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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15069	A discourse and discouery of Nevv-found-land with many reasons to prooue how worthy and beneficiall a plantation may there be made, after a far better manner than now it is. Together with the laying open of certaine enormities and abuses commited by some that trade to that countrey, and the meanes laide downe for reformation thereof. Written by Captaine Richard Whitbourne of Exmouth, in the county of Deuon, and published by authority.	Whitbourne, Richard, Sir, fl. 1579-1626.	1620 (1620)	STC 25372; ESTC S111717	48,883	94

were there taken to the vse of your Maiestie by vertue of a Commission vnder the Broad Seale of the Admiraltie directed to me RICHARD WHITBOVRNE IT is to be seene by the Cosmographers Maps and well approued that the New-found-land is an Iland bordering vpon the Continent of America from which it is diuided by the Sea so farre distant as England is from the neerest part of France lieth betweene 46 and 53 degrees North-latitude It is neere as spacious as Ireland and lyes neere the course that ships vsually hold in their returne from the West-Indies and neere halfe the way betweene Ireland and Virginea I shall not much neede to commend the wholesome temperature of that Countrey seeing the greatest part thereof lieth aboue 3 degrees neerer to the South then any part of England doth And it hath bin wel approued by some of our Nation who haue liued there these many yeeres that euen in the winter it is as pleasant and healthfull as England is And although the example of one Summer be no certaine rule for other yeeres yet thus much also can I truly affirme that in the yeere 1615 of the many thousands of English French Portugals and others that were then vpon that Coast amongst whom I sailed to and fro more then one hundred leagues I neither saw nor heard in all that trauell of any man or boy of either of these Nations that dyed there during the whole voyage neither was so much as any one of them sicke The naturall Inhabitants of the Countrey as they are but few in number so are they something rude and sauage people hauing neither knowledge of God nor liuing vnder any kinde of ciuill gouernment In their habits customes manners they resemble the Indians of the Continent from whence I suppose they come they liue altogether in the North and West part of the Countrey which is seldome frequented by the English But the French and Biscaines who resort thither yeerely for the Whale-fishing and also for the Cod-fish report them to be an ingenuous and tractable people being well vsed they are ready to assist them with great labour and patience in the killing cutting and boyling of Whales and making the Traine-oyle without expectation of other reward then a little bread or some such small hire All along the coast of this Countrey there are many spacious and excellent Bayes some of them stretching into the land one towards another more then twenty leagues On the East side of the land are the Bayes of Trinity and Conception which stretch themselues towards the South-west Tor Bay and Capelin Bay lying also on the East stretch toward the West The Bayes of Trepassey S. Mary Borrell and Plaisance on the South part of the land extend their armes toward the North The great Bay of S. Peters lying on the Southwest side of the land and East Southerly from the great Riuer of Canady being about twenty leagues distant the same stretcheth toward the East And here I pray you note y t the bottoms of these Bayes doe meete together within the compasse of a small circuit by meanes whereof our men passing ouer land from Bay to Bay may with much facilitie discouer the whole Countrey From the Bay of S. Peter round about the West-side of the land till you come to the grand Bay which lyeth on the North-side of the Countrey and so from thence till you come round backe to Trinity Bay are abundance of large and excellent Bayes which are the lesse knowne because not frequented by the English who seldome fish to the Northward of Trinity Bay And it is to be obserued that round about the Coast and in the Bayes there are many small Ilands none of them further off then a league from the land both faire and fruitfull neither doth any one part of the world affoord greater store of good Harbors more free from dangers or more commodious then are there built by the admirable workmanship of God I will only instance two or three of the chiefest for some speciall reasons Trinity Harbour lyes neere in 49 degrees North-latitude being very commodiously seated to receiue shipping in reasonable weather both to anchor in and from thence to saile towards either the East West or South It hath three Armes or Riuers long and large enough for many hundred saile of Ships to moare fast at Anchor neere a mile from the Harbours mouth close adioyning to the Riuers side and within the Harbour is much open land well stored with grasse sufficient Winter and Summer to maintaine great store of ordinary cattell besides Hogs and Goates if such beasts were carried thither and it standeth North most of any Harbor in the land where our Nation practiseth fishing It is neere vnto a