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A85806 A description of the new world. or, America islands and continent: and by what people those regions are now inhabited. And what places are there desolate and without inhabitants. And the bays, rivers, capes, forts, cities and their latitudes, the seas on their coasts: the trade, winds, the North-west passage, and the commerce of the English nation, as they were all in the year 1649. Faithfully described for information of such of his countrey as desire intelligence of these perticulars. By George Gardyner of Peckham, in the country of Surrey Esq. Gardyner, George. 1651 (1651) Wing G252aA; Thomason E1298_2; ESTC R7600 49,937 204

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north-west passage it hath been so thorowly searched into by our Nation that can give no incouragemēt to a farther trial save that story men tel of a Manuscript in Portugall shewed to one of our Merchants of the passage that way of a Portugall ship of the Phillipinas droven from thence by foule weather through this straight to Portugall but to men that know the distance between that streight and those Ilands it would seem the most ridiculous story in the World beside the falsity of the Informers the Greeks relation being a far better story for he saith in regard he was taken by Squire Candis in the South-sea and lost all he had to procure some relief in his old age he would advise the English a speedier way to the East-Indies then they now took And this intelligence he giveth after he is retired to his Native Country to repose from his troublesome way of adventuring to Sea From whence we may easily guesse for the bad turn our Nation did him he would not wish us a good one but the scope of his intelligence being but to have a bill of exchange to receive money as he pretended to come into England But how likely it was that he would leave those rich parts of America which he lived in with the Spaniards to retire to his own Nation and from thence to undertake a Voyage for us to the worst place in the World a rationall man cannot apprehend But were there such a passage it would much more concern the Portugals and the Spaniards then it doth the English for their trade is to the north part of the East Indies and ours to the south theirs to the Moluccos Philipinaes Japan and China whereas we seldome passe beyond Bantam in Java but were there a passage that way yet it were not to be chosen before the other for could a man sail in a strait line first from England to the straight and then from the straight to the East Indies it would prove a farther way than the other by the Cape of Bonaspei But those that know any thing of those seas know that the sea course to any part of north America is as low as 23 24 25 or 30 the highest For the wind which bloweth in the south sea east and west as well as in the north that is to say for the most part west without the Tropicks and almost constantly East within them Wherefore you must go out of your way aswell from the north part of America to the East-Indies as from England to this supposed Straight and there is as much difference in relation to pleasantnesse in voyages as between summer and winter For when you are clean of the Bay of Biscai in all the voyage by the Cape you find no cold weather till you return to the same place again but to the contrary is so cold icy about the Straight in the middle of Summer that there is no making way without much difficulty and trouble And in the south sea where the Sun keeps the same course as in the north in June Sir Francis Drake in compassing the world found so much cold in thirty eight degrees north latitude that he was forced into a southerly course And this makes a strong probability that there is no sea to the north of America but that the land of this New world reacheth by the north parts even to the northwardly Provinces of the Empire of Japan or Tartaria For I finde that the winds that blow West and north-west in England being sea-sea-winds are not so cold as those that come east and north-east which are land-land-winds Which I apprehend the onely cause of difference in the temperature of the air with us and the north parts of America For New England that lyeth in 41 42 is much colder in the winter then the most northwardly parts of England which are in 56. And those parts of America that are in that height are cold almost the whole year through as the undertakers in the north passage plainly prove and this is caused certainly by the land-wind which that heigh for the most part bloweth west and northwardly which is so much more colder in regard it cometh from those vast Regions that are far thicker and untill'd uninhabited with wood swamps and such moist crudities as are not in Europe On the land of the north-side Hudsons Straight there hath been seen some of the wild Natives but how they live is a kind of miracle And from the south of this Strait till you come to New England is but one Plantation which is at the Fort of Kebeck on the north-west side the River Canada 100 leagues from the Island Antecostey that lieth at the mouth of the said River The French drive a great trade with the Natives for Bever-skins in exchange of hatchets knives penny looking-glasses bels beads and such toys There are good store of the Natives in these parts all alongst the Coast and are willing to exchange such Commodities as they have for such truck as the French bring them although it is to be done with much care to prevent their treachery CHAP. 26. New England THe Plantations of the North Government of New England beginneth about 44 degrees and the coast is indifferently seated with English almost as southwardly as 41. This Countrey at first was laid out in severall proportions to divers Noblemen and Gentlemen of England each having within his circuit a severall power But at this day it hath but three divisions onely that is to say the north and his bounds the middle and the south the north Government is the worst and hath fewest people the middle Government is that of Boston which is the best and hath most inhabitants The south is the Government of New Plimouth in which is the best ground the north Government hath scarce a Town worthy the name of a Village but the middle hath many Towns and Villages The principall is Boston fairly built the great street is neer half a mile long full of wel-furnished shops of Merchandize of all sorts Here is resident a Councill and the Governour which is yearly chosen from amongst them this town hath a good Port called the Bay of Bòston with many ships which is secured with a Castle guarded with Souldiers and Ordnance Neer Boston lyeth Charles Town and five miles into the Countrey is the town of Cambridge that hath a University with many Students The south Government is that of New Plimouth that hath the name from the town which is an indifferent Market town The land of all this Region is generally barren and rocky but the care of the inhabitants supplyeth the naturall defects of the Country from the proceed of the Commodities it affordeth which is Pipe sraves Clabbord Fish English grain and fruits with the building of Ships which they often sell to other parts and iron works with these they drive a trade to most parts of Europe especially to Spain the Canary
