I found "the Secret Diary of William Byrd" most interesting reading and I will probably get it out of the library again and pay more attention to descriptions of everyday life in the Va. Colony..I hope others will read it.. Norma, you are correct in saying, "If they had settled further inland, they would have found better living conditions and better water." However, the area from Chespeake Bay along both sides of James river is very low and much swampland..also, they were very dependent upon the ships from Europe for their supplies for several years and were probably reluctant to go inland at first.. G. Lee.....