were there taken to the vse of your Maiestie by vertue of a Commission vnder the Broad Seale of the Admiraltie directed to me RICHARD WHITBOVRNE IT is to be seene by the Cosmographers Maps and well approued that the New-found-land is an Iland bordering vpon the Continent of America from which it is diuided by the Sea so farre distant as England is from the neerest part of France lieth betweene 46 and 53 degrees North-latitude It is neere as spacious as Ireland and lyes neere the course that ships vsually hold in their returne from the West-Indies and neere halfe the way betweene Ireland and Virginea I shall not much neede to commend the wholesome temperature of that Countrey seeing the greatest part thereof lieth aboue 3 degrees neerer to the South then any part of England doth And it hath bin wel approued by some of our Nation who haue liued there these many yeeres that euen in the winter it is as pleasant and healthfull as England is And although the example of one Summer be no certaine rule for other yeeres yet thus much also can I truly affirme that in the yeere 1615 of the many thousands of English French Portugals and others that were then vpon that Coast amongst whom I sailed to and fro more then one hundred leagues I neither saw nor heard in all that trauell of any man or boy of either of these Nations that dyed there during the whole voyage neither was so much as any one of them sicke The naturall Inhabitants of the Countrey as they are but few in number so are they something rude and sauage people hauing neither knowledge of God nor liuing vnder any kinde of ciuill gouernment In their habits customes manners they resemble the Indians of the Continent from whence I suppose they come they liue altogether in the North and West part of the Countrey which is seldome frequented by the English But the French and Biscaines who resort thither yeerely for the Whale-fishing and also for the Cod-fish report them to be an ingenuous and tractable people being well vsed they are ready to assist them with great labour and patience in the killing cutting and boyling of Whales and making the Traine-oyle without expectation of other reward then a little bread or some such small hire All along the coast of this Countrey there are many spacious and excellent Bayes some of them stretching into the land one towards another more then twenty leagues On the East side of the land are the Bayes of Trinity and Conception which stretch themselues towards the South-west Tor Bay and Capelin Bay lying also on the East stretch toward the West The Bayes of Trepassey S. Mary Borrell and Plaisance on the South part of the land extend their armes toward the North The great Bay of S. Peters lying on the Southwest side of the land and East Southerly from the great Riuer of Canady being about twenty leagues distant the same stretcheth toward the East And here I pray you note y t the bottoms of these Bayes doe meete together within the compasse of a small circuit by meanes whereof our men passing ouer land from Bay to Bay may with much facilitie discouer the whole Countrey From the Bay of S. Peter round about the West-side of the land till you come to the grand Bay which lyeth on the North-side of the Countrey and so from thence till you come round backe to Trinity Bay are abundance of large and excellent Bayes which are the lesse knowne because not frequented by the English who seldome fish to the Northward of Trinity Bay And it is to be obserued that round about the Coast and in the Bayes there are many small Ilands none of them further off then a league from the land both faire and fruitfull neither doth any one part of the world affoord greater store of good Harbors more free from dangers or more commodious then are there built by the admirable workmanship of God I will only instance two or three of the chiefest for some speciall reasons Trinity Harbour lyes neere in 49 degrees North-latitude being very commodiously seated to receiue shipping in reasonable weather both to anchor in and from thence to saile towards either the East West or South It hath three Armes or Riuers long and large enough for many hundred saile of Ships to moare fast at Anchor neere a mile from the Harbours mouth close adioyning to the Riuers side and within the Harbour is much open land well stored with grasse sufficient Winter and Summer to maintaine great store of ordinary cattell besides Hogs and Goates if such beasts were carried thither and it standeth North most of any Harbor in the land where our Nation practiseth fishing It is neere vnto a great Bay lying on the North-side of it called the Bay of Flowers to which place no Shippes repaire to fish partly in regard of sundry Rocks and Ledges lying euen with the water and full of danger but chiefly as I coniecture because the Sauage people of that Countrey doe there inhabite many of them secretly euery yeere come into Trinity Bay and Harbour in the night time purposely to steale Sailes Lines Hatchets Hookes Kniues and such like And this Bay is not three English miles ouer land from Trinity Bay in many places which people if they might be reduced to the knowledge of the true Trinity indeed no doubt but it would be a most sweet and acceptable sacrifice to God an euerlasting honour to your Maiesty and the heauenliest blessing to those poore Creatures who are