And description ibid. Etapusick a place in the Indies with singular mynes of gold 1222 Etechemins Savages of New-France that are theeues and treacherous 1626 Etoica a River in Brasile its dangerous Navigation 1240 Euill-peace a towne so named by the Spaniards in Florida and the reason thereof 1533 Europa a River that commeth into Orenoco 1248 Example prevaileth more then precept 1743 F. FAls of water very violent and strange 1610 False-heartednesse how auoided in the treacherous Indians by Spanish policie 1552 False-heartednesse of the Savages called Massacheusets 1859 Of the Indians towards Master Westons men 1865 Famine very vrgent in the Indies 1214. Miserable in the same countrey 1258 Famine among the French-men 1325. Among the Dutch and Spaniards at the River of Plate the vnnaturall effects thereof 1348. Famine among Spaniards 1401 1477 1508. Among the Indians and some few hungry Spaniards 1517 1518. Incredible famine 1526. Famine and mortalitie of the English in Virginia 1690. Famine in great extremitie enforcing man-slaughter and man-eating 1732 Famishing strangely escaped by Andrew Hillyard all his fellowes perishing 1802 1803 Faraon a towne burnt vp by the English in their returne from Cadiz 1934 Fast publikely instituted and observed by the English in New England being in distresse for want of raine 1867 Fasts instituted in England and Zeland for Gods gracious deliverance in 88. 1911 Father Martin Perez of the societie of Iesus his relation of his travels and description of Ginoloa 1562 1563 seq His baptizing many Indians and instructing them in a knowne tongue c. 1564. What kinde of Christianitie hee taught them 1564 1565 Fayael one of the Ilands of the Azores the description and taking thereof by the Earle of Cumberland 1672. Their feare of the English Nauy 1676 The Feags a strange sicknesse in the Bermudas much annoying the English 1797 Feare the cause of Tyrannie 1437 Feare causing death in the Indians 1522 Feasts of Savages 1607 Feathers vsed for cloathes 1212 Feuers how eased by plants 1311 How gotten in hot Countries and auoided 1370 1371 Febacco Iland 1266 Ferdinando Gorge his employment in the plantation of New-Scotland 1842 Captaine Fenton his expedition and ouerthrow 1141 1142 Fernambue aport in America 1190 1202 1438 Fernandes Gires his discouery of a Land in the south Sea with the rare commodities thereof 1422 Fetherstons Bay in Virginia why so called 1716 Figs of Brasile 1332 Fight betweene the English and and Spaniards in Saint Iohn Port-Ricco 1161. Betweene English and Indians with Portingals 1197. Fighting against a natiue countrie rewarded 1404 Fighting betweene two Indian nations in Peru very extreame and bloody 1458. Betweene the English and Spaniards in the narrow Seas 1906. A fight betweene the English and Spaniards before Greeueling 1908. A fight by sea betweene the English and Spanish before Cadiz 1930 Fire burning in the woods for the space of three dayes 1890. Great danger by fire 1145 1918 A Fish endangering a boat and men 1142. Fishes flying 1157 1314 Their danger of deuouring in Sea or Ayre 1376 Fishing of New England very commodious to the plantation of Virginia 1842 Fishing how commodious and especially to the Hollanders 1821 Fishing with swords 1714 Fishing with golden hookes 1216 Fishing with wood 1251 Fish great store in Guiana 1275. A fish with foure eyes two aboue water and two vnder a fish also with warme blood like flesh ibid. Fish made drunke with wood 1276 Fish like beefe in taste and proportion 1283. It is called the Ox-fish the description thereof at large 1313 1314. It hath eyes which it may close and shut at will armes and hands in his head it hath 2 stones of approued soueraignnesse for the stone in the body ibid. A Fish that snorteth and thereby is apprehended ibid. A fish that hath two broad stones in his mouth ibid. fish good against the poison of a Snake and very wholesome 1313. Fish that maketh the holders hands benummed or shaking as one that hath the palsie Fish that maketh all that touch it to sticke fast vnto it Fishes like men and women their fearfulness to the Indians their manner of killing men Fish that dyes the water and euadeth the Fisher Fish that proues a remedy for the Spleene a Fish that easts his mouth shell and feet 1314 1315 seq A Fish with fingers and vttering a squeaking sound 1331 Fish so plentifull that it may bee kild in the water with clubs 1549 Fishes that haue voices like Owles 1639. Good fishing 1640 Fits-Morrice slaine in Ireland 1893 Flatterers base kind of people 1957 A Flemmish Ship burnt at the fight before Cadiz 1930 Flores a place in the Azores 1144 The description thereof 1175 1672 Florida possessed by the Spaniards 1501. The inhabitants many of them tall of stature and expert archers 1503. The townes and inhabitants thereof variously described 1503 1504. seq Florida hath gold and pretious stones on the sea coast 1554. The distance of sundry places one from the other necessary for trauellers 1556. Losse of inhabitants in Florida by Spanish cruelty 1589. The great age of some men there 1604. They liue in the woods 3 months in the yeare vpon hunting 1604. English men the first discouerers of Florida 1813 Flutes made of Reedes 1687 Fluxes stayed by fruits as Guianas Papaias and wild Grapes 1172. by a berry 1276 1308. by a plant 1311 Fooles-coat a liuery of the Spanish Inquisition 1179 Forests trauelled by compasse 1636 Fort Mora summond befieged and taken by the Lord of Cumberland 1163 1164. The strength and danger of passage for ships by it 1164 Fort St. Iohn of the Spaniards in Florida 1182 Fortileza a towne in Port-Ricco 1164 Fountaines of pitchy substance very hot that serue to calke ships withall 1481 A Fountaine that turneth wood into stone 1670 Fox-Iland on the north of Virginia 1654 Francis Bouadilla chiefe Marshall of the Fleet in 88 sent for England 1901 Francisco de Zeres his relation of the conquest of Peru and Cusco called New Castile 1491. sequ Francisco Pizarro a Spaniard his discouery of Peru and successe 1444 1451 1452 1489 1490 1491 1492 1493 1494. St. Francis a riuer in America â—â—23 A towne there with Châ—â—â—ery Bishop Deane and Uniuersity of Spaniards 1421 Franciscan Fryers of great esteeme in the West Indies 1242 French-Bay in New France 1621 French-Pox cured with Sassafras 1655 French nauigations to the north America 1603. Their discouery of Cape Francois the Riuer Moy taking possession there and discouering eight riuers more their dissention and ouerthrow ibid. French famine on the Seat their miserable distressed scarcity in Florida mutiny and ease by Sir Iohn Hawkins 1604. Fâ—â—nchmen remoue their plantation from St. Croix to Port Royall 1626. Frenchmen settle themselues within the limits of the English in the Newfound-Land though to their small aduantage 1828. FrenchmeÌ„s courtesie to the English nation 1834. Frenchmens couetousnesse and their infamy in that regard 1638. Frenchmens mutiny against their Captaine discouered and reuenged
between Sagadahoc and it From the Iland vpward the water is fresh abounding in Salmons and other fresh-water fish Some thirteene or fourteen daies iourney from the entrance in the North-east branch there is a little arme of a Riuer that runneth East some daies iourney which hath at the entrance foure fathoms water Vpon this arme there is one ouer fail which standeth halfe a daies iourney aboue this braneh vpon this arme there are foure Townes The first is called Kenebeke which hath eightie houses and one hundred men The Lord whereof is Apombamen The second is Ketangheanycke and the Sagamos name is Octoworthe who hath in his Towne ninetie housholds and three hundred and thirtie men This Towne is foure dayes iourney from Kenebeke and eight dayes iourney from To the Northward is the third Towne which they call Naragooc where there are fiftie housholds and one hundred and fiftie men The chiefe Sagamo of that place is Cocockohamas And on the small branch that runneth East standeth the fourth Towne named by Mâ—ssakiga where there are but eight housholds and fortie men Vpon the Northwest branch of this Sound stand two Townes more The first is called Amereangan and is distant from Kenebeke sixe dayes iourney In this place are ninetie housholdes and two hundred and sixtie men with two Sagamoes the one called Sasuâ—a the other Scawas Seuen daies iourney hence there is another Sagamo whose name is Octoworâ—kin and his Townes name Namercante wherein are fortie housholds and one hundred and twentie men A dayes iourney aboue Namercante there is a downefall where they cannot passe with their Cannoes but are inforced to carrie them by Land for the space of a quarter of a mile and then they put them into the Riuer againe And twelue dayes iourney aboue this Downfall there is another where they carrie their Boates as at the first and sixe dayes iourney more to the North is the head of this Riuer where is the Lake that is of eight dayes iourney long and foure dayes broad before mentioned In this Lake there is one Iland and three dayes iourney from this Lake there is a Towne which is called Buccawganecants wherein are threescore housholds and foure hundred men And the Sagamo thereof is called Baccatusshe This man and his people are subiects to the Bashabez of Mawooshen and in his Countrey is the farthest limit of his Dominion where he hath any that doe him homage To the Westward of Sagadahoc foure dayes iourney there is another Riuer called Ashamabaga which hath at the entrance sixe fathoms water and is halfe a quarter of a mile broad it runneth into the Land two dayes iourney and on the East side there is one Towne called Agnagebcoc wherein are seuentie houses and two hundred and fortie men with two Sagames the one called Maurmet the other Casherokenit Seuen dayes iourney to the South-west of Ashamabaga there is another Riuer that is sixe fathoms to the entrance This Riuer is named Shawakotoc and is halfe a myle broad it runneth into the Land fiftie dayes iourney but foure dayes from the entrance it is so narrow that the Trees growing on each side doe so crosse with their boughes and bodies on the other as it permitteth not any meanes to passe with Boates that way for which cause the Inhabitants that on any occasion are to trauell to the head are forced to goe by Land taking their way vpon the West side At the end of this Riuer there is a Lake of foure dayes iourney long and two dayes broad wherein are two Ilands To the North-West foure daies iourney from this Lake at the head of this Riuer Shawakatoc there is a small Prouince which they call Crokemago wherein is one Towne This is the Westermost Riuer of the Dominions of Bashabez and Quibiquisson the Westermost To the Reader I Haue thought good to adde to the English Plantations in New England those in the neighbour Countrey of New-found-land This was first discouered Ann. 1497. by S. Sebastian Cabot set forth by King Henry the seuenth the Voyages followed of M. Rut Albert de Prato M. Hore and others Ann. 1583. actuall and formall possession was taken in the right of Queene Elizabeth of glorious memory and her Successours by that memorable Knight Sir Humfrey Gilbert see sup lib. 4. ca. 13. And in the yeere 1609. M. Iohn Guy of Bristoll did write a Treatise to animate the English to plant there a written Copy whereof I haue A. 1610. It pleased his most excellent Maiestie to grant a Patent for a Plantation part whereof the whole might seeme too long for our purpose we haue inserted CHAP. VII The beginning of the Patent for New-found-land and the Plantation there made by the English 1610. deliuered in a Letter dated thence from M. GVY to M. SLANY Also of the weather the three first Winters and of Captaine WESTON with other remarkable Occurrents IAMES by the Grace of GOD of Great Brittaine France and Ireland King Defendour of the Faith c. To all people to whom these Presents shall come greeting Know yee whereas diuers Our louing and well disposed Subiects are desirous to make Plantation to inhabite and to establish a Colony or Colonies in the Southerne and Easterne parts of the Countrey and I le or Ilands commonly called New-found-land vnto the Coast and Harbour whereof the Subiects of this our Realme of England haue for the space of fiftie yeeres and vpwards yeerely vsed to resort in no small numbers to fish intending by such Plantation and inhabiting both to secure and make safe the said Trade of Fishing to Our Subiects for euer And also to make some commendable benefit for the vse of mankind by the lands and profits thereof which hitherto from the beginning as it seemeth manifest hath remained vnprofitable And for better performance of such their purpose and intentions haue humbly besought Our Regall Authoritie and assistance Wee being well assured that the same Land or Countrey adioyning to the foresaid Coasts where Our Subiects vse to fish remaineth so destitute and desolate of inhabitance that scarce any one Sauage person hath in many yeeres beene seene in the most parts thereof And well knowing that the same lying and being so vacant is as well for the reasons aforesaid as for many other reasons very commodious for Vt and Our Dominions And that by the Law of Nature and Nations We may of Our Royall Authoritie possesse our selues and make graunt thereof without doing wrong to any other Prince or State considering they cannot iustly pretend any Soueraigntie or Right thereunto in respect that the same remaineth so vacant and not actually possessed and inhabited by any Christian or other whomsoeuer And therefore thinking it a matter and action well beseeming a Christian King to make true vse of that which God from the beginning created for mankind And therefore intending not onely to worke and procure the benefit and good of many of Our Subiects
