Francis Bacon - The Essays 1601
OF PLANTATIONS
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 leese 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, laborers, 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, pineapples, 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 labor;
but with pease and
beans you may begin,
both because they ask less labor,
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, oat-meal, 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 counsel;
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 freedom 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 harken 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 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 and gingles,
but use them justly and graciously,
with sufficient guard nevertheless;
and do not win their favor,
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 dishonor,
it is the guiltiness
of blood of many commiserable persons.
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