buried in their owne superstitious ignorance The taske thereof would proue easie if it were but well begun and constantly seconded by industrious spirits and no doubt but God himselfe would set his hand to reare vp and aduance so noble so pious and so Christian a building The bottome of the Bay of Trinity lyeth within foure leagues through the land Southwest Southerly from Trinity as by experience is found and it comes neere vnto the Bay of Trepassey and the bottome of some other Bayes as I haue already touched before And what commodities may thereby redound if some of your Maiesties Subiects were also once setled to plant neere vnto Trepassey being the South part of New-found-land where some ships vse yeerely to fish If therefore neere the Harbour of Trinity it were inhabited by some of your Maiesties Subiects I see no reason to the contrary but that a speedy and more certaine knowledge might be had of the Countrey by reason those sauage people are so neere who being politikely and gently handled much good might be wrought vpon them for I haue had apparant proofes of their ingenuous and subtile dispositions and that they are a people full of quicke and liuely apprehensions Trepassey in like manner is as commodious a Harbour lying in a more temperate climate almost in 46 degrees the like Latitude and is both faire and
in those other parts the Winter season commonly foure moneths together that neither Ship nor Boat can passe in all that time from one place to another but lye still fast frozen yet in that season where Ships vse to saile the Summer time from one place to another Carts and Coaches doe passe vpon the Ice Ships also in Holland and in those neere places in some Winters doe lie there fast frozen a long time together and likewise it hath beene in some Winters so hard frozen in the Riuer of Thames aboue London-bridge neere the Court that the tenderest faire Ladies and Gentlewomen that are in any part of the world who haue beheld it and great numbers of people haue there sported on the Ice many dayes together and haue felt it colder there then men doe that liue in New-found-land Now if such men when they come from thence that haue but little experience of the colde in other Countries neither take due obseruation of the colde that is sometimes in England would listen to men that haue traded in the Summer time to Greeneland for the killing of Whales and making of that Traine oyle which is a good trade found out and consider well of the abundance of great Ilands of Ice that those Ships and men are there troubled withall at times they would thereby be perswaded to speake little of the colde in New-found-land yet praised be God seldome any of those Ships and men that trade to Greeneland take hurt thereby Wherefore I desire to satisfie any that shall be willing to further this Plantation and cleare those reports and doubts that are feared by some people of the colde there and also to let them know that the Sauage people of the Country endure it so well that they liue there naked Winter and Summer And also my selfe and most of our Nation and others that haue traded there endure the greatest colde wee haue met withall there at any time in our faces neckes and eares as well as any Gentlewomen in England doe the colde in their naked bosomes neckes and faces in the Winter time when they goe so vncouered and therefore I doe conceiue that it is but a little needlesse charie nicenesse vsed by some that trade there that complaine any thing of the cold in that Countrey by keeping themselues too warme which colde I suppose some that haue beene there may feele the more if they haue been much accustomed to drinke Tobacco strong Ale double Beere or haue beene accustomed to sit by a Tauerne fire or touched with the French disease such when they come to a little cold wheresoeuer they bee feele the cold more extremely then otherwise they would Furthermore they may be also more fully satisfied of the cold in that Countrey by a Gentleman one Master Iohn Guy late Maior of the Citie of Bristoll that liued there two yeeres together with diuers others of sort and qualitie many yeeres so pleasantly and healthfull with their wiues and families as if they had liued in England And whereas there come some yeeres vpon that Coast great Ilands of Ice which are congealed in the North farre from thence as it may be well perceiued and that the coast of New-found-land lieth in longitude from the South Cape thereof to the graund Bay which is the North-most part of the Countrie North north-North-East and South South-west aboue fiue degrees and that from thence any ship being off from that Coast twelue Leagues and sailing North north-North-East may run on till they come to the North-ward of 70. degrees and no land to hinder him neither from thence any land found in that altitude directly East vnto Greeneland where the trade is for killing of Whales which is aboue 400. leagues distance from that course Therefore it may be well vnderstood as it hath bin approued by diuers mē that haue attempted to seeke out some new Discoueries in those North parts of the world that there is alwayes abundance of great Ilands of Ice which the current setting very strongly from thence by reason as I conceiue of of some Straite and passage that the Sea hath from the large Seas that lie on the North side of Tartaria and