Indies vnder my Fathers charge and the principall cause of taking the great Carack brought to Dartmouth by Sir Iohn Borrow and the Earle of Cumberlands ships Anno 1592. with others of moment in her other Voyages To vs shee neuer brought but cost trouble and care Hauing made an estimate of the charge of Victuals Munition Imprests Sea-store and necessaries for the said ship consorting another of an hundred tunnes which I waited for daily from the Straites of Giberalter with a Pinnace of sixtie tunnes all mine owne And for a competent number of men for them as also of all sorts of merchandises for trade and traffâ—cke in all places where we should come I began to wage men to buy all manner of victuals prouisions and to lade her with them and with all sorts of commodities which I could call to minde fitting and dispatched order to my seruant in Pilmouth to put in a readinesse my Pinnace as also to take vp certaine prouisions which are better cheape in those parts then in London as Beefe Porke Bisket and Sider The eight of Aprill 1593. I caused the Pilot to set sayle from Black-wall and to vaile downe to Graues-end whither that night I purposed to come And for that shee was very deepe loden and her Ports open the water beganne to enter in at them which no bodie hauing regard vnto thinking themselues safe in the Riuer it augmented in such manner as the weight of the water began to presse downe the side more then the winde At length when it was seene and the sheete flowne she could hardly be brought vpright But God was pleased that with the diligence and trauell of the Companie shee was freed of that danger whiâ—h may be a gentle warning to all such as take charge of shipping euen before they set sayle either in Riuer or Harbour or other part to haue an eye to their Ports and to see those shut and calked which may cause danger for auoiding the many mishaps which daily chance for the neglect thereof and haue beene most lamentable spectacles and examples vnto vs Experiments in the Great Harrie Admirall of England which was ouer-set and sunke at Portsmouth with her Captaine Carew and the most part of his companie drowned in a goodly Summers day with a little flaw of winde for that her Ports were all open and making a small hele by them entred their destruction where if they had beene shut no winde could â—aue hurt her especially in that place In the Riuer of Thames Master Thomas Candish had a small ship ouer-set through the same negligence And one of the Fleet of Sir Francis Drake in Santo Domingo Harbour turned her keele vpward likewise vpon the same occasion with many others which we neuer haue knowledge of Comming neere the South fore-land the winde began to vere to the South-east and by South so as we could not double the point of the Land and being close aboord the shoare and putting our ship to stay what with the chapping Sea and what with the Tide vpon the Bowe she mist staying and put vs in some danger before we could flat about therefore for doubling the Point of any Land better is euer a short boord then to put all in perill Being cleere of the race of Portland the winde began to suffle with fogge and misling raine and forced vs to a short sayle which continued with vs three dayes the winde neuer vering one point nor the fogge suffering vs to see the Coast. The third day in the fogge we met with a Barke of Dartmouth which came from Rochell and demanding of them if they had made any land answered that they had onely seene the Ediestone that morning which lieth thwart of the Sound of Plimouth and that Dartmouth as they thought bare off vs North North-east which seemed strange vnto vs for we made account that wee were thwart of Exmouth within two houres after the weather beganne to cleere vp and wee found our selues thwart of the Berry and might see the small Barque bearing into Torbay hauing ouer-shot her Port which errour often happeneth to those that make the land in foggie weather and vse not good diligence by sound by lying off the land and other circumstances to search the truth and is cause of the losse of many a ship and the sweete liues of multitudes of men That euening wee anchored in the range of Dartmouth till the floud was spent and the ebbe come wee set sayle againe And the next morning early being the sixe and twentieth of Aprill we harboured our selues in Plimouth And in this occasion I found by experience that one of the principall parts required in a Mariner that frequenteth our coastes of England is to cast his Tides and to knowe how they set from point to point with the difference of those in the Channell from those of the shoare After the hurts by a cruell storme in which the Pinnace was sunke and the Daiaties Mast cut ouer-boord repaired I beganne to gather my companie aboord which occupied my good friends and the Iustices of the Towne two dayes and forced vs to search all lodgings Tauerns and Ale-houses For some would euer bee taking their leaue and neuer depart some drinke themselues so drunke that except they were carried aboord they of themselues were not able to goe one steppe others knowing the necessitie of the time faigned themselues sicke others to bee indebted to their Hosts and forced mee to ransome them one his Chest another his Sword another his Shirts another his Carde and Instruments for Sea And others to benefit themselues of the Imprest giuen them absented themselues making a lewd liuing in deceiuing all whose money they could lay hold of which is a scandall too rife amongst our Sea-men by it they committing three great offences First Robberie of the goods of another person Secondly Breach of their faith and promise Thirdly Hinderance with losse of time vnto the Voyage all being a common iniurie to the owners victuallers and companie which many times hath beene an vtter ouerthrow and vndoing to all in generall An abuse in our Common-wealth necessarily to be reformed Master Thomas Candish in his last Voyage in the Sound of Plimouth being readie to set sayle complained vnto mee that persons which had absented themselues in Imprests had cost him aboue a thousand and fiue hundred pounds These Varlets within a few dayes after his departure I saw walking the streetes of Plimouth whom the Iustice had before sought for with great diligence and without punishment And therefore it is no wonder that others presume to doe the like Impunitas peccandi illecebra The like complaint made Master George Reymond and in what sort they dealt with mee is notorious and was such that if I had not beene prouident to haue had a third part more of men then I had need of I had beene forced to goe to the Sea vnmanned or to giue ouer my
little to the Southwards of the Iland of Pearle betwixt seuen and eight degrees is the great Riuer of Saint Buena Ventura It falleth into the South Sea with three mouthes the head of which is but a little distant from the North Sea In the yeere 1575. or 1576. one Iohn Oxnam of Plimouth going into the West Indies ioyned with the Symarons These are fugitiue Negroes and for the bad intreatie which their Masters had giuen them were then retired into the Mountaines and liued vpon the spoyle of such Spaniards as they could master and could neuer bee brought into obedience till by composition they had a place limited them for their freedome where they should liue quietly by themselues At this day they haue a great habitation neere Panama called Saint Iago de los Negros well peopled with all their Officers and Commanders of their owne saue onely a Spanish Gouernour By the assistance of these Symarons hee brought to the head of this Riuer by piecemeale and in many Iourneyes a small Pinnace hee fitted it by time in warlike manner and with the choice of his Companie put himselfe into the South Sea where his good happe was to meete with a couple of shippes of trade and in the one of them a great quantitie of Gold And amongst other things two pieces of speciall estimation the one a Table of massy Gold with Emralds sent for a present to the King the other a Lady of singular beautie married and a mother of children The latter grew to bee his perdition for hee had capitulated with these Symarons that their part of the bootie should be onely the prisoners to the end to execute their malice vpon them such was the rancour they had conceiued against them for that they had beene the Tyrants of their libertie But the Spaniards not contented to haue them their slaues who lately had beene their Lords added to their seruitude cruell intreaties And they againe to feede their insatiable reuenges accustomed to roast and eate the hearts of all those Spaniards whom at any time they could lay hand vpon Iohn Oxnam I say was taken with the loue of this Lady and to winne her good will what through her teares and perswasions and what through feare and detestation of their barbarous inclinations breaking promise with the Symarons yeelded to her request which was to giue the prisoners libertie with their shippes for that they were not vsefull for him notwithstanding Oxnam kept the Lady who had in one of the restored shippes either a Sonne or a Nephew This Nephew with the rest of the Spaniards made all the haste they could to Pamana and they vsed such diligence as within few houres some were dispatched to seeke those who little thought so quickly to bee ouertaken The pursuers approaching the Riuer were doubtfull by which of the afore-remembred three mouthes they should take their way In this wauering one of the Souldiers espied certaine feathers c. Comming in sight of the Ilands of Pearles the winde beganne to fresh in with vs and wee profited our selues of it but comming thwart of a small Iland which they call La Pacheta that lieth within the Pearle Ilands close aboord the Mayne and some eight or tenne leagues South and by West from Panama the winde calmed againe This Iland belongeth to a priuate man it is a round humocke contayning not a league of ground but most fertile Insomuch that by the owners industrie and the labour of some few slaues who occupie themselues in maâ—uring it and two Barkes which he employeth in bringing the fruit it giueth to Panama it is said to be worth him euery weeke one with another a barre of siluer valued betwixt two hundreth and fiftie or three hundreth Pezos which in English money may amount to fiftie or threescore pound and for that which I saw at my being in Panama touching this I hold to be true In our course to fetch the Port of Panama we put our selues betwixt the Ilands and the Main which is a goodly Channell of three foure and fiue leagues broad and without danger except a man come too neere the shoare on any side and that is thought the better course then to goe a Sea-boord of the Ilands because of the swift running of the tides and the aduantage to stop the ebbe As also for succour if a man should happen to be becalmed at any time beyond expectation which happeneth sometimes The seuenth of Iuly wee had sight of Perico they are two little Ilands which cause the Port of Panama where all the shippes vse to ride It is some two Leagues West North-west of the Citie which hath also a Pere in it selfe for small Barkes at full Sea it may haue some sixe or seuen foot water but at lowe water it is drie The ninth of Iuly wee anchored vnder Perico and the Generall presently aduised the Audienoia of that which had succeeded in his Iourney which vnderstood by them caused Bonfires to be made and euery man to put Luminaries in their houses the fashion is much vsed amongst the Spaniards in their feasts of ioy or for glad tidings placing many lights in their Churches in their windowes and Galleries and corners of their houses which being in the beginning of the night and the Citie close by the Sea shoare shewed to vs being farre off as though the Citie had beene on a light fire About eight of the clocke all the Artilerie of the Citie was shot off which wee might discerne by the flash of fire but could not heare the report yet the Armado being aduised thereof and in a readinesse answered them likewise with all their Artilerie which taking end as all the vanities of this earth doe The Generall setled himselfe to dispatch aduice for the King for the Vice-roy of Peru and the Vice-roy of Noua Spana for hee also had beene certified of our being in that Sea and had fitted an Armado to seeke vs and to guard his coast But now for a farewell and note it Let mee relate vnto you this Secret How Don Beltran shewed mee a Letter from the King his Master directed to the Vice-roy wherein hee gaue him particular relation of my pretended Voyage of the shippes their burden their munition their number of men which I had in them as perfectly as if hee had seene all with his owne eyes Saying vnto mee Hereby you may discerne whether the King my Master haue friends in England and good and speedy aduice of all that passeth Whereunto I replyed It was no wonder for that hee had plenty of Gold and Siluer which worketh this and more strange effects for my Iourney was publique and notorious to all the Kingdome whereunto he replyed that if I thought it so conuenient leaue should be giuen me to write into England to the Queens Maiestie my Mistresse to my Father and to other personages as I thought good and leauing the Letters open that
