[Sidenote: _The third
motive._]
And as I haue spoken of two principall causes that hath induced me; The
third of my ends may happilie bee no lesse forcible to encourage all
such, whose education, spirits and judgments, wants but onlie the purse
to prosecute the same with mee, and that is the private and particulare
gaine, that may bee got by so lawfull and easie meanes: whereof it is
more than admirable, that such should either bee so wilfullie ignorant,
or so negligently carelesse as not to be moved to imbrace, and
speciallie, such imployment as may search out commodities, to live
happilie, plentifullie, and at ease.
Ought not everie man to regard, aswell to inlarge his patrimonie, as
that hee bee not chargeable to others, so farre as hee may by his vertue
and industrie, in a lawfull and honest manner attaine vnto. Is not a
lawfull search for such commodities, to bee preferred to an idle
sloathfulnesse? and an honorable policie in a lawfull plantation abroad,
before vnlawfull monopolies, and wrangling suites of Law, by neighbour
against neighbour at home, impoverishing thy selfe, and thy native
Countrie, whereof thou oughtest to bee a more profitable member?
May not the fortunate successe of the plantation of _Ireland_, so fresh
and recent to all, whence so great commodities are brought both to
_England_ and _Scotland_, and whereby the Countrie it selfe is enriched,
and wee so benefited, bee inticements to induce vs to the like. The
venturous, and generous Spirites of resolute Gentlemen, vnder-takers of
this plantation, haue raised their fortunes worthie of honour; and by
his Majesties favour, their vertues rewarded with the titles of Earles,
Vice-Countes Lords, Barronets, and Knights, according to their
qualities, and his Majesties pleasure. The meaner sort, such as
artisanes, labourers of the ground, the greater part whereof, were
knowne to haue scarce a competent meanes to defraye the charges of their
passage thither, now promoted to bee Gentlemen, and of great meanes. And
why may not time produce as great effects to vertue, in others who shall
follow her pathes with resolution: where as good occasions are offered,
in a climate more temperate, a Soyle more fertile, and farre exceeding
in greater commodities?
And last, to shake off the difficulties, and impedimentes that may bee
objected: as the dangerousnesse of Sea, the barrennesse of the Soyle,
and the vnwholesomenesse of the climate; all which discouragements might
astonishe some with feare, and to thinke our expensses, and paines
vnprofitable; when as our endes shall bee vnpossible. I haue therefore
heere taken a view that you may generallie knowe and learne, what the
Countrie is, and her commodities: the temperature of the climate: nature
of the natives: and the easinesse of the passage; all which I shall
briefly runne over; only to remove from before your feete the stumbling
blocks of impossibilitie that may affright vs.
The Countrie it is called by the name of Cape Briton, now _New
Galloway_: new, not in respect of the discoverie thereof, which to the
judgment of men of knowledge and vnderstanding is not new, but old; for
the much hath been written thereof, yet new, not olde, because of our
new vndertaking of that plantation. It is situated betwixt the degrees
of 45. and 57. an Yland within the Sea, but vpon the maine, severed by
the distance of foure leagues in some parts, of two or three at other
parts: and at others, lesse.
The Yland is in length some 120. myles, and in breadth 80. myles or
thereby: standing South-east, and North-west to _New Scotland_; vvhere
the great river _Canada_ ingorgeth her selfe in the maine Ocean.
Harbours there bee exceeding good on all sides, in most part vvhereof
are ancorage for shippes of all burthen. Yles there be about over-grovvn
vvith good timber of diverse sorts of vvood; all as yet not discovered
except the Yle _Sablon_, vvhich is full of vvoodes and vvilde beastes,
but vvithout any people. The Land is vvatered by foure maine rivers,
full of Salmond, and diverse other sortes of fishes. It hath plentie of
springes of svveete vvaters. Tovvards the North-east, _Mountanous_: and
tovvard the South-west _Caimpainge_: promising as rich entralles as anie
other Kingdome to whom the Sunne is no nearer neighbour. The ground in
it self so fertile and good as may equalize any of the Kingdomes that
lyeth in the hight of 45. 46. 47. Onlie this advantage I find in nature,
that they haue above this: they are bewtified by the long labour &
diligence of industrious people & airt: & this is only as God made it,
when he created the world, vncultured, planted & manured by men of
industry, judgment & experience.
The commodities which we shal reape from thence shall be great, for the
Sea shall sweeten our labours with her benefites, as the Land, and the
Land aswell as the Sea. The Sea shall reach vs vp her Whale, her turbot,
her sturgion, cod, haddocke, small ling, makkerell, herring, mullet,
pearch, Eele, crab, lobster, muskle, wilk, oyster, and infinite others.
