DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. [In the last volume of this work we gave our readers a sketch of the life of Sir Walter Raleigh, and mentioned, among other things, that he made voyages to America. We have since found an account of the discovery of Virginia-as the whole coast of Virginia and North Carolina was then called-not by Sir Walter in person, but by Captains Amadas and Barlowe, with a fleet of two vessels. The sound or part of the sea which they speak of was Pamlico Sound; and the island called Roanoke was one of the islands which separate this sound from the main ocean. The rivers they speak of were the Neus, and probably the Roanoke and the Chowan. Here follows the account of the discovery of it, written by Capt. Barlowe himself, and addressed to Sir Walter. We have thought it best to preserve the old fashioned language of Capt. B. himself, only adding, in parentheses, a few of our own explanations.] The 27th day of April in the the year of our redemption 1584, we departed the west of England, with two barks furnished with men and victuals. May 10th we arrived at the Canaries, and June 10th we were fallen in with the islands of the West Indies, at which islands we found the air very unwholesome, and our men grew, for the most part indisposed, so that having refreshed ourselves with sweet water and fresh victuals, we departed the twelfth day of our arrival there. July 2d we found shoal water, where we smelt so sweet and so strong a smell as if we had been in the midst of some delicate garden, abounding with all kinds of odoriferous flowers; by which we were assured that the land could not be far distant. And keeping good watch, and bearing nothing but slack sail, the fourth of the same month we arrived upon the coast, which we supposed to be a continent and firın land; and we sailed along the same, 120 English miles before we could find any entrance or river issuing into the sea. The first that appeared unto us we entered, though not without some difficulty, and cast anchor about three harquebus-shot (a harquebus or arquebus is a hand gun) within the haven's mouth, on the left hand of the same. And after thanks given to God for our safe arrival thither, we manned our boats, and went to view the land next adjoining, and to take possession of the same in the right of the Queen's most excellent majesty, as rightful queen and princess of the same ; and after delivered the same over to your use, according to her majesty's grant and letters patent, under her highness's great seal. This being performed according to the ceremonies used in such enterprizes, we viewed the land about us, being, where we first landed, very sandy and low towards the water side, but so full of grapes as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them; of which we found such plenty, as well there as in all places else, both on the sand, and on the green soil, on the hills as in the plains, as well as on every little shrub as also climbing towards the top of the high ce dars, that I think in all the world the This boat came to the inland side, four like abundance is not to be found. We passed from the sea side towards the top of those hills next adjoining, being of but mean height; and from thence we beheld the sea on both sides to the north and to the south, finding no end any of both ways. This land lay stretching itself to the west, which after we found to be but an island of 20 miles long, and not above 6 miles broad, (called by the Indians Wocokom.) Under the bank or hill where we stood, we beheld the vallies replenished with goodly cedar trees, and having discharged our harquebus-shot, such a flock of cranes-the most part white-arose under us, with such a cry, redoubled by many echoes, as if an army of men had shouted all together. This island had many goodly woods full of deer, conies, hares and fowl, even in the midst of summer. The woods are not such as you find in Bohemia, Muscovia, or Hercynia-barren and fruitless-but the highest and reddest cedars of the world; far bettering the cedars of the Azores, of the Indies, or Libanus; pine, cypress, sassafras, the lentisk or tree that beareth the mastick, the tree that beareth the rind of black cinnamon, and many other of excellent smell and quality. We remained by the side of this island two whole days before we saw any people of the country. The third day we espied one small boat rowing towards us having in it three persons. harquebus-shot from our ships, and there two of the people remaining, the third came along the shore side towards us; and we being then all within board, he walked up and down upon the point of land next to us. Then the master and the pilot of the Admiral, Simon Ferdinando, Capt. Philip Amadas, myself and others, rowed to the land, whose coming this fellow attended, never making any show of fear or doubt. And after he had spoken of many things not understood by us, we brought him, with his own good liking, aboard the ships and gave him a shirt, a hat, and some other things, and made him taste of our wine (a sad mistake!) and our meat, which he liked very well; and after having viewed both barks, he departed, and went to his own boat again, which he had left in a little cove or creek adjoining. As soon as he was two bow shot into the water, he fell to fishing, and in less than half an hour, he had laden his boat as deep as it could swim, with which he came again to the point of the land, and there he divided his fish into two parts, pointing one part to the ship and the other to the pinnace, with which after he had as much as he might-requited the former benefits received, he departed out of our sight. The next day there came unto us divers boats, and in one of them the king's brother, accompanied with forty or fifty men, very handsome and goodly people, and in their behavior as mannerly and brothers and sisters reverenced. The civil as any in Europe. His (the king's king himself, in person, was, at our brother) name is Granganimeo, and the being there, sore wounded in a fight king is called Wingina, the country, which he had with the king of the next Wingandacoa, and now by her Majesty (the British Queen) Virginia. When The manner of his (the king's brother) coming was in this sort. He left his boats altogether, as the first man did, a little from the ships by the shore, and came along to the place over against the ships, followed with forty men. he came to the place, his servants spread a long mat upon the ground, upon which he sat down; and at the other end of the mat, four others of his company did the like the rest of his men stood round about him, somewhat afar off. country, and was shot, in two places through the body, and once clean through the thigh; but yet he recovered; by reason whereof, and for that he lay at the chief town of the country, being six days journey off, we saw him not at all. After we had presented this, his brother, with such things as we thought he liked, we likewise gave somewhat to the others that sat with