and fiftie leagues distant from the West Indies in crossing the Gulfe of Bahoma there hapned a most terrible and vehement storme which was a taile of the West Indian Horacano this tempest seperated all our Fleet one from another and it was so violent that men could scarce stand vpon the Deckes neither could any man heare another speake being thus diuided euery man steered his owne course and as it fell out about fiue or sixe dayes after the storme ceased which endure fortie foure houres in extremitie The Lion first and after the Falcon and the Vnitie got sight of our Shippe and so we lay a way directly for Virginia finding neither current nor winde opposite as some haue reported to the great charge of our Counsell and Aduenturers The Vnity was sore distressed when she came vp with vs for of seuenty land men she had not ten sound and all her Sea men were downe but onely the Master and his Boy with one poore sailer but we relieued them and we foure consorting fell into the Kings Riuer haply the eleuenth of August In the Vnity were borne two children at Sea but both died being both Boyes When wee came to Iames Towne we found a Ship which had bin there in the Riuer a moneth before we came this was sent out of England by our Counsels leaue and authority to fish for Sturgeon and to goe the ready way without tracing through the Torrid Zoan and shee performed it her Commander was Captaine Argoll a good Marriner and a very ciuill Gentleman and her Master one Robert Tindall The people of our Colonie were found all in health for the most part howbeit when Captaine Argoll came in they were in such distresse for many were dispersed in the Sauages townes liuing vpon their almes for an ounce of Copper a day and fourescore liued twenty miles from the Fort and fed vpon nothing but Oysters eight weekes space hauing no other allowance at all neither were the people of the Country able to relieue them if they would Whereupon Captaine Newport and others haue beene much to blame to informe the Counsell of such plenty of victuall in this Country by which meanes they haue beene slacke in this supply to giue conuenient content Vpon this you that be aduenturers must pardon vs if you finde not returne of Commodity so ample as you may expect because the law of nature bids vs seeke sustenance first and then to labour to content you afterwards But vpon this point I shall be more large in my next Letter After our foure Ships had bin in harbour a few dayes came in the Viceadmirall hauing cut her maine Most ouer boord and had many of her men very sicke and weake but she could tell no newes of our Gouernour and some three or foure dayes after her came in the Swallow with her maine Mast ouerboord also and had a shrewd leake neither did she see our Admirall Now did we all lament much the absence of our Gouernour for contentions began to grow and factions and partakings c. Insomuch as the President to strengthen his authority accorded with the Mariners and gaue not any due respect to many worthy Gentlemen that came in our Ships whereupon they generally hauing also my consent chose Master West my Lord de la Wars brother to be their Gouernour or president de bene esse in the absence of Sir Thomas Gates or if he miscarried by Sea then to continue till we heard newes from our Counsell in England This choice of him they made not to disturbe the old President during his time but as his authority expired then to take vpon him the sole gouenment with such assistants of the Captaines as discreetest persons as the Colonie afforded Perhaps you shall haue it blazoned a mutenie by such as retaine old malice but Master West Master Percie and all the respected Gentlemen of worth in Virginia can and will testifie otherwise vpon their oathes For the Kings Patent we ratified but refused to be gouerned by the President that now is after his time was expired and onely subiected our selues to Master West whom we labour to haue next President I cannot certifie you of much more as yet vntill we grow to some certaine stay in this our state but by the other Ships you shall know more So with my harty commendations I cease From Iames Towne this last of Angust 1609. CHAP. VI. A true reportory of the wracke and redemption of Sir THOMAS GATES Knight vpon and from the Ilands of the Bermudas his comming to Virginia and the estate of that Colonie then and after vnder the gouernment of the Lord LA WARRE Iuly 15. 1610. written by WILLIAM STRACHY Esquire §. I. A most dreadfull Tempest the manifold deaths whereof are here to the life described their wracke on Bermuda and the description of those Ilands EXcellent Lady know that vpon Friday late in the euening we brake ground out of the Sound of Plymouth our whole Fleete then consisting of seuen good Ships and two Pinnaces all which from the said second of Iune vnto the twenty three of Iuly kept in friendly consort together not a whole watch at any time loosing the sight each of other Our course when we came about the height of betweene 26. and 27. degrees we declined to the Northward and according to our Gouernours instructions altered the trade and ordinary way vsed heretofore by Dominico and Meuis in the West Indies and found the winde to this course indeede as friendly as in the iudgement of all Sea-men it is vpon a more direct line and by Sir George Summers our Admirall had bin likewise in former time sailed being a Gentleman of approued assurednesse and ready knowledge in Sea-faring actions hauing often carried command and chiefe charge in many Ships Royall of her Maiesties and in sundry Voyages made many defeats and attempts in the time of the Spaniards quarrelling with vs vpon the Ilands and Indies c. We had followed this course so long as now we were within seuen or eight dayes at the most by Cap Newports reckoning of making Cape Henry vpon the coast of Virginia When on S. Iames his day Iuly 24. being Monday preparing for no lesse all the blacke night before the cloudes gathering thicke vpon vs and the windes singing and whistling most vnusually which made vs to cast off our Pinnace towing the same vntill then asterne a dreadfull storme and hideous began to blow from out the North-east which swelling and roaring as it were by â—â—ts some houres with more violence then others at length did beate all light from heauen which like an hell of darkenesse turned blacke vpon vs so much the more fuller of horror as in such cases horror and feare vse to ouerrunne the troubled and ouermastered sences of all which taken vp with amazement the eares lay so sensible to the terrible cries and murmurs of the
long Boat was the care which hee tooke for the estate of the Colony in this his inforced absence for by a long practised experience foreseeing and fearing what innouation and tumult might happily arise amongst the younger and ambitious spirits of the new companies to arriue in Virginia now comming with him along in this same Fleet hee framed his letters to the Colony and by a particular Commission confirmed Captaine Peter Win his Lieutenant Gouernour with an Assistance of sixe Counsellours writing withall to diuers and such Gentlemen of qualitie and knowledge of vertue and to such louers of goodnesse in this cause whom hee knew intreating them by giuing examples in themselues of duty and obedience to assist likewise the said Lieutenant Gouernour against such as should attempt the innouating of the person now named by him or forme of gouernment which in some Articles hee did likewise prescribe vnto them and had faire hopes all should goe well if these his letters might arriue there vntill such time as either some Ship there which hee fairely beleeued might bee moued presently to aduenture for him or that it should please the right honourable the Lordes and the rest of his Maiesties Councell in England to addresse thither the right honourable the Lord Lawar one of more eminencie and worthinesse as the proiect was before his comming forth whilest by their honourable fauours a charitable consideration in like manner might bee taken of our estates to redeeme vs from hence For which purpose likewise our Gouernour directed a particular letter to the Councell in England and sent it to the foresaid Captaine Peter Winne his now to bee chosen Lieutenant Gouernour by him to bee dispatched which is the first from thence into England In his absence Sir George Summers coasted the Ilands and drew the former plat of them and daily fished and hunted for our whole company vntill the seuen and twentieth of Nouember when then well perceiuing that we were not likely to heare from Virginia and conceiuing how the Pinnace which Richard Frubbusher was a building would not be of burthen sufficient to transport all our men from thence into Uirginia especially considering the season of the yeare wherein we were likely to put off he consulted with our Gouernour that if hee might haue two Carpenters for we had foure such as they were and twenty men ouer with him into the maine Iland he would quickly frame vp another little Barke to second ours for the better fitting and conueiance of our people Our Gouernour with many thankes as the cause required cherishing this so carefull and religious consideration in him and whose experience likewise was somewhat in these affaires granted him all things sutable to his desire and to the furthering of the worke who therefore had made ready for him all such tooles and instruments as our owne vse required not and for him were drawne forth twenty of the ablest and stoutest of the company and the best of our men to hew and square timber when himselfe then with daily paines and labour wrought vpon a small Vessell which was soone ready as ours at which wee leaue him a while busied and returne to our selues In the meane space did one Frubbusher borne at Graues end and at his comming forth now dwelling at Lime House a painefull and well experienced Shipwright and skilfull workman labour the building of a little Pinnace for the furtherance of which the Gouernour dispensed with no â—rauaile of his body nor forbare any care or study of minde perswading as much and more an ill qualified parcell of people by his owne performance then by authority thereby to hold them at their worke namely to fell carry and sawe Cedar â—t for the Carpenters purpose for what was so meane whereto he would not himselfe set his hand being therefore vp earely and downe late yet neuerthelesse were they hardly drawne to it as the Tortoise to the inchantment as the Prouerbe is but his owne presence and hand being set to euery meane labour and imployed so readily to euery office made our people at length more diligent and willing to be called thereunto where they should see him before they came In which we may obserue how much example preuailes aboue precepts and how readier men are to be led by eyes then eares And sure it was happy for vs who had now runne this fortune and were fallen into the bottome of this misery that we both had our Gouernour with vs and one so solicitous and carefull whose both example as I said and authority could lay shame and command vpon our people else I am perswaded we had most of vs finished our dayes there so willing were the maâ—or part of the common sort especially when they found such a plenty of victuals to settle a foundation of euer inhabiting there as well appeared by many practises of theirs and perhaps of some of the better sort Loe what are our affections and passions if not rightly squared how irreligious and irregular they expresse vs not perhaps so ill as we would be but yet as wee are some dangerous and secret discontents nourished amongst vs had like to haue bin the parents of bloudy issues and mischiefes they began first in the Sea-men who in time had fastened vnto them by false baits many of our land-men likewise and some of whom for opinion of their Religion was carried an extraordinary and good respect The Angles wherewith chiefely they thus hooked in these disquieted Pooles were how that in Uirginia nothing but wretchednesse and labour must be expected with many wants and a churlish intreaty there being neither that Fish Flesh nor Fowle which here without wasting on the one part or watching on theirs or any threatning and are of authority at ease and pleasure might be inioyed and since both in the one and the other place they were for the time to loose the fruition both of their friends and Countrey as good and better were it for them to repose and seate them where they should haue the least outward wants the while This thus preached and published each to other though by such who neuer had bin more onward towards Virginia then before this Voyage a Sculler could happily rowe him and what hath a more adamantiue power to draw vnto it the consent and attraction of the idle vntoward and wretched number of the many then liberty and fulnesse of sensuality begat such a murmur and such a discontent and disunion of hearts and hands from this labour and forwarding the meanes of redeeming vs from hence as each one wrought with his Mate how to diuorse him from the same And first and it was the first of September a conspiracy was discouered of which six were found principals who had promised each vnto the other not to set their hands to any trauaile or endeauour which might expedite or forward this Pinnace and each of these had seuerally according to appointment sought