great Bay lying on the North-side of it called the Bay of Flowers to which place no Shippes repaire to fish partly in regard of sundry Rocks and Ledges lying euen with the water and full of danger but chiefly as I coniecture because the Sauage people of that Countrey doe there inhabite many of them secretly euery yeere come into Trinity Bay and Harbour in the night time purposely to steale Sailes Lines Hatchets Hookes Kniues and such like And this Bay is not three English miles ouer land from Trinity Bay in many places which people if they might be reduced to the knowledge of the true Trinity indeed no doubt but it would be a most sweet and acceptable sacrifice to God an euerlasting honour to your Maiesty and the heauenliest blessing to those poore Creatures who are buried in their owne superstitious ignorance The taske thereof would proue easie if it were but well begun and constantly seconded by industrious spirits and no doubt but God himselfe would set his hand to reare vp and aduance so noble so pious and so Christian a building The bottome of the Bay of Trinity lyeth within foure leagues through the land Southwest Southerly from Trinity as by experience is found and it comes neere vnto the Bay of Trepassey and the bottome of some other Bayes as I haue already touched before And what commodities may thereby redound if some of your Maiesties Subiects were also once setled to plant neere vnto Trepassey being the South part of New-found-land where some ships vse yeerely to fish If therefore neere the Harbour of Trinity it were inhabited by some of your Maiesties Subiects I see no reason to the contrary but that a speedy and more certaine knowledge might be had of the Countrey by reason those sauage people are so neere who being politikely and gently handled much good might be wrought vpon them for I haue had apparant proofes of their ingenuous and subtile dispositions and that they are a people full of quicke and liuely apprehensions Trepassey in like manner is as commodious a Harbour lying in a more temperate climate almost in 46 degrees the like Latitude and is both faire and

still and most remarkable in this point of fishing which if their Audit were published would be found I beleeue one of the best Agents they haue both for their strength and wealth There is another motiue also which amongst our Auncestors was wont to finde good respect namely the honour of the action by the enlarging so Dominions and that which will crowne the worke will be the aduancement of the honour of God in bringing poore Infidels the Natiues of that Countrey to his Worship and their owne saluation I commend the designe to the entertainement of his Maiestie and his Kingdomes because I esteeme it such a one as deserues not only to be vndertaken but to be gone thorow withall And as it is a Proiect of no fantasie in mee but a truth grounded vpon a well-weighed experience so haue I not presumed to publish it but vpon good approbation as hath already appeared If these considerations with many others here omitted but contained in the ensuing Discourse may worke an impression in the affections of his Maiesties Subiects for the aduancement of Gods glory their owne and their Countries prosperity it shall be some content toward the great paines losses of time and expence of my meanes that I haue sustained in the prosecuting thereof for which I trust you will at least returne your thankfull acceptance and so I remaine Your louing friend R. W. THE PREFACE BEING AN INDVCTION TO the following Discourse ALthough I well know that it is an hard matter to perswade people to aduenture into strange Countries especially to remaine and settle themselues there though the conditions thereof be neuer so beneficiall and aduantageous for them yet I cannot be out of all hope that when it shal be taken into consideration what infinite riches and aduantages other Nations and in particular the Spaniards and Portugals haue gotten to themselues by their many Plantations not onely in America but also in Barbary Guinnie Binnie and other places And when it shall plainely appeare by the following Discourse that the Countrey of New-found-land as it is here truly described is little inferior to any other for the Commodities thereof and lies as it were with open armes towards England offering it selfe to be imbraced and inhabited by vs I cannot be out of hope I say but that my Countreymen will be induced either by the thriuing examples of others or by the strength of reason to hearken and put to their helping hands to that which will in all likelyhood yeeld them a plentifull reward of their labors But before I enter into discourse of the Countrey it selfe I hold it fit to make knowne partly the meanes and degrees whereby I attained vnto the experience and knowledge I haue thereof And first for mine owne poore estate and condition it is well knowne that my breeding and course of life hath been such as that I haue long time set many people on worke and spent most of my dayes in trauell specially in Merchandizing and Sea-Voyages I haue been often in France Spaine Italy Portugall Sauoy Denmarke Norway Spruceland the Canaries and Soris Ilands and for the New-found-land it is almost