him on the mat; but presently he arose, and took all from them and put it into his own basket, making signs and tokens that all things ought to be delivered unto him, and the rest were but his servants and followers. When we came to the shore to him with our weapons, he never moved from his place, nor any of the other four, nor ever mistrusted any harm to be offered from us; but sitting still, he came and beckoned us to sit by him, which we performed: and being set, he made all signs of joy and welcome, striking on his hand and breast, and afterward on of merchandize, of all things that he ours, to show we were all one, smiling and making the best he could of all love and familiarity. After he had made a long speech unto us, we presented him with divers things which he received very joyfully and thankfully. None of the company durst speak one word all the time; only the four which were at the other end spake one in the other's ears very softly. The king is greatly obeyed, and his A day or two after this, we fell to trading with them, exchanging some things that we had for chamois, buff, and deer skins. When we had showed him (the king's brother) all our packet saw, a bright tin dish most pleased him, which he presently took up and clapt it before his breast, and after made a hole in the brim thereof and hung it about his neck, making signs that it would defend him against his enemies' arrows; for these people maintain a deadly and terrible war with the people and king adjoining. We exchanged one tin dish for twenty skins worth twenty crowns, and a copper kettle for fifty skins worth fisty They are of color yellowish, and crowns. They offered us good exchange for our axes and hatchets, and for knives, and would have given any thing for swords; but we would not part with any. After two or three days the king's brother came on board the ship and drank wine, and liked exceedingly thereof; and after a few days overpassed, he brought his wife with him to the ships, his daughter and two or three children.. His wife was very well favored, of mean stature, and bashful; she had on her back a long cloak of leather with the fur side next to the body, and before her a piece of the same. About her forehead she had a band of white coral, and so had her husband many times. In her ears she had bracelets of pearls hanging down to her middle, and those were of the bigness of good peas. The rest of her women, of the better sort, had pendants of copper hanging in either ear, and some of the children of the king's brother, and other noblemen have five or six in either ear. He himself, (the king's brother) had upon his head a broad plate of gold or copper, for, being unpolished, we knew not what metal it should be, neither would he by any means suffer us to take it off his head; but feeling it, it would bow very easily. His apparel was as his wife's, only the women wear their hair long on both sides, and the men but on one. their hair black for the most part; and yet we saw children that had very fine auburn and chestnut colored hair. After that these women had been there, there came down from all parts great store of people bringing with them leather, coral, divers kinds of dyes very excellent, and exchanged with us. But when Granganimeo, the king's brother, was present, none durst trade but himself, except such as wear red pieces of copper on their heads, like himself; for that is the difference between the noblemen and govenors of countries, and the meaner sort. No people in the world carry more respect to their king, nobili. ty, and governors than these do. The king's brother's wife when she came to us as she did many timeswas followed with forty or fifty women always; and when she came into the ship she left them all on land saving her two daughters, her nurse, and one or two more. The king's brother always kept this order. As many boats as he would come withal to the ships, so many fires would he make on shore afar off, to the end we might understand with what strength and company he approached. Their boats are made of one tree, either of pine or pitch trees, a wood not commonly known to our people, nor found growing in England. They have no edge tools to make them withal; if they have any, they are very few, and those, it seems, they had twenty years since, which, as those two men declared, of fat bucks, conies, hares, fish, the best was out of a wreck which happened upon their coast, of some Christian ship, being beaten that way by some storm and outrageous weather, whereof none of the people were saved, but only the ship, or some parts of her being cast upon the sand, out of whose sides they drew the nails and the spikes; and with those they made their best instruments. The manner of making their boats is thus. They burn down some great tree, or take such as are wind fallen, and putting gum and rosin upon one side thereof, they set fire to it, and when it hath burnt it hollow, they cut out their coal with their shells, and wherever they would burn it deeper or wider, they lay on gums which burn away the timber, and by this means they fashion very fine boats, and such as will transport twenty men. Their oars are like scoops, and many times they sit with long poles, as depth serveth. The king's brother had great liking of our armor, a sword, and divers other things which we had, and offered to lay a great box of pearl in gage for them; but we refused it for this time, because we would not make them know that we esteemed thereof, until we had understood in what places of the country the pearl grew. He was very just of his promise; for many times we delivered him merchandise upon his word, but ever he came within the day and fulfilled his promise. He sent us every day a brace or two of the world. He sent us divers kinds of fruits, melons, walnuts, cucumbers, gourds, peas, and divers fruits and roots very good; and of their country corn, which is very white, fair, and well tasted, and groweth three times in five months:-in May they sow, in July they reap; in June they sow, and in August they reap; July they sow, and in September they reap. They only cast the corn into the ground, breaking a little of the soft turf with a wooden mattock or pickaxe. Ourselves proved the soil, and put in some of our peas in the ground, and in ten days they were several inches high. They have also beans, very fair, of divers colors, and wonderful plants, some growing naturally, and some in their gardens; and so they have both wheat and oats. The soil is the most plentiful, sweet, fruitful, and wholesome, of all the world. There are above fourteen sweet smelling trees, and the most part of their underwoods are bays, and such like. They have those oaks that we have, but far greater and better. (To be concluded in a future number.) MITTENS. To wear when the weather is very cold. But we should never wear them a moment when our hands are warm enough without them. STOCKINGS. To wear with boots or shoes, but not without them. They should never be worn to sleep in. |