those vnknowne parts of the world and sets towards the Coast of New-found-land with the said Current and North winds do there in little tyme dissolue and thereby they make the ayre and water some thing the colder there Those Ilands of Ice are not dangerous vnto Ships being once descried as by their whitenes they may in a dark night when men looke out for them for they wil driue along so fast with the wind as I haue often prooued that if a Ship bee vnder the Lee of an Iland of Ice and there strike downe his sayles the Ice will driue faster with the winde then the ship will driue before it so that a ship may turne from it when there is cause Thus hauing shewed as I conceiue the reasons that such Ilands of Ice are seene some yeeres on the Coast of New-found-land I will also shew my opinion partly why there are such Fogs there also sometimes It is well knowne vnto all those that haue seene the Country and obserued it how the Land is ouergrowne with Woods and Bushes that haue growne so rotted into the ground againe in my opinion euer since the floud the rottennes therof hath so couered the earth and Rocks in diuers places of the Countrey in great thicknes and by reason thereof the open land and woods doe a long time in the Summer containe a great moisture vnder the same so that a man may obserue when the heate of the yeere comes on a kinde of Fogge arising continually from it Therefore in my opinion which I submit to deeper Iudgements if those vnnecessary bushes and such vnseruiceable woods were in some places burned so as the hot beames of the Sunne might pearce into the earth and stones there so speedily as it doth in some other Countreys that lye vnder the same eleuation of the Pole it would then there make such a reflection of heate that it would much lessen these Fogs and also make the Countrey much the hotter Winter and Summer and thereby the earth will bud forth her blossoms and fruites more timely in the yeere then now it doth and so bring the Land more familiar to vs and fitter for Tillage and for Beasts and also for Land-fowle then now it is and thereby those Ilands of Ice that come on that Coast at any time will the sooner dissolue which doe speedily melt when they come neere the South part of that Land c. Also it may be obiected by some that the Countrey is rockie and mountainous and so ouergrowne with trees bushes in such a Wildernes that it wil be an endles trouble to bring it to good perfection and such like obiections are often vsed as if they would haue such a Land cleansed to them without labour Yet my hope is when any such
the whole voyage which will be abundantly recompenced vnto them in regard that they may then fish continually and securely many a daies fishing the more in euery voyage which now oftentimes they dare not doe And then these two Ships of warre and two Pinnaces so to be maintained by such a small contribution to be paid for their seruice at New-found-land in dry fish they will so scoure the Seas euery yeere going forth thitherward bound and likewise in their returne that no Pirate of any Nation durst come neere the Southerne parts of your Maiesties Kingdomes neither to lie in waite in the course sayling to and from the New-found-land for those that trade thither as yeerely heretofore they haue done and ouerthrowne many a mans voyage For which course wee haue the example of our neighbours the Hollanders who generally in all their trades but most specially in their fishing vpon your Maiesties Sea-coasts are attended with men of warre which are defrayed by a certaine contribution from those men in whose defence they are imployed And by this meanes the Marchants and Traders of Holland receiue farre greater assurance and benefit then if euery Marchants shippe should set themselues forth in warlike manner in their owne defence For besides the security they haue and sauing the charge which such prouisions would require they haue much the more roome in their Marchants ships for their Commodities And these ships thus sent to guard their Fleets which are called Wafters doe continually breede many seruiceable Sea-men not only Mariners but also good souldiers and fit Commanders that are well experienced how to command in Ships vpon all occasions for without such fit Commanders in good Ships there is but small hope of good seruice to be performed by them and if the New-found-land men may be thus guarded with two such Ships and two Pinnaces it would not only in little time breed many a Gentleman and others in them to be experienced how to command in ships vpon any occasion of seruice but also it will make your Maiesties subiects Ships that trade thither so strong that they neede not feare the greatest force that any Prince should at any time send thither to disturbe or hinder them neither in returning from thence vpon any occasion to doe your Maiestie seruice If after all this I should be demanded by those which know not the Countrey what other places in the Land are also fit to be peopled at first so well as the Harbors of Trepassey Trinity of which I haue already spoken wherby those which will aduenture thither may not be doubtfull to plant in other Habors although I haue first expressed thē for some speciall reasons as it may be well vnderstood the one of them lying North-most where our Nation vseth to fish neere the Sauages and the other