so familiarly knowne to me as my owne Countrey In the yeere 1588. I serued vnder the then Lord Admirall as Captaine in a ship of my owne set foorth at my charge against the Spanish Armada and after such time as that seruice was ended taking my leaue of his Honour I had his fauourable Letters to one Sir Robert Dennis in the County of Deuon Knight whereby there might bee some course taken that the charge as well of my owne ship as also of two other and a Pinnace with the victuals and men therein imployed should not be any way burthensome to me Wherein there was such order giuen by the then right Honourable Lords of the priuie Councell that the same was well satisfied which seruice is to bee seene recorded in the Booke at White-Hall Now to expresse some of my Voyages to the New-found-land which make most for the present purpose My first Voyage thither was about 40. yeeres since in a worthy ship of the burthen of 300. Tunne set forth by one Master Cotton of South-hampton we were bound to the grand Bay which lieth on the Northside of that Land purposing there to trade then with the Sauage people for whom we carried sundry commodities and to kill Whales and to make Trayne oyle as the Biscaines doe there yeerely in great abundance But this our intended Voyage was ouerthrowne by the indiscretion of our Captaine and faint-heartednesse of some Gentlemen of our Company whereupon we set saile from thence and bare with Trinity Harbor in Newfound-land where we killed great store of Fish Deere Beares Beauers Seales Otters and such like with abundance of Sea-fowle and so returning for England wee arriued safe at South-hampton In a Voyage to that Countrey about 36. yeeres since I had then the command of a worthy Ship of 220. Tun set forth by one Master Crooke of South-hampton At that time Sir Humfrey Gilbert a Deuonshire Knight came thither with two good Ships and a Pinnace and brought with him a large Patent frō the late most renowned Queene Elizabeth and in her name tooke possession of that Countrey in the Harbour of S. Iohns wherof I was an eye-witnesse He sailed from thence towards Virginia and by reason of some vnhappy direction in his course the greatest Ship he had strucke vpon Shelues on the Coast of Canadie and was there lost with most part of the company in her And hee himselfe being then in a small Pinnace of 20. Tun in the company of his Vice-Admiral one Captaine Hayes returning towards England in a great storme was ouerwhelmed with the Seas and so perished In another Voyage I made thither about 34. yeeres past wherein I had the command of a good Ship partly mine owne at that time one Sir Bernard Drake of Deuonshire Knight came thither with a Commission and hauing diuers good Ships vnder his command he there tooke many Portugall Ships laden with fish and brought them into England as Prizes Omitting to speake of other Voyages I made thither during the late Queenes Raigne I will descend to later times In the yeere 1611. being in New-found-land at which time that famous Arch-Pirate Peter Easton came there and had with him ten sayle of good Ships well furnished and very rich I was kept eleuen weekes vnder his commaund and had from him many golden promises and much wealth offered to be put into my hands as it is well knowne I did perswade him much to desist from his euill course his intreaties then to me being that I would come for England to some friends of his and sollicite them to become humble petitioners to your Maiestie for his pardon but hauing no warrant to touch such goods I gaue him thankes for his offer onely I requested him to release a Ship that he had taken vpon the Coast of Guinnie belonging to one Captaine

in the Bay of Trinity vpon Trinitie Sunday being the 4. of Iune and anchored the same day in the saide Harbor of Trinity and there in the name of the holy and indiuiduall Trinity began to the vse of your Maiestie by vertue of that Commission to send forth a Precept to call the Masters of those English ships that were then there riding at Anchor and also the Masters of some other English ships that were neere thereunto and so began to hold the first Court of Admiralty in your Maiesties name that euer was as I beleeue holden in that Countrey to the vse of any Christian Prince and proceeded therein according to course of Lawe as the tenor of my Commission did warrant me therein and also in other Harbors of the said Coast I did the like Part of which abuses there committed I haue already touched so likewise I will briefly insert a part of the seuerall presentments of such iniuries that were thē there deliuerd vnto me as aforesaid vnder the hands and seales of those 170. Masters of English Ships to the vse of your Maiestie which presentments were vpon my returne from the said voyage deliuered by me into your Maiesties high Court of the Admiralty and then by those Masters of ships there impannelled such abuses as follow they did acknowledge and order that henceforth with your Maiesties allowance might be redressed c. First they did all acknowledge that there is but little difference of daies obserued amongst the Fishermen some men presuming to goe to Sea and to fish with hooke and lyne vpon the Sabbath day as vsually as