seeing the eminent ensuing danger should I haue left this multitude not yet fully refined I am resolued to stay till haruest be got in and then settle things according to my poore vnderstanding and returne if in the interim there come no authorised Gouernour from England Consider I pray you since things be brought to this passe as you see and that I should haue come away if then through their factions humors mutinies or indiscretion of the Chiefes I had left behinde this should fall to ruine I then should receiue the imputation and incurre the blame for quitting the Plantation although I might doâ— it both with my honour my promised stay of time being expired and hauing warrant from my Soueraigne the Kings Maiesty but the precedent reasons moued mee and that this astion of such price such excellency and assured profit to mine owne knowledge should not dye to the scorne of our Nation and to giue cause of laughter to the Papists that desire our ruine I can assure you no Country of the world affords more assured hopes of infinite riches which both by mine owne peoples discouery and the relation of such Sauages whose fidelity we haue often found assureth me Oh why should so many Princes and Noblemen ingage themselues and thereby intermedling herein haue caused a number of soules transport themselues and be transported hither Why should they I say relinquish this so glorious an Action for if their ends be to build God a Church they ought to perseuere if otherwise yet their honour ingageth them to be constant Howsoeuer they stand affected here is enough to content them let their ends be either for God or Mammon These things hauing animated me to stay for a little season to leaue those I am tied in conscience to returne vnto to leaue the assured benefits of my other fortunes the sweete society of my friends and acquaintance with all mundall delights and reside here with much turmoile which I will constantly doe rather then see Gods glory diminished my King and Countrey dishonored and these poore people I haue the charge of ruined And so I beseech you to answer for me if you heare me taxed for my staying as some may iustly doe and that these are my chiefe motiues God I take to witnesse Remember me and the cause I haue in hand in your daily meditations and reckon me in the number of those that doe sincerely loue you and yours and will euer rest in all offices of a friend to doe you seruice To my very deere and louing Cosen M. G. Minister of the B. F. in London SIr the Colony here is much better Sir Thomas Dale our Religious and valiant Gouernour hath now brought that to passe which neuer before could be effected For by warre vpon our enemies and kinde vsage of our friends he hath brought them to seeke for peace of vs which is made and they dare not breake But that which is best one Pocahuntas or Matoa the daughter of Powhatan is married to an honest and discreete English Gentleman Master Rolfe and that after she had openly renounced her Country Idolatry professed the faith of Iesus Christ and was baptised which thing Sir Thomas Dale had laboured a long time to ground in her Yet notwithstanding are the vertuous deedes of this worthy Knight much debased by the Letters which some wicked men haue written from hence and especially by one C. L. If you heare any condemne this noble Knight or doe feare to come hither for those slanderow Letters you may vpon my word boldly reproue thom You know that no malefactors can abide the face of the Iudge but themselues scorning to be reproued doe prosecute with all hatred all those that labour their amendment I maruaile much that any men of honest life should feare the Sword of the Magistrate which is vnsheathed onely in their defence But I much more muse that so few of our English Ministers that were so hot against the Surplis and subscription come hither where neither spoken of Doe they not either wilfully hide their Tallents or keepe themselues at home for feare of loosing a few pleasures Be there not any amongst them of Moses his minde and of the Apostles that forsooke all to follow Christ But I referre them to the Iudge of all hearts and to the King that shall reward euery one according to the gaine of his Talent But you my cosen hold fast that which you haue and I though my promise of three yeeres seruice to my Countrey be expired will abide in my vocation here vntill I be lawfully called from hence And so betaking vs all vnto the mercies of God in Christ Iesus I rest for euer Part of a Tractate written at Henrico in Virginia by Master ALEX. WHITAKER Minister to the Colony there which then gouerned by Sir T. DALE 1613. THey acknowledge that there is a great good God but know him not hauing the eyes of their vnderstanding as yet blinded wherefore they serue the Diuell for feare after a most base manner sacrificing sometimes as I haue here heard their owne Children to him I haue sent one Image of their god to the Counsell in England which is painted vpon one side of a toad-stoole much like vnto a deformed monster Their Priests whom they call Quiâ—kosoughs are no other but such as our English Witches are They liue naked in body as if their shame of their sinne deserued no couering Their names are as naked as their body they esteeme it a vertue to lye deceiue and steale as their Master the Diuell teacheth them Much more might be said of their miserable condition but I referre the particular narration of these things to some other season These men are not so simple as some haue supposed them for they are of body lusty strong and very nimble they are a very vnderstanding generation quicke of apprehension suddaine in their dispatches subtile in their dealings exquisite in their inuentions and industrious in their labour I suppose the world hath no better marke-men with their Bowes and Arrowes then they be they will kill Birds flying Fishes swimming and Beasts running they shoote also with meruailous strength they shot one of our men being vnarmed quite through the body and nailed both his armes to his body with one Arrow one of their Children also about the age of twelue or thirteene yeeres killed a Bird with his Arrow in my sight The seruice of their God is answerable to their life being performed with a great feare and attention and many strange dumbe shewes vsed in the same stretching forth their limbes and straining their body much like to the counterfeit women in England who faine themselues bewitched or possessed of some euill spirit They stand in great awe of the Quiokosoughs or Priests which are a generation of Vipers euen of Sathans owne brood The manner of their life is much like to the Popish Hermits of our age for they liue alone in the woods
in houses sequestred from the common course of men neither may any man be suffered to come into their house or to speake with them but when this Priest doth call him He taketh no care for his victuals for all such kinde of things both Bread and Water c. are brought vnto a place neere vnto his cottage and there are left which hee fetcheth for 〈◊〉 proper neede If they would haue raine or haue lost any thing they haue their recourse to him who coniureth for them and many times preuaileth If they be sicke he is their Physician if they be wounded he sucketh them At his command they make warre and peace neither doe they any thing of moment without him I will not be tedious in these strange Narrations when I haue more perfectly entered into their secrets you shall know all Finally there is a ciuill gouernment amongst them which they strictly obserue and shew thereby that the law of Nature dwellâ—th in them for they haue a rude kinde of Common-wealth and rough gouernment wherein they both honour and obey their Kings Parents and Gouernours both greater and lesse they obserue the limits of their owne possessions Murther is scarsly heard of Adultery and other offences seuerely punished The whole Continent of Uirginia situate within the degrees of 34. and 47. is a place beautified by God with all the ornaments of nature and enriched with his earthly treasures that part of it which we already possesse beginning at the Bay of Chaesapheac and stretching it selfe in Northerly latitude to the degrees of 39. and 40. is interlined with seuen most goodly Riuers the least whereof is equall to our Riuer of Thames and all these Riuers are so neerely ioyned as that there is not very much distance of dry ground betweene either of them and those seuâ—rall maine lands are euery where watered with many veines or creekes of water which sundry waies doe ouerthwart the land and make it almost nauigable from one Riuer to the other The commodity whereof to those that shall inhabite this land is infinite in respect of the speedy and easie transportance of goods from one Riuer to the other I cannot better manifest it vnto you but in aduising you to consider whether the water or land hath beene more beneficiall to the Low-Countries To the Riuer which we inhabit commonly called Powhatans Riuer ebbeth and floweth one hundred and forty miles into the maine at the mouth whereof are the two Forts of Henrico and Charles two and forty miles vpward is the first and Mother-Christian Towne seated called Iames-Towne and seuenty miles beyond that vpward is the new Towne of Henricâ— built and so named in the memory of Noble Prince Henry of lasting and blessed memory tenne miles beyond this is a place called the Fals because the Riuer hath there a great descent falling downe between many minerall Rockes which be there twelue miles farther beyond this place is there a Christall Rocke wherewith the Indians doe head many of their Arrowes three dayes iourney from thence is there a Rock or stony hill found which is in the top couered all ouer with a perfect and most rich Siluer oare Our men that went to discouer those parts had but two Iron Pickaxes with them and those so ill tempered that the points of them turned againe and bowed at euery stroake so that we could not search the entrailes of the place yet some triall was made of that oare with good successe and argument of much hope Six dayes iourney beyond this Mine a great ridge of high hils doe runne along the maine land not farre from whom the Indians report a great Sea doth runne which we commonly call a South Sea but in respect of our habitation is a West Sea for there the Sun setteth from vs. The higher ground is much like vnto the molde of France clay and sand being proportionably mixed together at the top but if we digge any depth as we haue done for out Bricks we finde it to be red clay full of glistering spangles There be many rockie places in all quarters more then probable likelihoods of rich Mines of all sorts though I knew all yet it were not conuenient at this time that I should vtter all neither haue wee had meanes to search for any thing as we ought thorough present want of men and former wants of prouision for the belly As for Iron Steele Antimonium and Terra sigillata they haue rather offered themselues to our eyes and hands then bin sought for of vs. The Ayre of the Countrey especially about Henrico and vpward is very temperate and agreeth well with our bodies The extremity of Summer is not so hot as Spaine nor the cold of Winter so sharpe as the frosts of England The Spring and Haruest are the two longest seasons and most pleasant the Summer and Winter are both but short The Winter is for the most part dry and faire but the Summer watered often with many great and sodaine showers of raine whereby the cold of Winter is warmed and the heate of Summer cooled Many haue died with vs heretofore thorough their owne filthinesse and want of bodily comforts for sicke men but now very few are sicke among vs not aboue three persons amongst all the inhabitants of Henrico I would to God our soules were no sicker then our bodies The naturall people of the Land are generally such as you heard of before A people to be feared of those that come vpon them without defensiue Armor but otherwise faint-hearted if they see their Arrowes cannot pierce and easie to be subdued Shirts of Male or quilted cotten coates are the best defence against them There is but one or two of their petty Kings that for feare of vs haue desired our friendship and those keepe good quarter with vs being very pleasant amongst vs and if occasion be seruiceable vnto vs. Our eldest friends be Pipisco and Choapoke who are our ouerthwart neighbours at Iames-Towne and haue beene friendly to vs in our great want The other is the Werowance of Chescheak who but lately traded with vs peaceably If we were once the masters of their Country and they stood in feare of vs which might with few hands imployed about nothing else be in short time brought to passe it were an easie matter to make them willingly to forsake the Diuell to embrace the faith of Iesus Christ and to be baptized Besides you cannot easily iudge how much they would be auaileable to vs in our Discoueries of the Countrey in our Buildings and Plantings and quiet prouision for our selues when we may peaceably passe from place to place without neede of Armes or Guard The meanes for our people to liue and subsist here of themselues are many and most certaine both for Beasts Birds and Hearbes The Beasts of the Countrey are for the most part wilde as Lyons Beares Wolues and Deere Foxes blacke and red Rakowns Beuers Possowns
