is every where good Anchorage the Road being so deep that a Ship of a thousand Tun may lay his sides to the Shore of the Point and load and unload with Planks afloat 4. On the West is Point Megrill a Port very convenient and secure to Windward from which a little North-West is the Seat of the old Town of Mellilla founded by Columbus as afore mention'd The chief Plantations of this Island are 1. Portmorant above the Harbor before mention'd and by the two Rivers that run into it Here are good Plantations of Sugars Cottons Tobacco's c. 2. Hence about ten Miles lieth Morant where a thousand Acres of Land have been taken up for my Lord Willoughby and a Company of Merchants 3. Hence farther Leeward lieth Yallow having good Plantations of Cotton Tobacco and other Provisions excellent Savana's and some store of tame Cattel 4. Thirty Miles hence on the North side of Cagway is Ligonce where are excellent Plantations of Sugar Cotton and Tobacco very pleasant Savana's and some store of wild Cattel 5. Twenty Miles farther West nines Miles from the Harbor of Cagway is Los Angelos having some Plantations of Sugar Cacao and Tobacco all which were old Spanish Plantations and are less considerable than those made by the English in other places 6. Eight Miles from hence North-West is Guanaboa where likewise were some Spanish Plantations since improv'd by the English who have very many excellent Plantations of Sugar Cacao c. 7. Hence West South-West lieth Guatabacoa a most pleasant rich and fertile part of the Countrey abounding with Cattel and excellent Savana's Here the Negro's setled that revolted from the Spaniards who are endeavouring to make some Plantations of Tobacco's and Provisions and with them are setled some few English who have divers Walks of Cacao The several Governors of the English in Jamaica The several Governors of this Island since the taking of it by the English are as followeth General Robert Venables staid upon the Place about three Moneths after the taking of it and at his coming away for England he left the chief Command to Major General Richard Fortescue who liv'd Governor about three Moneths after which Lieutenant General Edward Doyly was by the Army elected President but upon his coming away soon after for England Lieutenant General William Brain was sent over Governor in his room who living in the Government about three quarters of a year did as it were bequeathe it again to Doyly for he was chosen by vertue of a Blank Commission wherein Brain had inserted his Name whom he would have succeed and remain'd Commander in Chief both by Land and Sea till His Majesty's Restauration and then by His Majesty's Letters Patents was confirm'd in the Government and so was the first that was Governor there for His Majesty The next that succeeded was the Lord Windsor upon whose coming away Sit Thomas Muddiford was sent Governor and after him Sir Thomas Linch who remains Governor at present CHAP. XVII The Islands call'd the Lucaies Situation and Description of the Lucaies HAving done with the four Islands of Barlovento as they are term'd viz. Hispaniola Cuba Porto Rico and Jamaica we come next to the Lucaies so call'd as some think from Lucaioneque one of the biggest of them they lie over against Florida Westward from the Bermudas South-West and North of Hispaniola and the rest of the Barloventi and because they are but small ones and lie so near the Continent Geographers sometimes describe them as a part or appertaining to the Continent The chiefest of these Islands are Lucaioneque afore-mention'd Bahama and Guanahani Lucaioneque is accounted the biggest of them all and lieth in twenty seven Degrees between Bahama and Guanahani Bahama lies nearest to the Coast of Florida and gives Name to the Straights so call'd which run between the Cape of Florida and it with such a violent Course and Torrent that although it be above sixteen Miles broad yet many times neither Wind nor Oars can prevail against it that though the Winds be prosperous Ships cannot enter it and if it be cross they go with the Current yet those Straights the Spanish Fleet must pass in their Return from the Havana towards Spain Guanahani was the first piece of American Ground discover'd by Christopher Columbus and therefore by him call'd San Salvador or St. Saviour because that thereby he was deliver'd from the mutinous rage of the Seamen who threatned to throw him over-board if they discover'd not Land in such a time There are besides a number of small Isles scatter'd up and down which are generally comprehended in the number of the Lucaies one is Little Island encompass'd with a company of Shelves call'd the Bimini so that it is hardly accessible there goes a Tradition that it hath been inhabited by very beautiful Women the fame of whom drew many to attempt to Land there and take up their Habitation in which Attempt many were cast away There is said to be a Fountain in the midst of it of such a Vertue that whosoever drank of the Waters of it had their Youth renew'd Also three Islands or rather Rocks call'd Los Martyres lying to the South-East of Cape Florida and cover'd for the most part with a whitish Sand and a few Bushes growing on them they seem at a distance to bear a resemblance of Men impal'd or bound to Stakes as the Martyrs in the primitive Times usually were which occasion'd the Spaniards so to Name them 't is very dangerous to come too near them but to have sight of them is of great use to Men at Sea for by passing these Rocks and leaving them on the South-East they certainly know that they are now entred the Straights of Bahama that is that they have left the Ocean and are fall'n in amongst those many Islands which do as it were Barracado and Block up the Eastern Coasts of America towards Nombre de Dios and Terra Firma as they call it through which the Continent is sometimes dangerous by reason of contrary Winds and always such that it requires the skill and care of an experienc'd Pilot to conduct the Ships well thither The rest are Abacoa twelve Leagues long Yuma twenty Leagues in length and eight in breadth between twenty four and twenty five Degrees Yumeata fifteen Leagues in length between twenty three and twenty four Degrees Jamana seven Leagues every way Yabague ten Leagues likewise and lying between twenty two and twenty three Degrees Magaguana twenty Leagues long and ten broad Quagua ten Leagues every way and lying between twenty and one and twenty Degrees Caycos five Leagues in length and in the one and twentieth Degree Mackre in the twentieth Degree encompass'd with Shelves Abreo environ'd also with Shelves and fifteen Leagues long also Guatao Cigateo Guanima Jabaka Triangulo and several others The Lucales left desolate by the Spaniards On these Islands are no Inhabitants those that did live there were a harmless simple
of Provisions and Lodgings those that were Landed expected nothing but Death till they found out a small Hut and in the same six brave Sheep and a good quantity of Potatoe Roots which serv'd for Bread But when this their new-found Store was almost spent they happily were fetch'd off by the Boat belonging to the Ship Amsterdam and with the whole Fleet came to an Anchor before Baldivia Baldivia a brave City This City built by the Castilians consisted formerly of five hundred and fifty fair Houses and was divided into Streets and cross Ways with two large Markets and as many costly Churches The Chileses unsufferably oppress'd slew all the Spanish Garrison and into the Governor's Mouth and Ears pour'd melted Gold of his Skull they made a Drinking-cup and of his Shin-bones Trumpets after this the City fell almost to decay onely a great part of the Wall remain'd yet standing The Chileans hereupon flock'd hither by thousands some on Horses others on Foot all Arm'd with Lances of a Foot long Herkman hereupon informing them by an Interpreter that they being mortal Enemies of the Spaniards would joyn with the Chileans against that common Foe and desir'd that they might build a Fort on the Market-place in Baldivia for a defence against all Invasions and that they might be supply'd with Provisions which the Fleet wanted all which the Chileans granted and accordingly brought in store of Sheep Hogs and Cattel But so soon as Herkman began to make the least mention of Gold they were all abash'd and said that they knew of no Gold Mines nay their Hair stood an end when they heard the name of Gold so horribly the Spaniards had dealt with their Parents Why the Chiloses grew strange to the Hollanders After this the Chileans growing more and more strange did not in the least countenance the building of the Fort and the longer the Fleet staid the less Provisions they brought aboard upon which the Ships were necessitated without any remarkable Exploits to set Sail and return to Reciffo The Second Book CONTAINING A DESCRIPTION OF Northern America CHAP. I. Of the Bounds of America and of the Division of the Mexican or Northern part thereof The Bounds and Division of Northern America HAving in the first Part of this Volume discours'd at large concerning the Original of the Americans and whether that part of the World call'd India Occidentalis or America were known to the Ancients or own its Discovery wholly to the Moderns as also of all the Discoveries that have been made of the several parts thereof and by whom we shall now pass on to the Topographical part describing every particular Province or Region by giving an Account of their Situation Temperature Productions Nature of the Soil and Quality of the Inhabitants America lying Westward of the Azores and the Worlds Meridian is by some suppos'd to consist of one vast Island and several lesser ones scatter'd about it Nor can this Supposition be thought improbable if as many think it be environ'd with Sea on the North side as towards the East South and West it is known to be East by the Atlantick Ocean South by the Magellanick Straight and West by Mare del Zur But because the North-West Passage though attempted by many as Nelson Davis Forbisher Button Smith Hudson and others hath not yet been fully discover'd by any so that it is not certainly known whether America be joyn'd to Groenland and the Arctick Region by a continu'd Tract of Land or sever'd by the Ocean we shall follow the method of those Geographers who reputed sufficiently authentick have divided this New World into Islands and two grand Peninsula's joyn'd together by an Isthmus or Neck of Land call'd The Straight of Darien by some The Straight of Panama lying almost under the Equinoctial Line and extending in length from Nombre de Dios Southward above a hundred English Miles and from East to West seventeen Miles over in the narrowest place Of these two grand Peninsula's the Northern is generally call'd America Mexicana from Mexico the chief City of the Province properly call'd Mexicana which without doubt was heretofore the most potent rich and flourishing of all the Kingdoms of the Indians at least on the North side of the Isthmus In the Division of the several Provinces of America as well those of the Northern as of the Southern Continent we find so various an Account among the several Geographers that have written of them not any two of them agreeing in one and the same order that to reconcile the differing methods of so many disagreeing Authors would be an endless Work wherefore we shall pitch upon the surest course and not omitting the mention of any of the Provinces taken notice of by the said Authors hereby endeavor to take in whatsoever material hath been observ'd by all of them and by the way take occasion to shew how one differs from another in the distribution of them Those therefore of the Northern America that as near as can be we may bring many into one seem most fitly describ'd in this following order 1. Estotiland 2. Terra Laboratoris or Nova Britannia 3. Canada or Nova Francia 4. Nova Scotia 5. Norumbegua 6. New England 7. New Netherland now call'd New York as being in the possession of the English 8. Mary-Land 9. Apalchen now call'd Virginia 10. Carolina 11. Florida 12. Jucatan 13. Guatimala containing Chiapa Vera Paz Honduras Nicaragua Costarica Veragua Guatimala properly so call'd 14. The Kingdom of Mexico or New Spain containing the Arch-bishoprick of Mexico Mechoacan Tlascalla Guaxata Panuco Tabasco 15. New Gallicia containing Guadalajara Xalisco Chiametla Couliacan Cinoloa Zacatecas 16. New Biscay 17. New Mexico 18. Cibola wherein are mention'd Tontonteac and Nova Granada 19. Quivira to which by most Authors is added California which being an Island we thought fit to reserve to be spoken of among the Islands as also Terra Nova or New-found Land which last lies utmost East as the other West of Northern America Some there are also and particularly Monsieur De Martini who among the above-mention'd Provinces have inserted Groenland though doubtless with little reason since should it be granted that it is not divided by any Sea yet it is evident if any credit may be given to all modern Maps and Globes that the greatest part of Groenland lies in the Hemisphere of the known World and therefore we have judg'd it most convenient to refer the particular mention thereof to the Description of the Arctick Region The Islands of Northern America are 1. Terra Nova or New-found Land 2. The Island of Assumption 3. The Bermudas or Summer-Islands 4. Hispaniola 5. St. John Porto Rico. 6. Cuba 7. Jamaica 8. The Lucayes 9. The Caribbees being twenty eight in number 10. The Isles of Sotavento 11. Trinidado and 12. California the biggest of all the American Islands The Extent and Circumference of the West-Indies The length of the West-Indies is
act Warlike postures and then they come in painted for War with their Faces black and red or some all black some all red with some streaks of white under their Eyes and so jump and leap up and down without any order uttering many Expressions of their intended Valour For other Dances they onely shew what antick Tricks their ignorance will lead them to wringing of their Bodies and Faces after a strange manner sometimes jumping into the Fire sometimes catching up a Firebrand and biting off a live Coal with many such tricks that will affright rather than please an English-man to look upon them resembling rather a company of infernal Furies than Men. Their sitting in Council When their King or Sachem sits in Council he hath a Company of Arm'd Men to guard his Person great respect being shewn him by the People which is principally manifested by their silence After he hath declared the cause of their Convention he demands their Opinion ordering who shall begin The Person order'd to speak after he hath declar'd his mind tells them he hath done no Man ever interrupting any Person in his Speech nor offering to speak though he make never so many long stops till he says he hath no more to say The Council having all declar'd their Opinions the King after some pause gives the definitive Sentence which is commonly seconded with a shout from the People every one seeming to applaud and manifest their Assent to what is determin'd If any Person be condemn'd to die which is seldom unless for Murther or In cest the King himself goes out in Person for you must understand they have no Prisons and the guilty Person flies into the Woods where they go in quest of him and-having found him the King shoots first though at never such a distance and then happy is the Man that can shoot him down for he that hath the fortune to be Executioner is for his pains made some Captain or other Military Officer They grease their Bodies and Hair very often and paint their Faces with several Colours as black white red yellow blue c. which they take great pride in every one being painted in a several manner Within two Leagues of New York lieth staten-Staten-Island it bears from New York West something Southerly It is about twenty Miles long and four or five broad mosr of it very good Land full of Timber and producing all such Commodities as Long-Island doth besides Tin and store of Iron Oar and the Calamine Stone is said likewise to be found there There is but one Town upon it consisting of English and French but it is capable of entertaining more Inhabitants Betwixt this and long-Long-Island is a large Bay which is the coming in for all Ships and Vessels out of the Sea On the North-side of this Island After-skull River puts into the Main Land on the West-side whereof there are two or three Towns but on the East-side but one There are very great Marshes or Meadows on both sides of it excellent good Land and good convenience for the setling of several Towns There grows black Walnut and Locust as there doth in Virginia with mighty tall streight Timber as good as any in the North of America It produceth any Commodity which long-Long-Island doth Hudson's River runs by New York Northward into the Countrey towards the Head of which is seated New Albany a Place of great Trade with the Indians betwixt which and New York being above a hundred Miles is as good corn-Corn-Land as the World affords enough to entertain hundreds of Families which in the time of the Dutch Government of these Parts could not be setled by reason of the Indians excepting one Place call'd The Sopers which was kept by a Garrison but since the Reducement of these Parts under His Majesties Obedience and a Patent granted to his Royal Highness the Duke of York which is about six years by the care and diligence of the Honorable Collonel Nichols sent thither as Deputy to his Highness such a League of Peace was made and Friendship concluded betwixt that Colony and the Indians that they have not resisted or disturb'd any Christians there in the setling or peaceable possessing of any Lands within that Government but every Man hath sat under his own Vine and hath peaceably reap'd and enjoy'd the Fruits of their own Labors which God continue Raritan-River Westward of After-skull River before mention'd about eighteen or twenty Miles runs in Raritan River Northward into the Countrey some scores of Miles both sides of which River are adorn'd with spacious Meadows enough to feed thousands of Cattel The Wood-Land is very good for Corn and stor'd with wild Beasts as Deer Elks and an innumerable multitude of Fowl as in other parts of the Countrey This River is thought very capable for the erecting of several Towns and Villages on each side of it no place in the North of America having better convenience for the maintaining of all sorts of Cattel for Winter and Summer Food Upon this River is no Town setled onely one at the Mouth of it but next to it Westward is a Place call'd Newasons where are two or three Towns and Villages setled upon the Sea-side but none betwixt that and Delaware-Bay which is about sixty Miles all which is a rich Champain Countrey free from Stones and indifferent level having store of excellent good Timber and very well water'd having Brooks or Rivers ordinarily one or more in every Miles travel This Countrey is peopled onely with wild Beasts as Deer Elks Bears and other Creatures so that in a whole days Journey you shall meet with no Inhabitants except a few Indians It is also full of stately Oaks whose broad-branch'd tops serve for no other use but to keep off the Suns heat from the wild Beasts of the Wilderness where is Grass as high as a Man 's Middle which serves for no other end except to maintain the Elks and Deer who never devour a hundredth part of it than to be burnt every Spring to make way for new How many poor People in the World would think themselves happy had they an Acre or two of Land whilst here is hundreds nay thousands of Acres that would invite Inhabitants Delaware Bay the Mouth of the River Delaware-Bay lieth about the mid way betwixt New York and the Capes of Virginia The best Commodities for any to carry with them to this Countrey is Clothing the Countrey being full of all sorts of Cattel which they may furnish themselves withal at an easie Rate for any sort of English Goods as likewise Instruments for Husbandry and Building with Nails Hinges Glass and the like They get a Livelihood principally by Corn and Cattel which will there fetch them any Commodities Likewise they Sowe store of Flax which they make every one Cloth of for their own wearing as also Woollen Cloth and Linsey-woolsey and had they more Tradesmen amongst them they would in a little time
extent mention'd in the beginning The first Colony to be undertaken by certain Knights Gentlemen and Merchants in and about the City of London The second to be undertaken and advanc'd by certain Knights Gentlemen and Merchants and their Associates in or about the City of Bristol Exon Plymouth and other parts At the first Colonies Request in the seventh year of the same King a second Patent was Granted to several Noblemen and Gentlemen including Sir Thomas Gates and some of his former Fellow-Patentees bearing Date May 23. 1610. whereby they were made a Corporation and Body Politique and stil'd The Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of London for the first Colony of Virginia And by this Patent there was Granted to them their Successors and Assigns two hundred Miles to the Southward from a Cape of Land in Virginia call'd Point Comfort and two hundred Miles to the Northward of the said Cape along the Sea-shore and into the Land from Sea to Sea And on March 12. 1612. the said King in the ninth year of his Reign Grants them a third Patent of all Islands lying in the Sea within two hundred Miles of the Shore of that Tract of Land on the Continent granted to them by the said former Patent Jac. 7. In the Year 1615. Captain Smith procur'd by his Interest at Court and the King's Favor a Recommendation from His Majesty and divers of the Nobility to all Cities and Corporations to Adventure in a standing Lottery which was erected for the benefit of this Plantation which was contriv'd in such a manner that of 100000. Pounds which was to be put in 50000. onely or one half was to return to the Adventurers according as the Prizes fell out and the other half to be dispos'd of for the Promotion of the Affairs of Virginia in which though it were three years before it was fully accomplish'd he had in the end no bad Success In the eighteenth Year of the said King's Reign at the Request of the second Colony a Patent was Granted to several Noblemen and Gentlemen of all that Tract of Land lying in the parts of America between the Degrees of forty and forty eight of Northerly Latitude and into the Land from Sea to Sea which was call'd by the Patent New England in America For the better Government whereof one Body-Politick and Corporate was thereby appointed and ordain'd in Plymouth consisting of the said Noblemen Gentlemen and others to the number of forty Persons by the Name of The Council establish'd at Plymouth in the County of Devon for the Planting Ruling Ordering and Governing of New England im America The Patent of Virginia made void The Miscarriages and Misdemeanors of the aforesaid Corporation for the first Colony of Virginia were so many and so great that His said Majesty was forc'd in or about October 1623. to direct a Quo Warranto for the calling in of that former Patent which in Trinity Term following was legally Evinc'd Condemn'd and made Void by Judgment in the Court of the then Kings-Bench as also all other Patents by which the said Corporation claim'd any Interest in Virginia Thus this Corporation of the first Colony of Virginia was dissolv'd and that Plantation hath been since Govern'd and Dispos'd of by Persons Constituted and Impower'd for that purpose from time to time by immediate Commissions from the Kings of England The Patent of Mary-land granted to the Lord Baltem re In the Year of our Lord 1631. the Right Honorable George Lord Baltemore obtain'd a Grant of King Charles the First of Great Britain c. of part of that Land to the Northward which is now call'd Mary-land but this Patent of Mary-land was not perfected till 1632. as you may understand more fully by the precedent Discourse of Mary-land which by express words in the said Patent is separated from and thereby declar'd not to be reputed for the future any part of Virginia The Patent Carolina granted to several Noble Persons And in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second of Great Britain c. on March 24. 1663. Edward Earl of Clarendon then High-Chancellor of England George Duke of Albemarle William now Earl of Craven John Lord Berkley Anthony Lord Ashley Sir George Carterett Knight and Baronet Sir William Berkley Knight and Sir John Colleton Knight and Baronet obtain'd a Patent from His Majesty of the Province of Carolina which lies to the Southward of Virginia in which is included some part of that Land which formerly belong'd to the said dissolv'd Company of Virginia So that Virginia at present extendeth it self onely and is situated between thirty six and thirty seven Degrees and fifty Minutes or thereabouts of Northern Latitude and is bounded on the North by Mary-land on the South by Carolina on the East by the Ocean and on the West by the South-Seas The Entrance by Sea into this Countrey is the same with that of Mary-land between Cape Henry and Cape Charles plac'd on each side of the Mouth of the Bay of Chesapeak Rivers of Virginia on the West side whereof you first meet with a pleasant and commodious River call'd James-River about three Miles wide at its Entrance and Navigable a hundred and fifty Fourteen Miles from this River Northward lies York-River which is Navigable sixty or seventy Miles but with Ketches and small Barques thirty or forty Miles farther Passing hence to the North you discover a third stately River call'd Rappahanock which is Navigable about a hundred and thirty Miles from whence following the Shore to the North you enter into Patomeck-River which is already describ'd in the precedent Discourse of Mary-land to which Province this River belongs whose Southerly Bank gives Bounds to that part of Virginia and Mary-land To these Rivers many other Inland Branches and Rivulets are reduc'd the chief of which are hereafter specifi'd Nature of the Countrey The Countrey is generally even the Soil fruitful the Climate healthful and agreeable with English Constitutions especially since the increase of Inhabitants and accommodation of good Diet and Lodging which the first Planters found great want of heretofore For many years till of late most New-comerâ— had the first Year in July and August a Disease which is call'd A Seasoning whereof many died like to what is mention'd before in the Description of Mary-land though more mortal and common than in Mary-land because Virgina is a lower Countrey and somewhat hotter insomuch that formerly divers ill of that Distemper have come purposely from Virginia to Mary-land to recover their Health but now since the Countrey is more open and clear from Wood few die of it and many have no Seasonings at all This Countrey affordeth generally all such Roots Herbs Gums and Balsoms as are express'd before in the Relation of Mary-land All sorts of Trees for Building and Husbandry Trees Fruit-Trees Vines c. are found in both Countreys equal in goodness
there Captain Francis Drake set Sail from Plymouth Anno 1577. and after much hardship getting through the Straights of Magellan arriv'd in the Haven Guatulco having before his coming thither taken as many rich Spanish Ships in the Southern Ocean as he could possibly have wish'd for so that his onely care now needed to have been how to get safe home yet he put on a Resolution not to come short of Ferdinandus Magellanus who Saild about the World Which brave Resolution of Drake's was approv'd of by all his Sea-men whereupon he set Sail along the North of California the fifth of June being gotten into forty two Degrees which was the farthest that Cabrillo went he came on a sudden out of a warm Air into so frigid a Climate that the Sea-men were almost kill'd with Cold and the farther they went the colder it grew wherefore falling down three Degrees more Southerly they got into a convenient Haven where the Natives who liv'd along the Shore brought them Presents which Drake left not unrequited by returning them others that were to them more novel and not unuseful Nature and Habit of the People These People are exceeding hardy for notwithstanding the extraordinary coldness of the Climate the Men go naked but the Women wear Garments of pleited Flags or Rushes which being put about their Middle hang down to their Ancles on their Stomachs hang the ends of a hairy Skin ty'd together which hanging also over their Shoulders cover their hinder Parts They shew great Respect and Obedience to their Husbands Each House is surrounded with an Earthen Wall and all the Corners thereof being close stopp'd and Fires made in the midst of them they are very warm Rushes and Flags strow'd thick on the Ground near the Walls serve them in stead of Beds Drake's Entertainment by the King of the Countrey The rumour of these Strangers arrival spreading all over the Countrey made the Inhabitants far and near desirous to see them the King himself sending Ambassadors to Drake to inform him that he was on the Way coming to see him all which the Agents related at large and desir'd some Presents as a testimony that their King should be welcome which he being assur'd of came with a Retinue of above twelve thousand Men before whom walk'd one of a Gygantick size carrying a costly Scepter on which by three long Chains made of Bones hung a great and a small Crown made of Feathers next follow'd the King himself in a Sute of Cony-Skins then came a great confus'd company of People each of them carrying a Present whereupon Drake putting his Men into good order march'd to meet the King at which the Mace-bearer made a long Preamble and when he had done Danc'd to the Tune of a Song which he Sung himself then the King and his whole Retinue also fell a Singing and Dancing so long till being weary the King went to Drake and humbly desir'd of him that he would accept of the Realm assuring him that all the People should be under his Obedience which said he put the fore-mention'd Crown on his Head and hanging three double Chains about his Neck call'd him Hioh whereupon Drake took possession of the Countrey in Queen Elizabeths Name The King staying alone with Drake his Retinue went amongst the English every one looking very earnestly upon them and to those whom they lik'd best being the youngest they falling down and crying proffer'd Offerings as to Gods and held their Cheeks to draw Blood out of them which the English refusing they desisted but shew'd them great Wounds and desir'd some Plaisters of them which they suppli'd them with The English going up into the Countrey found the same well grown with Woods which abounded with Coneys whose Heads differ'd little from the European but having Feet like Moles long Tails like Rats and in their Sides a Bag wherein when they had fill'd their Bellies they put the remainder They also saw numerous Herds of Deer with whose Flesh having been courteously Entertain'd in several Villages they return'd to the Fleet. Drake just before he weighed Anchor caus'd a Pillar to be set in the Ground with a Silver Plate on the same A Monument erected by Drake before his departure with an Inscription mentioning the Day of his Arrival Name and Arms of Queen Elizabeth and free delivering of that Realm to him by the Indians he also nail'd a Sixpence with the Queens Effigies on the Plate under which he caus'd his own Name to be Engraven THE ISLANDS OF Northern America CHAP. XI Terra Nova or New-found Land with the Island of Assumption HAving treated at large of all the several Regions and Provinces of the North part of the Continent of America we come now to those Islands that lie within the same Degrees of Northern Latitude with that part of the Continent The first is Terre Neuve or New-found Land discover'd together with several other Parts upon the Continent before mention'd by Sir Sebastian Cabott by the Countenance and Charge of King Henry the Seventh of England whereupon a rightful Claim thereunto and Interest therein hath been own'd by the succeeding Kings of England as hereafter shall be more particularly related Situation and bound of New-found Land New-found Land is situated betwixt the Degrees of forty six and fifty three of Northern Latitude and is divided from the Continent of America by an Arm of the Sea in like distance as England is from France The Island is as large as England in length greater in breadth and lies near the Course that Ships usually hold in their Return from the West-Indies and is near the mid-way between Ireland and Virginia INSULAE AMERICANAE IN OCEANO SEPTENTRIONALI cum Terris adiacentibus We shall not much need to commend the wholsom temperature of this Countrey Temperature seeing the greatest part thereof lieth above three Degrees nearer to the South than any part of England doth so that even in the Winter it is pleasant and healthful as England is Nature of the Inhabitants The natural Inhabitants of the Countrey as they are but few in number so are they something a rude and salvage People having neither knowledge of God nor living under any kind of Civil Government In their Habits Customs and Manners they resemble the Indians of the Continent from whence it is to be suppos'd they come they live altogether in the North and West part of the Countrey which is seldom frequented by the English but the French and Biscainers who resort thither yearly for the Whale-fishing and also for the Cod-fish report them to be an ingenuous and tractable People being well us'd and very ready to assist them with great labour and patience in the killing cutting and boyling of Whales and making the Trayn-Oyl without expectation of other Reward than a little Bread or some such small Hire It hath the most commodious Harbours in the World Commodious Harbors and the most safe
