A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia Part 2

SACQVENVMMENER a kinde of berries almost like vnto capres but somewhat greater which grow together in cl.u.s.ters vpon a plant or herb that is found in shalow waters: being boiled eight or nine hours according to their kind are very good meate and holesome, otherwise if they be eaten they will make a man for the time franticke or extremely sicke.

There is a kind of reed which beareth a seed almost like vnto our rie or wheat, & being boiled is good meate. [In]

In our trauailes in some places wee founde wilde peaze like vnto ours in England but that they were lesse, which are also good meate.

'Of a kinde of fruite or berrie in the forme of Acornes.'

There is a kind of berrie or acorne, of which there are fiue sorts that grow on seuerall kinds of trees; the one is called 'Sagatemener', the second 'Osamener', the third 'Pummuckoner'. These kind of acorns they vse to drie vpon hurdles made of reeds with fire vnderneath almost after the maner as we dry malt in England. When they are to be vsed they first water them vntil they be soft & then being sod they make a good victuall, either to eate so simply, or els being also pounded, to make loaues or lumpes of bread. These be also the three kinds of which, I said before, the inhabitants vsed to make sweet oyle.

An other sort is called 'Sapummener' which being boiled or parched doth eate and taste like vnto chestnuts. They sometime also make bread of this sort.

The fifth sort is called 'Mangummenauk', and is the acorne of their kind of oake, the which beeing dried after the maner of the first sortes, and afterward watered they boile them, & their seruants or sometime the chiefe theselues, either for variety or for want of bread, doe eate them with their fish or flesh.

'Of Beastes.'

'Deare', in some places there are great store: neere vnto the sea coast they are of the ordinarie bignes as ours in England, & some lesse: but further vp into the countrey where there is better feed they are greater: they differ from ours onely in this, their tailes are longer and the snags of their hornes looke backward.

'Conies', Those that we haue seen & al that we can heare of are of a grey colour like vnto hares: in some places there are such plentie that all the people of some townes make them mantles of the furre or flue of the skinnes of those they vsually take.

'Saquenuckot' & 'Maquowoc'; two kindes of small beastes greater then conies which are very good meat. We neuer tooke any of them our selves, but sometime eate of such as the inhabitants had taken & brought vnto vs.

'Squirels' which are of a grey colour, we haue taken & eaten.

'Beares' which are all of black colour. The beares of this countrey are good meat; the inhabitants in time of winter do use to take & eate maie; so also somtime did wee. They are taken comonlie in this sort. In some Ilands or places where they are, being hunted for, as soone as they haue spiall of a man they presently run awaie, & then being chased they clime and get vp the next tree they can, from whence with arrowes they are shot downe starke dead, or with those wounds that they may after easily bekilled; we sometime shotte them downe with our caleeuers.

I haue the names of eight & twenty seuerall sortes of beasts which I haue heard of to be here and there dispersed in the countrie, especially in the maine: of which there are only twelue kinds that we haue yet discouered, & of those that be good meat we know only them before mentioned. The inhabitts somtime kil the 'Lyon' & eat him: & we somtime as they came to our hands of their 'Wolues' or 'woluish Dogges', which I haue not set downe for good meat, least that some woulde vnderstand my iudgement therin to be more simple than needeth, although I could alleage the difference in taste of those kindes from ours, which by some of our company haue been experimented in both.

'Of Foule.'

'Turkie c.o.c.kes' and 'Turkie hennes': 'Stockdoues': 'Partridges': 'Cranes': 'Hernes': & in winter great store of 'Swannes' & 'Geese'. Of al sortes of foule I haue the names in the countrie language of fourescore and sixe of which number besides those that be named, we haue taken, eaten, & haue the pictures as they were there drawne with the names of the inhabitaunts of seuerall strange sortes of water foule eight, and seuenteene kindes more of land foul, although wee haue seen and eaten of many more, which for want of leasure there for the purpose coulde not bee pictured: and after wee are better furnished and stored vpon further discouery, with their strange beastes, fishe, trees, plants, and hearbes, they shall bee also published.

There are also 'Parats', 'Faulcons', & 'Marlin haukes', which although with vs they bee not vsed for meate, yet for other causes I thought good to mention.

'Of Fishe.'

For foure monthes of the yeere, February, March, Aprill and May, there are plentie of 'Sturgeons': And also in the same monethes of 'Herrings', some of the ordinary bignesse as ours in England, but the most part farre greater, of eighteene, twentie inches, and some two foote in length and better; both these kindes of fishe in those monethes are most plentifull, and in best season, which wee founde to bee most delicate and pleasaunt meate.

There are also 'Troutes, Porpoises, Rayes, Oldwiues, Mullets, Plaice,'

and very many other sortes of excellent good fish, which we haue taken & eaten, whose names I know not but in the countrey language; wee haue of twelue sorts more the pictures as they were drawn in the countrey with their names.

The inhabitants vse to take then two maner of wayes, the one is by a kind of wear made of reedes which in that countrey are very strong. The other way which is more strange, is with poles make sharpe at one end, by shooting them into the fish after the maner as Irishmen cast dartes; either as they are rowing in their boates or els as they are wading in the shallowes for the purpose. [There]

There are also in many places plentie of these kindes which follow.

'Sea crabbes', such as we haue in England.