Squerrels Wilde-Cats whose skins are of great price and Muske-Rats which yeelde Muske as the Muske-Cats doe There be two kindes of Beasts amongst these most strange one of them is the female Possowne which will let forth her yong out of her belly and take them vp into her belly againe at her pleasure without hurt to her selfe neither thinke this to be a Trauellers tale but the very truth for nature hath framed her fit for that seruice my eyes haue beene witnesse vnto it and we haue sent of them and their yong ones into England The other strange conditioned creature is the flying Squirrell which thorough the helpe of certaine broad flaps of skin growing on each side of her forelegs will flye from tree to tree twenty or thirty paces at one flight and more if she haue the benefit of a small breath of winde Besides these since our comming hither we haue brought both Kine Goates and Hogges which prosper well and would multiply exceedingly if they might be prouided for This Countrey besides is replenished with Birds of all sorts which haue bin the best sustenance of flesh which our men haue had since they came also Eagels and Haukes of all sorts amongst whom are Auspreys fishing Hauke and the Cormorant The woods be euery where full of wilde Turkies which abound and will runne as swift as a Greyhound In winter our fields be full of Cranes Herons Pigeons Partridges and Blackbirds the Riuers and creekes be ouer-spread euery where with water foule of the greatest and least sort as Swans flockes of Geese and Brants Ducke and Mallard Sheldrakes Dyuers c. besides many other kindes of rare and delectable Birds whose names and natures I cannot yet recite but we want the meanes to take them The Riuers abound with Fish both small and great the Sea-fish come into our Riuers in March continue vntill the end of September great sculls of Herings come in first Shads of a great bignesse and Rock-fish follow them Trouts Base Flounders and other dainty fish come in before the other be gone then come multitudes of great Sturgeons whereof we catch many and should do more but that we want good Nets answerable to the breadth and deapth of our Riuers besides our channels are so foule in the bottome with great logges and trees that we often breake our Nets vpon them I cannot reckon nor giue proper names to the diuers kindes of fresh fish in our Riuers I haue caught with mine Angle Pike Karpe Eele Perches of six seuerall kindes Crea-fish and the Torope or little Turtle besides many smaller kindes c. CHAP. XII Of the Lottery Sir THOMAS DALES returne the Spaniards in Virginia Of POCAHVNTAS and TOMOCOMO Captaine YERDLEY and Captaine ARGOLL both since Knighted their Gouernment the Lord LA-WARRS death and other occurrents till Anno 1619. HItherto you haue heard the Authors themselues speak of their owne affaires Now we must for continuation and consummation of our Story borrow a few Collections from others where the Authors themselues haue not comne to our hands Wherein that industrious Gentleman Captaine Iohn Smith still breathing Virginia and diligent enquiry and writing as sometime by discouery and doing to shew his zeale to this action for seeing he cannot there be employed to performe Virginian exploits worthy the writing here he employeth himselfe to write Virginian affaires worthy the reading hauing compiled a long History of that and the Summer Iland plantation and of New England in six Bookes hath gently communicated the same to mine that is to thine as intended to the Worlds vse Out of his rich fields I haue gleaned these handfuls adding thereto the crop also of mine owne industry Sir Thomas Gates returned from Virginia in March and Captaine Argall in Iune following 1614. and so animated by their hopefull reports the Aduenturers that the great standing Lottery was drawne Anno 1615. in the West end of Pauls Churchyard where before as in many other places after a running Lottery of smaller aduentures had beene vsed in which the Prizes were proportioned from two crownes which was the least to diuers thousands arising in ordinary assents and degrees casually accruing as the lot fell and paid in money or in Plate there set forth to view prouided that if any chose money rather then Plate or goods for paiment in summes aboue ten crownes he was to abate the tenth part The orders of this Lottery were published and courses taken to preuent frauds Whiles Sir Thomas Dale was in Virginia it chanced that a Spanish Ship beate vp and downe before Point Comfort and sent ashoare for a Pilot. Captaine Iames Dauies sent them one with whom they presently sailed away leauing three of their company behinde These vpon examination confessed that hauing lost their Admirall accident had forced them into those parts two of them said they were Captaines of chiefe command in the Fleete They receiued good vsage there till one of them was found to be an Englishman which in the great Fleete 1588. had bin a Pilot to the Spaniards and now exercised his wonted trechery hauing induced some malecontents to runne away with a small Barke This darknesse being brought to light some of them were executed and he expecting no better confessed that two or three Spanish Ships were at Sea on purpose to discouer the state of the Colony but their Commission was not to be opened till they arriued in the Bay so that he knew no further One of the Spaniards died the other was sent for England and this fellow was now repriued but as became such a Pilot was hanged at Sea in Sir Thomas Dâ—les returne The English Pilot which they had carried away to Spaine after long imprisonment by much suite recouered his liberty and Country Sir Thomas Dale hauing thus established things as you haue heard returned thence appointing Captaine George Yardly his deputy Gouernour in his absence and arriued at Plimmouth in May or Iune 4. 1616. to aduance the good of the Plantation Master Rolfe also with Rebecca his new conuert and consort and Vttamatamakin commonly called Tomocomo one of Pohatans Counsellours came ouer at the same time With this Sauage I haue often conuersed at my good friends Master Doctor Goldstone where he was a frequent guest and where I haue both seen him sing and dance his diabolicall measures and heard him discourse of his Countrey and Religion Sir Tho. Dales man being the Interpretour as I haue elsewhere shewed Master Rolfe lent mee a discourse which he had written of the estate of Virginia at that time out of which I collected those things which I haue in my Pilgrimage deliuered And his wife did not onely accustome her selfe to ciuilitie but still carried her selfe as the Daughter of a King and was accordingly respected not onely by the Company which allowed prouision for her selfe and her sonne but of diuers particular persons of Honor in their hopefull
on the Woods so as the fire might run halfe a mile or more before it were extinct Euery man in the Countrey was enioyned to set twelue Traps and some of their owne accord set neere a hundred which they visited twice or thrice in a night Wee trayned vp our Dogs to hunt them wherein they grew so expert that a good Dog in two or three houres space would kill fortie of fiftie Rats and other meanes we vsed to destroy them but could not preuaile finding them still to increase against vs. And this was the principall cause of that great distresse whereunto wee were driuen in the first planting of the Countrey for these deuouring the fruits of the earth kept vs destitute of bread a yeere or two so that when wee had it afterwardes againe wee were so weaned from it that wee should easily neglect and forget to eate it with our meat We were also destitute at that time of Boats and other prouision for fishing And moreouer Master Moore had receiued warning from England that hee should expect the Spaniard that yeere yet they came not but with two ships attempting to come in and hauing their Boat before them to sound the way were shot at by the said Master Moore from Kings Castle and as we supposed one of them stricken through wherevpon they presently departed But as I say this expectation of them caused vs though in great necessitie to hasten the fortifications of the Countrey All these ioyntly but principally the Rats were the causes of our distresse for being destitute of food many dyed and wee all became very feeble and weake whereof some being so would not others could not stir abroad to seeke reliefe but dyed in their houses such as went abroad were subiect through weaknesse to bee suddenly surprized with a disease we called the Feages which was neither paine nor sicknesse but as it were the highest degree of weaknesse depriuing vs of power and abilitie for the execution of any bodily exercise whether it were working walking or what else Being thus taken if there were any in company that could minister any reliefe they would straightwayes recouer otherwise they dyed there Yet many after a little rest would be able to walke again and then if they found any succour were saued About this time or immediately before came thither a company of Rauens which continued with vs all the time of this mortalitie and then departed There were not before that time nor since so far as I heare any more of them seene there And this with some other reasons of more moment moued many to thinke that there was some other Ilands neere the Sommer Ilands betweene Uirginia and it and M. Moore in his time with some other of vs went forth in a Boat so far as then wee could conuemently of purpose to discouer it Since then it hath beene endeauoured by other and is yet as I heare to be further attempted And howsoeuer I am perswaded for certaine causes which I cannot here relate there is no such thing Yet would I not disanimate any from this enterprise for if they find any their labours will be well recompenced and though they find none yet might they discouer those parts so well that the passage to and from Virginia would be more safe and easie But to returne from whence wee haue digressed The extremitie of our distresse began to abate a little before M. Moores time of gouernment was expired partly by supplies out of England of victualland prouision for fishing and partly by that rest and libertie we then obtained the Countrey being fortified Yet the Rats encreased and continued almost to the end of Captaine Tuckers time although hee was prouident and industrious to destroy them but toward the end of his time it pleased God by what meanes it is not wel known to take them away insomuch that the wilde Cats and many Dogs which liued on them were famished and many of them leauing the Woods came downe to the houses and to such places where they vse to garbish their Fish and became tame Some haue attributed this destruction of them to the encrease of wild Cats but that 's not likely they should be so suddenly encreased rather at that time then in the foure yeeres before And the chiefe occasion of this supposition was because they saw such companies of them leaue the Woods and shew themselues for want of food Others haue supposed it to come to passe by the coolnesse of the weather which notwithstanding is neuer so great there as with vs in March nor scarce as it is in April except it be in the wind besides the Rats wanted not feathers of young Birds and Chickens which they daily killed and of Palmeto Mosse as wee call it to build themselues warme nests out of the wind as vsually they did Neither doth it appeare that the cold was so mortall to them seeing they would ordinarily swim from place to place and be very fat euen in the midst of Winter It remaineth then that as we know God doth sometimes effect his will without subordinate and secondary causes and sometimes against them So wee need not doubt but that in the speedy encrease and spreading of these Vermine as also in the preseruation of so many of vs by such weake meanes as we then enioyed and especially in the sudden remouall of this great annoyance there was ioyned with and besides the ordinary and manifest meanes a more immediate and secret worke of God Now to proceed M. Moores time of gouernment being expired Capt. Tucker succeeded arriuing there about mid-May 1616. who likewise gouerned according to the custome three yeeres which time hee spent for the most part in husbandring the Countrey planting and nourishing all such things as were found fit either for trade or for the sustentation and vse of the Inhabitants wherein hee trauelled with much diligence and good successe sending to some parts of the Indies for Plants and Fruâ—ts hee also adâ—ed to the Fortifications and made some Inclosures In his time viz. in the yeere 1617. was sent a Ship and prouision with men of skill for the killing of Whales but they arriued there too late to wit about the midst of April so that before they could make ready their Shallops and fit themselues the principall season for Whale-fishing was past For the Whale come thither in Ianuary and depart againe toward the latter end of May Yet they strook some but found them so liuely swift fierce after they were stricken that they could take none They yeeld great store of Oyle as appeared by one that draue to shoare on Sommerset Iland in Sandys Tribe and by another that we found not far from thence dead vpon a Rocke I also receiued by Captaine Tucker directions from the Aduenturers to diuide the Countrey and to assigne to each Aduenturer his shares or portion of Land and withall a description with notes touching the manner how they