lying on the South-most part of the Land and neere vnto the passages of diuers ships that saile yeerly to and from other places of the world as is already plainely shewed yet there are many other excellent good Harbors where our nation vseth to fish lying betweene them both which are very good for ships to moore fast at anchor and easily to be defended from enemies that shall at any time attempt to molest such as shall plant in them and better for fishing then either of the foresaid two Harbors are of which I will particularly expresse some of their names First the Harbor of Sant Iohns Foriland Formosa Agafort Harbor de Grace Renouze and diuers other good Harbors Bayes and Roades where there is good fishing and are fit places for ships to ride in the Summer time as it is already shewed that the bottomes of diuers Bayes that are expressed to be in this South part of the Land doe euen meete together within the compasse of a small circuit neere vnto the Bay of Trepassey So likewise not far from Trepassey which lyeth six leagues to the West from the South cape of the Land which is called Cape Derasse and sixe leagues to the North-ward of the said Cape lyeth the Harbor of Renouze which is a place easily to be defended there being at a low ebbe not 18. foot water fine sand yet in danger to be spoiled by the stones and ballast that are throwne into the same which are to be seene in great heapes when the water is cleare as commonly it is in a faire Sun-shining day These stones and ballast so throwne into the Harbors by Christians if there be not some better course taken therein it is to be sorrowed that the offenders are not seuerely punished Close adioyning to the Harbour of Renouze are aboue 200. Acres of good land that is cleere without Woods or Rocks and lieth commodiously to be ouerflowne with fresh Riuers in the Summer time with very little labour as I haue well obserued and within a mile further off from the said Harbours lye many hundred acres more of very good open land that are able to receiue and relieue many hundreds of Cattell and fit with little labour to be manured for Tillage There are yeerely neere vnto the said Harbour of Renouze great store of Deere seene and sometimes diuers of them haue been taken There is a man yet liuing that was once at New-found-land in a ship with me and he in one voyage did there neere vnto the Harbour of Renouze kill 18. very large and fat Deere as it is well knowne yet he went with his Peece but seldome for that purpose and would then haue killed many more if he might haue been spared from other labour to attend thereon whereby it may be well vnderstood that there is great store of Deeres flesh in that Countrey and no want of good fish good fowle good fresh water and store of wood c. From the said Harbour of Renouze it is not aboue ten miles ouer land to the Harbour of Trepassey and not farre from thence to the bottome of Trinity Bay and within three leagues vnto the Harbour of Renouze are three very good Harbours where our Nation vseth to fish which lie to the Northward of it Now whereas there haue been reports made of great cold in that Countrey by people that haue traded thither who I suppose neuer saw any other Countrey but onely that and their owne natiue soyle and such when they haue returned from thence one voyage though they neuer vnderstood or felt the nature and temperature of other Clymates neither consider the goodnesse of New-found-land as it is now partly made knowne haue giuen a great deale worse report of that Countrey then in reason they should and if such were but a little acquainted or would vnderstand of the great colde that is at times in Muscouia Sweidon Norway Spruceland Poland Denmarke and other Easterne and Northerne parts of the world where the people liue well and grow rich such ill reporters of New-found-land would alter their opinions And although the Ice is so great
increased both in number and burthen which would bee a great aduantage to your Maiestie and a notable defence and addition of strength vnto your Maiesties Kingdomes Many more poore Artificers and others will be then in great numbers heereby set a worke then nowe there are and by the increase and bettering of this Trade a great augmentation of your Maiesties Reuenues in your Customes must of necessity follow And certainely if this Trade and Plantation were once settled in such manner it would proue more commodious and beneficiall then any other Plantation your Maiestie hath elsewhere for as I haue said it bringeth in great wealth and carrieth away nothing but a little victuals which would be consumed by so many idle persons in lesse then halfe the time which haue no imployments and yet the Kingdomes receiue no benefit by such Drones neither Much more might be said to this purpose but I desire not to inuent or enlarge matters beyond my obseruations yet thus much also may I truly say that the fishing on the coast of New-found-land is a sure and good trade to great Brittaine and therefore deserues to be cherished for trading thither and returning home thence wee little feare the Turkes bondage and circumcision nor any outlandish Inquisition nor the Imbarkements of any Prince nor such contagious heates as those finde that trade neere the Lyne neither the danger and hurt of Art-wormes wherewith ships that trade to most parts Southward