and Caribey Islands it is a wholsome air and the English people are well-colour'd and have many children which thrive well in that Countrey They punish sin as severely as the Jeivs did in old time but not with so good a warrant And they have brought the Indians into great awe but not to any Gospell knowledge CHAP. 27. New Holland TO the southwest of New England lyeth the Dutch Plantation It hath good ground and good ayr but few of that Nation inhabiting there which maketh that there is few Plantations in the land and but one Village whose inhabitants are part English and part Dutch Here is resident the the Governour appointed by the West India Company This Village lyeth on Hudsons River in 40 and a half three miles within the mouth of the River and almost joyning to a Fort that hath Guns but they are unmounted There is the Fort of Orange 30 miles up the said River and there is a Mill to saw boards for the Colony they have here indifferent plenty of English and Indian Corn but the best profit is the trade with the natives for Bever and other skins Those that trade here pay 16 in the hundred Custome to the West-India Company of Holland These Dutch are mischievous neighbours for with their Indian trade they supply the natives with Guns and Ammunition which in time may prove their own confusion and doth already prejudice their neighbours CHAP. 28. The Swedes Plantation THe Swedes are seated between the Dutch and Virginia in a Village by a fort which lyeth eight miles within Delaware River On the north side the said River they are few in number and their principall businesse is their commerce with the Indians for they have little or no Cattle They furnish the Indians with Guns and weapons as the Dutch do and once in a year have commonly a supply and relief from Swethland by a ship that fetcheth their Skins and other Truck CHAP. 29. Virginia Virginia is to the southward of the Swedes and the north Cape of the great Bay that leadeth to Virginia and Maryland lyeth distant from the Swedes Fort neer 130 English miles this Bay is 240 miles up navigable for the biggest ships it lyeth almost north and south and it receiveth divers Rivers which issueth into it from the west and east those on the west-side are both the biggest and most those on the east-side are not many nor great This coast is also a flat coast as is New Holland and the Swedes The English are seated on the east-side the Bay from the said point called Cape Charles and by the Creeks and Bay-side 30 miles up the Bay Without the said Cape are certain Islands called Smith's Islands which are broken low grounds unfit for habitation On the west-side the Bay within Cape Henry 8 miles lieth the water call'd Lin-Haven which issueth there into the Bay it hath divers Branches on which there are Plantations even to the head of most of them And between the said Haven and James River which is distant 12 miles is two small Creeks that are indifferently seated but on the side of the great Bay there is no Plantation between the Cape and James River which is distant from it 20 miles this River floweth more then 120 miles and almost so far Navigable for good ships It is Shelvie and dangerous without a good Pilot it receiveth divers Rivers and Creeks on the East-side the most eminent is the Elizabeth River which issueth into the great River within eight miles of the sandy point that is the first point of the South-side the great River and over against Point Comfort Island by which you must keep close aboard by reason the River is there onely to be entred four miles higher then Elizabeth River is Nawcimond River which two are the principall and on the West-side the most eminent and best is Chickhomoney whose mouth is 10 miles beyond James Town this main River as also the Rivers and Creeks that run into it are seated by the water-side onely by reason of the conveniency of carriage And between point Comfort and York there is a small River called the Pecoson River which is seated and then a little further York River which is a fair River and navigable 20 miles for ships This River is seated neer fifty miles up but on the East-side better than on the West And the other Rivers which run into the Bay between this and Maryland are Payankatank and to Pahanoc and the great River of Patowmek are unseated with any but the Natives Here is good plenty of Millet but not much English grain For which this Region is not so naturall as New England or New Holland for the crops within a year or two will degenerate Their onely commodity is Tobacco which I think to be more naturall to the Countrey then any other thing The best sort is the sweet sented which is not inferiour to the Spanish Cattle are of the same price here as in England and New England and by reason there are no Markets and little money to buy them fresh meat is very scarcely eaten The Virginia proverb is That hogs and women thrive well amongst them But the later I think are indifferently subject to the fate of those men that go there which is much sicknesse or death For the air is exceeding unwholsome insomuch as one of three scarcely liveth the first year at this time though formerly they report the mortality hath stretcht to the taking away of eleven of twelve The reason of this is not the latitude for that is 37 degrees and a half In which lyeth many excellent wholsome Countreys but I conceive it to be the changeablenesse of the weather which is mighty extream in heat and cold and as various as the wind both Winter and Summer The next cause is the Swamps standing-waters and Marishes and mighty store of Rivers and low lying of the land There is two other pernicious companions that haunt the English inhabitants the one is the disease called the Country Duties which they originally caught of the Indians and the cure is the same they use in England for the French Pox it being almost alike The other is the Rattle-snake so called for the rattle in her taile whose bitings are present death And this vermine in the Summer is so stirring that they are in the fields woods and commonly in their houses to their great anoyance yet this mortality doth rather harden the peoples hearts then bring them to God for I think they are the farthest from conscience and morall honesty of any such number together in the world And for want of administration of Justice there are many have left the place and are gone to Maryland which lyeth up the Bay The Virginia bread is commonly of Millet called Poane And if the servants have enough of that their complaint wil procure no remedy The Rivers and Creeks afford much fish in Summer and furze in the woods good store of Deer