Chapter 22 - Virgins paradise in May 1641

With the Pilgrim passengers camped at the Pilgrim hall in Middle on Kitt's Island, the Swift sailed away to explore the chain of small islands between Kitt's and Puerto Rico. This not only allowed the Pilgrims a longer and well-needed rest ashore, but meant that the Swift's decks were clear should there be trouble while sailing through these poorly charted islands and towards the Spanish stronghold of Puerto Rico.

They first explored the small islands of Saint Eustatius and Saba, just north of Kitts, but the Dutch West Indies Company had already claimed them for growing sugar. From those islands they crossed open water to the Maagdeneilanden Islands and for a week they sailed amongst those small islands, while making notes and comparing them. The Maagdeneilandens were truly the vision of paradise on earth.

There were more colonies on these islands than they had expected, but these were mostly on the larger islands of Saint Thomas, Saint Johns, TerTholen, and Fat Virgin. Saint Croix they had not bothered with because there were no small islands close to it. The best established settlements were those supported by the great Dutch company in the quest of more sugar. The smaller settlements seemed to be transient villages of privateer crews waiting for the season of the Spanish treasure ships to begin.

Some of the smaller islands were places that dreams were made of. They had tall hills, which was vital for it meant there were springs of cool drinking water. The sea water was clear and warm and the fishing excellent. There was grazing land with a coarse grass for dairy cattle, or at least for goats. Coco palms had seeded themselves around the bays, but by planting more of them there would be ample for use as shade and food and building materials. Nowhere did they see any sign of any natives, never mind fierce natives.

After a week of exploring, they returned to their favourite of the small uninhabited islands, an island not shown on any of their charts. It was formed by two small hills being connected by a narrow, flat neck of land. Here they anchored on the leeward side in the bay formed by the neck. A few days ago when they had first spied it, they had named it Coop Island because on the neck there was one old hut that seemed to have been used as a chicken coop sometime in the near past.

For days they lived on that paradise island and explored every bit of it. In every way it met Daniel's requirements for a place to move his clan to. There was spring fed drinking water. There were hills that not only provided for lookouts, but their contours formed small bays, one of which made an excellent harbour against the prevailing winds, while another would serve as a storm hole. The shallower, windward bays had coral reefs which were alive with fish. Even though they did not eat the reef fish for fear of being poisoned, those fish attracted larger deep sea fish that they did catch and eat.

There was coarse grass on the hills for grazing, and enough flat land to grow kitchen crops, and a long shoreline that was lined in coco trees. There were even groves of cedar trees that could be harvested for planking for boats and staving for barrels.

Most of all, the island already felt like home. Daniel would spend hours pacing out where he would build the village, how the huts would be aligned, where the docks would be and where to dig a catchment pool for watering the animals. A few of the men rowed off in the ship's boat to explore the smaller island to the west of it, and they came back with the best news of all. There was a natural salt evapouration pond on the next island. For fishermen this was all-important, for what fishermen needed was fish, nets, storage barrels, and lots of salt to preserve the fish in the barrels.

Daniel's quest was finished. He had found an island for his clan. This might not be the island they would settle on for good, but it was an island that was good enough to settle on. If afterwards they moved to another island, it would be because they had found an even better one, but they could search for it once the entire village was living in this Coop island paradise. The clan would rename it, of course, perhaps to Wellenhay, or New Wellenhay, or even New Frisia, but that would be the clan's decision and made by vote.

Robert was thinking the same way. He could do worse than to create a settlement on an island such as this and send some of his family to secure the investment. As primitive as life would be on this island, it would be a happy life. The rising sun each morning was a joy to behold, the mornings and late afternoons were pleasant for labour, the warm shade was delicious in the heat of the day, and the prevailing wind blew the biting insects away in the night.

Even on the chilliest night, you did not need a cloak, and did not sleep cold even when sleeping on sand. The sustenance offered by the island was plentiful, simple and healthy. Fish and coconuts and roofs made of palm leaves were free for the taking. Best of all, there were no landlords or bankers to make life more expensive or complicated.

Both men were well-pleased with themselves for daring to take a small ship across the Atlantic, but finding this island had them beaming with their good fortune. With Daniel's quest complete they could now relax a little and concentrate on getting that same small ship north to the Plymouth colony to drop off their passengers, and then back across the endless mile of sea, home to England.

There was still the other side of Daniel's quest to be done. To find out what cargos from what ports would pay the way of a ship to cross the ocean; in other words, what could they buy in the New World cheap, and sell for a good profit in England?

Such were the questions Robert and Daniel put to each other as they relaxed in the shade of a coco tree, eating fresh fish that had been smoke roasted over coco husks, and drinking fresh coco water. Life was so easy on this island. "Come on,” Daniel told Robert. "Time for your next swimming lesson."

They walked into the crystal water, the crystal warm water, with no oohing and ouching as they would have done if trying to get into the sea in Lyme. They just walked in and began to swim.