Seas to Sail to it there being not any Islands Rocks or Sands between the Lands-End in England and New-found Land and for the most part it is not above three or four Weeks Sail thither and less coming back and is the most commodiously situated for the discovering of the North-West Passage and other Inlets into the South Sea whereby the ordinary Voyages to China Japan and the East-Indies are much eas'd in the expence of Time and Charge and the most open to Trade to all Parts of any Island of the West-Indies On the East side of the Land are the Bays of Trinity and Conception which stretch themselves towards the South-West Tor-Bay and Capelin-Bay lying also on the East stretch themselves towards the West The Bays of Trespassey St. Mary Borrel and Plaisance on the South part of the Land extend their Arms towards the North. The great Bay of St. Peters lying on the South-West side of the Land and Southerly from the great River of Canada being about twenty Leagues distant the same stretcheth toward the East Trinity Harbour lies in near forty nine Degrees of North Latitude being very commodiously seated to receive Shipping in seasonable Weather both to Anchor in and from thence to Sail towards either the East West or South It hath three Arms or Rivers long and large enough for many hundred Sail of Ships to moare fast at Anchor near a Mile from the Harbours Mouth Close adjoyning to the Rivers side and within the Harbour is much open Land well stor'd with Grass sufficient Winter and Summer to maintain great store of ordinary Cattel besides Hogs and Goats if such Beasts were carried thither and it standeth North most of any Harbor in the Land where our Nation practiseth Fishing It is near unto a great Bay lying on the North side of it call'd The Bay of Flowers to which Place no Ships repair to Fish in regard of sundry Rocks and Ledges lying even with the Water and full of danger The bottom of the Bay of Trinity lieth within four Leagues through the Land South-West Southerly from Trinity as by experience is found and it comes near unto the Bay of Trespassey and the bottom of some other Bays Trespassey in like manner is as commodious a Harbour lying in a more temperate Climate almost in forty six Degrees of North Latitude and is both fair and pleasant and a wholsom Coast free from Rocks and Shelves so that of all other Harbours it lies the most South of any in the Land and most conveniently to receive our Shipping passing to and from Virginia and the Bermuda Islands and also any other Shipping that shall pass to and from the River of Canada and the Coast thereof because they usually pass and so return in the sight of the Land of Trespassey and also for some other purposes as shall be partly declar'd in the following Discourse The Soil of this Countrey in the Valleys and sides of the Mountains is so fruitful Fruitful Soil as that in divers places the Summer naturally produceth without Tillage great plenty of green Pease and Fitches fair round full and as wholsom as ours in England Berries and Fruits Of Berries and Fruits there grows Strawberries red and white and as fair Raspice-berries and Goose-berries as there be in England as also Bilberries which are call'd by some Whortes and many other delicate Berries peculiar to the Countrey in great abundance Likewise small Pears Cherries Filberds c. Herbs and Flowers There are also Herbs for Sallets and Broth as Parsly Alexander Sorrel c. and also Flowers as the red and white Damask Rose with other kinds which are most beautiful and delightful both to the sight and smell And questionless the Countrey is stor'd with many Physical Herbs though their Vertues are not known When Corn was first Sow'n here it was observ'd to grow very fair the increase was great and the Grain very good and several sorts of Kitchin Plants that have been Set here have prov'd very well In divers parts of the Countrey there is great store of Deer Beasts and some Hares many Foxes Squerrils Beavers Martins and Otters yielding excellent Furrs Wolves and Bears with other sorts of Beasts serving as well for Necessity as for Profit and Delight Variety both of Land and Water-Fowl is in this Countrey infinite Birds The chief Land-Fowl besides a great number of small Birds that live by scraping their Food from the Earth in the hardest Winter are Hawks great and small Partridges Thrush and Thrussels abundance very fat as also Filladies Nightingales and such like which sing most pleasantly There are also Birds that live by prey as Ravens Gripes Crows c. For Water-Fowl there is certainly so good and as much variety as in any part of the World as Geese Ducks Pigeons Gulls Penguins and many other sorts These Penguins are as big as Geese but do not flye for they have but a little short Wing and they multiply so infinitely upon a certain flat Island that men drive them from thence upon a Board into their Boats by hundreds at a time as if God had made the innocency of so poor a Creature to become such an admirable Instrument for the sustentation of Man And also Godwits Curlews and such like which Fowl do not onely serve those that Trade thither for Food but also they are a great furthering to divers Ships Voyages because the abundance of them is such that the Fisher-men do bait their Hooks with the quarters of Sea-Fowl on them and therewith some Ships do yearly take a great part of their Fishing Voyages with such Bait before they can get others The fresh Waters and Springs of that Countrey are many in number Springs and withall so very pleasant delightful and wholsom that no Countrey in the World hath better And Fewel for Fireing no where more plentiful In like manner there is great abundance of Trees fit to be employ'd in other serviceable uses Trees There are Fir and Spruce-Trees sound good and fit to Mast Ships with and as commodious for Boards and Buildings as those of Norway and out of these come abundance of Turpentine Moreover the Pine and Birch-Trees here are scarce to be compar'd for heighth and greatness The Rivers also and Harbours are generally stor'd with delicate Fish as Salmons Peals Eels Herrings Mackrel Flounders Launce Capelin Cod and Trouts the fairest fattest and sweetest that ever were seen in these Parts The like for Lobsters Cra-fish Mussles and other variety of Shell-fish The Seas likewise all along the Coast do plentifully abound in other sorts of Fish as Whales Spanish Mackrel Dorrel Pales Herrings Hogs Porposes Seals and such like Royal Fish c. But the chief Commodity of New found Land yet known and which is grown to be a setled Trade and that it may be much better'd by an ordinary Plantation there if the Traders thither will take some better course than formerly they have
Robert Gore Shares 3 11 S. Edwards Sackvile Shares 1 11 S. Iohn Davers Shares 1 12 M. Robert Gore Shares 2 13 M. Iohn Delbridge Shares 1 14 M. Iohn Wroth Esq Shares 1 15 M. Rich. Chamberl. Esq Shares 10 Ad Communem agram in singu lis Tribubus quol attinet in quot portiones dividatur et ibi inceat quemadmodum partim in Mappa Choragraphica exprimitur Ita eti am claribus liquet ex Libre Geo desiae Virginianae Societati tradito After the granting of the Patent aforesaid of 13 Car. 1. Sir David Kirk's great Pains there and constant Endeavours were beyond expectation bless'd with a continuance and preservation of Trade in that Place in the carrying on of which he had always a special regard to the real Advantage of this Kingdom and the particular Service of His Majesty The wonderful Bank of Terra Nova Before this Island right over against Cape Ray at the distance of twenty four Leagues or more there lieth an huge Bank or Ridge of Land extending it self in length out of the Sea above a hundred Leagues but in breadth not above four or five and twenty when it is broadest and in other parts much less sharpning towards each end into a Conus or narrow Point It is accounted one of the Wonders of the Sea which round about at some distance is very deep and hardly to be sounded especially betwixt the Bank for so they commonly call it and Cape Ray but drawing nearer it grows by degrees more and more shallow insomuch that nigh the Land there is not much more Water than is necessary for the Ships to Ride in It runneth out in length as was said from North to South from forty one Degrees of Latitude to fifty two and round about it there lie scatter'd a multitude of lesser Islands which Sir Sebastian Cabot when he first discover'd the Place call'd by one common Name Los Baccaloos or The Islands of Cod-fish The Baccaloos from the great quantity of that sort of Fish he there found which was such that they hindred the passage of his Ships and lay in such multitudes upon the Coasts that the very Bears would come and catch them in their Claws and draw them to Land The Isle of Assumption IN the Gulf of St. Laurence towards the Mouth of the River Canada is another less considerable Island said to have been first discover'd by Quartier and by him call'd The Island of Assumption by John Alphonso The Island of Ascension by the Natives Natistcotec It extends it self from the forty eighth to the fiftieth Degree between the South-East and North-West Quartier makes mention of a strange kinde of Fish found in the River of Canada like unto a Sea-Hog but having the Head of a Hare it is call'd by the Natives Adhothuys Not far from this is a little Island call'd by the French Isle de Sable or The Sandy Island and another on the West of Terra Nova call'd Isle de Bretons or The Island of St. Laurence besides several little scatter'd Islands in the Gulf of St. Laurence as Menego and The Three Islands of Birds in which are found a kind of amphibious Animal call'd by the French Cualrus and by the Russians Morsh somewhat like a Sea-Calf but more monstrous CHAP. XII The Bermudas or Summer-Islands Situation of the Bermudas THe Bermudas or Summer-Islands probably so term'd as to the first Appellation from certain black Hogs by the Spaniards call'd Bermudas which from a Ship bound with them to some other parts of the West-Indies and cast away upon that Coast swam ashore and there increased or as others say from John Bermudes a Spaniard who is said to have been the first Discoverer or as to the second from one George Summers an English-man who there suffer'd shipwrack are situated in thirty two Degrees and twenty five Minutes of Northern Latitude about sixteen hundred Leagues from England twelve hundred from Madera four hundred from Hispaniola and three hundred from the nearest Coast of Virginia The first that endeavour'd to settle Plantations here was a Spaniard nam'd Hernando Camelo being design'd Conductor in this Expedition And this Undertaking was so much the more eagerly prosecuted upon consideration that the Plate-Fleet Sailing from Havana through the Straights of Bahama might here have a convenient Harbour but those who were invited to become Adventurers with proffers of great Advantage shewing themselves very slack in the Business and Charles the Fifth being at that time intangled in War and other troublesom Affairs the Design came to nothing and for above sixty years after no farther Attempt was made by any for the Planting of these Islands till at last the French made a Voyage thither under Captain Barboriere but by Shipwrack were frustrated of their hopes nor made they any more Preparations in this Design In which nevertheless the English were not so easily discourag'd for first Captain Gosnol and Smith set forth at the Charges of Mr. Edward Wingfield next Captain Nelson then successively West Gates Argal and Wyat but all with little or no success till at length in the Year 1612. a Company was establish'd in London by the King's Letters Patents who sent one Mr. Richard Moor with sixty Men to the Bermudas where he spent three years in fortifying those Islands but that which put a little stop to this good beginning was a kind of Misfortune that hapned for the Rats which were gotten ashore from a Shipwrack increas'd so exceedingly that they devour'd all the Plants in the Field and the Provision in the Houses insomuch that a great Famine proceeded from thence all means to destroy the Vermine being in vain till at last Providence sent a Disease amongst them which â—â—ill'd them all in a very short time Mean while Moor went on in the fortification of the Island and was ere long supply'd with fresh People Mr. Barlet was sent over with sixty Men and carried from thence with him eighty Pound of Ambergreece And soon after three Ships more viz. the Blessing the Star and the Margaret convey'd thither four hundred and ten Men and Women As soon as Moor was call'd away Daniel Tuckard coming from Virginia to succeed him bestirr'd himself very much Planting all places full of Trees fetch'd from the West-Indian Islands as also Tobacco with which he fraighted a Ship to London Moreover the Countrey was divided into Acres that every Planter might have an equal share and know his own Lands Anno 1619. Tuckard was succeeded by Nathaniel Butler who in four Ships brought thither five hundred Men and Women to supply the first Plantation which was much decay'd since the Rats had devour'd their Provisions so that it was little look'd after by the Company in London But now they built a Church and erected a Court of Judicature and all things were order'd conveniently for the publick good After which many Noble Persons set Sail thither in the Magazine Frigat and the Planters being now
fifteen hundred in number inhabited twenty Leagues of Land in length Forts built upon the Bermudas On the longest Island call'd St. George for the Bermudas consists of several Islands great and small they built Warwick and Dover Forts with other Fortifications and Towers which had their Denominations from those Noble-men and Gentlemen that were Undertakers in this Plantation as Cavendish Paget Herbert c. from the Earl of Devonshire the Lord Paget the Earl of Pembroke and others â—orts and Havens Amongst the Havens the eminentest are Southampton the Inlet Harrington and the Great Sound All these Islands lying together resemble a Half-Moon and are surrounded with Rocks which appear at Low-water and at High lie but shallow for it seldom Ebbs or Flows above five Foot The Shore for the most part Rocky and hardned by the Sun and Wind receives no damage by the Waves which continually beat against the same Nature of the Soil The Ground it self differs for in some places it is sandy or clayie and in others partly black and partly white or Ash-colour'd Earth which last is accounted the worst and the black the best Three Foot deep under the Ash-colour'd Earth lie great Slates and under the black a white spungie Stone like the Pumice in whose moist Crevises Trees take root The Pits or Wells though they Ebb and Flow with the Sea yet produce a wholsom and sweet Water Temperature of the Air. The Skie is generally serene but when over-cast with Clouds is subject to Lightning and Thunder yet the Air is of a good temper being neither exceeding cold nor excessive hot for which reason the European Fruits grow better there than in their natural Soil Their Harvest is twice a year for that which they Sowe in March is ripe and gather'd in June then what they Sowe again in August they gather in January Productions of the Countrey These Islands breed no hurtful Creatures nay the yellow Spider which spins silken Cobwebs is free from Poyson The Plant Nuchtly which bears speckled Pears grows betwixt the Rocks which are drench'd with Sea-water The Hogs which above a hundred and fifty years since swam ashore out of the Spanish Wrack are exceedingly increas'd there but because of their poorness are scarce eatable they feeding onely on the sweet Berries which fall from the Palmito-Trees About the white and red Mulberries which grow plentifully there breed thousands of Silk-worms which spin Silk according to the colour of the Mulberries The Sea produces some quantity of Pearls and Ambergreece From the beginning of the year till May the Whales are seen to swim not far from the Shore A strange sort of Sea-Fowl breed in Holes like Rabbets and amongst other Birds here are also store of Cranes The Tobacco which the English have planted here grows very well Tortoises Laying of Eggs. Here are likewise great Tortoises which Lay their Eggs in the Sand on the Shore where they are Hatch'd by the Beams of the Sun and are taken after this manner In the Night some are set to watch where they Land and whilest they are digging a deep Hole in the Ground are thrown on their Backs and not being able to get upon their Legs again they lie and groan very pitifully some of them having above two Basons full of Eggs in their Bellies which being about the bigness of a Tennis-Ball have a thin Shell which incloseth a Yolk and White If these Eggs lie buried six years then the young Tortoises breaking the Shell come out of the Sand and instantly creep into the Sea Their Flesh is not onely wholsom but toothsom The Oyl made of them is not inferior to Butter Cedars of an excellent kind Moreover the Bermudas produce Cedars the like of which are not to be found in the whole World The Leaves are douny and prickly at the ends almost like those of the Juniper Tree The Wood hath a sweet smell and the Berries which are like the Myrtle of a pale Red inclose four white Kernels the outermost Skin whereof is sweet the innermost which covers the Kernel sharp and the Pulp tartish The Trees are always flourishing being at the same time full of Blossoms green and ripe Fruit The Berries when grown ripe begin to gape and fall off in rainy Weather leaving a round Stalk on the Boughs which loses not its Rind till two years after half which time the Berry requires before it attains to its perfect ripeness which generally happens in the Winter The Boughs shoot straight upwards and become in time so heavy that they cause the Body of the Tree to bend This most excellent Wood grows in divers places of the Bermudas We shall conclude with the resolute Exploit of five Sea-men Anno 1616. who to the great admiration of all People set Sail from thence in an open Vessel of three Tun through the main Ocean and after having suffer'd terrible Tempests arriv'd in the space of seven Weeks safe in Ireland These Islands are remarkable for divers sorts of Plants unknown in other Parts as the Prickle Pear Poyson Weed Red Weed Purging Bean Costive Tree Red Pepper and the Sea Feather Also several strange Birds as the Egg Bird Cahow Tropick Bird and the Pemlico which presageth Storms CHAP. XIII Hispaniola THe Islands call'd De Barlovento by which are understood Hispaniola Cuba Jamaica and Boriquen as also the Lucaies with the Caribes and lastly the Isles call'd De Sotavento viz. Margareta Cabagua and Tabago are by some comprehended all under the general Name of The Isles Antilles though others reckon the Antilles to be the same with the Caribes onely But leaving this Controversie undecided we shall begin with the Isles De Barlovento the chief whereof is Hispaniola Bounds and Description of Hispaniola Hispaniola or Little Spain as Columbus nam'd it is though not the largest yet the fairest and goodliest of all the American Islands call'd by the Natives anciently Hayti and Quisqueia It lieth about fifteen Leagues Westward of Porto Rico and distant from the main Land of America about one hundred and twenty 't is of a triangular form the sharpest Point whereof is that towards Porto Rico which they call Cabo de Enganno that towards the West inclines to a Semi-circle containing a good and convenient Bay betwixt the two Points viz. St. Nicholas to the North and Cabo de Donna Maria towards the South It is not thought to be less than a hundred and fifty Leagues in length and in breadth from threescore to thirty and to contain in the compass of the whole four hundred Leagues at least lying betwixt eighteen and twenty Degrees of Northern Latitude having an Air somewhat infested with the Morning Heats but well cool'd again in the Afternoon by a constant Wind from the Sea which they call there Virason It is for the fertility of the Soil one of the richest and most flourishing Countreys in the World the Trees and all things else there continually
into the Water to try whether he would drown or not and seeing him wholly depriv'd of Life he concluded by consequence that the rest of them were mortal and thereupon he set upon them when they were seeking for Gold and kill'd above a hundred and fifty of them Peter Martyr relates farther That these People though very expert in Arms yet were oftentimes beaten by the Cannibals who at one time carried above five thousand People out of Porto Rico for their Winter Provisions The Avarice and Cruelty of the Spaniards Nor was their Condition better'd after the Spaniards conquer'd the Island for those that could not furnish them with Gold were certain of Death Nor were their Cruelties in other places undivulg'd to this People before their Arrival whereupon as is related by Peter Ordonnez de Carellos the Casique Hatvey being inform'd of the Spaniards Approach took an Oath from his Subjects That they should never discover where the Gold lay though they should be put to death for it For said he Gold is their God for which they make so many cursed Blood-baths where-ever they come therefore throw the Gold into some very deep Waters for when the Spanish God is sunk the Spaniards will lose their Courage and not plague us so much for it Ceremonies of the old Natives Many were the Idolatrous Ceremonies of the old Natives of this Place which would be too tedious to relate but amongst the rest they annually kept a great Feast at which the Casiques summon'd all their Subjects to a Temple appointed for that purpose where the Priests had prepar'd an Idol ready set forth in all its Pageantry near which the Casique plac'd himself when upon the beating of a Drum all the Commonalty came also into the Temple the Men painted with divers Colours having on their Heads Plumes of Feathers about their Necks Legs and Arms Strings of Sea-shells The Married Women had a light Covering about their Middle but the Maids went stark naked all of them Dancing and Singing Songs in praise of the Idol after which having saluted the Casique they thrust little Sticks down their Throats so to bring up all they had upon their Stomachs which done and sitting down with their Legs under them they began to Sing anew often bowing and shewing Reverence to the Casique whilest some Women carried Baskets of Bread amongst those that Sang and utter'd certain Prayers which were answer'd by some of the Men the Bread being bless'd by the Priests they gave every one a piece with which they return'd home very merry and jocund But the God of this Island whoever he was hath been a long time left without Worshippers for those that were left by the Invading Cannibals were cruelly massacred by the Spaniards insomuch that they have been thereby necessitated to furnish themselves with Negro's to work in their Mines and Sugar-Mills and these also not able to endure such hard Entertainment ran most of them away for when a Negro did not bring Gold enough home at Night his Master tying him naked to a Stake or Post and beat him with Rods or Switches so long till the Blood ran down his Back then pour'd boyling Oyl into the Wounds and then threw Pepper and Salt into them and so let him lie or else put him into a Pit out of which his Head appear'd onely But those that fled gathering together sometimes met with the Spaniards and paid them in their own Coin The Islands Mona and Monico EAstward of Porto Rico and betwixt it and Hispaniola there lieth a little but fruitful Island call'd Mona and Westward of that another call'd Monico or Monetta which last the English when time was found so admirably stor'd with a sort of wild Fowl that the huge Flights of them seem'd to darken the Air over their Heads and upon their Landing found such plenty of their Eggs upon the Shore and Ground thereabouts that they presently laded two of their Boats with them But how peopled or possess'd not so well known CHAP. XV. Cuba The several Names of Cuba VVEstward or rather to the North-West of Hispaniola lieth Cuba accounted one of the four Isles of Barlovento and by Columbus upon his first Discovery call'd Joanna afterwards Fernandina then Alpha and Omega till at last the present Name prevail'd it is parted from the other by a Frith or narrow Channel which runneth betwixt the Capes of St. Nicholas belonging to Hispaniola and that call'd Mayzi belonging to Cuba Its Bounds On the North it hath a Frie of little Islands call'd The Leucayae Islands of which more in their proper place so many and so thick scatter'd that they serve for no small Security and Defence of the Island on that side besides a part of the Peninsula of Florida which Coasteth it likewise Northward on the West it hath the Countrey of Jucatan which is part of the Continent but at a distance of forty or fifty Leagues and on the South Jamaica It is reckon'd to be in length from Cape Mayzi which looks towards Hispaniola to the Cape of St. Anthony which is upon the Bay of Mexico two hundred and thirty Leagues but in breadth in some places not above fifteen or sixteen Leagues over in the broadest place from Jardines to Lucanaca not above forty in others sixty five But for fertility of Soil contending with Hispaniola it self and for temperature and healthiness of Air much exceeding it nor less rich formerly in good Mines both of Gold and Silver and plentifully stor'd at present not onely with Sugar-Canes of the best Growth but likewise with abundance of Ginger-Roots Cassia-Fistula Mastick Aloes Cinamon Long-Pepper of America as they call it and divers other sorts of Spices The Pastures no less abounding with Cattel of all sorts especially of European Breed the Rivers and Coasts of the Sea with good Fish no scarcity of Fowl whether wild or tame good Brass and Iron still found with some Gold in the Rivers especially those which fall into the Bay Xagua on the South side of the Island the chiefest thereof are Arimao La Luna De Mares and Cauto the biggest of them falls Southward into the Sea all of them breed store of Crocodiles which have oftentimes seiz'd both upon Men and Beasts and carrying them into the Water devour'd them there The Cedars breathe forth a most excellent sweet smell Trees and grow so large that out of the single Trunks of some of them Boats are said to have been made capable to hold forty sometimes sixty Men. There are also many other very odoriferous Trees yielding a certain Rozen or Gum no less precious than the Storax But nothing grows here more plentifully than Vines Birds the Bodies or Stocks of which are as thick as a Man 's Middle and bear excellent Grapes Besides Partridges Turtle-Doves and other Fowl the Sea-shore breeds thousands of Cranes which when young are white but when old become of several Colours they stand commonly