very little at all because the said ships being cast away on the ebbe The goods were driuen off into the Sea the dead bodies of many that were drowned I my selfe saw â—ast on the shore with the sundry wrackes of the parts of the Ships Masts and Yards with other wracke of Caske Chists and such like in great abundance The fourteenth day of Nouember the winde being faire wee tooke passage from Lisbone in a small Barke belonging to Bidâ—ford called the Marget and on the foure and twentieth of the same we were landed at Saint Iues in Cornwall and from thence I hasted to Plimmouth where I shewed vnto Sir Ferdinando Gorges and diuers others the Aduenturers the whole Discourse of our vnhappie Voyage together with the miseries that wee had and did indure vnder the Spaniards hands And then hasted with all the speed I could toward the Court of England where I was assured to my great comfort that they either were alreadie or very shortly should bee deliuered Before my departure from Siuill I should haue remembred that about Whitsontide last there were brought into the Prison of the Contractation there two young men brought out of the West Indies in one of the Kings Gallions which were of Captaine Iohn Legats company of Plimmouth which departed out of England about the latter end of Iuly 1606. bound for the Riuer of Amazons as hee told me before his going forth where hee had beene two yeeres before And comming on the Coast of Brasill as those young men the name of one of them is William Adams borne in Plimpton neere Plimmouth reported vnto mee whether falling to the leeward of the Riuer of Amazons or deceiued by his Master they knew not And not being able to recouer the said Riuer were constrayned to refresh in the West Indies in which time there fell a great disorder betweene the said Captaine Legat and his company so as one of his company in a broyle within themselues aboard there ship slue the said Captaine Legat whether in his owne priuate quarrell or with the consent of the rest of the Company they could not tell mee But this is the more to bee suspected for that he alwayes in former Voyages dealt very straitly with his company After his death his company comming to the I le of Pinos on the Southside of Cuba to refresh themselues being eighteene persons were circumuented by the trecherie of the Spaniards and were there betrayed and taken Prisoners and within foure dayes after of eighteene persons fourteene were hanged the other foure being youths were saued to serue the Spaniards whereof two of them refusing to serue longer in there ships were put into the Prison at Siuill the other two remayne still as slaues to the Spaniards This I had the rather noted to the end that it may be the better considered what numbers of ships and men haue gone out of England since the conclusion of peace betweene England and Spaine in the way of honest Trade and Traffique and how many of them haue miserably miscarried Hauing beene slaine drowned hanged or pittifully captiued and thrust out of their ships and all their goods REader I had by me the Voyage of Captaine Thomas Hanham written by himselfe vnto Sagadahoc also the written Iournals of Master Raleigh Gilbert which stayed and fortified there in that vnseasonable Winter fit to freeze the heart of a Plantation of Iames Dauies Iohn Eliot c. but our voluminousnesse makes me afraid of offending nicer and queasier stomackes for which cause I haue omitted them euen after I had with great labour fâ—â—ted them to the Presse as I haue also done a written large Tractate of Mawaushen and the Uoyage of Master Edward Harlie one of the first Planters with Cap. Popham and Nicholas Hobson to those parts 1611. with diuers Letters from Cap. Popham and others You must obserue that it was in those times called by the name of Virginia and the Northerne Plantation or Colonie But Captaine Smith a man which hath so many Irons in our fire presented a Booke of the Countrie to Prince Charles his Highnesse with a Map of the Countrey who stiled it as our hopes are he will one day make it New England and altered the Sauage names of places to English Hee made one Voyage thither Anno 1614. and the next yeere beganne another which taken by Frenchmen he was not able to make vp but in testimonie of his loue to his Countrey here and of his hopes there hath written diuers Bookes One called A Description of New England in which his said Uoyages are described with the description of the Countrey and many Arguments to incite men to that vndertaking which I had also prepared for the Presse but for the former feares haue omitted the other called New Englands Trials twice or thrice printed out of which I haue added thus much that the World may see the benefit to bee made by fishing and may also be better acquainted with the successe and succession of New Englands Affaires CHAP. III. Extracts of a Booke of Captaine IOHN SMITH printed 1622. called New Englands tryalls and continuing the Storie thereof with Motiues to the businesse of fishing there The benefit of fishing as Master Dee reporteth in his Brittish Monarchie HE saith that it is more then foure and fortie yeeres agoe and it is more then fortie yeeres since he writ it that the Herring Busses out of the Low-countries vnder the King of Spaine were siue hundred besides one hundred Frenchmen and three or foure hundred Sayle of Flemmings The Coasts of Wales and Lancashire was vsed by three hundred Sayle of strangers Ireland and Baltemore fraugted yeerly three hundred Sayle of Spaniards where King Edward the Sixt intended to haue made a strong Castle because of the Strait to haue Tribute for fishing Blacke Rocke was yeerely fished by three or foure hundred Sayle of Spaniards Portugals and Biskiners Master Gentleman and many Fisher-men and Fish-mongers with whom I haue conferred report The Hollanders raise yeerely by Herring Cod and Ling 3000000. pounds English and French by Salt-fish Poore Iohn Salmons and Pilchards 300000. pounds Hamborough and the Sound for Sturgion Lobsters and Eeles 100000. pounds Cape Blacke for Tunny and Mullit by the Biskiners and Spaniards 30000. pounds But diuers other learned experienced Obseruers say though it may seeme incredible That the Duke of Medina receiueth yeerely tribute of the Fishers for Tunny Mullit and Purgos more then 10000. pounds Lubeck hath seuen hundred Ships Hamborough six hundred Embden lately a Fisher Towne one thousand foure hundred whose Customes by the profit of fishing hath made them so powerfull as they bee Holland and Zealand not much greater then Yorkeshire hath thirtie walled Townes foure hundred Villages 20000. saile of Ships and Hoyes thirtie sixe thousand are Fisher-men whereof one hundred are Doggers seuen hundred Pinkes and Wel-boates seuen hundred Frand Boates Britters and Tode-boats with one thousand three hundred Busses besides three hundred
Capawuck where Epenew should haue fraughted them with Gold Ore that his fault could be no cause of their bad successe howeuer it is alledged for an excuse I speake not this out of vain glory as it may be some gleaners or some was neuer there may censure mee but to let all men be assured by those examples what those Sauages are that thus strangely doe murder and betray our Coâ—ntrie men But to the purpose What is already writ of the healthfulnesse of the ayre the richnesse of the soyle the goodnesse of the Woods the abundance of Fruits Fish and Fowle in their season they still affirme that haue beene there now neer two yeeres and at one draught they haue taken one thousand Basses and in one night twelue hogsheads of Herring They are building a strong Fort they hope shortly to finish in the interim they are well prouided their number is about a hundred persons all in health and well neere sixtie Acres of ground well planted with Corne besides their Gardens well replenished with vsefull fruits and if their Aduenturers would but furnish them with necessaries for fishing their wants would quickly bee supplied To supply them this sixteenth of October is going the Paragon with sixtie seuen persons and all this is done by priuate mens purses And to conclude in their owne words should they write of all plenties they haue found they thinke they should not be beleeued For the twentie sixe sayle of Ships the most I can yet vnderstand is M. Ambrose Iennens of London and Master Abraham Iennens of Plimmoth sent their Abraham a Ship of two hundred and twentie Tuns and the Nightingale of Porchmouth of a hundred whose Fish at the first penie came to 3150 pounds in all they were fiue and thirty saile and wherein New found Land they shared sixe or seuen pounds for a common man in New England they shared foureteene pounds besides six Dutch and French Ships made wonderfull returnes in Furres Thus you may see plainely the yearely successe from New England by Virginia which hath bin so costly to this Kingdome and so deare to me which either to see perish or but bleede pardon me though it passionate me beyond the bounds of modesty to haue bin sufficiently able to foresee it and had neither power nor meanes how to preuent it By that acquaintance I haue with them I may call them my children for they haue bin my Wife my Hawkes my Hounds my Cards my Dice and in totall my best content as indifferent to my heart as my left hand to my right and notwithstanding all those miracles of disasters haue crossed both them and me yet were there not one Englishman remaining as God be thanked there is some thousands I would yet begin againe with as small meanes as I did at the first not for that I haue any secret encouragement from any I protest more then lamentable experiences for all their Discoueries I can yet heare of are but Pigs of my owne Sowe nor more strange to me then to heare one tell mee he hath gone from Billings gate and discouered Greenwich Grauesend Tilberry Quinborow Lee and Margit which to those did neuer heare of them though they dwell in England might be made seeme some rare secrets and great Countries vnknowne except the Relation of Master Dirmer But to returne It is certaine from Cannada and New England within these sixe yeares hath come neere 20000. Beuer Skins Now had each of those Ships transported but some small quantitie of the most increasing Beasts Fowles Fruites Plants and Seedes as I proiected by this time their increase might haue bin sufficient for a thousand men But the desire of present gaine in many is so violent and the endeuours of many vndertakers so negligent euery one so regarding their priuate gaine that it is hard to effect any publicke good and impossible to bring them into a body rule or order vnlesse both authority and money assist experiences It is not a worke for euery one to plant a Colony but when a House is built it is no hard matter to dwell in it This requireth all the best parts of art iudgement courage honesty constancy diligence and experience to doe but neere well your home-bred ingrossing proiectors shall finde there a great difference betwixt saying and doing But to conclude the Fishing will goe forward if you plant it or no whereby a Colonie may be transported with no great charge that in a short time might prouide such fraughts to buy of vs there dwelling as I would hope no Ship should goe or come empty from New England The charge of this is onely Salt Nets Hookes Lines Kniues Irish Rugs course Cloath Beades Glasse and such like trash onely for fishing and trade with the Sauages beside our owne necessary prouisions whose endeuours will quickly defray all this charge and the Sauages haue intreated me to inhabite where I will Now all these Ships till this last yeare haue bin fished within a square of two or three leagues and not one of them all would aduenture any further where questionlesse fiue hundred saile may haue their fraught better then in Island New found Land or elsewhere and be in their markets before the other can haue their fish in their Ships because New Englands fishing begins with February the other not till mid May the progression hereof tends much to the aduancement of Virginia and the Bermudas whose emptie Ships may take in their fraught there and would be a good friend in time of neede to the Inhabitants of New found Land c. CHAP. IIII. A Relation or Iournall of a Plantation setled at Plimoth in New England and proceedings thereof Printed 1622. and here abbreuiated WEdnesday the sixt of September the Winde comming East North-east a fine small gale we loosed from Plimoth hauing bin kindely entertained and curteously vsed by diuers friends there dwelling and after many difficulties in boisterous stormes at length by Gods prouidence vpon the ninth of Nouember following by breake of the day we espied Land which we deemed to be Cape Cod and so afterward it proued Vpon the eleuenth of Nouember we came to an anchor in the Bay which is a good harbour and pleasant Bay circled round except in the entrance which is about foure miles ouer from land to land compassed about to the verie Sea with Oakes Pines Iuniper Saffafras and other sweete Wood it is a harbour wherein 1000. saile of Ships may safely ride there wee relieued our selues with Wood and Water and refreshed our people while our Shallop was fitted to coast the Bay to search for an habitation there was the greatest store of Fowle that euer we saw And euerie day we saw Whales playing hard by vs of which in that place if wee had instruments and meanes to take them we might haue made a verie rich returne which to our great griefe we wanted Our Master and his Mate and others experienced in fishing professed wee might haue