are sometimes much hurt nor many other hazards and inconueniences to which some of our other tradings are subiect And as this Plantation will be in all respects so beneficiall as any of those your Maiestie holds abroad elsewhere so may the same be effectually proceeded on in much more safety and with a great deale lesse charge For first of all touching the transportation of men victuals and other necessaries from hence into New-found-land it will be by the cheapest and easiest way that can possibly be for there will be no occasion to hire any ships expresly for that voyage as is vsually done to other of your Maiesties Plantations from whence hauing vnloden ships returne somtimes with few commodities But those ships that goe yeerely empty to the New-found-land only to loade fish and Trayne oyle and so to depart from thence cannot be lesse in number then 40. sayle Therfore whatsoeuer shall be thought fit and necessary to be transported from hence towards the furtherance and setting forward of that Plantation may be by those Ships and Barkes carried thither with a very little charge and without trouble or hinderance to their voyages and for the prouiding and furnishing of the Plantation with victuals and prouisions for their liuelyhood the chiefe want at the beginning will be Corne the Country it selfe yeelding plenty of beasts fowle fish and fruites as was before spoken of yea much good fish is there yeerely cast away which might be made good food for the Planters if it were preserued And if need be ships may saile from thence in fiue dayes with a faire winde to the Ilands of Flowers and Azores which Ilands abound in Wheat Beeues Sheepe Goates Hogs Hennes Potatoes Muske-millions Onyons and many other fruites which they may haue there at cheape rates and if that should faile our Country men that stay there may be supplied with as little inconuenience and preiudice as to any other Plantations vntill the Countrey shall be by their paynes and industry made fit to beare Corne. For the settling of people there I haue sufficiently declared it being that they who shall either alone or with their families voluntarily goe thither haue good conditions both for allowing them land and other conuenient priuiledges For the imployment of men in the absence of the shipping it will be very beneficiall in many respects so that although thousands of your Maiesties people should at once goe thither yet there would be present imployment for them all no man shall need to liue idlely for want of worke And as New-found-land is neerer to vs by more then 400. leagues then Virginia and farre from any of the Plantations of the King of Spaine which peraduenture might make this businesse the more difficult so those of this Plantation will haue a great comfort and encouragement aboue all others in that they shall not be left desolate in a remote Country to shift for themselues as some haue been but that after fiue moneths past they shall againe see great numbers of their country men and haue their company the rest of the yeere Neither are there in that part of the Countrey any Sauages to oppose and resist our mens planting as it falls out in many other places Those that are there liue in the North and West parts of the Countrey as hath bin said where our Nation trades not But on the East and South side of the Land where the English doe fish and which is the fittest place for a Plantation there is not the least signe or appearance that euer there was any habitation of the Sauages or that they euer came into those parts to the Southward of Trinity Bay of which I could also giue some reasons if it were not a thing needlesse to trouble this discourse withall And as they shall stand in no feare to receiue hurt from the Sauages so may they be easily secured against the iniury of Pyrats who sometimes come thither and not onely take from the fishermen victuals and other prouision and munitions and haue thereby strengthened themselues but also haue carried away from them many seruiceable Mariners into Barbary and other parts and thereby made many a poore widow and fatherlesse childe and it is to be feared that those men so carried from the New-found-land who seeing their estates and their families so ouerthrowne may be prouoked to animate the Turkes men of warre to saile thither to take the spoyle of our Nation and others that are yeerely a fishing on that Coast which God defend whereby to hinder that Trade or the desired Plantation The which inconuenience that is so to be feared may be easily preuented by maintaining two good ships of warre of 200. tunne a piece and two Pinnaces of 40. tunne a piece well prouided to be there maintained all the Summer time and that the Commanders of them may haue power that if any great force of the Turkes or any others should at any time come thither whereby to disturbe your Maiesties Subiects in their trade of fishing or attempt to hinder the Plantation that then to raise a greater force from the Fishermen and Planters to defend any such attempt The charge of which Ships Pinnaces of warre so to be yeerely maintained there for that seruice may be easily and commendably defraied with your Maiesties allowance therein if euery Ship and Vessell of your Maiesties Subiects fishing on that Coast will voluntarily contribute thereunto the value of halfe a good daies fishing in