'Oystres', some very great, and some small; some rounde and some of a long shape: They are founde both in salt water and brackish, and those that we had out of salt water are far better than the other as in our owne countrey.

Also 'Muscles, Scalopes, Periwinkles,' and 'Creuises'.

Seekanauk, a kind of crustie sh.e.l.l fishe which is good meate, about a foote in breadth, hauing a crustie tayle, many legges like a crab; and her eyes in her backe. They are founde in shallowes of salt waters; and sometime on the sh.o.a.re.

There are many 'Tortoyses' both of lande and sea kinde, their backes & bellies are sh.e.l.led very thicke; their head, feete, and taile, which are in appearance, seeme ougly as though they were members of a serpent or venemous: but notwithstanding they are very good meate, as also their egges. Some haue bene founde of a yard in bredth and better.

And thus haue I made relation of all sortes of victuall that we fed vpon for the time we were in 'Virginia', as also the inhabitants themselues, as farre foorth as I knowe and can remember or that are specially worthy to bee remembred.

THE THIRD AND LAST PART, OF SVCH OTHER THINGES AS IS BE HOO- full for those which shall plant and inhabit to know of; with a description of the nature and manners of the people of the countrey.

'Of commodities for building and other necessary uses.'

THose other things which I am more to make rehearsall of, are such as concerne building, and other mechanicall necessarie vses; as diuers sortes of trees for house & s.h.i.+p timber, and other vses els: Also lime, stone, and brick, least that being not mentioned some might haue bene doubted of, or by some that are malicious reported the contrary.

'Okes', there are as faire, straight, tall, and as good timber as any can be, and also great store, and in some places very great.

'Walnut trees', as I haue saide before very many, some haue bene seen excellent faire timber of foure & fiue fadome, & aboue fourescore foot streight without bough.

'Firre trees' fit for masts of s.h.i.+ps, some very tall & great.

['Rakiock',]

'Rakiock', a kind of trees so called that are sweet wood of which the inhabitans that were neere vnto vs doe commonly make their boats or Canoes of the form of trowes; only with the helpe of fire, harchets of stones, and shels; we haue known some so great being made in that sort of one tree that they haue carried well xx. men at once, besides much baggage: the timber being great, tal, streight, soft, light, & yet tough enough I thinke (besides other vses) to be fit also for masts of s.h.i.+ps.

'Cedar', a sweet wood good for seelings, Chests, Boxes, Bedsteedes, Lutes, Virginals, and many things els, as I haue also said before. Some of our company which haue wandered in some places where I haue not bene, haue made certaine affirmation of 'Cyprus' which for such and other excellent vses, is also a wood of price and no small estimation.

'Maple', and also 'Wich-hazle'; wherof the inhabitants vse to make their bowes.

'Holly' a necessary thing for the making of birdlime.

'Willowes' good for the making of weares and weeles to take fish after the English manner, although the inhabitants vse only reedes, which because they are so strong as also flexible, do serue for that turne very well and sufficiently.

'Beech'and 'Ashe', good for caske, hoopes: and if neede require, plow worke, as also for many things els.

'Elme.'

'Sa.s.safras' trees.

'Ascopo' a kinde of tree very like vnto Lawrell, the barke is hoat in tast and spicie, it is very like to that tree which Monardus describeth to bee 'Ca.s.sia Lignea' of the West Indies.

There are many other strange trees whose names I knowe not but in the 'Virginian' language, of which I am not nowe able, neither is it so conuenient for the present to trouble you with particular relati: seeing that for timber and other necessary vses I haue named sufficient: And of many of the rest but that they may be applied to good vse, I know no cause to doubt.

Now for Stone, Bricke and Lime, thus it is. Neere vnto the Sea coast where wee dwelt, there are no kind of stones to bee found (except a fewe small pebbles about foure miles off) but such as haue bene brought from farther out of the maine. In some of our voiages wee haue seene diuers hard raggie stones, great pebbles, and a kinde of grey stone like vnto marble, of which the inhabitants make their hatchets to cleeue wood.

Vpon inquirie wee heard that a little further vp into the Countrey were all sortes verie many, although of Quarries they are ignorant, neither haue they vse of any store whereupon they should haue occasion to seeke any. For if euerie housholde haue one or two to cracke Nuttes, grinde sh.e.l.les, whet copper, and sometimes other stones for hatchets, they haue enough: neither vse they any digging, but onely for graues about three foote deepe: and therefore no maruaile that they know neither Quarries, nor lime stones, which both may bee in places neerer than they wot of.

In the meane time vntill there bee discouerie of sufficient store in some place or other cuenient, the want of you which are and shalbe the planters therein may be as well supplied by Bricke: for the making whereof in diuers places of the countrey there is clay both excellent good, and plentie; and also by lime made of Oister shels, and of others burnt, after the maner as they vse in the Iles of Tenet and Shepy, and also in diuers other places of England: Which kinde of lime is well knowne to bee as good as any other. And of Oister shels there is plentie enough: for besides diuers other particular places where are abundance, there is one shallowe sounde along the coast, where for the s.p.a.ce of many miles together in length, and two or three miles in breadth, the grounde is nothing els beeing but halfe a foote or a foote vnder water for the most part.

This much can I say further more of stones, that about 120. miles from our fort neere the water in the side of a hill was founde by a Gentleman of our company, a great veine of hard ragge stones, which I thought good to remember vnto you.

'Of the nature and manners of the people'