in Handicrafts and expert in warlike Affairs above all the Americans besides First Discovery of the Island The Island was discover'd by the Spaniards under the Conduct of Columbus who first built there the Town of Mellilla which disliking he remov'd again to Oristana and finding that an incommodious and unhealthy Situation he remov'd again to another Plantation where he built a very fair Town first call'd Sevilla afterwards St. Jago de la Vega consisting of about seventeen hundred Houses two Churches two Chappels and an Abbey being the chief if not the onely Seat of the Spaniards before the arrival of the English for their Estanchas or small Plantations were committed wholly to the custody of their Slaves Attempts of the English upon this Island The first and onely Attempters upon this Island since the Spaniards made themselves Masters thereof have been the English who in the Year 1592. under the Conduct of Sir Anthony Shirley Landed upon it got clear possession thereof none of the Spaniards that were then upon the Place daring to make the least resistance but not thinking it worth the keeping they soon deserted it and made Sail back again for England after which they remain'd unmolested for a long time till in the Year 1654. a Fleet of English was set out for Hispaniola by Cromwell under the Command of Colonel Venables with a Design for the taking of St. Domingo but meeting with ill success in the Enterprize and being forc'd to quit that Island with loss of Men and frustration of their hopes they steer'd their Course for Jamaica and on the tenth of May in the Year abovesaid with little opposition possess'd themselves of it Upon their approach to St. Jago the Inhabitants thereof deserted it and betook them to the Mountains gaining time by a pretence of Treaty to secure their Women and Goods and oftentimes making Incursions upon the stragling Parties of the English slew and took many Prisoners by surprize but being weary of this wild and irregular kind of living they betake themselves at last to the Isle of Cuba where many of them the Grandees especially were permitted by favour to continue the rest being by the Vice-Roy commanded back with promise of speedy and considerable Supplies by that time this remnant of the Spaniards was near tir'd out with hardship and necessity some being very much discourag'd and driven to utter despondence of Mind others destroy'd out-right part of the long promis'd and expected Supply arrives the greatest part being to follow soon after but finding the Islanders so few in number and in so sickly and necessitous an Estate they would not joyn with them but maugre all the Governor's Perswasions or Commands retreat to the North part of the Island and there fortifie at a place call'd Chireras expecting every day fresh Recruits which not coming time enough and their Quarters being discover'd they were set upon by the English and most of them either slain or taken Prisoners not many Moneths after the rest of the Spanish Forces Land being in all about thirty Companies with Ordnance and good store of Ammunition who falling presently to make strong Fortifications at Rio Novo are nevertheless in a short time utterly defeated by the English Upon which and several other ill Successes despairing to re-gain the Island they Ship off their Women and the richest of their Goods and the Negro Slaves grown Masterless by the general either slaughter or departure of their Patrons shake off their Obedience to the Spaniards and constitute a Governor of their own a Black yet submit themselves and own Subjection to the English Government the Spaniards from Cuba both by their Perswasions and monethly Contributions in vain endeavoring to reduce them onely some few there were that stood out whom the rest not onely made it their business to discover but help'd the English to take them insomuch that at last the Spanish General not having above fifty Men left him was forc'd to seek for Peace and offer'd Terms of Accommodation which the English General would not be drawn to accept of unless upon Condition that he should deliver up to Justice as many as were left of those that had barbarously murder'd any of our Men either in time of Treaty or after Quarter given The English in this Island are setled for above a hundred Miles along the Countrey from the Eastward Chief Towns Their chief Towns are 1. St. Jago built by the Spaniards as afore mention'd which lieth six Miles within the Land North-West from the Harbor of Cagway Here the English have built a small Fort. 2. Passage a small Town built also by the English six Miles from St. Jago for the convenience of going to Cagway consisting of about fifty Houses and a Fort whence cross this Harbor about three Leagues distant is the Town of 3. Cagway seated on the Extream end of the Point containing in it above six hundred Houses all built by the English besides the Governor's Palace and the Houses where the Stores for the Army are kept This is counted the most healthful Place in all the Island and the very Scale of Trade where all Merchants Strangers and Sailors reside Here upon the utmost Angle of the Point towards the Sea is a round Tower built of Lime and Stone about which is rais'd a strong and regular Fort containing sixty pieces of Ordnance Port Royal. This Town is now call'd Port Royal and is thought to contain about sixteen thousand Inhabitants A Mile from hence is another Fort Landward call'd Landward which runs from the Harbor to the Sea to defend the Town from any Attempt by Land Off the Mouth of the Harbor towards the Sea lie divers small Islands the most Western of which being within half a League of the Fort and between which and the Fort every Ship that comes into the Harbor is necessitated to pass It is call'd Little Island Little Island where a Fort is likewise rais'd to defend the Mouth of the Harbor containing eight pieces of Ordnance Another Fortification is at Portmorant which we shall make mention of amongst the Harbors Chief Ports and Harbors The chief Harbors of this Island are 1. Port Anthony on the North a very safe Land-lock'd Harbor onely the coming in is somewhat difficult the Channel being narrow'd by a little Island that lies off the Mouth of the Port. 2. On the East of the Island is Portmorant a very capacious Harbor where Ships do conveniently Wood and Water and Ride safe from all Winds 3. On the South is Port Cagway a Harbor wonderfully convenient secure and capacious being five Leagues over in some places in others four and at the narrowerst three it is Land-lock'd by a Point of Land that runs twelve Miles South-West from the Main of the Island having the great River that comes by Los Angelos and St. Jago running into it and divers Springs about it where Ships do conveniently Wood and Water Here
ashore rang'd up and down in a desolate Countrey where he found no other Food but Roots till at last he met with Olano when the Famine began to increase amongst them in such a nature that being scarce able to carry their Arms many of them were kill'd by the Inhabitants with poyson'd Arrows insomuch that of seven hundred there remain'd scarce ninety Niquesa shipp'd as many of them in a new Vessel which they had made as it could possibly carry and promis'd to fetch the rest off from Veragua as soon as he had discover'd a Place fit to be inhabited The first Place he Landed at was Puerto Bello from whence being necessitated by the Indians who gather'd together to Retreat Aboard not without the loss of several Men he set Sail to the Promontory Mormor beyond which he Anchor'd in a secure Haven where as he was going ashore he call'd to his Men saying Saltiamo in tierra al Nombre de Dios that is Let us Land in the Name of God and casting up a Fort against the Assaults of the Natives call'd it Nombre de Dios. 3. St. Philip or Puerto Bello so denominated by Christopher Columbus from its Haven lying along the North Sea wonderful convenient and secure by reason of the good Ground for Anchoring and a Creek in the same defended from all sorts of Winds and which being surrounded with Woods hath much over-flow'd Land about it as also abundance of good Gravel for Ballast for which and several other Reasons the famous Architect Baptista Antonelli advis'd the Spanish King to build this City for a Staple of Trade in stead of Nombre de Dios which was found unhealthy having pitch'd upon an excellent Situation for it viz. on a Plain at the Foot of a Hill where there are three fresh Rivulets meeting with a fruitful and hot Countrey wherefore his Advice being taken they first built a Fort at the Mouth of the Haven put five Guns into the same to defend the new City and on the Shore a strong Tower with eight Drakes Moreover the Rocks along the Shore and close Woods about the Haven prevent the Landing of an Enemy But at the very time that this City was just begun to be built Sir Francis Drake having burnt Nombre de Dios ran into the Haven Puerto Bello where he found ten Houses besides the Governors Palace and a Castle whose Breast-works which the Spaniards had lately rais'd of Timber Stone and Earth were all demolish'd by the English But the Spaniards have since re-built the same and fortifi'd the Haven with two strong Castles notwithstanding in the Year 1661. it was surpriz'd and taken by the English under the Command of Captain Parker and the Governor Petro Melendez taken Prisoner 4. Nata commonly call'd St. Jago de Nata situated on the West side of this Province upon Mare del Zur or The South Sea about thirty Leagues distant from Panama towards the Borders of Veragua 5. Acla a Town upon the same Coast but lying South-East of Nombre de Dios It was at first onely a Fort built by Peter de Arias but afterwards grew up into a small City of which at present there is nothing remaining but the remembrance of the famous Vasquez Nunnez Beheaded by his Father-in-law Arias 6. Lastly La Crux Real a few Leagues distant from Panama for the most part inhabited by a sort of Negro's call'd Simmerones Along the North Coast of Panama are two small woody Islands call'd Cattiva and Comagre lying low in the Water also the Isle De Pines which rises high out of the Sea near the Main Land The Isles of Pearls On the Southern Coast are Isole de las Perlas or The Isles of Pearls about twenty five in number but indeed rather Rocks than Islands excepting two viz. Taroreque and Del Rios where in former times the Indians took great store of Pearls by diving for them to the bottom of the Sea and they were esteem'd of greater value and excellence than those of Cubagua and great profit was made of them by the Spaniards till by their Cruelties exercis'd upon the Natives through excessive greediness they depopulated the Islands and lost that altogether of which before they were so insatiable they are now onely inhabited by a few Moors and other Slaves who keep Cattel there for their Masters Captain Oxenham's Expedition It will not seem amiss to conclude our Description of Panama with a short Account of the English Captain John Oxenham's Exploits in these Parts He being incited by the Treasure which Sir Francis Drake fetch'd from hence resolv'd to Steer for the Northern Coast of Panama where he hal'd his Ship of a hundred and twenty Tun on Shore and cover'd the same with Trees buried his Guns and march'd with two Field-Pieces and seven Men up into the Countrey and was by the Indians conducted to a River which falls into the South Sea where he built a Pinnace of forty five Foot long and Sailing into the South Sea Landed on Tararequi one of the Islands of Pearls where he soon after took a Peruan Barque with sixty thousand pieces of Gold store of Wine and Bread and the day following another which came from Lima loaden with a hundred thousand Pound in Silver Bars and some Pearls with which being enrich'd he return'd to the Main The Governor of Panama being inform'd of it put a hundred Soldiers into four Barques besides a considerable number of Negro Slaves over which Juan de Ortego having the chief Command was inform'd at Tararequi what Course the English had steer'd whereupon he pursu'd them to the River whither they were gone which falling with three Arms into the Sea they could not have known which way the English went unless they had seen some Feathers of Fowls driving in the Mouth of the least Branch by which they judg'd that they were not far off therefore Rowing up they found after four days Journey the Pinnace hal'd on Shore and watch'd by six Men who were order'd to stand Sentinel whereof one being shot by the Spaniards the other five fled whom Ortega pursuing found half a League from the Shore a Hut made of Boughs wherein the Booty lay which he speedily carried to his Barques but Captain Oxenham inform'd hereof fell with two hundred Indians up-the Spaniards who having a Wood on their Backs made such advantage thereof that eleven English were slain and seven taken and had not the rest fled they had all been either kill'd or taken Prisoners Those that were taken inform'd Ortega that they had been at difference amongst themselves about dividing the Booty which was the reason of their staying so long moreover they discover'd where and how their Ship lay all which the Governor of Panama writ to Nombre de Dios from whence four Sail were immediately sent to find out the Ship and the buried Guns as also to take all such English as they should find preparing of Boats or Barques and bring them to
are exceeding dainty and tender yet so stubborn and sullen that they take pet at the least affront and often pine themselves away and die with hunger The Boyete and other sorts of Serpents The Serpent Boy-ete two Fathoms long without Legs having a bright speckled Skin and four sharp Teeth wounds also mortally with its Tail but is the less dangerous because at the end of the Tail grows a Bladder which moving rattles as if there were Pease in it which gives notice to the Traveller though unwary by which means he makes his escape The other Serpents call'd Jouboy Tara-gouyboy and Tarehuboy serve the Natives for a great Delicacy as also the great Toads or Frogs call'd Tourourou They have also a sort of Flies call'd Ton which exceedingly molest them against which their chiefest Medicine is Palm-tree Oyl and the Roucou with which they colour their Skins The Natives of this Island of Maragnan driven out of the pleasant Countrey Cayete by the Portuguese are a sort of the Toupinambas who Setled here about a hundred and fifty years ago The time of their first coming hither us'd formerly to be solemniz'd with the great Feast call'd Caoven but because a Woman boldly set upon a Commander in his Cups there arose a great Tumult amongst them and ever since the Island hath been divided one Party calling the other Tobaiares that is We are Enemies They are so inveterate against one another that who e're they take Prisoners they unmercifully devour Both are of a middle Stature have flat Noses which the Midwive make at the Birth of the Child they are generally a strong People and many of them living a hundred years without being grey bald or sick they live temperate and under a wholsom Climate Some of their Women bear Children as they say till they are eighty years of age which being born white turn to be of a Tawny colour by being anointed with Suet call'd Roucou and Oyl otherwise they are well proportion'd The Men pluck out all the Hair of their Foreheads but suffer it to hang pretty long over their Ears and behind The Women let their Hair hang down to their Middle and wear woodden Ear-rings but the Men hang green Beads in their Lips and thrust little Bones through their Noses They go all stark naked their Legs are colour'd black with the Juice of the Herb Junipap and upon the other parts of their Body appear Figures of several Representations Those that will manifest their Valor and be accounted hardy gash their Bodies all over with Wounds which they heal in such a manner that the Scars may more plainly appear They never come to their usual Feasts but dress'd up in various colour'd Feathers upon the Crown of their Heads they wear Caps stuck with Plumes which they call Acangoap or Coronets call'd Acangerar about their Necks the Necklaces Aiouacava over their Shoulders the Mantles Assoyave their Garters they call Tabacoura at which they hang hollow Nut-shells full of little Stones which gingle and rattle as they go and about their Arms Armlets call'd Mapouyh-couaychovare all which are curiously checker'd with various colour'd Feathers The Maragnans live not much up in the Countrey but rather on the Sea-Coast because of their Fishing removing every sixth year calling the Village where they Settle by the former Name They take every Man as many Wives as he pleaseth but the Women must stick each to one Man unless she be Divorc'd from him which often happens upon small occasions Their Cotton Hammocks call'd Yu on which they sleep hang between two Stakes in which they lie Singular Friends and Relations Feast one another daily but they are cruel and revengeful against their neighboring Enemies whom when they take any of them they fatten kill and eat The least affront done them or injurious word spoken to them or against their Predecessorss makes them take up Arms which consist of Bowes and Arrows which they call Ouyrapar and Oune Here the French have built the Fort St. Lovis on an Island from whence Westward may be seen the Cape Tapouytapere which at High-water seems like an Island and lies four Leagues from thence at Low-water they can walk over the Sands from the same to the Main Land This fruitful Countrey hath twenty populous Villages Westward lies Comma which gives Denomination to the chief Village the River and the rest of that Countrey wherein are sixteen more handsom Villages better built and more populous than Maragnan or Tapouytapere Concerning the building of the fore-mention'd Fort on Maragnan it hapned as followeth I. TAMAâ—CA A. Castrum Auriaci B. Ostium fluminis ad AustruÌ„ C. Castrum in monte D. Oppidum Scoppiâ— E. Sacâ—llum F. Via quibus ascenditur G. Fluvius qui versus Garasu abit UVIUS GRANDIS A. 〈…〉 B. 〈…〉 C. 〈…〉 D. 〈◊〉 SIARA A. Castrum B. Fluvius C. Via litâ—us versus D. Sylva E. Campestria SECT XI The Lordships Tamarica Rio Grande Siara and Para. Description of the Lordship of Tamarica THe Praefecture of Tamarica not above three Leagues in length and two in breadth so call'd from a little Island lying before it and part of its Precinct is counted the first that is the most ancient Lordship of Brasile having otherwise nothing in it that is very considerable save onely a good Haven or Port with a Castle for the Security or Command of it held to be impregnable and so found by the Dutch who under Peter Heyn and Stein Callenfels in vain attempted the taking of it as shall be mention'd hereafter more particularly but made it useless to the Portuguese by making a Bulwark at the Mouth of the Haven and so blocking it up This Capatania yielded formerly a Rent of thirty thousand Ducats to the Earls of Montesanto whose Right it was Description of the Lordship of Rio Grande THe Praefecture of Rio Grande a small Precinct so denominated as lying on the South-side of that great River which the Portuguese call Rio Grande and the Natives Potingi where it falls into the Sea was once possess'd by the French about the Year 1597. who were outed by the Portuguese and the Place fortifi'd both against them and the Salvages of whom they slew and took Prisoners very great numbers with a Castle which the Dutch in the Year 1631. found an impregnable piece and too hard for them to take Description of the Lordship of Siara THe Praefecture of Siara so denominated from the Haven it hath long been in the possession of the Portuguese but they have therein no Towns of note onely a Castle and some few Houses for those that attend the gathering of Cotton-Wool and Manuring of the Sugar-Canes which are here in great abundance also the Countrey is said to afford some Crystal and other Precious Stones Description of the Lordship of Para. LAstly the Praefecture of Para is the most Northerly part of Brasile bordering upon Guiana so call'd from the River Para which runneth through the
a good Disposition and go naked they catch Fish after a strange manner for they onely throw the strong smelling Wood Ayaw in the Water which works so upon the Fish that they suffer themselves to be caught with the Hand The well-known American Root Cassavi serves them for Bread being bak'd in round Cakes on hot Stones of the Cakes they also make the Liquor Perrinoe which tastes almost like stale Beer and is prepar'd by old Women and little Children which chew the Cassavi and spit the same into a Pot full of Water which having stood a while they strain the same through a Cloth and set it a working with Potato-Roots They are troubled with no Vermine not so much as the little Fleas Niquas by the Spaniards call'd Chigos which creep in between the Nails On the Sea-Coast are many Tortoises whose Flesh is of a delicious taste but heavy to digest Sheep and Oxen will not thrive here but Swine would thrive exceedingly if their Dugs were not bit off in the Night by the Bats The River Wiapoco hath many dangerous Water-falls the one much higher than the other a little way beyond the first of them the Stream Army falls into Wiapoco The Marashewaccas Three days Journey Westerly dwell the Marashewaccas whose Ears hang down on their Shoulders they worship for their Deity an Image representing a Man who sitting flat on the Ground with his Legs stretch'd out leans with his Elbows on his Knees and holding up his Hands gapes and stares up towards Heaven North-West from Wiapoco rises the Mountain Gomeribo which produces Maiz Tobacco Cotton-Trees and Vines In the same place the Creek Wainary runs Westwardly with fresh Water a days Journey into the Countrey and from the said Creek a high Mountain fit for the production of Sugar and Tobacco extends it self to the River Apurwaca where the Wiopocaries inhabit a great Tract of Land The Harrithiahans North-West from Wiapoco flows the River Aperwacque whose mountainous Shores bear Brasile Wood and wild Cinamon The Stream it self takes its original out of a large Lake in the middle whereof lies a three-corner'd Isle South-East from the Lake dwell the Harrithiahans beyond whose Countrey are the Rivers Cauwo Wia and Cajani On the Banks of the first dwelt Anno 1596. according to the Relation of Laurence Keymis a People call'd Jaos driven by the Spaniards from Moruga and who formerly possess'd the greatest part of Guiana they distinguish themselves from other People by pricking their Faces full of Holes with the Tooth of a Beast not unlike a Rat But at present the Jaos being departed from hence the Countrey lies desolate The Wia which springs a great way up in the Countrey hath a wide Mouth and near several Islands convenient Harbors The biggest of the Isles inhabited by the Shebaios is full of Provisions viz. Fowl Fish excellent Fruit wild Hogs and other Beasts The triangular Isles lying more Westerly are also very fruitful but not comparable to Gowatery So far as the Coast extends it self with high Mountains it is overgrown with Brasile Wood but the lower Grounds produce Cotton Pepper Silk Balsam and the Root Wiapassa tasting like Ginger and exceeding good against a Lask or the Head-ache Before the Mouth of Cajani appears the high Island Mattoory surrounded by the lesser Isles Sannawony Epenesari and Eponeregemerae Between the Rivers Cajani and Maccaria lies the low Island Muccumbro out of whose Center rise two Mountains and which is inhabited as the Main Coast by Caribbeeans whose General Arrawicary shew'd great friendship to the Netherlanders They observe no certain Laws for Government Adultery and Murder they punish with Death they are very tyrannical towards their Wives who for the least act of incivility have their Brains beat out they esteem one another according to the number of their Wives the eldest of which performs all Houshold-Offices Caribbeeans the Inhabitants of Guiana The Caribbeeans are accounted to have been the first Inhabitants of this Countrey for the Jaos Sappaios Arowaccas and Paragotos were driven hither by the Spaniards from Trinidad or Oronoque The wild Caribbeeans live farther up into the Countrey and often fall with great rage upon the other but since the Netherlanders have furnish'd them with Arms they have not been so much molested by them Beyond Macavia lies the River Caurora which is very narrow and deep Rivers and next in order the Rivers Manamonary Sinamary Cunanama Juraca Mawary Amana and Marawyny full of Isles and four Leagues broad at the Mouth along the Shore grow little Trees whose Leaves wither as soon as touch'd by Mankind but revives again within half an hour Next follow the Rivers Sorrenam Sorrenamme Copanama Marateca and Curetiny where the Netherlanders by virtue of a Patent granted by the States General drove a Trade for several years Somewhat farther the Berbice Apari Maycawini Mabeyca Mirara and Essekebe discharge their Waters into the Ocean twenty days Journey from their Spring-Head where a great Lake by the Jaos call'd The Roponowini and by the Caribbeeans Parime spreads it self a great way and on its Northern Shore hath the Town Manoa Along the River Essebeke is an excellent sort of Wood the Dye call'd Orellano and abundance of Cassavi In the Mouth of the River also lies the Isle Ottoma Lastly between Essebeke and the great River Orinoque glide the lesser Streams Iwapoi Pauroma Gayni Moruga Ammacoura and Parima before which lie several nameless Isles The Discovery of these Parts begun by Columbus Christopher Columbus in his third Voyage to the West-Indies discover'd the great Island Trinidad where before the Mouth of the Bay Vallena he was in great danger as also the Ship Commanded by Alonso de Ojeda by reason of the Waves with which the great River Yuyapar otherwise call'd Orinoque coming out of the High-lands of Paria falls into the Sea which made him call the said Mouth Bocca del Drago so that Columbus Anno 1599. discover'd the Main Coast of America to the Northward of Guiana as far as the Promontory De la Vela before Americus Vesputius whither Diego de Ordas Steer'd with three Ships Mann'd with four hundred Castilians Diego de Ordas his Expedition in the Year 1231. and before Guiana took four Caribbeeans Prisoners in a Canoo and finding an Emerauld about them as big as a Man's Hand they inform'd him that up the River was a Rock all of such Stones and a Mountain on which grew high Trees yielding store of Myrrh but the strong contrary Tides and Water-falls prevented Ordas from going thither and being troubled at the loss of one of his Ships he ran along the Shore to Paria and took the Fort which Antonio Sedenno Governor of Trinidad had cast up there and left the Command thereof to Juan Gonsalvez Ordas pretending that Sedenno had built it contrary to the Emperor's Order and that he had made Slaves of the Natives Martin Jannez Tafur stay'd in the
he chang'd his Resolution SECT IV. The Islands Margareta Cubagua and Coche NOtwithstanding we have already spoken something of the Islands Margareta and Cubagua in regard they are by some reckon'd amongst the Isles of Northern America yet because they are by many accounted to make up a part of the Division of New Andalusia we shall add in this place what we have found most worthy of Re-mention though much to the same purpose as before The Island Margareta discover'd by Christopher Columbus Anno 1498. contains thirty two Leagues in circumference hath many Woods and Pastures yet little fresh Water To the Eastward of it lie the Cliffs Testigos where it is very mountainous as also on the East Round about the same are delicious Fish without which the Natives could not live because the brackish Soil produces but little Provision The Pearl-Fishing of Margareta The chiefest thing for which this Island Margareta is famous is the Pearl-Fishing for which in times past a great Trade was driven though of late it is come to little or nothing The Spaniards with inhumane cruelty taught the Negro's to Dive for the Pearls for those that were not nimble or dextrous enough they beat unmercifully dropt scalding Wax or scalding Oyl upon them or stigmatiz'd them with hot Irons The Pearl-Banks were cover'd with five six seven or eight Fathom Water from whence the Negro's pull'd the Oysters with such force that the Blood gush'd out of their Mouths and Noses when they came above Water to breath after which to refresh them they receiv'd a Glass of Wine and a Pipe of Tobacco The Spanish Kiay receiv'd a fifth part of the best Pearls that were taken here but whether the Oysters have forsaken this Place or their growth hinder'd by often Fishing for them we know not but however it is few Pearls are found here of late years which makes Margareta to be more and more deserted The Nature of the Island of Cubagua Between the Main Continent of Paria lie the Islands Cubagua and Coche the first whereof hath an unfruitful and sultry Soil without either Trees Birds and four-footed Beasts except Pock Wood Sea-Fowls or Parrots and Castilian Hogs being carry'd thither change their Nature strangely for in a short time their Claws grow long and crooked The King of Spain us'd formerly to receive fifteen thousand Ducats yearly for his fifth part of the Pearls chat were taken which Gain invited many thither who built the Town Nova Cadiz on Cabugua in the Year 1521. but when the Arayans demolish'd the Monks Cloyster on Paria The City Nova Cadiz built there but at length totally deserted the Spaniards being three hundred in number fled from Nova Cadiz to Hispaniola where the High Court displeas'd at their cowardly deserting the Place gave them but cool Entertainment and sent five Ships under the Command of Jacomo de Castellan to Cubagua to build new Store-houses in Nova Cadiz which was afterwards re-inhabited but when the Pearl-Fishing ceased the Island and Town was at once deserted Opposite to Margareta lies the Promontory Araya behind which lies a salt Lake in which is found abundance of Salt not onely above but under the Water with which the English Spanish and Dutch Ships are fraighted Da Vern's Description of the Salt-pans on Araya Isaac du Verne describes the Salt-pans on Araya thus Round about the same saith he the Ground is craggy barren and of a brackish taste and destitute of fresh Water which is therefore fetch'd three Leagues farther out of a Brook flowing from the Mountain Bordones into the Bay of Comena likewise all manner of Provisions are brought from other Parts Westward from the Point Araya there is a convenient Harbor where the Ships take in their Salt Three hundred Paces from the Shore lies a great Salt-pan where the Salt being first beat in pices is carry'd in Wheel-barrows to the Ships The little Salt-pan produces less Salt and lies also out of the way which makes few Ships take in their Lading from thence The Countrey is every where overgrown with Brambles and Bushes in which breed Tygers and very poysonous Serpents There are likewise abundance of Stags Bucks Hares and Coneys besides other strange Beasts The Netherlanders beaten out of their Salt-Trade here by the Spaniards Till Anno 1605. the Netherlanders came hither unmolested for Salt when eight Spanish Gallions falling unawares upon them strangely misus'd their Seamen but afterwards the United Netherlands having made an Agreement with Spain for a certain time renew'd their Trade to Araya till the King of Spain having for the better security of the Place built the Fort St. Jago which Commanded the great Salt-pan forbad the Netherlanders from lading any more Salt who thereupon Storm'd the Fort though to their cost for several of them were kill'd and the rest return'd home empty SECT V. Of the Islands of Southern America THe chiefest Islands of note in the Southern part of America that is to say those that lie remote from the Continent in Mare del Zur are Los Ladrones and the Islands Fernandinas for the rest being as we may call them Mediterranean Islands fall naturally under the Description of the Continent The Isles Los Ladrones 1. Los Ladrones in English The Islands of Thieves lie as it were in the mid-way betwixt the Main Land of America and the Philippine Islands but some hundreds of Leagues distant from either in the fourth Degree of Northern Latitude so nam'd by Ferdinand Magellan from the pilfering disposition he observ'd in the Natives when he Sail'd that way for the Moluccae Islands They were a nimble and active sort of People yet light-finger'd tall of stature and going for the most part naked excellent Swimmers and Divers and have not much more to be said in their commendation The Isles Fernandinae 2. The Fernandinae are onely two Islands of no great bigness lying over against the Coast of Chile in the three and thirtieth Degree of Southern Latitude and about a hundred Leagues or three hundred English Miles from the Continent yet well stor'd with some lesser sorts of Cattel as Goats c. good plenty likewise of Venison in the Woods and Fish upon the Coasts for which reason though lying at some distance yet are they not a little frequented by the Spaniards of Peru who find many good Harbors and Roads for Shipping belonging to and about these Islands An Appendix CONTAINING Partly a farther prosecution of the Descriptions of some Provinces already treated of in the foregoing Book partly an Account of some other Discoveries than what have hitherto been deliver'd in any Description of the NEW WORLD CHAP. I. Rio de la Plata THe River De la Plata by the Natives call'd Paranaguazu is next to the River of the Amaszones the greatest in the World and falls into the Northern Ocean between the Capes Antonio and Maria lying thirty Leagues one from another It receives from East and West