we haue found to be almost needelesse Our great Ram-Goate was missing fifteene dayes in October and came home well againe and is yet well with vs. If the industry of men and presence of domesticall Cattle were applied to the good of this Countrey of New-found-land there would shortly arise iust cause of contentment to the inhabitants thereof Many of our Masters and Sea-faring men seeing our safetie and hearing what a milde winter we had and that no Ice had bin seene fleeting in any of the Bayes of this Countrey all this yeare notwithstanding that then met one hundred and fifty leagues off in the Sea great store of Ilands of Ice doe begin to be in loue with the Countrey and doe talke of comming to take land here to inhabit falling in the reckoning aswell of the commoditie that they may make by the banke fishing as by the husbandry of the Land besides the ordinary fishing At the Greene Bay where some of our Company were a fishing in Nouember they report there is great store of good grounds without woods and there is a thousand acres together which they say may be moâ—ed this yere There is great store of Deere whereof they saw some diuers times and twice they came within shot of them and the Greyhound who is lustie had a course but could not get vpon them But neerer vnto Cape Razo Reuonse and Trepasse there is great quantitie of open ground and Stagges It is most likely that all the Sackes will be departed out of England before the returne of this our Barke which shall not make any matter because I am now of opinion that nothing should be sent hither before the returne of the Ships from fishing For as concerning sending of Cattle it will be best that it be deferred vntill the next Spring And concerning Victuals in regard of the quantity we haue of it remaining of old together with that that is come now as with the dry fish that here we may be stored with I am in good hope there will not want any to last till this time twelue moneths And according to the victuals which shall be found at the end of the fishing the number of persons that shall remaine here all the next winter shall be fitted that there shall not want notwithstanding about Alhollantide or the beginning of December a Ship may be sent such a one as our Fleming was with Salt from Rochel for at any time of the winter Ships may as well goe and come hither as when they doe especially before Ianuary This Summer I purpose to see most places betweene Cape Rase Placentia and Bona vista and at the returne of the fishing Ships to entertaine a fit number of men to maintaine here the winter and to set ouer them and to take the care of all things here with your patience one Master William Colton a discreete yong man and my brother Philip Guy who haue wintered with me and haue promised me to vndertake this charge vntill my returne the next Spring or till it shall be otherwise disposed of by you and then together with such of the company as are willing to goe home and such others as are not fit longer to be entertained here I intend to take passage in the fishing Ships and so returne home And then betweene that and the Spring to be present to giue you more ample satisfaction in all things and to take such further resolution as the importance of the enterprise shall require wherein you shall finde me alwayes as ready as euer I haue bin to proceeds and goe forward God willing And because at my comming home it will be time enough for mee to lay before you mine opinion touching what is to be vndertaken the next yeare I will forbeare now to write of it because you should be the sooner aduertised of our welfare and because such of the Company as are sent home both for their owne good and that the vnprofitable expence of victuals and wages might coase I haue laden little or nothing backe that the said Company might the better be at ease in the hold Onely there is sent three hogsheads of Charcoles where Numero 1o. is they are of Burch no. 2o. is of Pine and Spruce no. 3o. is of Firre being the lightest wood yet it maketh good Coles and is vsed by our Smith I send them because you shall see the goodnesse of each kinde of Cole Also I send you an Hogshead of the Skinnes and Furres of such Beasts as haue bin taken here the particulers whereof appeare in the Bill of lading While I was writing I had newes of the Vineyard the Ship which you send to fishing to haue bin in company with another Ship that is arriued on this side of the Banke and that the Master intended to goe to Farillon or Fer-land God send her in safety So praying God for the prosperity of your Worships and the whole Company with hope that his diuine Maiestie which hath giuen vs so good a beginning will alwayes blesse our proceedings my dutie most humbly remembred I take my leaue Dated in Cupers Coue the sixteenth of May 1611. I haue also a Iournall of the winde and weather from the latter end of August 1611. till Iune 1612. written by Master William Colston and deliuered to Master Iohn Guy Gouernour of the English Colony in Newfoundland at his returne from England thither Iune the seuenth 1612. By which it appeareth that the weather was somewhat more intemperate then it had beene the yeare before but not intolerable nor perhaps so bad as we haue it sometims in England Their Dogges killed a Wolfe Otters Sables c. Captaine Easton a Pirat was troublesome to the English and terrible to the French there of whom I haue added this Letter for the Diarie of the weather and occurrents each day would be very tedious To Master IOHN SLANY Treasurer and others of the Councell and Company of the New-found-land Plantation the twenty nine of Iuly 1612. RIght Worshipfull by my last of the seuenteenth of Iune I wrote you of the estate then of all matters here by the Holland Ship which I hope is long since safely arriued together with Master Colston who hath I doubt not made by word of mouth full relation of all matters Because the proceedings of one Captaine Peter Easton a Pirate and his company since are most fit to be knowne before I touch our Plantation businesse you shall vnderstand what they haue bin vnto this time vntill the seuenteenth of this present the said Captaine Easton remained in Harbor de Grace there trimming and repairing his Shipping and commanding not onely the Carpenters of each Ship to doe his businesse but hath taken victuals munition and necessaries from euery Ship together with about one hundred men out of the Bay to man his Ships being now in number six He purposed to haue before he goeth as is said cut of the land fiue hundred men while he remained there
the entrance of the Channell wee began of all hands to fall a sounding for ground and the next day found it though indeed by that sounding I saw few the wiser or the more assured of the Coast. For it was the Banke of Sâ—â—eyâ— but none could say so nor then so iudge it but onely the Master of our Ship whose name was Broadbaut a carefull man and a right good Marriner For in the Generals ship they were all of a contrary opinion and according to their Errour shaped their course with straight commandement giuen to vs and to the rest that were in his traine to follow his Light and course The which we did very diligently my selfe indeed being most in fault for it For the Master was Ioath so to doe but that I vrged our dutie to the Generals commandement and our danger in breaking it by former experience And therefore I watched and stood by the Helme and Bitackle most part of that night to see it performed though with much repining of the Master and his Mates against this dangerous Course as they tearme it This sounding of ours so much in practice and yet many times bringing no great certainty withall makes me now call to minde an odde conceit and speech of a Spanish Prisoner which the Generall gaue me in this Iourney but neuer yeelded me other Ransome then some faire promises and smooth discourses For hee after consened or bribed his keeper a Captaine of a Pinnace to whom I had committed him in charge and very cleanely conueyed himselfe away without euer bidding me farewell Howbeit â—thers found better fruites of their Prisoners which the Generall gaue vnto them This Spaniard of mine was a Gentleman and a Souldier but had of late yeeres traded the West Indies by way of Merchandize With whom I one day talking and discoursing of their Voyages and Nauigations wherein hee was very well experienced amongst other things hee told me that in their Nauigation from the Indies they sought out Spaine in a more certaine and gallant manner then wee did England For said he wee seeke out our Coast aloft with our Eyes by the Heauens by the Sunne and Starres and with the vse of Art and Instruments which seldome or neuer fayles But you said he that seeke for England when you are to runne into narrow Seas are as I heare say inforced for your surest Directions like men blindfold to search vnder the water and to scrape with Lead and Tallow to the bottome for Bankes Sands and Shelues as if you would rake Hell for instructions to finde out the Channell which you call the Sleeue and yet for all your soundings are oftentimes mistaken I answered him againe indeed it was true that our Humilitie taught vs to goe by the ground Whereas their Pride led them to gaze aboue the Clouds and by that meanes so dazeled their Eyes as that they did often stumble vpon such men of Warre that now vsed as well to sound Spanish Pockets as the English Sleeue Whereat my Spaniard smiling and shaking his Head said hee could not well denie it hauing so lately made too true experience thereof For indeed hee was throughly rifled and ransackt of good short Wares before that euer hee came to my hands These words of his I remembred and found true vpon our soundings and the vncertaine coniectures thereof with varieties of opinions For after wee had all found ground all that Night wee held on so precisely in following our Generals light as that very earely in the Morning with the first peepe of day wee in the Wast-spight looking about found our selues on the North-side of Sylley Which when with cold comfort wee had perfectly made and perceiued with all our narrow escapes in that darke Night hard alongst the Rockes called the Bishop and his Clarkes wee began of all hands to looke out for our comforts And then wee discryed our Generall and diuers with him aduanced some three leagues before vs bearing in with all Sayles towards the Coast of Wales The morning was very close and foggie and the Generall steering North-east in stead of East and by North ranne right with the Sands of the Welch Coast on which in that darke weather hee had stricken and perished if hee had held on but a few houres longer But on the contrary although wee resclued not to lose the sight of his Lanthorne yet wee kept our selues as farre to the East as wee could and yet wee were scarce able to double Silley but fell close aboord it and a little to the North of it at the breake of day All which when I perceiued 〈◊〉 later Watch being mine and the Reare Admiral being gone to rest I did instantly com 〈…〉 the Master Gunner to shoot off a great Piece to cause them to looke about but both our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Master Gunner were so mad at me for forcing them to follow this course as that 〈◊〉 hardly haue suffered a warning Piece to bee shot but said they deserued to taste the 〈◊〉 their owne wilfulnesse hauing brought themselues and all the Fleet cleane out of the 〈…〉 to this danger And out of very rage and discontent these men had quite forgotten all 〈◊〉 Charitie and would by no meanes haue bestowed a shot vpon them to alter them from that vnsafe course but that I vrged their Dutie and inforced them to shoot and shoot againe three or foure times one after another much against their wills Whereupon we might within a little time plainly perceiue our Admirall with all his Traine to tacke about finding their owne Errours as afterwards they confessed And therefore presently they beat it vp to double the Cape of Silley thereby to enter the Sleeue which with much adoe they performed But we in the Wast-spight being now by this time shot in alongst the North side of Cornewall almost as farre as Saint Iues our ship being extreame weake and leakie and our Drinke and Water come to the last cast at very bare allowance wee durst not againe put to the Seas in these wants and in a Vessell so ill able to beat it vp against the winde to double againe the Point of Silley whereby to recouer the Sleeue And therefore stood alongst the Coast and that night anchored before Saint Iues where wee found sundry Spanish Carauels and Flee-boates of the Spanish Fleet which was set out vnder the Adelantado to haue incountred vs at our returne from the Ilands but were all dispersed and tossed with the same Storme that before had scattered vs which fell out very happily For if wee had met wee must haue tryed the Battell chiefely by Boording or else trusted to our Sayles for that our best and greatest Ordnance for the ease of our Ships in these stormes were stricken downe vnder hold So that wee should haue found great disaduantage to haue incountred with a Nauie comming strong and fresh from the Maine and wee tired and scattered a sunder with a long and painfull
