Master Francis Nelson Lion with Captain Webb Sea Venture (largest ship and flagship) with Captain Christopher Newport Swallow with Captain Moone and Master Matthew Somers (nephew of Sir George) Unitie with Captain Wood and Master Robert Pitt Virginia (pinnace; first ship built in Colonial America) with Captain James Davis and Master Davis Voyage The fleet stayed together for seven weeks as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean, but 32 yellow fever victims from two ships were buried overboard, and the London plague broke out on Diamond—diseases that were transplanted to the New World and probably contributed to the colony's high mortality rate during the Starving Time. On July 25 the fleet ran into a massive 'tempest', believed to have been a hurricane, which lasted for three days, and became separated. After the storm, Blessing, Falcon, Lion, and Unitie came together and headed for Virginia, "falling into the James River" on August 11. Diamond appeared a few days later, and Swallow a few days after that (around August 18). Virginia arrived some six weeks later on October 3. All in all, seven ships arrived safely at Jamestown, delivering most of the colonists but relatively few supplies. In the colony, there was no word of the fate of Sea Venture (which had been wrecked in Bermuda) or Catch (which had been lost at sea), including the supplies, passengers, and leaders who had been aboard them. Blessing, Diamond, Falcon, and Unitie returned to England on October 14 to advise of Jamestown's plight carrying Captain Samuel Argall, an injured John Smith, and 30 young men sent from England but rejected by the colony. However, no further supply ships from England arrived that year nor the following spring. In the absence of strong leadership and most of the supplies, all of which had been aboard Sea Venture, the existing and newly-brought settlers at James Fort were ill-prepared to survive the winter, resulting in the siege and "Starving Time" of 1609-1610, when most of the inhabitants perished. Sea Venture During the storm, Sea Venture was separated from the seven other vessels of the third supply fleet and began taking on water through her new caulking. On July 28 and with bailing efforts failing, Admiral Somers had the ship deliberately driven onto the reefs at Discovery Bay in eastern Bermuda to prevent her sinking. The 150 passengers and crew members all landed safely, but the ship was disabled.