divers Rivers as far as the Lake Xarays lying three hundred Leagues up in the Countrey from the Mouth of La Plata Also into the foremention'd Lake fall several Streams which spring out of the Peruvian Mountains Andes The first that Sail'd into this great River Anno 1515. to an Island lying in the middle of it was John Dias de Solis who rashly going ashore was kill'd and eaten together with several Portugueses Sebastian Gabottus his Expedition Eleven years after this Accident Sebastian Gabottus set Sail from Spain to go to the Spicy Islands through the Straights of Magellan but was forc'd for want of Provisions and the unwillingness of his Seamen to put into the River La Plata in which being advanc'd thirty Leagues he Anchor'd near an Island which he call'd St. Gabriel from whence going seven farther he discover'd a Stream which fell into La Plata This River he call'd St. Salvador and cast up a Fort at the Mouth of it where an Inlet afforded a convenient Harbor for Shipping he found the River La Plata to be generally ten Leagues broad and full of Isles and to the Westward of it the River Zaracaranna inhabited on the South side by a subtil People call'd Diagnitas At the place where Zaracaranna disembogues into La Plata he built a Castle and calling the same Castello di Santo Spirito went up farther leaving on the West side the People Tenbues Mequaretas Mepenes and Aigais to the Eastward the Quiloacas and Santana and struck up out of the River La Plata North-East into the Stream Parana in which he had gone two hundred Leagues and pass'd by many Isles when he went out of the same into the Stream Paraguay where being set upon by the Countrey People who were busie in Tilling the Ground he lost so many of his Men that he was forc'd without any farther Exploit to return with the Portuguese Pilot Diego Garcia who Sailing up the same River had met with Gabottus in Paria and because both had gotten some Silver they call'd the River from that Metal De la Plata The farther Discovery whereof lay neglected nine years after when Peter Mendoza Sailing with eleven Ships carrying eight hundred Men to the Island Gabriel built the Fort Buenos Ayres on the South side of it where many People dying of Hunger little was done Alvares Cabeca not long after following Mendoza's footsteps discover'd and peopled the Province Rio de la Plata The Mouth of the River La Plata Laurence Bikker describes thus Laurence Bikker 's Description of Rio de la Plata Beyond the Cape Santa Maria saith he lies the flat Island Castilhos having scarce a Tree upon it but on the North side a Rock not unlike a decay'd Castle to the Southward of which appear two other Cliffs directly before the Mouth lies the stonie Island De Lobos on which nothing is to be found but Sea-Wolves towards the East a stonie Bank runs a good way into the River known by the breaking of the Water upon the same The Promontory Maria is low and barren but within the same the Land rises high before the Isles Flores and Maldonado which last hath a good sandy Shore Harbor and fresh Water between the Rocks but Flores rising with two Hills produces nothing but Brambles The Stream Soliâ— also discharges its Waters in La Plata near the Place where the Mountain Seredo lies The left Shore of La Plata begins at the Promontory Antonio and is cut through by the Rivers Ortis and Los Sanctos where the Town Buenos Ayres is built on a smooth Shore Martin del Barco's Description of the same Martin del Barco proceeding in the Description of La Plata saith that it is dangerous by reason of the many Shelves that are in the same The Isles in the River are as followeth those that bear the Name of St. Gabriel are five in number Garcia Isle is full of Trees and for its fertility was peopled by Peter de Mendoza and afterwards by Juan Ortiz Carate But less fruitful are the Isles De Lazaro where the River Vrayg unites with La Plata being before fill'd with the Waters of Salvador which receives the black Stream Negro which gliding slowly from Morasses is very full of Fish Moreover La Plata hath eleven Arms each very deep and full of Isles inhabited by the Guaranins About a hundred Leagues farther the Cherandies have setled themselves on pleasant Isles lying not far from the City St. Fe built on the Point which makes the River Bermeio where it falls into La Plata Farther up lies the Province Ana partly well inhabited for its fertility and partly overflow'd Next appears the Rock Pennapobre and not far from the Town Guayra La Plata falls very high from the Rocks The several People of this Countrey But as concerning the Natives of this Countrey it is inhabited by divers sorts of People differing from one another both in Customs and Language On the South side of the fore-mention'd River from the Promontory Antonio to Buenos Ayres dwell the Quirandies a stout but cruel People who with the Flesh of many a Spaniard oftentimes keep a merry Feast Farther into the Countrey run the Juries and Diagnitas Along La Plata lie also scatter'd the Tenbues a civil People who live by Fishing Near the River Paraguay the Ameguaes observe the same manner of Life But the Carioes keep Cattel and Till their Lands A hundred Leagues farther dwell the Payaguaes and yet farther into the Countrey the Chames and Carcares possess much Gold and Silver with which Juan d' Ayola having enrich'd himself here was destroy'd with all his Men by the Chames Anno 1541. Nunnez Cabeca his Journey Alvarez Nunnez Cabeca came from Spain to be Governor here but was not able by reason or contrary Winds and Tydes to reach La Plata wherefore Landing at the River Itabucu and spending nine days in cutting a Way through thick Brambles he came to the Jurisdiction of Armiriri and a days Journey farther to Cipoyay and not long after to Tocanguazu where the Guaranies who are the Natives have two Harvests every year of Maiz and Cassavi and breed and keep Geese Hens and Parrots in their Houses They are Man-eaters and very revengeful Cabeca having given this Countrey the Name of Vera he proceeded on his Journey over the Rivers Ignazu Tibagi and Taquari on whose Shore appears the Village Abangobi and somewhat farther Tocanguzir The Countrey hereabouts is very fruitful and hath many delightful Plains pleasant Rivers and Woods but beyond appear Hills Mountains deep Morasses dangerous Cane-Fields Receptacles for wild Beasts and great Wildernesses Cabeca having pass'd through them all came into the fruitful Countrey of the Guaranies who are a wild People and possess many large Fields of Maiz and Potato's also several Silver Mines From hence travelling Westwardly over the River Piqueri he spent eighteen days before he came to the Stream
Ignazu which falls into the Parana and at last came to the River Paraguay along whose Shore he found a People of a gigantick Stature call'd The Agazes who regarded no manner of Husbandry but went out continually a robbing in their Canoos These People as Martin del Barco relates were not long after all destroy'd by the Spaniards Not far from the Agazes dwell the Guaycurues a valiant People and somewhat farther the Cacoves whose Countrey produces Gold and Silver and yet farther in the Countrey reside the Guaxarapos who remove yearly to the Paraguay to Fish there when the Water is low for in the beginning of January the River swells so exceedingly that the Countrey about it being overflow'd is cover'd with above six Fathom Water The Paraguay discharges its Waters into the great Lake Xarayes full of Islands Amongst other Rivers that spring out of the Mountains Andes the Ignazu along whose Shore the People Xacoaes Xaquesses and Chanesses dwell falls also into the foremention'd Lake Somewhat farther lies a great piece of drown'd Land beyond which the Xarayes have convenient Habitations plant Maiz and spin Cotton Their Countrey borders a great Wilderness which ends about the Province Tapuaguazu the Inhabitants whereof call'd Tarapecocies are furnish'd with plenty of all sorts of Provisions The Payzunoes dwelling on one side of them are not well known as yet Beyond the Town Assumption dwell the Mayaes in the Way to Peru and border at he Tamacoaes both which possess Silver-Mines Between Buenos Ayres and Corduba lies the Plain-Countrey Despoplado ninety Leagues long without Trees or Houses but is most Pasture-Ground which feed many thousands of wild Horses From hence glide the Streams Luchan Los Arrechivos Arreca Zaracaranna and others into La Plata It is very dangerous for a small Company to travel through this Countrey because the ranging Juries spare none alive they meet with Moreover the River Grande flows with a wide Mouth into the Sea and spreads it self within against the Countrey Patos Also the Rivers Tamandabug Ararungo and the Lake Alagoa disembogue into the Ocean North-East beyond Alagoa lie the Islands Catharina and Gale and in the Bay Tojuqua appear several Isles The Streams Tajahu and Ytabuca spring out of high Mountains inhabited by the People Anniriri and Cipopoy Lastly the Countrey wash'd by the Stream Ararapira produces all sorts of Provisions CHAP. II. Chili THere are in this Countrey both tame and wild Sheep The Cammel-Sheep the tame ones are call'd Cammel-Sheep being cover'd with long fine Wool having Necks four Foot long their fore Feet cloven into four parts their hindermost into two their Mouths very wide which they open at those that vex them and make such a stink that no body is able to abide near them when tir'd they fall under their Burdens and will not rise though beaten never so much Their Flesh is tough like that of Horses The wild Mountain-Sheep are red and have soft glossy Wool which makes a Stuff like that of a Chamlet These Sheep run swifter than a Horse the Chileses lead them by a Rope put through their Ears The Grain Teca This Countrey of Chili not onely produces Wheat Barley Maiz and all manner of Fruit but also the Teca which growing half a Yard high is not unlike Barley the Grain thereof being dry'd in the Sun is thresh'd and parch'd in hot Sand then ground on a square flat Stone with a round Rowler This Meal which is both exceeding wholsom and very nourishing for a small Measure thereof sufficeth a Man a whole Week serves also both for Meat and Drink for being infus'd in a greater quantity of Water it becomes a pleasant Drink and kneaded with a lesser proportion it is made into Cakes or Loaves The Fruit Vnni The Fruit Unni by the Spaniards call'd Murtilla is like a little red Grape and hath a tart taste The Wine press'd out of this Fruit is clear to the Eye pleasing to the Palate and good for the Stomach never causing any Head-ache It also makes good Vinegar But the chiefest Benefit of Chili is the rich Gold-Mines The Countrey for the most part lies desolate occasion'd by the continual Wars which the valiant People Arauco maintain'd against the Spaniards after such a manner that in no place of America they met with such resistance or sustain'd such Losses They speak an elegant Language according to the testimony of Elias Herkmans who having committed to Wirting all the most significant Words thereof which were taught him by the Chileses it will not be altogether amiss to set down some of them which are these following A View of the Chilesian Language TEpanto A Year Tien A Moneth or the Moon Toninco A Week Ante The Day or Sun Paun The Night Tabuyo The Evening Eppoun The Morning Rangiante Noon Eppoe The next Day after to Morrow Vya Yesterday Putey The Day before Yesterday Buchiante To Day Mintay Now. Weytiva At that time Wantarulei In the Morning betimes Biliante Always Chumel When. Chemchuem Also Hueno The Heavens Quereb The Air or Wind. Tomo The Clouds Wangelen The Stars Pillan Thunder Gualio Lightning Puta que quereb A Storm Maoni Rain Piren Snow Veaquumao Dew Pillingei Ice Quetal Fire Ko Water Tue The Earth Mappo The Land Pele Clay Cura Stone Maviel Wood. Aluven Timber Millia Gold Lien Silver Paila Brass Titi Tin Pavillue Iron Quatal-cura A Pebble-stone Chadi Salt Lyl A Rock Milla-mappen A Golden Vein Aliquen A Tree Cahu Herbs Nebo Nuts Pino Grass Cayron Hay Wento A Man Domo A Wife Quiduugen A Youth Yecho A Maiden Penien A Boy Domo-penien A Girl Chou A Father Nenque A Mother Cheche A Grandfather Domo-cheche A Grandmother Wenco Mothers Brother Mama Mothers Sister Pelchuchan A Stepfather Caulla A Stepmother Botum A Son Neaque A Daughter Penu A Brother Lamoen A Sister Guempo A Father-in-law Vilca A Mother-in-law Choupa A Son-in-law Weuro-pencho A Kinsman Buytha An old Man Cude An old Woman Cunewa An Hospital Child Peneinboe A Guardian Apo-curaca A Governor Curaca A Lord. Apo A supream Commander Nentoque A Ruler Ulmen A Person of Quality Pulmen A Gentleman Machi A Chirurgeon Cona A Soldier Retave-caman A Smith Guito-wok A Weaver Challo-acaman A Fisher-man Nilla-caboe A Merchant Turnitave A Dyer Chumpiro-caman A Cap-maker Tultunca-caman A Drummer Inchetaniweni A Servant Voerquin A Messenger Langamcheboe A Murderer Chiquiboe A Thief Illuiboe A Beggar Alvee The Devil Ruca A House Ullin A Door Chaquana A pair of Stairs Pylca A Wall Wana-ruca The Roof Pithe-ruca A Hut Colcura A Cupboard Cawyto A Bedstead Depotuarica A Prison Weltelve A Gibbet Pengal A Grave Lonquen The Sea Leva The River Buta-wampo A Ship Aliwen A Mast Mou Ropes Dolio A Canoo Wampo A Boat Vela Sails Wyta An Oar. Tubquen Ashes Cuju A dead Coal Ale The Flame Aypel A burning Coal Wietum Smoak Catila a Candle Wyno A Knife Witi A Spoon Guidi A Pot. Lepoboruwe A Tooth-picker Pavilla-lonco An Helmet Waiqui A Pike
both great and small yielding good Harbors and store of Whales and Sea-Horses The Voyages of Jonas Pool and others to Greenland In the Year 1610. Jonas Pool Master of the Amity fell in with this Land in May and continu'd upon the Coast discovering of Harbors and killing of Morses till June following and he is said to have been the first that gave this Countrey the Name of Greenland The next year he set out again accompany'd with Thomas Edge Commander of the Mary Margaret And since many other Voyages have been made as to a Place known and a great Trade driven in catching of Whales not without several Contests with the Dutch and Danes but nothing of late discover'd considerable more than in the first Voyages The Harbors Sounds and Coastings most taken notice of are Fair Foreland Cape Cold Black-Point Horn-Sound Knotty-Point Bell-Sound Lowness Cross-Road Deer-Sound Fowl-Sound Close-Cove Gurnet-Nose Ice-Sound and Green-Haven There are few that have Sail'd to Greenland Cherry-Island but make great mention of Cherry Island so call'd as having been first discover'd at the Charges of Sir Francis Cherry an eminent Merchant by others bear-Bear-Island from the multitude of Bears found there it lies in the Latitude of seventy four Degrees and is noted for store of Fowl Foxes like Dogs and upon the Coasts great store of Whales Sea-Horses and Morses It is also said to be furnish'd with Lead-Mines and Pits of Sea-Coal Situation and first Discovery of Iseland Iseland so call'd from the continual Ice which is upon it is a craggy mountainous Countrey and not onely the Hills but a great part of the low-Low-land cover'd with perpetual Snow It is of a Form somewhat oblong lying between the fifty fourth and fifty ninth Degree of Northern Latitude having Norway on the East the Orcades and Scotland on the South Grenland on the West and the Hyperborean or frozen Sea on the North. It is by Olaus Magnus suppos'd to be twice as big as Sicily that is to say about a hundred Leagues in length It is the most known and most througly discover'd of all the Countreys of the Artick Region and is said to have been first found out and peopled in the Year of our Lord 900. by certain of the Nobility of East-Frisia in the Countrey of Breme in the time of Alebrand Bishop of that Countrey but whether or no utterly unpeopled till that time is a Question not easie to be determin'd though in all probability so obvious a Place to be found out could not lie so long totally uninhabited Not long after several Colonies of Norwegians Setled themselves some in Hitland some in Ferow others following the Example of these Bremers in Iseland The Countrey is full of Rocks and Stones and as is credibly reported not a cultivated Field or Garden in the whole Island and by consequence no sort of Corn yet the People living without either Bread or Salt are very strong and of a good Complexion Neither is there a Tree to be seen except the Birch which likewise grows but in one place and exceeds not the heighth of a Man by reason of the violence of the Winds yet there is said to be great plenty of Butter the Grass being so fat that the Oxen are not suffer'd to stay long at a time in the Pastures for fear of bursting Till of late there was neither Town nor any thing that could be call'd a Village in the whole Island but stragling Cottages here and there not above three or four together in a place most by the Sea side for the convenience of Fishing they were built pretty deep in the Ground but artificially fram'd of Whales Bones with Seats Benches and other Utensils of the same now sometimes they use Fir to the same purpose which is cast upon the Coast by the force of the Sea from Tartary or elsewhere For want of Vessels they lay their Butter in Heaps in the Corners of their Houses like Mortar In the Winter wanting Fodder they feed their Cattel with Fish Besides these Cattel which are Kine without Horns Horses onely fit for carrying of Burthens and very large Sheep there are store of white Foxes and huge Bears of the same colour and a sort of rough Dogs very well known and frequent amongst us by the Name of Shocks which the Islanders esteem not a little and will part with their Children at a far easier rate They keep neither Hogs nor Poultrey for want of Grain to feed them Many Rivers in Iseland The Rivers belonging to this Island are many and those not unpleasant affording to the Inhabitants plenty of Fish especially Sturgeon Trouts and Salmons and one is especially remarkable for a Bridge made over it which being the onely Bridge of the Countrey is made of the great Bones of a Whale The whole Island is one continu'd Desart without any trodden Path or Road from one end to the other so that all that have occasion to travel to any part thereof by Land make use of the Compass as if they were Voyaging by Sea Strange Fish on the Coast of Iseland The Coast of Iseland hath many strange and monstrous Fish worth observation as first the Orca which though nothing near so big as the Whale yet is able to be the death of it for being of the shape of a Ship turn'd upside-down and having sharp long Fins on its Back it pricks the Belly of the Whale therewith till it kills The next is the Hackfall which is very fat and about twelve Inches long Then the Dog-Fish which lifting up its Head out of the Sea Barks and letting forth its young ones receives them into her Belly again when they have sported a while in the Sea Lastly another Monster of a most frightful shape mention'd by Olaus Magnus but not by any particular Name Strange Fountains In divers parts of the Island are Fountains of scalding Water which as soon as taken from the Fountain begins to cool and when cold hath a sulphury Substance swimming on the top At the West end is a smoaky Fountain very cold and turning all that is cast into it into Stone At the place upon the Sea call'd Turlocks Haven are two Fountains of different quality the one hot the other cold which by Pipes being brought together into one place make a Bath of an excellent temperature and of a medicinal Vertue Not far from Haven Halneford is a Cliff in a Rock of an unknown depth and no Water to be discern'd by those that look down into it but if a Stone be cast in it shall make a noise for half an hour together as if it were striking against a Brazen Vessel and all this while the Water will be rising till it comes up to the brim and then will be so long sinking again as the Stone was falling Mountains of Iseland There are also three Mountains in Iseland not to be left unmention'd the Mountain of the Cross the Moutain Snenelstockel
Fol. 450 Cusco Fol. 456 Los Charcas Fol. 462 Collao Fol. 466 Chile Fol. 471 Chile properly so call'd Fol. 472 Magellanica Fol. 473 Paraguay or Rio de la Plata Fol. 475 Rio de la Plata properly so call'd Fol. 476 Tucuman ibid. La Crux de Sierra Fol. 477 Brasile ibid. St. Vincent Fol. 495 Rio de Janeiro Fol. 496 De Spirito Santo Fol. 497 Porto Seguro Fol. 498 Los Isleos Fol. 501 Bahia de Todos los Sanctos Fol. 502 Pernambuco Fol. 505 Parayba Fol. 508 Maragnan Fol. 511 The Lordships Tamarica Rio Grande Siara and Para Fol. 517 A Relation of the Proceedings of the Netherland West-India Company in Brasile to the Year 1658. Fol. 518 The Journey of Rodulphus Baron with the Description of the Customs and Manners of the Tapuyans Fol. 595 Grave Maurice his Account of Brasile so far as it concern'd the West-India Company Fol. 600 The Councellor Dussen 's Relation of so much of Brasile as concern'd the West-India Company Fol. 601 A Description of the Palace Freyburgh two Bridges and a Banquetting-house all built by Grave Maurice Fol. 605 Guiana Fol. 607 A Relation of the Journey of Francisco Orellana ibid. Paria or New Andalusia Fol. 620 Cumana Fol. 621 Venezuela Fol. 624 The Islands Margareta Cubagua and Coche Fol. 627 Of the Islands of Southern America Fol. 628 In the Appendix RIo de la Plata Fol. 631 Chili Fol. 634 A View of the Chilesian Language Fol. 635 Magellanica Fol. 649 The Unknown south-South-Land Fol. 653 Terra Borealis or The Arctick Region Fol. 661 Several Attempts for the discovery of the North-West Passage Fol. 672 A brief View of what Places are possess'd at this day in the West-Indies by the English Spaniards French Portuguese and Dutch Fol. 674 AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF AMERICA CHAP. I. America unknown to the Antients Description of the Ocean THE Sea that takes several Denominations from the Countreys which it washeth and surrounding the dry Land cuts out and shapes so many winding Bays Creeks and Meandring In-lets seems no where so much confin'd and penn'd into so narrow a Channel as the Straights of Magellan From whence again soon expatiating it spreads it self into two immense and almost boundless Oceans that which opens to the North gives terminaries to the four Regions of the Earth that to the South onely to Asia and America both which indeed are but one continu'd Sea extending it self round the Universal Globe This watry part of the World that almost through all Ages lay Fallow hath in these later times been Furrow'd by several Expert and Stout Captains who now by their Art and Industry have given a good Account of and made clear Discoveries from East to West where-ever the Sun rises or sets The Northern Bounds under the Artick-Zone have been hitherto so obstructed with Ice that the undertakings of such as adventur'd either to find by the North-East or North-West a Passage to India have been utterly frustrate Of the Southern no such pains hath as yet been taken in the Discovery so that for the most part it is yet unknown how far the Water either deep or shallow overspreads the Earth onely thus much Experience hath made out that the Antartick needs lesser Line to Fathom than the Artick-Ocean The Ancients had little knowledge in Navigation The antient Greeks Phenicians and Romans or whosoever that were Renown'd by Antiquity and Listed in the number of their famous Navigators were no less Timerous than Ignorant concerning Maritim Affairs and are not fit to stand in the least degree of competition with our later Voyagers Of old by an inviolable Law made by Custom according to Pliny Vigetius and others the Sea was lock'd up from the eleventh of October to the tenth of March no Ships daring to venture forth dreading short Nights and foul Weather neither in Summer did they so much as once offer unless driven by Storms to attempt the Offin or loose sight of Land yet there is no question but that several Nations in former Ages Navigation is very ancient made it their business spending their whole time and wearying themselves in the Practical Art of Navigation The Sacred Scripture testifies That the Kings of Judea Solomon Jehosaphat Ozias and others prepar'd several Fleets that Sail'd through remote Seas freighting themselves with Gold from Ophir and other Rarities which were Imported to supply and enrich the Holy-Land Geograph lib. 1. And Strabo also tells us That King Solomon being contemporary with Homer then discover'd India And Pliny relates That the Romans in the Reign of Augustus passing the Straights of Gibraltar and sleighting the Ne plus ultra Hist Nat. lib. 2. cap. 67. Coasted Spain France and Belgium leaving not at the Promontory of the Cimbrians now call'd Shager-Riff but also ventur'd into the Northern Ocean which washes Norwey and Lapland But long before this as Athenaeus relates Phileas Taurominites a Grecian Captain and several others pass'd the Herculean-Pillars penetrating the Northern Seas as far as Brittain and adventuring Vltima Thule suppos'd by some to be Ireland Vide Georgic made the first Discovery of Thule And to the Southward the African Coasts without Gibraltar and beyond Atlas were now and then explor'd by several expert Captains But more remarkable is the Voyage of Hanno a Carthaginian The Voyage of Hanno who out-sail'd these and inspected the Coasts of Africa Of Eudoxus Strab. l. 2. as far as the Gorgades And Eudoxus Cyzicenus flying from King Lathyrus set Sail from the Arabian Gulph and passing the Great-Cape came to an Anchor at last in the Mouth of Gibraltar having discover'd all the Eastern Southern and Western parts of Africa Moreover it deserves special observation That an antient Swedish King as Cornelius Nepos relates sent as a Rarity and great Present to the Roman Consul Metellus Celer Strange Voyage of some Indians some Indians who loosing their course hatter'd up and down with perpetual Storms and stress of Weather were at last driven into the Northern Ocean where they suffer'd Shipwrack yet saving themselves Landed on his Coast Of Menelaus Aristonicus Gramaticus relates That Menelaus Sailing from the Sack of Troy became so great a Voyager that leaving the Straights he surrounded Africa and discovering India after eight years re-measuring the same way he went return'd with great Riches in safety to his own Kingdom Which is consentaneous to Homer who saith Odyss l. 4. None must compare Mansions with Jove his Seats Celestial are But with me any may who eight years tost Through Worlds of Miseries from Coast to Coast ' Mongst unknown Seas of my Return small hope Cyprus Phoenicia Aegypt (d) The Commentators on Homer have been very inquisitive to find out Menelaus Voyage into Aethiopia Crates suppos'd that he pass'd out at the Straights doubled the Southern Cape and so arriv'd thither Eratosthenes conjectures that in the time of Homer the Straights Mouth was an Isthmus and