said and valued to bee richly worth aboue foure hundred thousand Duckets At the taking of them I stood in our Gallerie in the Wast-spight with the Reere Admirall and wee halled and called vnto some to inquire of their lading and Merchandize and from what places they came whereby wee learned that they were come from the Hauana very rich and at the least to the value aboue said Whereupon our Reere Aamirall said vnto me in priuate that although wee should be little the better for these rich Prizes yet he was heartily glad for our Generals sake because they would in good sort giue contentment to her Maiestie so that there should bee no repining against the poore Lord for the expense of the Voyage And for my better satisfaction in the value of them I had caused mine owne Prisoner to giue me notice of the Ships wherein hee had Aduentures and according to the Rates thereof set downe vpon his owne knowledge those three Ships could not be so little worth as they all had formerly affirmed Now if wee doe but looke into the husbandrie and prouidence of former Ages and of the mightiest Empire and best gouerned State that euer was wee shall plainely see that they euer â—coke a more strict and iust account of the benefit of their gettings and Victories And that it was an especiall regard of the Roman Consuls and Generals at their returne from a prosperous Warre to render a plentifull gaine into the publique Treasurie which made their State still able to subsist in their great actions And many times their greatest and worthiest Captaines were deepely called in question for imbeseling any part of such gettings as amongst others was that famous Scipio surnamed Africanus prosecuted in that kinde by the Petilâ—j notwithstanding his many great seruices to the Common-wealth But what became of all these our gettings God knowes Onely I heare that there was a Composition made afterwards with her Maiestie for the Cochynella and other Merchandize not to a third part of that it was worth For neither that nor yet any of the other riches could truely come to light or publique knowledge because they were neuer faithfully certified vnder the hands and testimonies of sufficient Officers when they were first taken nor any of that which was preserued fold when wee came home but onely to the Buyers aduantage And yet in Conclusion they that had so played the wise Stewards in so prouiding for themselues and their followers had all the grace and gaine from those that had more carefully and iustly intended the publique Seruice But this generall neglect of truth and merit throughout the world is the cause that so few doe apply to follow those sincere and vnprofitable courses especially seeing how many doe daily by fraud and slatterie finde shorter and smoother wayes to Honours wealth and preferment Euen beyond all measure and expectation The Conclusion of the Worke with some later Aduertisements touching His Maiesties Care for VIRGINIA VVE haue now compassed the World in the Courses of so many Planets euery of which had a peculiar wandering and yet none erring from the publike benefit of the Vniuerse And as in Geometricall compasses one foote is fixed in the Centre whiles the other mooueth in the Circumference so is it with Purchas and his Pilgrimes in this Geographicall compassing they haue their owne motions but ordered in this Circumference from for and by him which abideth at home in his Centre and neuer trauelled two hundred miles from Thaxted in Essex lately adorned and augmented with Franchises by his Maiestie where hee was borne All their lines tend to this Centre and this Centre to the Basis and Ground thereof that is to his Countrey to the honour and benefit wherof he and all his are due All Nations dance in this Round to doe the English service and English Trauellers here enioy the Mayne others the By to attend and with their Trauels to perfect the English at lest the knowledge of the World to the English The Map of England ANGLIA Yea in this English Centre also I haue chosen the Centre of that Centre the Renowmed Name of Queene ELIZABETH to which because Mortalitie hath depriued vs of Her Person wee haue added that of King IAMES the All that is left vs of Queene ELIZABETH and more then that All in further perfection of Sexe and Arts. With those auspicious Names as the faire Starres in the Constellations of both Poles our Pilgrimes begaâ—ne their Progresse by the Light of those two Eyes of Great Brittaine they haue taken view of the World and therefore heere wee end in our Pilgrimage with those two auspicious Names His Maiestie first for Brute is vncertaine hath combined a Trinitie of Kingdomes into an Vnitie Fecit eos in gentem vnam made the Ocean the Wall to his Inheritance hath rooted out the wonted barbarisme of Borderers of Scottish Fewds of English Duells of Irish Bogges hath confirmed and settled those cruder and more indigested beginnings of our prosperitie hath enioyed soueraignetie longer then euer did any of Britaines Soueraignes and still ô still may we long long enioy him hath giuen so manifold securitie against the extreamest and most fatall rigor both in number weight and worth of Royall pledges The Map of Great Brittaine and Ireland ANGLIA SCOTIA et HIBERNIA He is beyond comparison compared with others a meere transcendent beyond all his Predecessors Princes of this Realme beyond the neighbouring Princes of his own times beyond the conceits of subiects dazled with such brightnes Beyond our victorious Debora not in sex alone but as Peace is more excellent then War and Salomon then Dauid in this also that He is and we enioy his present Sunshine in regard of posteritie not onely sowing thereto the fruit of his bodie but of his learned mind like a Salomon indeed by voluminous Writings and not which is more vsesuall to Princes with apophthegme-flashes recorded by others like Saul sometime among the Prophets a Miracle and Oracle both this in polemicall politicall problematicall apocalypticall positiue Theology and Bookes of deuotion also that in that his Royall body hath had the honour not to be polluted with women aboue men aboue Salomon And as wee haue trauelled abroad that wee may bring forraine rarities home wee find no greater raritie abroad or at home then his Maiestie the Father of the Clergie the raiser of so many Families to honour and of honours to Families whose bountie and clemencie none deny let others beware least they perhaps haue euill eyes because his is good so honoured of his Subiects with awfull loue with louing awe that himselfe hath professed no King herein his superiour and we can and all History will professe with vs that England neuer enioyed better daies then vnder her deceased Mother and the present Pater Patriae who hath secured Britaine in peace and prosperitie whiles all Christian Kingdomes haue beene shaken with warres and that which alone hath escaped
sands 1500 Curenda a populous Indian nation in the River Parana described their apparell ornament and commodities 1350 Cutes wrought by prayers 1515 Curewapori Ilands 1279 Curiadan a place in Trinidad the inhabitants called Saluages 1247 Curiapan a place neere Orenoque 1247 A Current in the Sea vnder thirty two degrees 1174 Currents that set East or West may breed mistake in Navigators ibid. Other vncertaine currents 1400 1373 A Current setting to the Northward in forty degrees 1759 Curucucu Snakes in Brasile of 15 spans long very venemous 1304 Curupija Indians of Brasile 1299 Cusco a place in the South Sea 1416. A Citie as bigge as Rome it hath in it a thousand Spaniards 1420 Customes of fishing of wonderfull gaine to the townes of Lubecke Hamborough and Embden 1837 Customes paiá yearely to the Prince of the Indians 1869 Cutifa-chiqui a Province in Florida 1537 Caynaccaro a Province 1558 D. DAinty a Ship of Sir Richard Hawkins fortunate in voyage for her Maiestie vnfortunate for the owners 1367 Dale viz Sir Tho Dales ariuali at Virginia 1733. His relation of the passages there and how the affaires stood An. 1614. p. 1768 seq His commendation 1770 Damarius Coue a place neere Munhiggen forty leagues from Plimouth in new-New-England North-east-ward 1856 Dancing distinguishing nations in the Indies 1480 Dancing of the Virginians 1687 1573 1574 Dariene a Sound in the Indies 1180 Sir Ber. Drake his ariue at the New-found-land 1883 Captaine Darmers fishing voyage his coasting the shore till hee came to Virginia his men fall sicke his returne to the New-found-land his discouerie of many fruitfull Coasts and pleasant Rivers from Hudsons River to Cape Iames. 1830 The prosperous successe hee had in pâ—â—curing a truce betweene vs and the Savages is treacherously betrayed wounded and flyeth to Virginia for succour and there dyeth 1831 Capt. Davies voyage to the South Sea 1191. seq His losse of Cap. Candish successe ibid. seq Accused for treacherie 1193 Candishes opinion of him 1194 Daycao a riuer in Florida 1554 Dayes of publike Thanks giving instituted in New-England 1867 Dayes length in New-England 1871 Dead not lamented by some Indians 1523 Deaws very vnhealthy to Englishmen and Indians 1250 Deere worshipped by some Indians 1479. Deere of severall sorts bringing forth two three or foure at once 1831. Decre good store in New-England and the manner of taking them 1845. Deeres-flesh dried in the winde food of the Indians 1881 Dermers resolution by letter of some passages in Virginia 1778 1779 Description of the King of Spaines invincible Armada 1897 De Todos los Santos a towne in the West Indies neere the line 1189 Dâ—vill consulted withall by â—he Indians of Wyâ—poco they call him Peyar 1263. As also Watupâ— who beatâ— them sometimes blacke and blew 1274. The Brasilians cal him Curupira Taguain Pigtanguâ— Machchera Anhanga they feare him much and think their soules after death are tured into Devils 1290 The Devils illuding wounding and tormenting the Savages of Florida 1516 1517. The Devill worshipped by New-Spaniards that is in Noua Hispania their delusion by him 1558. Temples built for him and an oratory made and meat given him by them of new Mexico 1561 The Divell forbids Baptisme to the Indians 1564 The deuils policy in keeping the Indians poore 1868. His try all of those which are dedicated to him ibid. His being worshipped by the Virginians his images feare and name of Oke 1701 Dyals how admired by the Virginian Savages 1708 Dâ—amonds in Brasile 1230 In Canada 1612. in New France 1611 Difference betweene Campe and garison Souldiers 1944 Diego Flores de Valdes a Spaniard sent with a Fleet to Brasile and the successe 1440 1441 Diego de Almagro the first Spanish discouerer of Chili 1475. The next Pedro de Maldiuia 1476 Discoveries of divers Ilands and Lakes in Canada 1614. seq A Discoverie of the English full of danger Discoveries proue best when least discouered 1955 First discoveries of America the new World by English and Spanish 1812 Diseases very strange 1191 1214 1258 Disorder the fore-runner of ill successe in Candâ—shes Fleet 1202 Disorder more weakencth the English then the enemy 1966 Dispâ—â—ations touching Spanish crueltie in the Indies 1601 1602 1603 Dissequebe an Indian River 1269 Dogs worshipped 1471. Ravenous dogs 1172. Terrible to the Indians 1327 1328 Great dogs that fight with Buls and carie fifty pound on their backe in hunting 1561 Dogs that devoure men first taught by Spaniards 1582 Dogs that cannot barke 1696 Dolphin described his loue to mankinde 1375 Saint Domingo 1146. The description riches and fortification thereof 1418 Dominica 1152. The inhabitants described with their brutishnesse 1685. The inhabitants hate the Spaniards loue the English their presents tradings and commodities ibid. Want of cloathes ornaments Canons Merchandise and red painting 1158. More copious description of the soyle woods mountaines towne wo 〈…〉 modestie King familiaritie of their maids chastitie desire of cloathes 1158 1159. Their common fare state meat haire desire to learne English 1159. Distinction of maids and wiues 1159 Dominica assaulted and taken by Sir Francis Drake 1182. Inhabited by Spaniards the sand of the Rivers mixed with gold great plenty of Roots and Sugar Canes 1833 Don Alfonso Perez de Guzman Commander of the Spanish Fleet in 88. 1901 Don Antonio de Mendoza his strife with Cortez for most discoveries and sending forth divers by sea and land for that purpose 1560 Don Diego de Pâ—mentell taken prisoner in Zeland 1911 Don Iohn of Austria defeated of his intended treachery to get to himselfe Mary Queene of Scots his wife 1893 Dos Patos a River in America 1218 Don Pedro and his company taken prisoners by Sir Francis Dâ—ake 1905 Douer-cliff-sound on the North of Virginia 1648 A Doue lighted on the Mastes of English Ships 1967 Dragnanes a certaine kind of Indians in Florida 1510 Drake viz. Sir Francis Drakes first discovery of the Southermost land 1391. His treacherous vsage by the Indians 1392. His expedition with a great Fleet 1434. His riches gotten by his voyages 1439 Sir Fraâ— Drakes original parentage education progresse first voyage surprising of the towne of Nombre de Dios 1179. His burning 200000 Duckets in Merchandize and protestation for the South sea 1180. His circumnauigation the opinion of his riches ibid. Which were sequestred to the Queen his voyage to Domingo company and ships ariues at Saint Iago and takes it 1181. His comming to Dominica and Saint Christopher 1181. Takes Saint Domingo 1182. And Cartagena ib. Fireth two Spanish fortresses ibid. His returne benefit losse of men ibid. His voyage at Calz his Fleet and Prizes ibid. Takes a Carrack 1183. His going for the Azores ibid. His last voyage His fellow Commissioner his taking Rio de la Hacha Rancheria Tapia S. Martha and Nombre de Dios his death successor and Fleets arivall at Plimouth 1183. His disagreeing with Sir Iohn Hawkins 1184. His comparison with him 1185. 1186. His buriall 1245. His clemency to