planting of countries is like planting of woods; for you must make
account to lose almost twenty years' profit, and expect your
recompense in the end: for the principal thing that hath been the
destruction of most plantations hath been the base and hasty drawing
of profit in. the first years. It is true, speedy profit is not to
be neglected as far as may stand with the good of the plantation,
but no further. It is a shameful and unblessed thing to take the
scum of people and wicked condemned men to be the people with whom
you plant; and not only so, but it spoileth the plantation; for they
will ever live like rogues, and not fall to work, but be lazy, and
do mischief, and spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and then
certify over to their country to the discredit of the plantation.
The people wherewith you plant ought to be gardeners, ploughmen,
labourers, smiths, carpenters, joiners, fishermen, fowlers, with
some few apothecaries, surgeons, cooks, and bakers.
In a country of plantation, first look about what kind of victual
the country yields of itself to hand: as chestnuts, walnuts,
pine-apples, olives, dates, plums, cherries, wild honey, and the
like; and make use of them. Then consider what victual or esculent
things there are which grow speedily and within the year; as
parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, radish, artichokes of
Hierusalem, maize, and the like: for wheat, barley, and oats, they
ask too much labour; but with pease and beans you may begin, both
because they ask less labour, and because they serve for meat as
well as for bread; and of rice likewise cometh a great increase, and
it is a kind of meat. Above all, there ought to be brought store of
biscuit, oatmeal, flour, meal, and the like in the beginning till
bread may be had. For beasts or birds take chiefly such as are least
subject to diseases and multiply fastest; as swine, goats, cocks,
hens, turkeys, geese, house-doves, and the like. The victual in
plantations ought to be expended almost as in a besieged town; that
is, with certain allowance: and let the main part of the ground
employed to gardens or corn, be to a common stock ; and to be laid
in and stored up and then delivered out in proportion; besides some
spots of ground that any particular person will manure for his own
private.
Consider likewise what commodities the soil where the plantation
is doth naturally yield, that they may some way help to defray the
charge of the plantation: so it be not as was said, to the untimely
prejudice of the main business, as it hath fared with tobacco in
Virginia. Wood commonly aboundeth but too much; and therefore timber
is fit to be one. If there be iron ore, and streams whereupon to set
the mills, iron is a brave commodity where wood aboundeth. Making of
bay-salt, if the climate be proper for it, would be put in
experience : growing silk likewise, if any be, is a likely
commodity: pitch and tar, where store of firs and pines are, will
not fail; so drugs and sweet woods, where they are, cannot but yield
great profit: soap-ashes likewise, and other things that may be
thought of; but moil not too much under ground, for the hope of
mines is very uncertain, and useth to make the planters lazy in
other things.
For government, let it be in the hands of one, assisted with some
council; and let them have commission to exercise martial laws, with
some limitation; and above all, let men make that profit of being in
the wilderness, as they have God always and his service before their
eyes: let not the government of the plantation depend upon too many
counsellors and undertakers in the country that planteth, but upon a
temperate number; and let those be rather noblemen and gentlemen
than merchants; for they look ever to the present gain. Let there be
freedoms from custom till the plantation be of strength; and not
only freedom from custom, but freedom to carry their commodities
where they may make their best of them, except there be some special
cause of caution, Cram not in people by sending too fast company
after company; but rather hearken' how they waste, and send supplies
proportionably; but so as the number may live well in the
plantation, and not by surcharge be in penury.
It hath been a great endangering to the health of some plantations
that they have built along the sea and rivers, in marish and
unwholesome grounds: therefore, though you begin there to avoid
carriage and other like discommodities, yet build still rather
upwards from the streams than along. It concerneth likewise the
health of the plantation that they have good store of salt with
them, that they may use it in their victuals when it shall be
necessary. If you plant where savages are, do not only entertain
them with trifles use them justly and graciously, with sufficient
guard nevertheless; and do not win their favour by helping them to
invade their enemies, but for their defence it is not amiss; and
send oft of them over to the country that plants, that they may see
a better condition than their own, and commend it when they return.
When the plantation grows to strength, then it is time to plant
with women as well as with men; that the plantation may spread into
generations, and not be ever pieced from without. It is the
sinfullest thing in the world to forsake or destitute a plantation
once in forwardness; for, besides the dishonour, it is the
guiltiness of blood of many com miserable persons.