these Countreys onely give Animation and comfortable Enjoyment to all Living Creatures Moreover St. Austin in some places seems to clear his own Doubts saying That People if they could find a means to Sail those Vast and Undiscover'd Seas might make Land raising new Stars under another Sky How beasts came on remote Islands A Learned Father searching after the Original of all sorts of Beasts which multiply by Generation concludes That they must derive themselves from those that were sav'd with Noah in the Ark. But how came they to the Isles To those adjacent and near the Main Land they might easily Swim to the remoter they were Transported And chiefly the wild But this Doubt is not altogether clear'd for the Domestick and other Creatures fit for Humane use and Sustenance were thus brought thither Yet how comes it to pass that Voracious and Wild Creatures are also found there such as Wolves Tigers Lions and other Beasts of Prey This puzzle putting St. Austin to a stand he had no other means to get off but by saying that by God's Commands or Permission the Angels convey'd them thither If so why might not God please to Plant Men there in like manner and the rather the Earth being created for Humane use Austin is contradicted But what needed this when Men can in Ships Transport themselves either of their own accord for curious Inquest to find new Countreys or else enforc'd by stress of Weather to far remoter and altogether unknown Lands How men came to new Countreys Besides though the Earth is here and there divided by large Bays and vast Seas yet nevertheless in other places it is all continu'd Land or at least parted by some narrow In-let or Sea so that there was no difficulty for a crouded Plantation to go over and so ease themselves in another Countrey till then not Inhabited therefore none need to question but that from Adam or nearer from Noah's three Sons Sem Ham and Japhet those as well as we were extracted that Inhabit this our other World Reasons why America was so long unknown But one question is to be observ'd How first after the expiration of so many Ages in these our later times a New-World was discover'd altogether unknown to the Antients when they in the greatness of their Parts and Undertaking Prowess and Prudence were no ways inferior to the Modern and every way as fit for great Designs and grand Exploits Who first sail'd on the Ocean We need not scruple or make the least doubt but the Sea hath been Navigated of old but the first attempters set forth unexperienc'd Several opinions of the Antients concerning it in as pittiful and ill-contriv'd Vessels The Heathens ascribe the Art of Navigation first to the Cretans who under the Conduct of Neptune set forth a Navy to explore Foraign Countries But Pliny long before gives the Invention of this Art to Erythra King of Egypt who upon Pieces of Timber conjoyn'd and brac'd together crept along the Shores and ventur'd to Discover the Isles in the Red-Sea But others give that honor to the Trojans and Micians when with a Fleet by Sea they Invaded Thrace Others Brittains amongst the first Inventors of Navigation to the Brittains who made little Vessels of Leather and were the first that by this Invention found how to Float upon the Waters Some plead that the Samothracians were first Others that Danaeus before all found a way by Sea from Egypt to Greece But without all Contradiction Noah's Ark was the Pattern or Sample that succeeding Ages imitating built their Ships by and the more probable because his Offspring multiplying so fast that they were enforc'd to inlarge their Colonies by passing Seas and other broad Rivers to settle their Super-numeraries there The first Inventers of several things belonging to Shipping So Jason Invented a Ship which he call'd Argos which Sesostris King of Egypt took as his Pattern Next the Biremis a Galley with double Banks of Oar was made by the Erythreans with treble Banks by the Corinthian Amocles the addition of the Quadruple the Carthaginians boast of the Quinqueremis Nesichthon Alexander the Great brought them to twelve Banks Ptolomy Soter to fifteen Demetrius Antigonus Son doubled them to thirty Ptolomy Philadelphus to forty and last of all Philopater rais'd them to fifty Banks of Oars Hippus a Tirian was the first that set Ships upon the Stocks the Rhodians a Ketch and the Batavians a Boat the Copes made the first Oar Dedalus the Mast and Boltsprit Piscus the Beak the Tyrrheans the Anchor Tiphys the Rudder taking example from the motion of a Kites Stern Icarus found Sails fancy'd by the Poets for Wings though some ascribe that honor to his Father Dedalus Why in former Ages no remote Countreys were discover'd Minos was the first that Ingag'd in a Sea-Fight whereby we may easily conjecture that of old none adventur'd far into the Offin or to remote Countreys not daring to trust their so sleight contriv'd Vessels But these later times have strangely and suddenly improv'd this growing Art of Navigation yet pitch'd not to that height at first as boldly to adventure and loose sight of Land The manner of the Antients Sailing The Tyrians first understood how to Steer their Course by the North-Star and when dark and foul Weather had Clouded the Sky that they could neither see Heaven or Earth but onely Sea they directed their Course by the Wind and if they doubted the change thereof they let some Birds flie whom they follow'd supposing that they flood directly to the nearest Land But these are but poor helps and blind Guides to shew you Land from the middle of the boundless Ocean It is certain Of the Romans that the Romans in the time of Julius Caesar and Augustus stretch'd the Bounds of that Empire Eastward to Euphrates Why America was so lately known the Rhyne and the Danube and Westward to the Ocean and Mount Atlas Sailing up and down the Mediterranean with great Fleets which stoutly endur'd the violence both of Waves and Weather but all this made them not so hardy as once to think or look after new Worlds But after the Roman power decreas'd by several Eruptions of the Goths Vandals Huns Normans Lumbards and other Northern Countreys which swarm'd with People that overflow'd all places like a Deluge so that Europe was every where puzzel'd and Imbroyl'd their whole business consisting in conjoyning Forces to withstand such bold Invaders and so vexatious an Enemy And farther East Asia was at the same time little better still trembling at the daily Alarms and Incursions of the Scythians Persians and Saracens and afterwards the Turks growing upon them more than any of the former expected no other than a sad Gatastrophe so that the known World had too much work cut out for them by these Distractions and Alterations of Government then to go in Quest of uncertainties to find they
lesser Atlas which ends at the Point Chaunaria by the Modern Navigators call'd Cabo Non because it was judg'd that none could scape with Life that durst adventure to steer beyond Chaunaria yet Hanno sail'd between Palma one of the Canary-Islands and the Promontory Bojadoris towards the pointed Coast call'd then Cornu Hesperium but now Cape Verd in the River Asama by Castaldus call'd Omirabi Here he found horrible Croccodiles and Hippopotami or Sea-Horses Atsama is held to flow from the same Fountain whence the Nyle hath its Original In this Latitude Hanno descried those Islands which he call'd Gorgones from the three deform'd Sisters Medusa Sthenio and Euryale whose Heads were Periwig'd with curl'd Serpents because they found as illfavor'd Women on these Islands which at this day the Hollanders call the Salt-Islands amongst which the chiefest is St. Jago a Colony of The Portuguese but the Mountains opposite to the Gorgones on the main Coast of Africa rising aloft with spiring tops near the River Masitholus Hanno call'd the Chariots of the Gods now nam'd Sierra Liona lying in eight Degrees Northern Latitude When Hanno and his Armado either provok'd by an undaunted Courage or covetous of Fame if they proceeded in their so wonderful Adventure went forward Strange Vision where they reported that they saw Rivers of Fire falling into the Ocean the Countrey all about burning and the tops of the Mountains dazleing their Eyes with continual Flashes of Lightning intermix'd with terrible Thunder adding further That the Natives all the Summer shelter'd themselves from the excessive Heat in Caves under Ground and coming forth in the night run abroad with lighted Torches over their Ground so gathering in their Harvest and Officiating all other Affairs of Husbandry Yet Hanno no ways daunted at such strange Sights sail'd from Sierra Liona Southerly to the Aequinox where he discover'd an Island not far from the African Coast inhabited by a rough and hairy People The Ancients believ'd Baboons to be Men. to take some of whom he us'd all possible means yet could not onely two Women being incompass'd by Soldiers were taken and carried aboard but being very salvage and barbarously wild could not be tamed or brought to any Complacency so they kill'd them and carried their stuff'd-up Skins to Carthage where they were a long time gaz'd upon with great admiration The Island St. Thomas This Island which Hanno then found can be no other but that which we call St. Thomas and hath a very unhealthy Air for Strangers but else very fruitful and abounding with Sugar-Canes and the hairy People which he makes mention of were Babeons or Baboons which Africa in this place breeds large to the amazement of the Beholders in great abundance because those deform'd Monsters more than any other Beast whatsoever represent Humane shape Hanno's Return Here Hanno stopp'd his Voyage being hindred from going further for want of Provision Five years he spent in this Expedition before he Anchor'd again at Cadiz from whence not long after he steer'd to his Native Countrey Carthage where he was receiv'd with no less Wonder than State insomuch that none before or after him ever gain'd greater Honor seeming to oblige his Countrey with the hopes of future Profits from these new discover'd Regions Nay Is for his Voyage plac'd amongst the Gods he receiv'd a Name and was plac'd amongst their Gods in the Temples which he being ambitious of promoted after a strange manner teaching several Birds to cry The great God Hanno which when they could speak perfect they were let fly in the Air where to the admiration of all People they every where repeated their well-taught Lesson This the most remarkable Voyage which hapned in the time of the Ancients considering they wanted several Mathematical Instruments belonging to Navigation and especially the use of the Compass and also considering the length of the Voyage to Sierra Liona whither never any durst venture before Nay in so many Ages after Hanno the famousest Navigators which were set out by the King of Portugal fear'd a long time to cut their Passage through the Aequinoctial-Line however in long Process of time divers Experiments were made which have now so much improv'd the Art of Navigation Testimony that America was not known to the Ancients Hanno's Voyage was four hundred years before the Birth of our Savior therefore if none have been further than Hanno until the time the Portuguese sail'd beyond Cape de Bona Esperana how could America be discover'd by Sea How did they steer from the salt-Salt-Islands or St. Thomas out of sight of Land through the Main Ocean to an unknown World Hanno himself who was the stoutest of all Ancient Navigators not only crept along the African Coast which made him spend so much time but not daring to cross over those wide spreading Bays he found left not his hold of the Shore and measur'd and search'd every winding Inlet and Creek And if he found a New World why was it not known The more because his Ambition carry'd him on to get a Name and Reputation by such Naval Discoveries And how true the Relation of this Expedition is Pliny tells us saying The Journal-Books were then to be seen which Hanno writ in that his African Expedition Though many of the Greeks and also of our Moderns following Hanno have found several things contrary to his Observations wherein he makes mention of several Cities built by him which none ever since heard of or any have seen neither is there the least Marks of their Ruines to be found This large Relation serves for nothing else but to shew that they seek in vain herein to give the Honor of the Discovery of America to the Ancients And as little do those Testimonies signifie that are taken out of Diodorus Siculus Pliny Pomponius Mela and Aelian It will be worth our time to hear every one of them particularly Lib. 6. cap. 7 Second Testimony that Americans are deriv'd from the Phenicians First Diodorus saith Beyond Lybia in the Ocean lies a very great Island several days sailing in Circumference having a very fruitful Soil and pleasant Meadows distinguish'd by Hills and moistned by Navigable Rivers unknown in Ancient Times because it seems to be separated from the other World and was thus found The Phenicians sailing along the Lybian Coast were several days and nights toss'd with perpetual Tempests and at last driven to the foremention'd Island where Anchoring and observing the pleasant Scituation thereof made it known to their Magistrates Is contradicted But how comes this nameless Island to be America What Man would take that for an Island which far exceeds the main Continent of Asia And have the Phenicians ascrib'd the finding of this New World to any Whence then proceeds such great silence amongst all the Ancient Writers of a whole World who otherwise us'd to give Denominations to the least remote Village or Mountain or River Lib. 5.
very bad and the Cold intollerable the Storms swelling the Waves into the bigness of Mountains Vesputius left the Coast des Patagones and the Streights afterwards call'd Magellan behind him burnt one of his Ships before Cape Sierra Leona and brought two safe to Lisbon Vesputius having left this desolate Isle three hundred Leagues a Stern enter'd a Haven to which he gave the name of St. Abdy where he stay'd two Months expecting the return of those which he had sent into the Countrey but seeing it in vain to wait any longer he proceeded on his Journey and Sailing in between the Abrelhos in the River Curubabo he built a strong Fort Garrison'd it with twenty four Men twelve pieces of Ordnance and Provisions for six Moneths Five Moneths Vesputius had spent in the building this Castle when he return'd home with one Ship laden with Brasill Wood where approaching Lisbon beyond all expectation the Inhabitants of the City ran to Congratulate his happy return And from this Americus Vesputius the New World is to this day call'd America SECT VII The Expedition of Alphonso Fogeda Diego Nicuesa Ancisus and Roderick Colmenares AMericus Vesputius was scarce fitted out in Lisbon when Fogeda set Sail with three hundred Men from Beata the chiefest Haven of Hispaniola to the Island Codego inhabited by Naked People but of comely Personage and withal expert and most excellent Archers Here he found a very strange Tree Wonderful Tree on Codego which bears a Fruit not unpleasing to the Palate yet deadly Poyson and besides whoever chances to sleep under their shadow loose both their understanding and Eye-sight and never attain to their former Sences except they take some Opiates as dangerous and so by long sleep recover Fogedo's cruelty and destruction Here Fogeda set upon a poor Village near the Sea-side where without mercy he put them all to the Sword except a few Youths which were onely saved that they might inform Fogeda what was become of the slain and taken Spaniards Who told him that according to their Custom they had Roasted the dead and also their living Prisoners and feasted on their Flesh Here having burnt the Houses and sifting the Ashes Nicuesa found some Gold But now they began to be distress'd for Provisions for prevention of which Nicuesa had given order to Ancisus Marshal in Hispaniola that he should follow with a Ship of Victual Famine for the Army to Codega But he being kept back by inconveniencies most of the Spaniards were famish'd so that the three hundred Men which Codega brought from Hispaniola were reduced to sixty And he was already under-Sail to Hispaniola when Ancisus Anchor'd in the Haven of Codegoos and sent some Men ashore to mend his Boat and fetch fresh Water which whilst they were doing the Natives came flocking about them Three days they fac'd one another Strange accident using no Hostility when at last a Spaniard that understood the Codegan Tongue adventuring to fetch Water he was immediately encompassed when speaking to them and informing them in their own Language That he was none of Fogedas or Nicuesas People which not long since had committed so great slaughter they left him and the rather because he told them that Ancisus would take revenge on them if they did any wrong to him Thus quieted they brought all sorts of Provisions Aboard Mean while Ancisus Sail'd to the Main Continent Uraba Ancisus escapes great danger where in the Mouth of a Haven he ran his Vessel a-ground which was bilg'd the Sea-men taking some Arms along with them sav'd their lives by swimming ashore where their first sustenance they found was store of Peaches and Cherries which was a great refreshment in those hot Countreys but yet had undoubtedly been starv'd but that in searching the Wood for Fruits they found Wild-Swine which preserv'd their lives yet they were not free from apparent danger having to deal with a Salvage People into whose hands they were so unfortunately cast by Shipwrack however Ancisus set a good face on the business marching with a hundred Men up into the Countrey where some of the Urabanners from an ambuscade unawares with their Arrows wounded several of his Men hereupon they retreated to the Shore of the River Daria whither also they had brought the small Boats sav'd from the Wreck where whilst they were in consultation how to return to Hispaniola the Inhabitants having muster'd themselves and making a Body of five hundred Men set upon them who after a sharp Conflict made them retreat and at last to flie whom Ancisus pursuing found in a Thicket of Canes or Reeds a great Treasure of Gold Mean while Nicuesa Sail'd to the plentiful Golden Countrey Veragua with three Ships of which he lost two the one Commanded by Lupus de Olana and the other by Peter Umbria Olana which was stranded in the River Veragua which gives name to the whole Island but he built a new Carvil whereas that of Lupus Olana was bilg'd among the Rocks Little better success had Nicuesa whose Ship over-turning with a Tempest he with a few of his Men made land upon Veragua where he rang'd up and down in a miserable condition on a barren and in a manner desolate Shore seventy days All that time finding no other Food than Wild Roots who wandring up and down at last met with Olana a little before cast away on the same Isle whom he secur'd because he presum'd to usurp the Title and be prime Commander of that Countrey Upon which the Spaniards being divided some for Ancisus some for Olana the difference more and more encreasing would not be reconcil'd till the Famine over-powering master'd both so that not being able to handle their Arms the Salvages slew them at their pleasure by this means in a short time of seven hundred eighty five remain'd scarce ninety yet did not all this misery work any thing upon the ambitious humor of Vasques Nunnez who rebelling against Ancisus split that small remainder of Men and with the help of those he had drawn over to his Party made himself Governor of Uraba not possible to be long enjoy'd without speedy supply which soon after they receiv'd for Colmenares Sailing from Hispaniola with Provisions Colmenares Expedition arriv'd there the 15. of October Anno 1510. having been toss'd twenty three days at Sea then making into the River Gaira to furnish himself with fresh Water he lost forty seven Men for whilst they were filling their Casks seven hundred of the Salvages came down upon them and with their Poyson'd Arrows wounded and kill'd most of them His strange reception Colmenares came in a good time to the remainder under Ancisus Command being in danger of death for want of Provisions and finding the factions that were among them about Superiority he thought it fit consulting with some of the chiefest of them to find out Nicuesa who was indeed the Governor that had the Grant from the King This agreed
aptness for Cultivation or Tillage that is because by the painful Hand of the Labourer or Husband-man it may be rendred so fertile as to yield all sorts of Grain and Fruits haply in allusion to that fruitful Countrey of Campania in Italy vulgarly known by the Name of Terradi Lavoro As for the Appellation of Terra Corterealis it need not be question'd but that it derives it self from Gaspar Corterealis a Portuguese Gentleman who about the Year of our Lord 1500. is thought by some to have made the first discovery of these Parts though Sir Sebastian Cabot a Venetian is more generally believ'd to have been the Man that under the favour and countenance of Henry the Seventh King of England first discover'd them at least the adjoyning Island Terra Nova or New-found Land but just onely discover'd being hinder'd the farther prosecution of that Design by the important Affairs in which the said King was about that time involv'd neither did Corterealis whether he was the first or came after do any more for returning within a year after his first setting out he was never heard of nor as Osorius a Portuguese Historian writes any of his Company being all suppos'd to have been drown'd by Shipwrack and in like manner Michael Corterealis who the year following set forth with two Ships in quest of his Brother Gaspar Upon which series of Misfortunes the Portuguese being wholly discourag'd and giving over this Design the French of Armorica or Bretany succeed them in it with somewhat better success about the Year 1504. whereupon it came to be term'd Nova Britannia or New Britain The ancient Inhabitants of this place were formerly of a Nature like the generality of the American People somewhat bruitish and salvage but by long conversation with the French are said to have cast off their original wildness and become more civilly manner'd they are very jealous of their Wives by report much addicted to Soothsaying though otherwise having little of Religion or of any other kind of Learning they dwell for the most part in Caves under Ground feed chiefly upon Fish and are accounted most expert Archers Whatever places the French have built here besides those of chiefest note are St. Maries Cabo Marzo and Brest SECT IV. Canada or New France CAnada as it is taken for one and the same Province with New France contains New France properly so call'd Nova Scotia Norumbega and some adjoyning Islands as the Canada of Cluverius lying more North-Westerly comprehends as we have already intimated Estotiland Laboratoris and Corterealis and according to the most modern Division for that of Cluverius neither consents with the latest Authors nor agrees with exact Survey it being nam'd Canada in respect the River Canada runs through it hath on the North Terra Corterealis on the South New England and on the East the Ocean and hath between forty five and fifty two or fifty three Degrees of Northern Latitude Situation The River Canada is judg'd to be the largest of all the Rivers of America as those Rivers generally the largest of all in the World besides it rises in the Western parts of this Province which remain yet undiscover'd and in some places spreads it self into huge Lakes some of them a hundred Miles in compass with many little Islands dispersed up and down in them and so running from the West about a hundred Leagues falls at last into the North part of St. Lawrence Bay being that wide Emboucheure of thirty five Miles breadth already mention'd This River is extraordinary full of Fish among which there is one sort more remarkable than the rest call'd by the Inhabitants Cadhothuis having Heads resembling the Heads of Hares and Bodies as white as Snow they are taken for the most part before the Isle de Lievres The Countrey on both sides of the River is pleasant and indifferently fertile especially towards the South-West where upwards from the River the Ground rises into many little Hills invested most of them with Vines with which and several other sorts of Trees this Countrey abounds being well water'd with a great many lesser Streams all of them falling into the River Canada That this Countrey is term'd New France First discovery from having been discover'd by the French at least more fully than before there needs no question to be made but whether Joannes Verrazanus under Francis the First of France or Sebastian Cabot before spoken of were the first in this Discovery may admit of some dispute the Cabots indeed for John the Father is by some mention'd to have accompanied his Son who by all are own'd the first Discoverers of New-found-Land and Terra de Baccalaos are also commonly reputed to have first found out the Province of New France together with some parts adjacent though perhaps it might be upon this Ground that Terra de Nova or New-found-Land not being known at first to be an Island New France and that might be taken for one continu'd Province and it appears so much the more probable because Canada or Nova Francia is by some call'd Terra Nova however it be or whoever were the first Adventurers Quarteri and Champlain are the two French-men that have gain'd so much fame by making a more ample and particular search into these parts that this Province may seem from thence to have sufficient claim to the Title of New France whereof that part more especially so call'd lies on the North-side of the River Canada and Southward to Terra Corterealis The Winter is here very long and so much the more severe by reason of a cold North-West Wind which blows most part of the Winter Season and brings with it so thick a Snow that it continues upon the Ground most commonly till after May. The Countrey is for the most part wooddy but in the Champain parts thereof very fruitful of Corn and all sorts of Grain especially Pulse It hath also Fish Fowl wild Deer Bears Marterns and Foxes in abundance and of Hares such plenty that one of the little Islands belonging to this Province is by the French nam'd L' Isle des Lievres or The Island of Hares But the most peculiar Commodity belonging to this Countrey is the Esurgnuy a kind of Shell-Fish extraordinary white and approv'd of singular vertue for the stanching of Blood to which purpose they make Bracelets of them not onely for their own use but also to vend them to others but John de Laet and others have observ'd no other than a superstitious use of them amongst the Salvages in their Funeral Rites for the Dead the manner of their taking it is very remarkable for when any one is condemn'd to die or taken Prisoner they cut off all his fleshy parts in long slices and then throw him into the River where they let him lie twelve hours and at last pulling him out again find his Wounds full of Esurgnui Quadus and Maginus make mention of three ancient Towns namely
his Majesties Commissioners IN the Year of our Lord 1665. his Majesties Commissioners for the Affairs of New England being in the Province of Mayne the People being much unsetled in Point of Government by reason the Mattachusets Colony or Boston Government did usurp compulsively a Power over them contrary to their wills and the right of Sir Ferdinando Gorges Heir who had his Commission then in the place did unanimously Petition to his Majesties Commissioners to settle the Government upon which the said Commissioners examin'd the Bounds and Right of Mr. Gorges Patent with all the Allegations and Pretensions on both sides and so according to their Instruction from his Majesty did settle a temporary Government under his Majesty's immediate Authority until such time as his Majesty should give his final determination thereof and for that end did Institute Justices of the Peace to Govern the Province according to the true Laws of England Also his Majesty was pleas'd by his Mandamus in April 1666 to the Governors of Boston to signifie that it was his will and pleasure That the Province of Main should stand good as his Commissioners had setled it until he had more leisure to determine it yet notwithstanding after three years quiet possession and exercising of Government by the Kings Justices according to their Commission granted by his Majesty's Commissioners the Bostoners without any Conference with the said Justices did in a hostile manner oppose the King's Power July 1668. which was as followeth The General Court of Boston sent their Warrants to keep Court at York under their Authority and for that purpose Commissionated Magistrates by their own Authority namely Major General John Leveret Mr. Edward Ting Captain Richard Walden and Captain Robert Pike Whereupon the King's Justices did oppose their Warrants and sent Post to New York with an Address to General Nicholas for Advice what to do therein who forthwith dispatch'd away to the Governors of Boston informing them of the danger of their Proceeding it being an open breach of Duty to subvert the Government establish'd by his Majesty's Power also sent the King 's Mandamus April 1666. that will'd to the contrary Notwithstanding the Boston Magistrates in July 1668. in order to their Boston Commission came to York Town in the said Province with several Armed Men Horse and Foot to keep Court under their Authority Opposition was made by the King's Justices and his Majesty's Power was urg'd but little regard thereunto shewn his Majesties Mandamus was likewise much insisted upon and produced by the Justices who ask'd the Bostoners what they thought of it and how they durst act so contrary to the King's Will and Pleasure Major General Leveret told them That he believ'd it might be the King's Hand but he had a Commission from the general Court at Boston which he would follow and observe by the help of God The same day in the Afternoon the said Major General Leveret with the rest of the Boston Magistrates seiz'd and imprison'd the Province Marshal in doing his Office and then forthwith went in warlike posture to the Court-house where the King's Justices sat in Judicature and putting them from their Seats sat down themselves in their Places and Executed their Boston Commission The King's Justices drew a Protest against their Proceedings and so left the Decision to God's Providence and his Majesty's good Pleasure Then they turn'd out all Officers both Military and Civil and Swore others in their Places under their Authority they forc'd the whole Record of the Province out of the Recorders House contrary to his Will by vertue of a Special Warrant from that Court They imprison'd the Mayor of the said Province about three weeks forcing him to give in five hundred Pound Bonds not to act according to his Commission which with some Reservations he was forc'd to deny for the security of his Estate These riotous Proceedings thus acted with such a precipitate fury so incens'd his Majesty that speedy care had been taken to reduce them to reason had they not upon mature consideration bethought themselves afterwards to yield Obedience to his Majesties Orders Having treated at large of all that concerns New England in general both in reference to the Natives and the English Planters we shall conclude with a brief view of the Provinces of Laconia and Main as they are truly Describ'd among other ingenuous Collections and Observations of the Affairs of America and especially these Parts by Ferdinando Gorges Esq Heir to the above-mention'd Sir Ferdinando and thereby sole Lord of the said Provinces onely contracting what hath been by him deliver'd more at large A brief Description of Laconia a Province in New England Among divers Plantations of the English happily Founded in New England is a Province to the Landward nam'd Laconia so call'd by reason of the great Lakes therein but by the ancient Inhabitants thereof it is call'd The Countrey of the Troquois It lies between the Latitude of forty four and forty five Degrees having the Rivers of Sagadehock and Merrimeck on the Sea-Coast of New England Southerly from it into each of which Rivers there is a short Passage frequented by the Salvages inhabiting near the Lakes Also it hath the great Lakes which tend towards California in the South Sea on the West thereof On the North thereof is the great River of Canada into which the said River disgorgeth it self by a fair large River well replenish'd with many fruitful Islands The Air thereof is pure and wholesom the Countrey pleasant having some high Hills full of goodly Forrests and fair Valleys and Plains fruitful in Corn Vines Chesnuts Wallnuts and infinite sorts of other Fruits large Rivers well stor'd with Fish and inviron'd with goodly Meadows full of Timber-trees One of the great Lakes is call'd The Lake of Troquois which together with a River of the same Name running into the River of Canada is sixty or seventy Leagues in length In the Lake are four fair Islands which are low and full of goodly Woods and Meadows having store of Game for Hunting as Stags Fallow-Deer Elks Roe-Bucks Beavers and other sorts of Beasts which come from the Main Land to the said Islands The Rivers which fall into the Lakes have in them good store of Beavers of which Beasts as also of the Elks the Salvages make their chiefest Traffick The said Islands have been inhabited heretofore by the Salvages but are now abandon'd by reason of their late Wars one with another They contain twelve or fifteen Leagues in length and are seated commodiously for Habitation in the midst of the Lake which abounds with divers kinds of wholesom Fish From this Lake run two Rivers Southward which fall into the Eastern and Southern Sea-Coast of New England Into this Lake there went many years since certain French of Quebeck who sided with the Algovinquins with the help of their Canoos which they carried the space of five Miles over the Impossible Falls to Fight a