vpon the weeke dayes Secondly that diuers of our Nation doe take into their ships very great stones to presse their dry fish withall which worke being done they cast those stones into the Harbors where their ships vse to ride at anchor which will vtterly spoile the Roades and Harbors in that Countrey and be to the endangering of Ships and Cables yea and mens liues also if it be not reformed in time There are many men yeerly who vnlawfully conuey away other mens fishing boates from the Harbour place where they were left y e yeere before in that Countrey some cut out the markes of them and some others rippe and carry away the pieces of them to the great preiudice and hinderance of the voyages of such ships that depend on such fishing boates and also to the true Owners of such boates There are some men who arriuing there first into a Harbor doe rippe and pull downe Stages that were left standing for the splitting and salting of fish the yeere before and other Stages some men haue set on fire which is a great hinderance to the voiages of such men as are not there with the first in the Harbor for that they must then spend 20. dayes time for preparing new Stages and fitting new Pinnaces and other necessary things in euery voyage before they be settled to fish There are also some who arriuing first in Harbor take away other mens Salt that they had left there the yeere before and also rip and spoile the Fat 's wherein they make their Traine and some teare downe Flakes whereon men yeerely dry their fish to the great hurt and hinderance of many other that come after them Some men likewise steale away the bait out of other mens Nets by night and also out of ther fishing boates by their ships side whereby their fishing from whome it is so taken is ouerthrowne for the next day They did acknowledge that some men take vp more roome then they neede or is fitting to dry their fish on whereby other mens voyages are oftentimes greatly hindered They also found that diuers of your Maiesties subiects haue come to that Coast in fishing voiages in ships not appertayning to any of your Maiesties subiects which they conceiued worthy of punishment and reformation They did acknowledge that some men rip and take away Timber and Rayles from Stages and other necessary roomes that are fastened with nayles Spike or Trey naile and some men take away the Rindes Turfe wherewith diuers necessary roomes are fitly couered for seruiceable vses and likewise take away Stakes that are fastened in the ground with Rayles on them wherevpon men vse to dry their fish and that some set the standing Woods in the Countrey on fire which haue in little time burned many thousand acres and that there are some which yeerely take away other mens Traine there by night which they conceiued worthy of reformation They found that diuers idle persons which were hired for those voyages when they come thither notwithstanding that they were still in health would not worke and were so lazy and idle that their worke was to little purpose which was worthy of punishment Against all these great abuses and diuers others committed in the said New-found-land which they did set downe in their seuerall presentments as by them it may at large appeare they did all cōdiscend and order from that time thenceforth that no subiect to your Maiestie should commit any more such abuses in that Countrey which may be very well remedied seeing they tend to the aduancement of the Trade and quietnes amongst the Fishermen and to the Glory of God the honour and good of your Maiestie and the generall benefit of the Common-welth They did further present to the vse of the Lord Admirall of England two small Boats Anchors and a small Grapple that were found in the Sea vpon that Coast which were there prized to bee worth two shillings sixepence apiece amounting to seuen shillings sixepence Now hauing laid open how commodious and beneficiall it will bee to your Maiestie and Kingdomes to settle a Plantation in the New-found-land and also made knowne some vnfit courses that are yeerely vsed by some Fisher-men that aduenture there and likewise shewed a part of some great wrongs that haue been committed there by Pyrats and some erring subiects and also touched a little that there haue not been such fit courses taken by some of those that haue been imployed to that Countrey in the Plantation already there begunne as they should haue done by reason whereof it is to be feared that some of those Honourable and other right Worshipfull persons that vndertake the same and that haue been at some great charge therein seeing their good indeuours and charge take no better successe they may waxe colde and weary in disbursing more thereunto and so by their remissenesse the Plantation might be giuen ouer and the Countrey left to the spoyle and vsurpation of some other Prince that may vndertake the same and then reape the haruest of your Maiesties Subiects labours that shall then trade to that Countrey c. And therefore shewing how it may be prouided for by your Maiestie and all those wrongs henceforth remedied now I suppose that some who may finde themselues a little touched herein may not onely enuie me for laying open that which I haue