inform'd of his just Pretences to all that Usurp'd Territory call'd New Netherland the same having been formerly part of New England and of how great prejudice to the Act of Navigation and how dangerous Intruders the Dutchmen are generally upon other Princes Dominions what mischief might ensue to all our English Plantations in time of War if the Dutch were permitted to strengthen themselves in the very heart of His Majesties Dominions being Masters of one of the most commodious Ports and Rivers in America His Majesty resolv'd to seize upon the same as his undoubted Right and in May 1664. having design'd four Commissioners to the perfecting of Affairs in New England Collonel Richard Nichols Sir Robert Carr George Cartwnight and Samuel Mawrick Esquires with three Ships of War to convey them to Boston The matter was so order'd that the same Ships serv'd for the reducing of the Town and Fort of New Amsterdam upon conditions advantageous to His Majesty and easie to the Dutch Now begins New Netherland to lose the Name for His Majesty having conferr'd by Patent upon his Royal Highness the Duke of York and Albany all the Acquisitions made upon Foraigners together with Long-Island the West end whereof was wholly setled and Peopled by Dutch-men his Royal Highness impower'd by Commission as his Deputy-Governor Colonel Nichols Groom of his Bed-chamber to take the Charge and Direction of Reducing and Governing all those Territories it was by him thought fit to change some principal denominations of Places viz. New Netherland into York-shire New Amsterdam into New York Fort-Amscel into Fort-James Fort-Orange into Fort-Albany and withal to change Burgomasters Schepen and Schout into Mayor Aldermen and Sheriff with Justices of the Peace so that all the Civil Policy is conformable to the Methods and Practise of England whereas New England retains only the name of Constable in their whole Rolls of Civil Officers It is plac'd upon the neck of the Island Manhatans looking towards the Sea encompass'd with Hudson's River which is six Miles broad the Town is compact and oval with very fair Streets and several good Houses the rest are built much after the manner of Holland to the number of about four hundred Houses which in those parts are held considerable Upon one side of the Town is James-Fort capable to lodge three hundred Souldiers and Officers it hath four Bastions forty Pieces of Cannon mounted the Walls of Stone lin'd with a thick Rampart of Earth well accommodated with a Spring of fresh Water always furnish'd with Arms and Ammunition against Accidents Distant from the Sea seven Leagues it affords a safe Entrance even to unskilful Pilots under the Town side Ships of any Burthen may Ride secure against any Storms the Current of the River being broken by the interposition of a small Island which lies a Mile distant from the Town About ten Miles from New York is a Place call'd Hell-Gate which being a narrow Passage there runneth a violent Stream both upon Flood and Ebb and in the middle lie some Rocky Islands which the Current sets so violently upon that it threatens present Shipwrack and upon the Flood is a large Whirlwind which continually sends forth a hideous roaring enough to affright any Stranger from passing farther and to wait for some Charon to conduct him through yet to those that are well acquainted little or no danger It is a place of great Defence against any Enemy coming in that way which a small Forticfiation would absolutely prevent and necessitate them to come in at the West end of long-Long-Island by Sandy Hook where Nutten Island forces them within the Command of the Fort at New York which is one of the best Pieces of Defence in the North parts of America It is built most of Brick and Stone and cover'd with red and black Tyle and the Land being high it gives at a distance a pleasing prospect to the Spectators The Inhabitants consist most of English and Dutch and have a considerable Trade with Indians for Beaver Otter and Rackoon-Skins with other Furrs as also for Bear Deer and Elke-Skins and are supply'd with Venison and Fowl in the Winter and Fish in the Summer by the Indians which they buy at an easie Rate and having the Countrey round about them they are continually furnish'd with all such Provisions as is needful for the Life of Man not onely by the English and Dutch within their own but likewise by the adjacent Colonies Manhattans River The Manhattans or Great River being the chiefest having with two wide Mouths wash'd the mighty Island Watouwaks falls into the Ocean The Southern Mouth is call'd Port May or Godyns Bay In the middle thereof lies an Island call'd The States Island and a little higher the Manhattans so call'd from the Natives which on the East side of the River dwell on the Main Continent They are a cruel People and Enemies to the Hollanders as also of the Sanhikans which reside on the Western Shore Farther up are the Makwaes and Mahikans which continually War one against another In like manner all the Inhabitants on the West side of the River Manhattan are commonly at Enmity with those that possess the Eastern Shore who also us'd to be at variance with the Hollanders when as the other People Westward kept good Correspondency with them On a small Island near the Shore of the Makwaes lay formerly a Fort provided with two Drakes and eleven Stone Guns yet was at last deserted Wholesom Waters This Countrey hath many removable Water-falls descending from steep Rocks large Creeks and Harbors fresh Lakes and Rivulets pleasant Fountains and Springs some of which boyl in the Winter and are cold and delightful to drink in Summer The Inhabitants never receive any damage by Deluges neither from the Sea because the Water rises not above a Foot nor by the swelling Rivers which sometimes for a few days covering the Plains at their deserting them leave them fat and fruitful The Sea-Coast is Hilly and of a sandy and clayie Soil which produces abundance of Herbs and Trees The Oak grows there generally sixty or seventy Foot high Trees and for the most part free from Knots which makes it the better fit for Shipping The Nut-trees afford good Fuel and a strange Prospect when the Wood is set on fire either to hunt out a Deer or to clear the Ground fit to be Till'd Some Plants brought hither grow better than in Holland it self as Apples Pears Cherries Peaches Apricocks Strawberries and the like Their Vines grow wild in most places and bear abundance of blue white Vines and Muskadine Grapes Sometime since the Inhabitants made a considerable advantage by the Wine of them which is not inferior to either Rhenish or French Water Lemmmons All manner of Plants known in Europe grow in their Gardens The Water-Lemmons no less pleasing to the Palate than healthful when grown ripe they are about the bigness of an indifferent Cabbage the English press
spoil their lustre yet 't is not to be doubted but if rightly order'd there will be found many of value and the Fishing for them turn to some account Besides the easie Provisions which the Rivers and Sea afford their Woods are well stock'd with Deer Rabbets Hares Turtle-Doves Phesants Partridges and an infinite number of Wood-Pigeons and wild Turkies which are the ordinary Dishes of the Indians whose House-keeping depends on their Fishing and Hunting and who have found it no ill way of Living in so fertile a Countrey to trust themselves without any labor or forecast to the Supplies which are there provided to their hands without the continual trouble of Tillage and Husbandry Besides these Woods are fill'd with innumerable variety of smaller Birds as different in their Notes as Kinds Temperatine of the Clâ—mate The Temperature of this Province is agreeable to a Countrey whose Position is on the warmer side of the temperate Zone but yet the Heat is not so sultry nor offensive as in Places under the same Latitude in the Old World to which moderation of Heat as well as the healthiness of it the vast Atlantick Ocean lying to the East and South of it may perhaps not a little contribute an instance whereof some think China to be to which deservedly admir'd Countrey Carolina exactly answers in its Position and Latitude the trending from North-East to South-West of its Coast and the lowness of its Shore and wants nothing but Inhabitants to make it equal if not excell in all conveniences of Life as it doth in richness of Soil that flourishing Empire The healthiness of the Air is such that it is not onely benign and favorable to the home-bred Indians and Constitutions accustom'd to it but the English-men who first Planted on Ashley River though for some other Conveniences they Planted on the side or almost middle of a Morass and were encompass'd with a salt Marsh where the Air pent up with Woods that surrounded them had not that freedom it hath in open and cultivated Countreys yet lost not in a whole years time of a considerable number any one Person of any Disease to be imputed to the Countrey those few that dy'd in that time sinking under lingring Distempers which they brought with them and had almost worn them out before they came thither The Bermudians who being accustom'd to the pure Air of their own Island cannot without hazard of their Lives put themselves into any other Place assur'd of the healthiness of this Place which is the next Land to them and under the same Latitude venture hither And generally all the English Planting in the West-Indies are so taken with the Conveniences of this Countrey which as some of the most considerable of the English in those Parts say of it promises all that the Heart of Man can wish that they send the overplus of their People hither to which the Inhabitants of Barbados a skilful and wary sort of Planters well knowing in all the parts of the West-Indies have been found to remove the Hands they could spare As the Summer is not intolerably nor offensively hot so the Winter is not troublesom nor pinching but enough to correct the Humors of Mens Bodies the better to strengthen them and preserve their Healths and so far to check the growth of Plants that by this stop they may put out more regularly and the Corn and other Fruits the better ripen together and be ready seasonably at the Harvest the want whereof in some Countreys hinders the beneficial Growth of several valuable Commodities the continual Spring all the year long making that their Crops are never ready their Trees being laden with green and ripe Fruit at the same time which is to be seen in the Vines growing between the Tropicks where though they bear excellent Grapes yet they cannot make any Wine whilest the mixture of ripe and sowre Grapes upon the same Branch renders them unfit for the Press which from Grapes so blended though of a good kind would squeeze out a very crude and useless Liquor This also is the reason why many Parts where our Wheat will grow very well do yet lose the benefit of it whilest the several Ears ripening unequally never make the Crop fit for the Sickle But this Countrey hath Winter enough to remove that Inconvenience and to put such a stop to the Rise of the Sap and the Budding of Plants as to make the several kinds of Fruits Bud and Blossom in their distinct Seasons and keep even pace till they are fit to be gather'd Nature Constitutions and Manners of the Inhabitants To this happy Climate the native Inhabitants are very well suited a strong lusty and well shap'd People who to their well knit and active Bodies want not stout and vigorous Minds they are a People of a good Understanding well Humor'd and generally so just and Honest that they may seem to have no notice of as their Language hath no word for Dishonesty and Cheating and the worst Name they have for ill Men is that they are not good They are a stout and valiant People which appears in the constant Wars they are engag'd in not out of covetousness and a desire of usurping others Possessions or to enrich themselves by the Spoils of their Neighbors but upon a pitch of Honor and for the glory of Victory which is their greatest joy there being no parts of their Lives wherein they enjoy so much satisfaction and give themselves so wholly to Jollity as in their Triumphs after Victory Valor therefore is the Vertue they most esteem and reward and he which hath behav'd himself well in the Wars is suffer'd to wear the Badges of Honor and is advanc'd beyond others with some Marks of his Courage which amongst some is blacking the Skin below his Eyes with black Lead in fashion something of an Half-Moon which Mark of Courage is not suffer'd to be worn by any but those who by some brave Action as killing the Enemy's Leader c. hath signaliz'd himself in their Encounters They are faithful to their Promises fair and candid in their Dealings and so far from Dishonesty that they want even the Seeds of it viz. Forecast and Covetousness and he will be very little apt to deceive you to Day who troubles not himself much about to Morrow and trusts for the Provisions of the Day to the Day it self which proceeds not in them for want of Wit but desire of Content and Quiet or by the help of their natural Reason they enjoy that Happiness which the Philosophers could not by their Study and Reading attain to whilest these Men cut off those Desires which Learning could never help the other to Govern and which if once permitted to run out beyond the present are capable of no rest nor Bounds In their Conversation they are courteous and civil and in their Visits make Presents to one another when they meet their way of Salutation is stroaking on the
upon the place and was content himself to march quietly away with the rest 3. Ochalis a Town consisting of about five or six hundred Sheds and Cottages likewise of the Natives 4 Vittacuche a Burrough of two hundred Houses There is also on the the Eastern Shore of this Peninsula St. Matthews a Place possess'd and well fortifi'd by the Spaniards and St. Augustines on the same Shore but lying somewhat more Southerly than the other at the Mouth of a River of the same Name taken and sack'd by Sir Francis Drake in the Year 1585. SECT II. Jucatan YUCATAN Conventus Iuridici Hispaniae Novae Pars Occidâ—â—talis et GUATIMALA CONVENTUS IURIDICUS St. FRANCISCO DE CAMPECHE The chief Towns of the Province are 1. Merida in the Navel of the Countrey and the Seat of the Governor twelve Leagues distant from the Sea on either side 2. Valladolidt thirty Leagues distant from Nerida 3. Campeche a great Town consisting of about three thousand Houses or more when first conquer'd by the Spaniards who found such Monuments of Art and Industry in it as did clearly argue that the Place had been once possess'd by some People that were not barbarous It is now call'd St. Francisco and was surpriz'd in the Year 1596. by Captain Parker an English-man who took the Governor himself and some other Persons of Quality with him together with a Ship richly laden with Gold and Silver besides other Commodities of good value 4. Tabasco by the Spaniard now call'd Villa de Nuestra Sennora de Victoria and commonly Victoria onely in memory as 't is thought of the first great Victory which Cortez otain'd over these People at the Battel of Potonchan as hath been said 5. Cintla 6. Potonchan 7. Salamanca All along the Coast of this Countrey there lie certain Islands some within the Bay or Gulph call'd Honduras pertaining to the next Province as 1. La Zarza 2. La Desconescida 3. Vermeia 4. Los Negrillos and some without it as 1. Zaratan 2. Pantoia 3. De Mugeres or The Island of Women so nam'd by the Spaniards who at their first Discovery of these Parts for a long time together could meet with none but Women The chief of them is call'd Acusamil commonly Cozamul and is fifteen Leagues in length and about five in breadth and was as it were the Thoro-wfare or Common Road of the Spaniards when they first discover'd the Countreys of New Spain For first here Landed Ferdinando de Corduba after him John de Grialva and others and last of all the fortunate Cortez It is now call'd St. Crux CHAP. IV. Guatimala It s Situation and Bounds GUatimala stretcheth to the Isthmus or Neck of Land which as we said joineth the Northern and Southern parts of the New World together This Countrey is bounded Northward with the Peninsula of Jucatan abovesaid and part of the Gulph or Bay of Honduras on the South with Mare del Zur on the East and South-East it hath Castella Aurea and on the West New Spain The length of it lieth upon the Coast of Mare del Zur and is said to be little less than three hundred Leagues but the breadth not half so much and in some places very narrow It is generally a fertile and good Countrey in all respects but especially abounding in Cattel and good Pastures it is subdivided into seven inferior Provinces or Countreys which are 1. Chiapa 2. Verapaz 3. Honduras 4. Nicaragua 5. Veragua 6. Costa Rica and 7. Guatimala specially so call'd all differing in Language and Customs one from another The Bishoprick as it is now call'd of Chiapa is border'd on the West with New Spain on the East with Vera Paz and on the South with Mare del Zur It is a Countrey much shaded with Woods and those replenish'd with many fair and goodly Trees of divers sorts and of the largest size as Oaks Pines Cedar Myrtle and Cypress-Trees besides others which yield them a good kind of Rozen precious Gums c. also several sorts of Balsom as white red green and black not onely pleasant to the Scent but an excellent Remedy for all manner of green Wounds the best of it drops out of the cut Bodies of the Trees and the worst is press'd out of the Wood and Leaves Trees and Plants There are also proper to this Countrey several other kinds of Trees and Plants as that whose Fruit tastes like Pepper and Cloves being of a great heighth a Tree whose Leaves cure all ulcerated Sores or the bitings of any poysonous Beast There is a sort of Cabbage call'd Ilantas which grows to the heighth of a Tree so that Birds make their Nests in them they are eaten likewise like other common Cabbages There is also an Herb with narrow Leaves which is no sooner touch'd but it shrinks up to nothing but at the going away of those which touch it it obtains its former vigour Here are likewise Quails Birds Ducks Geese Pheasants Parrots Turtle-Doves Pigeons and the like in great abundance Amongst the several sorts of Falcons which breed in this Countrey there is one sort which hath one Foot proper to its kind the other like that of a Goose it feeds on Fish along the Rivers The Bird Toto-Queztall which is somewhat smaller than a Pigeon with green Feathers and a long Tail is taken onely for its Tail which when the Indians have pull'd out they let the Bird fly again there being a Law amongst them that whosoever kills one of them is to suffer death The Cranes here are of a dark Gray the biggest of them have a tuft of Feathers like a Crown upon their Heads The Birds Guacamayes which are red and blue are like a Peruan Goose Birds Moreover the Countrey yields brave Horses Goats Sheep Rabbets and Foxes Beasts also wild Dogs Leopards Lyons and Tygers The wild Hogs which breed here have their Navels on their Backs and have no Tails they smell exceeding strong and feed together in great Companies The Taquatrin a certain Beast proper to those Parts hath a Bag under its Belly in which it generally carries seven or more young ones and hath also a bald Tail it creeps into Houses in the Night to steal Hens Here is also a certain Beast whose Name we find not about the bigness of a Rabbet and like a Rat and carries its young ones on its back whensoe're it comes abroad The Serpents which are very numerous here trouble the Inhabitants exceedingly especially near the Village Ecatepeque where there are such an abundance on two little Hills that none dares approach them some of them are very poysonous for if touch'd with a Stick the Poyson runs up the same and whoever are anointed with the Blood of a dead Serpent die a lingring Death John de Laet relates that the Indians took one which carried thirty young ones which being a Finger long crep up and down immediately and the old one being above twenty Foot long serv'd the Natives
himself to Avalon to inspect his Concerns there in Person from whence returning the same year he Embarqu'd himself again together with his Lady and all his Family except his eldest Son for Avalon the year following at which time there being then War between England and France he redeem'd above twenty Sail of English Ships which had been taken there that year by French Men of War whereof one Monsieur De la Rade had the chief Command and shortly after took six French Fishing Ships upon that Coast and sent them the same year with a great many French-men Prisoners into England Coming thence he left a Deputy there and continu'd the Plantation till his Death which was in April 1632. After whose Decease it descended of right to his Son and Heir Cecil now Lord Baltemore who thereupon sent one Captain William Hill as his Deputy thither to take possession thereof and to manage his Interest there for him Captain Hill according to his Commission shortly after repair'd thither and liv'd some years at the Lord Baltemore's House at Ferryland above mention'd In the thirteenth Year of King Charles the First of England c. about the Year of our Lord 1638. Marquess Hamilton Earl of Pembroke Sir David Kirk and others under pretence that the Lord Baltemore had deserted that Plantation obtain'd a Patent of all New-found Land wherein Avalon was included and shortly after dispossess'd the Lord Baltemore of his Mansion House in Ferryland and other Rights there and during the late Rebellion in England kept possession but His now Majesty King Charles the Second immediately after his most happy Restauration in the Year 1660 upon the now Lord Baltemore's Petition thought fit to refer the whole Matter to be Examin'd by Sir Orlando Bridgeman then Lord-Chief Justice now Lord-Keeper of the Great Seal of England and others to report the true state thereof to His Majesty together with their Opinions thereupon The Referrees accordingly upon full hearing of Council on both sides certifi'd That they conceiv'd the said Patent to Sir George Calvert to be a good Patent in force and not avoided by the later to Sir David Kirk and others and that the Title and Interest to the said Province did therefore belong to the Lord Baltemore Whereupon His Majesty on the twentieth of March in the same Year Order'd the Possession thereof to be re-deliver'd to his Lordship which was accordingly executed Since which time his Lordship has peaceably enjoy'd the possession thereof and continues the Plantation to this day by deputing Lieutenants there from time to time for the better Government of that Province the rest of New found Land remaining still to the aforesaid Proprietors claiming by the Patent of 13 Car. 1. The Commodities that are either by Art or Nature produc'd there are the same with those of the remainder of New-found Land The Winter there is extream cold the Summer very hot but withal pleasant and during that Season there is great plenty of Pasture for Cattel The Coast of this Province is very safe and as well furnish'd with variety of bold and pleasant Harbors as any other part of New-found Land where the English likewise Fish for Cod the lesser sort whereof is call'd Poor-John which is there caught in great abundance especially at Ferryland and in the Bay of Bulls Besides these two there are divers other excellent Harbors on the Eastern Shore of Avalon as Capling Bay Cape Broyle Brittus Isle of Spears Barrom Cove Whitburns Bay and Petit Harbour above mention'd On the West are the Bay of Placentia and several other good Harbors There are no Indians in Avalon and but few English by reason of the excessive Cold in Winter though Sir David Kirk and his Lady and also his Family liv'd in the Lord Baltemore's House at Ferryland for the space of ten years and upwards The Soil seems to promise great store of Mines which probably may in time be disover'd The late Lord Baltemore took accidentally a piece of Oar up that lay there upon the surface of the Earth and brought it with him into England which was found upon trial to yield a greater proportion of Silver than the Oar of Potosi in the West-Indies but hitherto no Mine of it hath been discover'd there The Trade of Fishing being of so great concernment to the Nation of England the same if it be well manag'd in this Island of Terra Nova will employ every year above two hundred Sail of English Ships and ten thousand Mariners besides the great benefit which may accrue unto the Nation by Imposition upon Strangers there which would amount to several thousands of Pounds per Annum with which those Coasts may be Guarded and Ships Trading thither secur'd besides the great Customs by the Ships call'd The Sacks being commonly in great numbers every year who carry Fish from New-found Land into the Straights France Portugal and Spain and who bring their Returns into England as Bullion and all other native Commodities of those Countreys If the Island were well fortifi'd we might Command all those of other Nations that come to Fish in New-found Land to pay Contribution in Fish or otherwise for their Priviledge to Fish there the said Island being first Planted by English and pertaining to the Kingdom of England or if occasion should require they might be utterly debarr'd of Fishing there The Trade of Fishing is of so great concernment to France Spain Portugal the Straights and other Parts that they cannot well be without that yearly Supply in Fish which comes from that Island Neither can the Hollanders Spaniards or Portuguese well set any Ships to the West-Indies without New-found Land Fish there being none that will endure to pass the Line sound and untainted but the Fish of that Countrey salted and dry'd there And so long as the Act continues still in force That no Fish be Transported from the said Island but in English Bottoms it will contribute very much to our encrease of Shipping there and by consequence of the employment of Mariners and the Fishing of that part of the Island will be solely appropriated to the English Nation to whom of right it belongs which will prove the greatest Ballance of Trade in that part of the World and that whereas above two hundred Sail do Trade thither yearly to Fish if a thousand Sail come if there be but Fisher-men enow they may all have Fraughtage there The French if once the Island be fortifi'd will be depriv'd of their Nursery of Mariners this being the onely place besides Canada and one or two adjacent Coasts where they come for supply of Fish with which that Nation cannot be furnish'd so well from other Parts By well Planting and Fortifying New-found Land the Trading to Virginia New England and those Parts would be much encourag'd New England having had of late great Traffick with New-found Land where they vend the Growth of their Plantation Besides New-found Land is a Key to the Gulf of
bold Exploit we shall give a particular Account of it from a late Writer who hath set forth the Life of that brave English Heroe In the Year of our Lord 1580. about the end of February setting Sail from St. Christophers for Hispaniola by the Way they met with a small Frigat bound for San Domingo and the Men of her being Examin'd one assur'd them that the Haven of it was a barr'd Haven and the Shore well fortifi'd so that there was no convenient Landing within ten English Miles of the City whither this Man undertook to conduct them January the first they Landed ten Miles from the City and marching thither under the Command of the Lieutenant General arriv'd about one a Clock in the Afternoon when they came near about a hundred and fifty Gentlemen well Mounted presented themselves against them but the small Shot playing upon them they departed and the English proceeded towards the two Gates of the City that lay towards the Sea both which the Spaniards had Mann'd and planted their Ordnance without the Gates and some small Shot in an Ambush by the Way-side The English being about twelve hundred Men divided themselves the Lieutenant-General leading the one half to one Gate and Captain Powel the other half to the other Gate vowing that with God's assistance they would not rest till they met in the Market-place No sooner had the Spaniards discharg'd their Ordnance doing some little Execution but the Lieutenant-General hasted or rather ran upon them to prevent their Charging again and notwithstanding their Ambush entred Pell Mell with them into the Gate not staying till he came into the Market-place unto whom shortly after came Captain Powel with his Companies This Place they strengthned with Barricado's the City being too large to be guarded by so small and weary an Army And after Mid-night they in the Castle hearing some of the English busie about the Gate quitted it some being taken Prisoners and others escaping by Boats The next day the English enlarg'd their Quarters and fortifi'd themselves and held the Town for a Moneths space During this time the General sent a Negro Boy with a Flag of Truce to the Spaniards who by the Way was met by some Officers of the Galley which the English had taken together with the City who furiously thrust the poor Boy through the Body who returning to the General and having declar'd how barbarously they had us'd him fell down and died in his Presence The General being much mov'd herewith commanded the Provost-Martial to take two Fryers and to carry them to the same place with a sufficient Guard and there to hang them and withal he sent one of the Prisoners to inform the Spaniards why he did it and to tell them that till the Party who had thus murder'd his Messenger were deliver'd to him there should no day pass wherein he would not hang two Prisoners till all were consum'd Hereupon the day following the Murtherer was brought and an Offer made to deliver him to the General who yet thought it more honorable to make them perform the Execution themselves in the sight of the English which was done accordingly During their abode here Commissioners oft pass'd between the Spaniards and them about the Ransom of the City but not agreeing the English spent every Morning till the heat of the Day in firing and destroying the Houses in the outward part of the City two hundred Mariners being employ'd therein for divers days yet were the Houses built so magnificently and strongly of Stone that they could not consume one third part of the Town all that time whereupon the General was contented to accept of twenty five thousand Ducats of 5 s. 6 d. apiece to spare the rest Here his Soldiers met with good Pillage especially of rich Apparel but Treasure they found none for the Spaniards by their Cruelties had so destroy'd the Natives who us'd to work in the Mines of Gold and Silver that they were wholly given over and in that Island they were forc'd to use Copper Money yet they found store of Wine Oyl Vinegar Wheat Woollen and Linnen Cloth some Silks c. which much reliev'd them there was but little Plate found but good store of Porcelane or China Dishes yet some they found and very costly Houshold-stuff PORTO RICO Hispaniola is surrounded with several other Isles as 1. Eastward appears Saona full of pleasant Woods and Pastures with Cattel feeding on them in former times it produc'd much Cazabi for the City Domingo but since the Spaniards murder'd all the Inhabitants Anno 1502. it hath never been inhabited 2. The Rocky Shelf St. Catalina 3. Abaque 4. Navaza 5. Guanabo 6. Tortuga abounding in Hogs and 7. Beata famous for the excellent speckled Wood which grows there and a swift River which oftentimes detains the Ships there whole Moneths CHAP. XIV Porto Rico and Monico Bounds and Extent of Porto Rico. ANother of those call'd The Isles of Barlovento is Boriquen anciently so nam'd but now more generally Porto Rico from St. Juan de Porto Rico its chief Town is an Island fifteen Leagues distant from Santa Crux to the North-West and about as many from Hispaniola to the South-East but from the Continent or main Land of Paria which seems to be the nearest a hundred and thirty or a hundred thirty six as some reckon It lieth almost in a quadrangular Form being suppos'd to contain about thirty Leagues in length and not less than twenty in breadth in eighteen and nineteen Degrees of Northern Latitude The Island on the North which is less fruitful than the South part produces Gold and is generally water'd with many Rivers There is also Silver Tin Lead Quicksilver and Azure us'd by Painters The Rain generally falls there between May and August A little before or in the beginning of Harvest the Hurricanes breaking forth from the Clouds rage in such a manner that it is impossible for any Ships to endure the Sea and a Northern Blast generally doth great damage to the Plants here Twenty three Rivers discharge their Waters also into the Ocean Rivers amongst which the chiefest is Cairabon particularly noted for ten Sugar-Mills which are erected upon its Banks The Hills Trees Plains and Valleys are invested with variety of Trees peculiar to this place as Tabunuco which affords a medicinal Gum good against Lameness and green Wounds it is also of great use to preserve a Ship 's Keel from the Worms Another Tree call'd Maga is everlasting Wood and bears a great Flower like a Rose The Leaves of the Higillo Pintado-Tree cures all manner of Bruises The same power is also in the little Tree Sancta Maria as likewise in another by the Spaniards call'd Balsamo The Body of the Tree Zoyla is so thick that fifteen Men holding Hands together cannot encompass the same The speckled Wood and Cassia Fistula grow also here in great abundance The poisonous Apple-Tree Here is likewise
Apple-Trees which grow by Rivers sides or on the Sea-shore whose Fruit is rank Poyson and who-ever sleeps under the shadow of them will certainly be Lame The Fruit eaten generally causes Death or if Nature be so strong in him that eats of it to overcome the same yet he is certain to lose his Hair As hurtful is the prickly Herb Quibey which bears white Flowers like Violets The Tree Gaiaba But this Island receives the greatest prejudice by the Tree Guaiaba because it grows in most places and over-runs Plains and Hills so spoiling all the Grass between which and the fore-mention'd Tree there is such an antipathy that none will grow near it The Tree bears a brown Apple full of Kernels which are eaten by Beasts and Fowls and from which falling on the Ground when ripe grow up in new Trees which makes the Countrey a meer Wilderness The Body of it is smooth and of a pale colour the Leaves hard and glittering and grow two and two over one another the Flowers have also five Leaves in the middle of which rises a Crown like that on a Peacock's Head The Fruit which is cover'd with a soft Doun and somewhat longer than the European Apple when cut through hath a pale red Pulp full of eatable Kernels before it is ripe it is of a sharp taste yet good boyl'd but when ripe of a most delicious and pleasant rellish nevertheless too much of it causes a Lask The Roots which are red without and white within are juicy sweet and very long the Leaves sallow and sowre of taste The Beast Javaris Amongst the strange Beasts the Javaris Opassum and Tatow are the most remarkable The Javaris are taken for a sort of wild Hogs and have short Ears and a Navel on their Backs little Tails some black and some spotted white The Opassum The Opassum is as big as a Cat hath a sharp Mouth the upper Jaw-bone hanging over the lower long straight and broad Ears and a very long Tail bald at the end which winds in a Circle on it s Back black Hair sprinkled with grey Spots and with its sharp Claws climbs up the Trees where it feeds on Fruit and sometimes preys on Fowls Nature hath furnish'd this Beast with a strange Bag under its Belly whereof the in-side hath a far softer Doun than the out-side in which the young ones lie and suck after which the Bag opening they creep out upon the Ground The Males have also a Bag which serves onely to carry their Young in for they and the Females carry them by turns The Tatow The Tatow which is arm'd with sharp Scales hath the Mouth of a Hog and at each Foot five sharp Nails when it is Hunted or goes to sleep in the Night it draws its Head Legs and Tail under its scaly Coat of Mail like a Tortoise and in that manner lies secure against all manner of danger The Venison taken here is very delicate but difficult to be got for this Beast having a breathing-place in its Back never tires with running and when encompass'd by the Dogs falls valiantly on those that are nearest to it and often tears them in pieces Chief Towns and Citiâ—s The chief Towns in this Island are 1. Porto Rico it self commonly call'd St. John de Porto Rico so term'd by Christopher Columbus as being the first Land discover'd by him in the Year 1493. at that time when he could not perswade his Seamen wearied out with continual hardship from returning if they discover'd not Land in two days a strong and neat Town built by the Command of Philip the Second King of Spain It was attempted by Sir Francis Drake in the Year 1595. without success but a few years after taken by the Earl of Cumberland 2. St. Germans in the West part of the Island three or four Leagues distant from the Sea 3. Arrecibo Westward from Porto Rico where the most noted Haven is of those Parts for all the others are full of Rocks and Sands The antient Inhabitants of this Island maintain'd continual Wars with the Cannibals probably the Natives of the Islands so call'd who us'd every year to come thither those that were conquer'd as well of the one side as of the other were eaten by the Conquerors so that in effect both sides were but a different sort of Cannibals Columbus Landing here found a great House surrounded with twelve others but all of them empty and desolate This Island which formerly is said to have been under the absolute Power of one sole King the Spaniards not much regarded at first having enough to do with Hispaniola where they found more Gold than on Porto Rico. The building of St. Germans Anno 1510. John Ponce de Leon obtain'd a Commission from the Court of Spain to be chief Governor of this Island and built Caparra which Place was inhabited twelve years notwithstanding it stood behind a scraggy Mountain in a desart place far up in the Countrey but their thirst after Gold of which some Veins were discover'd there made them dispence with all other inconveniences yet at last beginning to be weary of this desolate and barren place of Settlement they remov'd to Guanica water'd by many Rivers whose Sands had great quantities of Gold-dust Not staying long there they went four Leagues farther and call'd their new Plantation Soto Major Lastly returning again they setled themselves in the former Valley Guanica and built the fore-mention'd Town St. Germans by the River Guaorabo which makes an inconvenient Haven The Situation Description and â—ate of St. Juan de Porto Rico. Juan de Porto Rico stands Eastward at the beginning of the North Coast on a small Peninsula joyn'd to the Island by an high Isthmus call'd Puente de Aguilar Near the Mouth of the Haven lies on a rising Hill the Fort Morro Empinado built triangular by John de Texila and Baptista Antonelli who also planted there forty Guns and surrounded with the Sea which renders it a well fortifi'd place The Governor Diego Mendez de Valdez had in it fifteen hundred Men and eighty Horses when the foremention'd valiant Duke of Cumberland with a far less number fell upon him in the Year 1597. and not onely took the City Porto Rico but several other Fortifications and besides an invaluable mass of Treasure he carried away eighty Guns Sometime before this Defeat the Spaniards under the Government of Christopher Son to the Portuguese Duke of Camigna were Invaded by the Cannibals and all that were then upon the place utterly destroy'd none of them escaping but the Bishop and his Servants who betimes fled away with the Church Ornaments so that the Islanders from that time were put out of doubt that the Spaniards were mortal for they suppos'd them immortal when first they saw their great Ships and heard the noise of their thundering Cannon The Casique Yaguara's Experiment Hugh Linschot relates That the Casique Yaguara threw a Spaniard
who was taken there in the Year 1665. which will give light to the knowledge of the present State not onely of Cuba but of some other parts of America belonging to the Spaniards which is as followeth Maj. Smith's Letter concerning Cuba and other Parts CUba is a very good Island and in it is generally the best Land for so large a Countrey as I have seen in America although I have travell'd the main Continent in several places and have cross'd from the North Sea to the South Sea as also the North side of Hispaniola and most parts of Jamaica Novissima et Accuratissima JAMAICAE DESCRIPTIO per JOHANNEM OGIâ—UIUM Cosmographum Regum I have seen other parts of the West-Indies where the Spaniards might be fleec'd of considerable quantities of Riches as at Panama where their Silver Bars lie pyl'd up in Heaps in the open Streets Day and Night without Guard for five or six Moneths together waiting the arrival of the Armado which when arriv'd in Puerto Bello they Transport it thither with so slender a Guard for so great a Treasure as would be an easie Prey to a thousand resolv'd Men although of extraordinary value for so small a Charge but here is no resting nor long remaining they being so numerous as in all other places of the main Land though of great Wealth and easily gotten with a Catch and away But to my purpose This Island of Cuba hath adjacent to it great Conveniences of Salt and Fishing and in it are very great plenty of Horses Neat Sheep and Hogs both wild and tame of a far larger and better breed than any other parts of America It hath also many very rich Mines of Copper already open and is the onely Place that supplies all the West-Indies with Metal for the infinite number of Ordnance they have in all their Ports and Castles both in the North and South Seas but whether it hath any Mines of Silver or Gold I know not but if there were any such they would not adventure their opening and discovery fearing the Invasion of that Island whereunto is so easie access by Sea and of so great import to their whole Interest in America for which reason also they refuse to work any Mines in Florida that are nigh the North Sea although they have there very many but do rather employ themselves about others farther up in the Countrey although with greater Labor and Cost for conveyance of the Product by Land to Mexico And lastly for its full praise this Island hath many very good Ports and Harbors of great advantage to Ships for safe passing the Gulf and should the Spaniards keep three or four Frigats always plying between the Western end of Cuba and that of Havana off and on it were impossible for any Ships of ours that came from Jamaica to escape them the Scales turn'd would be their Case to all America Neither wants it great Sugar-works which have Water-mills and Horse-mills and very many large Cocoa Walks the most and best Tobacco and in short it produceth all other Commodities that any of our American Islands have knowledge of CHAP. XVI Jamaica Situation and Extent of Jamaica THe Island of Jamaica lieth North from the Southern Continent of America in the Sea call'd Mare del Nort and South from the Isle of Cuba about twelve Leagues and West from Hispaniola twenty in eighteen Degrees of Northern Latitude and beareth from Rio de Hacha North-West a hundred and fifty Leagues from Santa Martha North North-West a hundred and thirty five from Rio Grande North-West a hundred and thirty from Carthagena North fourteen from Porto Bello North-East and by North a hundred and ninety from the Bay of Darien North and by East a hundred and seventy from the Bay of Mexico a hundred and fifty It is of Form something nearly resembling oval being in length from East to West about fifty four Leagues or a hundred and seventy Miles from North to South in the broadest and middlemost part about three and twenty Leagues or seventy Miles over and so groweth narrower and narrower towards each Extream in circumference about one hundred and fifty Leagues or four hundred and fifty English Miles Nature of the Countrey This Island is well water'd with Springs and Rivers and is all over especially in the Western parts full of high Hills and Mountains It is also well Wooded for the North and South parts chiefly abound with tall and large Woods Nor are there wanting every where Savanas or Pastures which are thought to have been Fields of Indian Maiz till the Spaniards arriving here brought in Horses Cows Hogs and Asinego 's to feed Temperature of the Air. The Air in this Place is more temperate and the Heat more tolerable than in any of the rest of the Barloventi by reason of the cool Breezes which constantly blow from the East and the frequency of Showers of Rain and refreshing Dews which fall in the Night This is also the onely Island of the Barloventi which is not subject to violent Storms and Hurricanes and the Diseases which are predominant here are onely bred by Intemperance as Surfets Feavers and Agues or occasion'd by ill Diet or Slothfulness Commodities of the Island The Commodities of this Island are very many and first for Vegetables the Sugars are so good that they now out-sell those of Barbado's 5 s. per Cent. Cocoa of which there are many large Walks and greater plenty by improvement may easily be produc'd Tobacco so good that the Merchants give Six pence a Pound for it and buy it faster than the Planters can make it Indigo is producible in great abundance if there were Hands sufficient employ'd about it The Cotton of this Place is accounted very firm and substantial and preferr'd before any that grows in the neighboring Islands Of Tortoise-shell there is also good store by reason that much of that sort of Tortoise is taken on this Coast Here are also great variety of Dye-woods as Brasiletto Fustwick Red-wood a kind of Log-wood and several others besides divers of those that are accounted the most curious and rich sorts of Woods as Cedar Mohogeney Lignum-vitae Ebony Granadilla and others which are frequently Exported Moreover there are very probable testimonies that there are Mines of Copper here since both there have been those who affirm to have seen the Oar wrought out of one of them and the Spaniards report the Bells that hang in the great Church to have been Cast out of this Island Copper As for Silver the English are said to have been shew'd a Silver-Mine behind the Mountains West of Cagway Ambergreece the Spaniards report to have been often found on this Coast Salt might be made here in great abundance there being three good Salt-pans and Salt-petre hath been found in many Parts Ginger is reported to grow better here than in most of the Caribbee Islands and Cod-pepper very plentifully and also a certain kind of
Belly This Fish swimming very swift oftentimes follows the Ships that Sail that way SECT IV. Anguilla Situation of Anguilla SOuthward at eighteen Degrees and twenty Minutes on this side of the Line appears Anguilla inhabited by the English containing ten Leagues in length It makes a pleasant Prospect because of the many Junipa-Trees which grow upon the same whose Boughs bend towards the Ground the Leaves are not unlike those of an Oak the Flowers both in smell and shape come near the Narcissus the Wood firm and grey may be neatly Plan'd the Tree bears fresh Leaves every Moneth and a Fruit like Apples which generally crack in their fall from the Tree because of their thin Shell as hath been already describ'd Oculiem a sort of Vine The Oculiem or Vine makes the Shore also very pleasant the Leaf round and thick hath a mixture of Red and Green the Bark incloseth a Violet-colour'd Wood the Boughs whereof are loaded with Violet Grapes which in stead of Kernels contain hard Stones SECT V. Saba Situation of Saba VVEstward from Anguilla at seventeen Degrees and thirty five Minutes lies Saba which shews at a great distance like a Rock The Inhabitants of St. Eustathius going thither found a pleasant Valley able to maintain many Families The Sea about this Island is so clear that a Stone may be seen lying on the bottom of it The Fish Bonito Amongst many other sorts of Fish the Bonito is the most remarkable which is thick and fleshy two Foot long with a dark green Back and white Belly without Scales It devours greedily all manner of Carrion SECT VI. St. Crux Situation and first Plantation of St. Crux NOrth of St. Christophers in eighteen Degrees and some Minutes lies St. Crux which the Caribbeeans who were beaten by the Apalachites first inhabiting call'd Ayay where Columbus found great opposition for the Women themselves shot poysonous Arrows at the Spaniards and before the Islanders submitted to them they took many Spanish Ships burnt their Villages and flay'd many of the Spaniards alive The Soil though Hilly is rich and fruitful The English Landing here Anno 1587. found a standing Pool whose Water made swell the Faces of those who wash'd themselves with the same before Sun-rising in such a manner that they were not able to see for several days after but they at last found a Fountain of wholsom Water DE STADT St. MARTIN URBS MARTINI A. 〈◊〉 B. 〈…〉 C. 〈◊〉 vigilune D. Mons Calvariae E. Littus in quod Hollandi descendant F. Area abi in ordines distrituti milites G. Vit per quam urbem invadem H. Stutiones Hollandoram I. Templum cathedrale K. Domus Prafecti urbis L. Templum Nosocomii M. Templum Dominici N. Monasteriam Franciscanorum O. Sacellum P. Littus quo appellabantur cijmba Hollandic◠Q. Sinus irgens R. Thevius aquae recontis S. Statis navium ante arcem The Trees which grow here are of four beneficial kinds Fruit-Trees serving for four several uses some yield Fruits of a pleasant taste and wholsom to eat some excellent Medicines others Timber for Building and others Stuff to Dye with Granates Oranges Lemmons and Citrons grow better here than in any place of the World But the Papaye-Tree is particularly worthy of our Description The Papaye It grows twenty Foot high without Boughs thick and streight hollow and spungy within bears three-corner'd Leaves hanging on long Stalks hollow in the middle and of a Fingers thickness on the top round about the Body of the Tree grow a sort of Fruit like Quinces This sort of Papaye-Tree grows on most of the Caribbee Islands but the second sort call'd Mamoa is to be found no where but on St. Crux it hath more Leaves than the first and a yellow Bark with green Streaks within full of round and sharp biting Grains the Blossoms thereof yield a sweet smell every Moneth the Tree produces new Fruit not unlike a Womans Breast whence it hath its Denomination as before observ'd and rellishing incomparably well SECT VII St. Martin Situation of St. Martin NOt far from St. Crux at eighteen Degrees and sixteen Minutes lies St. Martin which hath seven Leagues in length and five in breadth and is famous for many excellent Salt-Mines to preserve which the Spaniards built a City and Fort there The Island possess'd by the Dutch But Anno 1648. the Spaniard totally deserted this Island which Michael Adriaenszoon Ruiter hearing of brought several People from St. Eustathius and took possession of it in the Name of the States of the United Netherlands Yet they enjoy'd not long the entire Propriety for the Spaniards again went and claim'd those Places which were theirs upon the first gaining of the Island which the Hollanders allowing them they liv'd peaceably and quietly together each having their own Churches Store-houses Land and Negro's The Dutch Plantation was maintain'd by the Zealand Lords Lamsen and Van Ree There are divers Pools of salt Water in this Island which afford the Inhabitants store of Fish and especially Tortoises The Woods produce wild Hogs Pigeons Turtle-Doves and Parraquito's resembling a Parrot and which though much smaller are more apt to be taught Near the Salt-pools also breed Birds call'd Flammans Flammans not unlike a Jack-daw onely differing in Feathers for they are first white next ash-colour'd and at last turn red they seldom flye or sit alone but for the most part in great Flocks in open places and Moorish Grounds when some of them seek for their Food under Water one of them stands Centinel and on the least noise or appearance of a Man gives notice by Chirping to the rest who hereupon immediately flee away those that shoot them lie commonly hid under an Ox Hide About the same Pools breed likewise the American Swallows American Swallows with crooked Bills Feet like Ducks black Bodies white Bellies and long Tails SECT VIII St. Bartholomew Situation and Description of St. Bartholomew NEar St. Martin at sixteen Degrees lies the Island St. Bartholomew which being about five Leagues in circumference is surrounded with Rocks and was first Planted by De Poincy It makes a delightful Prospect because of the many Trees which grow on the same amongst which the most noted are the Soap-Trees whose Wood makes the Water Lather and washes as well as Soap but they are of two sorts for in some this soapy Quality is contain'd in a round yellow Fruit not unlike a Plumb in others a white soft Root supplies the office The little Tree Canopia out of whose Bark drops a Gum The Canopia-Tree grows also very pleasant the Body being divided into several Branches the Leaves are discolour'd being underneath of a dark Green and of a brighter at the top the Flower consists of five Leaves and closes at last into a kind of Cherry full of yellow Juice and white Pulp it blossoms generally in October and December and bear ripes Berries
Pearl-fishing than the other two SECT III. Trinidado Situation of Trinidado THe Island of Trinidado was first discover'd by Columbus Anno 1447. in his third Voyage and by him so call'd as some guess from its three Points or Promontories but that seems not so probable in regard it is otherwise call'd La Trinidad or Insula Sanctae Trinitatis and therefore is likely to have been denominated upon a religious Account It lieth nine Degrees or thereabouts distant from the Line at the Mouth of the River Orenoque and is separated from the Coast of Paria over against which it lies by a Straight that is three Miles over and which for the dangerousness of passing it Columbus the first Discoverer of it call'd Bocca del Draco the length thereof from the most Southern Angle call'd Punta del Andrada to the North-East call'd Punta del Galera is reckon'd twenty five Leagues those that reckon fifty may be suppos'd to mistake Leagues for Miles and the breadth about eighteen Chief Commodities of the Island The Air of this Place is so impure that it is accounted the unwholsomest Island of all the Indies nevertheless the Soil is not unfertile as bringing forth Sugar-Canes Cotton Maize Tobacco of the best kind with other Commodities of the general growth of the West-Indies besides store of good Fruit and Cattel and one part of the Island call'd Terra de Bea produceth great plenty of Pitch but not of the best kind and there have been discover'd several Veins of Gold and other Metals The Natives some say were antiently call'd Cairi or Carai and were distinguish'd into several Clans or Tribes each under the Government of a Casique or petty Prince but most of them dreading the Spaniards Cruelty deserted the Island and Setled themselves in Guiana and at present both this Place Guiana and El Dorado have of Custom one and the same Governor whose Place of Residence here is St. Josephs the chief if not onely Town of the Island it stands Southward upon the Carone Here most of that Tobacco is made which is sold amongst us for Spanish In the Year 1595. Sir Walter Raleigh possess'd himself of it being then but a petty Village of about forty Houses and took Prisoner the then Governor Antonio Berreo who in all probability to ingratiate himself with him gave him some light towards the discovery of Guiana On the North-East of Trinidado and not above eight Miles distant from it Tabago lies the Island of Tabago which hath been already treated of as one of the Caribbees though some will have it one of the Sotavento it is otherwise call'd New Walcheren from a Town of that Name in Zealand from whence a Colony of Netherlanders was sent to Plant it Amongst others of the small obscure Islands hereabouts is Virgin Gorda Virgin Gorda which is sometimes reckon'd amongst the Caribbee Islands but since there is nothing considerable to be spoken of it it is sufficient that it hath been mention'd though not punctually in its proper place CHAP. XX. California California how distinguish'd HAving before made mention of California as it is by some taken for that large portion of Northern America which lies most Southward and also utmost West of all that is known of the New World and having treated of those several Provinces which are generally reckon'd to be comprehended in it excepting California strictly taken as it is generally granted to be an Island viz. Quivira Cibola and Nova Albion lying on the Continent though there want not those who make Nova Albion onely the North part of California we shall close up our Discourse of these Islands that lie Northward of the Equinoctial Line with the aforesaid California specially so call'd which was by many thought and describ'd to be but a Peninsula or half Island by reason that the Bay which divides it from Quivira and New Gallicia towards the North runneth much narrower than it doth Southerly 〈…〉 that some where or other at the North it waâ— joyn'd to the 〈…〉 been â—aid have â—â—und it to bâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—aâ—e from the Continent for about the Yâ—◠〈…〉 upon those Coasts Northward accidentally 〈…〉 fell upon a Straight the Waters whereof ran with such 〈…〉 â—hat they brought them into Mar Vermiglio whether they 〈…〉 no and before they knew it and by that means discover'd that California was an Island and that the Waters which were observ'd to fall so violently unto that Sea towards the North were not the Waters of any River emptying it self into the Bay from the Main Land as was formerly thought but the Waters of the North-West Sea it self violently breaking into the Bay and dividing it wholly from the Continent It lieth North and South extending it self in a vast length full twenty Degrees of Latitude viz. from twenty two to forty two but the breadth nothing answerable The most Northern Point of it is call'd Cape Blanche that to the South Cape St. Lucas memorable for that rich and gallant Prize which Captain Cavendish in the Year 1587. being then in his Voyage about the World took from the Spaniards near to this Place As for the Island it self it is at present little if at all inhabited by the Spaniards whether it be that they want Men to furnish new Plantations or that they find no matter of invitation and encouragement from the Countrey or perhaps that the access thither be not so easie for 't is reported to be wonderfully well peopled by the Natives and that there were found onely upon the Coasts and along the Shore of Mar Vermiglio twenty or twenty three Nations all of different Languages though from the particular Narrations that have been made of the Voyages of several eminent Persons into these Parts it appears that the Spaniards have taken great pains in the discovery thereof and also from the several Spanish Names of Places that they have had Plantations here formerly however neglected at present The Customs and Manners of the Natives The Countrey is abundantly well stor'd with Fish and Fowl as appears partly by the Natives who take a huge pride in making themselves gay with the Bones of the one with which they load their Ears and sometimes their Noses also and with the Feathers of the other which ordinary People wear onely sticking about their Wastes but Great Persons and such as will be fine indeed beset their Heads strangely with them and have commonly one Bunch of them bigger than ordinary hanging down behind them like a Tail Having no knowledge of the true God they worship what the Devil will have them that is the Sun attributing to it onely the increase of their Plants healthful Seasons and most of the other good things they enjoy or are sensible of Their Government is said to be onely Oeconomical Their Government each Father ordering the Affairs of his Family apart without subjection to any other Superior yet so well manag'd that they live in good
Men and the other Captains being Parker North Thornap and Sir Walter Raleigh's Son The Spaniards having a Garrison at Orinoque fir'd very fiercely at the English who suffer'd great damage and amongst divers others Captain Raleigh himself was slain whilest the other five Sail lay near the Island Trinidad under John Pennington's Command who daily fear'd the Spanish Fleet. But Keymes found it very difficult to Land in Orinoque by reason of the Banks along the Shore which Diego de Palameque from Puerto Rico kept strongly guarded therefore going to an even Shore with intention to Land he was so sharply receiv'd by a Body of Spanish Musquetteers that divers of his Men were mortally wounded yet breaking in amongst them he went towards the Gold-Mines to which the Way led through a Wood where the Spaniards lay in Ambuscade but he judg'd himself too weak to do any good upon the Mines one of which belong'd to Peter Rodrigo de Parama a second to Herviano Frontino and the third to Francisco Fashardo The English also were fearful by reason of the Spaniards Cruelties who not long before had flay'd several Merchants alive Raleigh upon Gundamor's Accusation Beheaded so that Keymes contented himself with pillaging and burning the Town St. Thomas which the Spaniards had deserted Soon after which Captain Whitby ran away with a Ship from the Fleet whilest Keymes return'd back to Raleigh who laid several things to his Charge concerning the unnecessary Expence and shame of such an unsuccessful Voyage which so wrought upon Keymes that he offer'd to lay violent hands on himself in his Cabbin At length Raleigh returning to London was accus'd by the Spanish Ambassador Gundamor for the burning St. Thomas urging that his Master resented it so ill that he threatned to wage a War with England if Raleigh was not Executed who notwithstanding he alledg'd That the Spaniards shew'd the first Acts of Hostility against the English who onely defended themselves and that St. Thomas was burnt without his knowledge or Order and that Keymes had not observ'd his Command in the discovering of the Gold-Mines which Apologies were generally look'd upon as real Truths yet the King esteeming the Peace with Spain of more value than one Man's Life without taking notice of Gundemor's Accusations commanded that the Sentence formerly pass'd on him for Treason should be Executed and accordingly in the sixtieth year of his Age he was Beheaded discovering himself by his Christian Behavior and Profession at his Death to be a far other kind of Person than what the World had censur'd him to be Since this last Expedition of Sir Walter Raleigh we find not that there hath been any great Resort or Trade unto this Countrey except by a few Netherland Merchants who have yearly sent eight or nine Ships to the River Orinoque for Tobacco The temperature of the Air. As for the Air or Climate of Guiana it is very differing for about the Amazone River dry Weather begins about August and the windy and rainy Season about February but Westward towards Orinoque the Summer takes beginning in October and the Winter in April the Days and Nights are almost of an equal length and the difference of Heat and Cold is but little Burning-Feavers Dropsie and the Jawnes destroy many People here which last is not unlike the POX and proceeds from carnal Copulation with the Guianian Women who are naturally subject to this Disease The Nature of the Inhabitants The Inhabitants are divided into several sorts the chiefest whereof being the Caribbees go naked covering onely their Privities with a Lappet The Women though yellow are very comely and both Men and Women paint their Bodies with Netto which grows on little Trees in Cods They make Holes through their Noses Lips and Ears and hang Glass Bells pieces of Copper or any other Trifles that they get from the English and Netherlanders in them About their Necks Arms and Legs they wear Strings of Beads or Cockle-shells Their Houses with low Roofs serve them onely to sleep in the Night upon Cotton Hammocks for in the day-time they sit under high Arch'd open places that the Wind may blow full upon them Their Houshold-stuff consists of Earthen Pots and Dishes neatly painted They live in Tribes or Families together in a Town which is Govern'd by the eldest of them and their Militia is Commanded by one that is able to endure most Stripes with Switches without any shew of pain The chiefest of their Families have commonly three or four Wives whereas others are contented with one The Men seldom do any toilsom Work but make their Wives do all insomuch that as soon as a Woman is Deliver'd of a Child she must immediately go about her usual Employment whilest her Husband lies lozelling out his Moneth on a Hammock Their Language sounds not unpleasantly but is hard to learn because many words differ but little in the pronunciation and yet have quite another signification When they march into the Field against their Enemies then the General sends a Stick to all the Villages under his Jurisdiction on which are cut so many Notches as there are Days appointed before he intends to set forth which they cut out again as the Days expire and on the last they repair to the appointed place A not much unlike Custom they observe in all Promises and Bargains for they give one another as many Sticks as they desire Days to perform the same in and so throw away every day one till they have onely one remaining and then they begin to think of performing their Promise or Bargain They know no word whereby to express any greater number than Ten Twenty they express by laying their ten Fingers on their Toes and all that exceeds Twenty they compare to the Hairs of their Head crying Ounsa awara Some of the painted Canoos made of the Trunks of Trees will carry five or six Tuns Their manner of â—ighting Reâ—â—gion c. In their Wars they use Bowes poyson'd Arrows short Truncheons of speckled Wood and Shields full of carv'd Images and Fight without any Order They go upon no Design but in the Night and upon certain advantages All Women and Children which they take Prisoners are sold for Slaves but the Men are cruelly put to death There is but little of Religion that can be ascrib'd to these People onely that some shew Reverence to the Sun and Moon which they believe are both living Creatures but they make no Offerings to them Their Funeral-Feasts for great Persons are strangely kept viz. all the Men making themselves Drunk with the Liquor Parranoro Dance three or four days one after another and he that drinks most and is worst Drunk gains the greatest Honor whilest the Women lament and mourn for the Deceased Their Priests call'd Peeaios are in great esteem amongst them because they pretend that they Converse with the Spirits Wattipa and Yarakin which the Guianians exceedingly fear apprehending themselves often beaten
Schouten found the same Anno 1616. who Sailing from Porto Desire left the Straights of Magellan on the right-hand and Sail'd Southerly through whitish Water and in fifty four Degrees discover'd a Channel eight Leagues broad through which ran a strong Current The Coast rose with high Mountains whose tops were cover'd with Snow The utmost Point was call'd Mauritius from the Prince of Orange the broken Coast on the other side The States-Island and the Straights it self Le Maire upon the Request of the Merchant Jacob Le Maire whose Father Isaac was chief owner of the two Ships of which Schouten was Commander who found so many Whales here that he could scarce Steer clear of them they swimming by hundreds in a Shoal The Sea-pies much bigger than Swans suffer'd themselves to be caught by the Hands of the Sea-men Moreover he call'd the barren grey Rocks and others lesser lying North-East from the Promontory Hoorn Barnevields Isles Sailing beyond the Point Hoorn he was toss'd by the vast Billows that came rowling out of the West It was no sooner nois'd abroad that the Netherlanders had found the Straights Le Maire but the Spanish King Philip immediately sent two Carvels thither under the Command of Garcias de Nodal who took an exact Account of the Heads Roads and Inlets belonging to the fore-mention'd Straights and return'd without performing any other Exploits Diego Flores his unsuccessful Voyage to the Straigts of Magellan Diego Flores Steer'd four years before Candish to the Straights of Magellan with twenty three Sail of Ships Mann'd with three thousand five hundred Seamen besides five hundred old Netherland Soldiers with which he unhappily weigh'd Anchor from Cales for before he got out of sight of the Spanish Coast he lost five of his Ships and eight hundred Men yet prosecuting his Voyage he stay'd during the Winter Season on the Coast of Brasile and was surpris'd by so vehement a Storm near the Island Catalina that a company of Women sent under the Charge of Peter Sarmiento to Settle in the Straights of Magellan were all cast away with the greatest part of the Ammunition and Provisions The English Admiral Fenton took three Ships of this Fleet from Flores two were cast away in the River La Plata and one ran back to Spain whilest Flores came into the Straights of Magellan on the last day of March at which time the whole Countrey lay cover'd with Snow wherefore seeing no hopes of finding out any place to Settle Sarmiento upon he stood back with eight Sail to Brasile and in his Return burnt three French Ships took two more and Sail'd home But his Lieutenant Diego Ribera and the Governor Peter Sarmiento Landed the Year after Flores his departure with four hundred Men thirty Women and Provisions for eight Moneths in the Straights of Magellan from whence Ribera Sail'd back whilest Sarmiento built on the North side of the Mouth of the Straights the Town Nombre de Jesus and fifty Leagues farther in the narrowest place Philip-stadt with four Bulwarks the Inhabitants of which as is before related were destroy'd by Famine Description of Terra del Fugo Terra del Fuego already mention'd opposite to the Countrey of the Patagones lyin the South between the Straights of Magellan is a broken Countrey with high Mountains full of Trees and wash'd by pleasant Rivulets four Foot deep in the Ground it begins to be all Rocky The Air is troubled with exceeding great Winds out of the West The Inhabitants are pale Countenanc'd but Paint their Bodies with divers Colours they have long thick and black Hair and very sharp Teeth the Men go stark naked the Women cover their secret Parts with a piece of Leather and wear Strings full of Shells about their Necks some also Mantle themselves with the Skins of wild Beasts which affords but little warmth against the Cold that is here in Winter Their Huts consist of Trees and are made round at bottom and sharp on the top like a Tent having onely a Hole for the Smoak to go out at they are digg'd three Foot deep into the Ground and also heap'd round with Earth within the Huts nothing is to be found but Baskets with Fishing Utensils and Stone Hooks Their offensive Arms the Men always carry about with them because they always maintain Wars with their Neighbors They handle a Quarter-staff very dexterously are good Slingers and Bowemen they also use Lances with sharp Stone Points Moreover they make Boats of the Bark of Trees which they first cut out into a Form then sewing it together bow the same after the manner of a Boat which rises before and behind and being fifteen or sixteen Foot long can carry eight Men going exceeding swift These People are not onely beastial in their Practices but also Murderers Lastly besides the Straights of Le Maire Henrick Brewer hath found a new Passage to the Eastward above the states-States-Island out of the Northern Ocean to the South Sea CHAP. IV. The unknown south-South-Land THe unknown South-Land extends with several Points to the Southern Ocean which have been more seen than discover'd by divers Nations Opposite to the East-India Island Gilolo lies Terra des Papous to which Jacob Le Maire gave the Denomination of New Guinee The English Commander Richard Hawkins Sailing to the Southward behind Papou found the Inhabitants black like Negro's round about appear several Isles and convenient Harbors Herrera places here on the East the Countrey Agnada the Road St. Jago the Island Los Crespos the Haven Andreas the River Virginum and the little Isle La Vellena before the Mouth of the Stream Augustine Next you meet Easterly with the Rivers St. Peter and St. Paul the Havens Hieronymus the Isles Punta Salida Abrigo Malagente and Maure de Dios inhabited by white People Discoveries in Terra Australis Incognâ—a The first that discover'd New Guinee Anno 1529. was Alvares de Savedra who as also several others besides him suppos'd that some of the Islands Solomons border New Guinee Eighteen of the many Solomon Isles exceed the rest of which some are three hundred Leagues in circumference some two hundred others one hundred and some fifty All that are inhabited have a fruitful Soil producing all manner of Provisions particularly Hogs and Poultrey The Natives differ very much one from another for some are black others white or tawny The fore-mention'd Hawkins in his Voyage towards the Straights of Magellan supposing it by estimation to be fifty Leagues from the Main Coast of America discover'd forty Degrees to the Southward of the Equinoctial Line with a Westerly Wind the unknown South-Land which he found to consist of low Land and to be inhabited by reason of the many Fires which he saw ashore in the Night The Spanish Commander Peter Fernandes de Quiro and the Admiral Lodowick Paes de Torres have made a farther Discovery of this Countrey for Landing on the South-Land they met with several People some whereof were
brown others white and others sallow some had long and lank others short and curl'd Hair They acknowledg'd no King or supream Governor nor were Govern'd by any Laws neither had they any Wall'd Towns or Forts but being divided amongst themselves they continually Encountred one another with Darts Clubs and Staves Their Houses built of Wood were cover'd with the Leaves of Palm-Trees Their Housholdstuff consisted in Earthen Dishes Pots Ropes Fish-nets Flutes Drums and varnish'd Spoons Their Gardens were neatly kept Near their Temples were Burying-places They Row'd very swift in little Boats Their Bread well tasted was made of long thick Roots either roasted or boyl'd Fertility Plenty and Riches of the Countrey Here also grow six sorts of Platano's great abundance of Almonds Oranges Cittrons thick Sugar-Canes Palm-Trees which yield Wine Cocoa's and Obos in taste not much unlike Quinces but the greatest benefit which they receive is from the Cocoa Nuts the Pulp whereof is delicious Meat and Drink the outermost Shells whereof serve for Cups or Dishes the inner for Ropes and Cordage of the Leaves they make Sails and Mats and cover their Houses with the same of the Body Oars Clubs Pikes and Props for their Houses Besides several sorts of Pot-herbs here grow very high Coleworts and Bledo's The Countrey also abounds with Pigeons Partridges Ducks Goats Hogs and other ordinary Cattel and Fowls The Rivers afford them Souls Salmon Thornback Sea-Cocks Eels Gurnets and several other unknown Fishes very delicate and wholsom This Countrey also produces Nutmegs Mastick Peppers Ginger Cinamon Gold Silver Pearls Silk Sugar Anniseed Honey Wax Ebony-wood Turpentine Lime-pits and Marble Philips-Bay bends twenty Leagues into the Countrey hath a safe Harbor and excellent Ground consisting of black Sand. Two great Rivers discharge their Waters into the said Bay round about which are pleasant Woods full of Quails Parrakito's Parrots Nightingales and Bulfinches which Sing very sweetly The Blossoms especially of Orange-Trees and the Herb Alvaca yield an odoriferous smell The wholsom Air adds vigor to aged People Fernandes de Quir delivering the fore-mention'd Account to Philip the Second King of Spain mov'd him to Plant the unknown South-Land and the rather because he had not found any snowy Mountains drown'd Land Crocodiles Muschito's or any hurtful Creature yet was not regarded so that no Spaniard hath since that time set Foot on the unknown South-Land Abel Tasman 's Expedition to Terra Australis Incognita But the East-India Company undertaking the Design with great eagerness sent thither two Ships viz. the Hemskerk and Sea-Cock under the Command of Abel Tasman to make a farther Discovery of the said South-Land Anno 1642. on the twelfth of August they weigh'd Anchor from Batavia Sail'd through the Straights of Sunda to maurice-Maurice-Island where they Anchor'd in the North-West Haven before the Castle Frederick-Henrick on the fifth of September in the fore-mention'd Year On the eighth of Octob. Tasman stood over to the south-South-Land near which he was surpris'd by a violent Storm afterwards on the twenty fifth of November he discover'd a barren Shore against which the Sea beat very furiously and Steering along this Coast he found a convenient Inlet but was forc'd by the hard Weather to stand off to Sea again yet not long after approaching the Shore he saw great hollow Trees and round about them abundance of Mussle-shells and from the Wood heard a shrill noise of People Singing Going to the same place again he put the Orange Flag on a Pole Carv'd with the East-India Companies Arms and call'd the Inlet Frederick-Henrick 〈…〉 the whole Coast Anthony van Diemen Sailing from thence Eastward he on the eighteenth of December discover'd a convenient Haven where sending his Sloop to discover the Shore he came back in the Evening being follow'd by a Boat which approach'd nearer and nearer but Night coming upon him he could not well discern what they were that pursu'd him but heard the cry of hoarse Voices and a shrill noise like that of a Trumpet which the Netherland Seamen answer'd by hollowing and blowing on their Trumpets and at last firing a Gun the Southlanders made a hideous noise and blowing their Horns return'd ashore Tasman hereupon call'd his Watch laid Hangers Pikes and Musquets ready Charg'd upon the Decks The next day the Southlanders came in several Boats two and two ty'd together and cover'd with Planks towards the Ships The Southlanders desperate Attemp upon Tasman's Ships the Gunner of the Hemskerk going with six Men in a Boat to help mount some Guns in the Sea-Cock were betwixt both Ships set upon by the Southlanders who approacht with a hideous noise kill'd four of the Hollanders with long Poles and forc'd the other three to save themselves by swimming which they had no sooner done but they Row'd with incredible swiftness towards the Shore insomuch that they were out of the reach of their Guns before they could make ready to fire at them Tasman finding that there was no good to be done here since he hazarded the Lives of his Seamen against a company of wild People he set Sail but was follow'd by divers Boats at which he fir'd his After-Guns with pieces of Iron and Stones which killing some of them made the rest return In the midst of the Boats which were ty'd two and two together sat the Commander who encourag'd the Rowers they all us'd Clubs without Points These People were gross of Body undaunted strong and of a tawny colour the Hair of their Heads stroak'd up round was ty'd up on their Crown on which stuck a stiff white Feather about their Necks hung a square Plate they wore in stead of Cloaks square pieces of Cloth made fast before on their Breasts Tasman by reason of his rough Entertainment call'd this Harbor Murderers-Bay and afterwards Sail'd along the Shore till the fifth of January 1643. on which Day he dropt Anchor near a little Rocky Island from which fell two Streams with a great noise into the Sea The Inhabitants a strong People beckned to the Seamen to come on Shore some lean'd on thick Clubs others Fenc'd one with another Tasman sending his Sloop ashore for Water with two Drakes return'd without any not being able to Land by reason of the hollow Sea near the Shore wherefore Sailing from thence he discover'd two low Isles which were full of Woods of very tall Trees from the biggest whereof came a little Boat sharp before and behind in which three sallow Men sitting behind one another Row'd with great swiftness towards the Hemskerk whereupon Tasman commanded all his Men to go under the Hatches that the three Southlanders might not be afraid to come aboard he also threw a piece of Linnen out of his Cabbin Window which one of them leaping into the Sea took up and as a sign of thankfulness laid the same on his Head and being hereby emboldned they came nearer the Rudder where they took up a Knife ty'd to a piece of
was undertaken by Captain Luke Fox who at his Return gave very good hopes and encouragement that the Work so long in prosecution was not impossible to effected nevertheless by reason of the late troublesom Times i◠〈…〉 wholy laid aside for almost forty years but in the Year 1668. several Persons of Honor undertook to revive the Work and to that purpose furnish'd out two Ships which set forth in June and return'd about the beginning of October the Year following giving so satisfactory an Account of their Voyage that in the Year 1670. the same Adventurers thought fit to send out two Ships more so furnish'd as to endure a Wintering there which they did with greater hopes than ever of finding out the North-West Passage besides a handsom Caâ—go of rich Furrs which made it more than a saving Voyage so that 't is suppos'd this will not be the last Attempt but that another will suddenly follow And it may well be observ'd that nothing considerable hath been done in this grand Enterprize but by the English A brief View of what Places are posses'd at this day in the West-Indies by the English Spaniards French Portuguese and Dutch THe English possess in Northern Amerrica New England the Bay of Trinity Chincet and a part of Terra Nova or New-found Land Virginia part of Florida now call'd Carolina the Bermudas or summer-Summer-Islands New Holland which they took from the Dutch An. 1664. with New Amsterdam and Fort Orange Terra Mariae or mary-Mary-Land part of the Isles call'd Lucaies among the Antillae or Caribbee-Islands Barbados Anguilla part of St. Christophers Montserrat Nieves or Mevis Antego Dominico and St. Vincent the Isle of St. Catherine otherwise call'd Providence Jamaica the Isles of Curacao and Trinity several Colonies at Surinam and Sinamari with several Forts upon the Coast of Guiana and lastly the Haven Porto Bello once the Spaniards The Spaniards possess the greatest and best part of America wherein they have a vast number of very considerable Towns In Northern America they have 1. New Spain in which are the Audiences of Mexico Guadalajara and Guatimala 2. The Islands Cuba and Hispaniola excepting some parts towards the West which are in possession of the French Boriquen c. also St. Augustine and St. Matthew in Florida and a part of New Mexico In Southern America Castilla d' Oro or Golden Castile otherwise call'd Terra Firma in which are the Audiences of Quito Lima and La Plata lastly Chili and Paraguay which comprehends the Countreys of Tucuman and La Plata The French have in Canada or Nova Francia Montreal the Rivers Quebeck Tadousack and some Places upon the great River of St. Lawrence also Accadie or Nova Scotia the Isle of Cape Breton with the Fort St. Peter from whence they Traffick to Nepigiquit with the Salvages of that Coast part of the Isle of Terre-Neuve Pemptagoet St. Jean Port-Royal and other Fortresses Among the Caribbee-Islands part of St. Christophers St. Bartholomew St. Crux St. Martin Guadalupe Deseado Marigalante Todos los Sanctos Martinico St. Alousie and Granada likewise some Colonies on the West of Hispaniola Upon the Continent of Southern America on the Coast of Guiana the Isle Cayene where stands the Fort of St. Michael de Ceperoux now Fort Louis also the Colonies of Mathouri and Armire Courrou Coonama and Comaribo The Portuguese possess all the Coast of Brasile in Southern America with the several Capitania's or Praefectures thereof The Dutch have onely the Isles of St. Eustace and Saba the Town of Coro in Terra Firma the Colonies Boron Esquib Berebie Aperwaque and others on the Coast of Guiana FINIS Directions for placing the Whole-sheet Prints in this Volume of America TItle The general Map of America Fol. 1 Christoffel Colonus Fol. 43 Angra op Tercera Fol. 52 Americus Vesputius Fol. 60 Ferdinand Magellanus Fol. 79 Vetus Mexico Fol. 87 Athabaliba Fol. 97 Novum Belgium quod nunc Nov. Jorck vocatur Fol. 168 Mary-Land Fol. 183 Nova Virginiae Tabula Fol. 192 Arx Carolina Fol. 205 Virginiae pars Australis Florida Fol. 213 Pagus Hispanorum in Florida Fol. 218 Yucatan Guatimala Fol. 222 Francisco de Campeche Fol. 223 Truxillo Fol. 231 Nova Hispania Nova Gallicia Guatimala Fol. 238 Nova Mexico Fol. 243 Muteczuma Fol. 253 Portus Acapulco Fol. 260 Viztlipuztli Fol. 297 Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali Fol. 304 Mappa AEstivarum Insularum alias Barmudes Fol. 311 Urbs Domingo in Hispaniola Fol. 318 Porto Rico Fol. 327 Havana Fol. 333 Jamaica Fol. 337 Urbs Martini 365 Carthagena Fol. 401 Terra Firma Regnum Granatense Popayan Fol. 408 Peru Fol. 412 Franciscus Pizarrus Fol. 429 Cusco Fol. 456 Potosi Fol. 463 Callao de Lima Fol. 466 Chili Fol. 470 Magellanica Fol. 472 Paraquaria Fol. 474 Brasile Fol. 477 Sinus omnium Sanctorum Fol. 502 Olinda Fol. 505 Ostium fluminis Paraybae Fol. 508 Itamaraca Fol. 517 Fluvius Grandis Fol. 517 Siara Fol. 517 Urbs Salvador Fol. 519 Obsidio expugnatio Portus Calvi Fol. 554 Alagoa del Zul Fol. 556 Serinhaim Fol. 580 Mauritio-Polis Fol. 604 Castrum Mauritii ad ripam Francisci Fol. 605 Arax Principis Guilielmi Fol. 605 Bonavista Fol. 606 Guiana sive Amazonum regio Fol. 607 Arx Nassovii Fol. 608 Venezuela cum parte Australi novae Andalusiae Fol. 624
white Bears with red Patches on their Heads also white Hawks and all sorts of Fish There are moreover in the Countrey divers Rivers frozen up for the most part of the Year and cover'd with Ice yet it is generally affirm'd that it is not so cold there as in Norway or Iseland On the Hills are said to grow Acorns and Nuts very well tasted and as big as Apples also as good Wheat as is commonly produc'd in other Parts An Account of Groenland from Dithmar Blefkens his Journal In the Journal of Dithmar Blefkens's Voyage mention is made of a certain blind Monk brought up in the Monastery of St. Thomas who reported several memorable things concerning this Countrey as that it was call'd Groenland antiphrastically or by contrariety of Speech as appearing seldom or never green and that it abounded with Bears and white Foxes and was not without Pygmies and Unicorns which never appear'd till after the Sun was entred into Aries that in the said Monastery of St. Thomas there was a Fountain of scalding Water which was convey'd through Pipes of Stones to the Monks several Cells and serv'd them not onely for Stoves but for the dressing of their Meat which was as well boyl'd by means of this Water as if it had been over a real Fire and that the Walls of the Monastery were made of a kind of Pumice-stone upon which if Water were pour'd it would produce a slimy Matter commonly us'd in stead of Lime for Mortar like the Stone of Mount Hecla in Iseland that two of these Pygmies a Male and a Female were kept by the Abbot and were both endu'd with perfect humane Shape and overgrown with Hair even to the outermost Joynts of their Fingers the Male especially who had a Beard reaching down to his Knees but that they seem'd wholly devoid of Reason and Understanding nor had any distinct use of Speech onely made a semblance of Hissing of the manner of Geese lastly he reported the duration of the Lives of these Creatures to be answerable to the shortness of their Stature but that concerning their Wars with the Cranes he had no other knowledge than by Tradition From Mr. James Hall's Description The Description of Groenland left by Mr. James Hall renders it a high mountainous and craggy Region sufficiently water'd with Rivers and provided with good Harbors of a Soil not unfertile in all places where he came having between the Mountains fruitful Valleys and pleasant Plains abounding with several sorts of Fowl as Partridges Pheasants Sea-mews Gulls Crows c. but of Beasts chiefly black Foxes and as was conjectur'd by the plenty of Harts-horns found about their Tents Rein-Deer yet not destitute of other Beasts the Vestigium of one whereof was found to be not less than eight Inches over As for the Manners and Customs of the Natives they are by the said Description represented to be a kind of Samoid or wandring People still moving from place to place warlike and active using Slings and Darts with marvellous dexterity of a brown Complexion for the most part and of an indifferent Stature eating their Meat either quite raw or onely a little parboyl'd Clothing themselves with the Skins of such Beasts or other Creatures as they kill especially Seals or some of the largest size of Fowls which they Dress very smooth and soft turning the Feather or Hair side outwards in Summer and inward in Winter Their Weapons Bowes Slings and Bone or Iron-headed Darts their Religion Idolatrous but chiefly Sun-Worship as was gather'd from their manner of Accost when any of the English first approach'd them for they us'd to point up to the Sun as chief Author of their felicity and then beat their Breasts crying Iliont which seem'd to signifie as much as I mean no harm and would not come near till those that met them did the like Their Houses built of Whales Bones and the Baulks thereof with Whales Ribs and cover'd with Earth but the best sort with Seal-Skins having Vaults or Rooms under Ground four-square and two Yards deep in the Earth Their manner of Burial a Pile of Stones thrown over the Corps being first wrapt up in Seal-Skins First Discovery of Spilbergia or Greenland Spilbergia so call'd by the Hollanders from Spilbergen whom probably they reckon to have been the first Discoverer of it is the same that we vulgarly call Greenland and which Sir Hugh Willoughby if not the first of all yet at least the first of the English that discover'd any thing of these Parts nam'd King James's New-Land The said Sir Hugh Willoughby set forth Anno 1553. in the Bona Esperanza accompany'd with two Ships more viz. the Bonaventure Richard Challoner Captain and the Bona Confidentia and after some time of Coasting up and down those Northern Seas he Landed with his Company upon the Place where staying a few days he sent three Men three days Journey into the Countrey South-West and three more as far full West who all after much hardship in their Travelling return'd without having met any People by the Way or seen the least appearance of any Habitation Sailing hence back for Lapland they were all frozen to death in the Haven Arzina Fotherby's Description of Greenland A Description of Greenland by one Mr. Robert Fotherby represents the Nature of this Place contradictory to its Name as before was observ'd of Groenland For certainly saith he no part of the World yet known and discover'd is less Green than this both the Mountains and Low-lands being cover'd with Snow till the beginning of June The Countrey which is for the most part mountainous bearing neither Grass nor Tree save onely Heath or Ling as it is call'd in the North parts of England which grows upon the Moors or Heathy Grounds when the Snow begins to melt and on which in Summer the Deer feed themselves fat in one Moneth but how they live in the Winter is a thing beyond any Man's skill to comprehend especially during the Sun's absence under the Horizon which in the Latitude of seventy seven Degrees continues from the eighteenth of October to the fourth of February This Countrey is by many suppos'd never to have been inhabited by Men yet not altogether uncapable of affording Habitation to such as would bring with them sufficient defensive Weapons against Hunger and Cold For other Animals it is found by the testimony of those that have been upon the Place not to be destitute for besides Deer before mention'd there have been seen Bears and Foxes and of wild Fowl Cuthbert Ducks Willocks Stints Sea-Pigeons Sea-Parrots Gulls Noddies c. The Southermost part of Greenland call'd Point Look-out stands in seventy six Degrees and thirty Minutes The West side of the Land was discover'd by the first Voyagers Northward as far as eighty Degrees and odd Minutes and in that compass six or eight good Harbors for the Whale-fishing the East side as far as seventy eight Degrees with divers Islands