Fish is the maine Staple, from whence is to be extracted, a present
commoditie to produce the rest: which howsoever it may seeme meane and
base, yet it is the Myne, and the Sea is the source of these silvered
streames of all these vertues, which hath made the _Hollanders_, the
miracle of industrie, & patterne of perfection for these affaires: and
the benefite of fishing, is that _Primum mobile_ that turneth all their
Spheare to this hight of plentie, strength, honour, and admiration.
The ground it will yeeld vs an admired varietie; some wee shall haue
that are merchantable, which, by the serving for ordinarie necessars of
the planters & inhabitantes, may yeeld a superplus sufficient, by way of
traffick and exchange with other nations, to enriche our selves the
provyders; such as flaxe, hempe, which the Soyle doth yeeld of it self
not planted. For pitch, tarre, rozen and turpentine, there bee these
kind of trees there, which yeeld them aboundantlie. Sassafras, called by
the natives, winauk, a kind of wood of sweet smell, and of rare vertues
in Physick. The Vine, it groweth there wild. Oyle there may be there of
two sortes: one of walnuts; and another of berries, like the ackornes
which the natives vse. Furres of manie and diverse kinds; such as the
marterne, the otter, the black foxe, the luzernes, Deere skins, bevers,
wildcat, and manie others. Sweet gummes of diverse kinds, and many other
Apothecarie drugges. Dyes of diverse sortes: such as shoemake, for
blacke: the seede of an hearbe called vasebur, and a litle small roote
called chappacor, for red: & for blew, the herbe woad, a thing of great
vent and vse at home for Dyers, and many other commodities merchantable,
which by planting may be raised.
Other commodities there are, which the ground doth yeeld vs for victuall
and sustenance of mans life, and vsuallie fedde vpon by the naturall
inhabitants: for it is knowne to bee so fertile, as without question
capable of producing of any graine, fruite, or roote, or seede you will
sowe, or plant, growing in any other region of the same hight. The
graines are maze, which we call Guinie wheat, according to the countrie
from whence the like hath beene brought, and this graine is much about
the bignesse of our ordinarie pease. There is also beanes, called of the
natives Oknigier: and pease called by them, Wickonzour. They haue
pompions, millons, and gourds, and an herbe called melden, growing
foure, or five foote high, of the seede they make a thicke broth, and
potage of a good taste, and of the stalke, by burning it in ashes they
make a kinde of salt earth, wherewith they season their brothes, other
salt they know not. They haue the hearbe Tobacco, called by the natives
Vppowoc, in great plentie. Fruites they haue of sundrie sorts: as
ches-nuts, walnutes, grapes, medlars, mulberries, goose-berries,
respices, straw-berries, plummes, currans, or a fruite like currans.
Rootes they haue of diverse kindes; Openauk, a kinde of roote, of a
round forme and bignesse of walnuts, which beeing boyled or sodden, are
verie goode meate: Okeepauke, another roote found in drye ground, which
they eate with fishe or flesh: Tsinaw, a roote like the china-roote,
growing together in clusters, of this roote they make bread. Of beasts;
they haue Deere red, and fallow, conies, blacke foxes, and others,
bevers, beares, wildecats, otters, marternes, luzernes, allanes, wolves,
squirells, and a beast called Moos, bigger than a Stagge. For fowle they
haue the turkie, the goose, the ducke, the skeldrake, the cran, the
teale, Eagles, Falcons, marlin-hawkes.
And finallie are those other commodities, as are behovefull for those,
which shall plant and inhabite to know of: such as oakes, ashe, elme,
firre, the pine, and ascopo: which is a kinde of tree like the Laurell,
the barke whereof, is hotte in taste, and spycie: hazell, plume-tree,
walnut-tree, chesnut-tree, and manie others, which I omitt to rehearse.
For to make mention of the severall beastes, birdes, fishes, fruites,
flowres, gummes, rootes, sweete woodes, trees, hearbs, and others
commodities, wherewith the ground is so naturallie, and so plentifullie
enriched, and stored withall; I should fill vp Decads: but referring
these to the relations of such as hath fullie collected the varieties of
them, I come to the temperature of the climat.
The nature of the Climate wee maye easilie conclude from the hight
whereinto it is situated; beeing in the 45. 46. and 47. which is as
temperate, and as fruitfull as anie other paralell in the World; and
answerable to these fruitfull partes in _France_, which are accompted
the garden of _Europe_; _Poictou_, and _Anjou_: and where is that famous
river of _Loyre_, adorned with so manie faire, so ancient, and populous
Cities: and manie other notable, and famous Kingdomes: as you maye looke
in the vniversall Mappe, because I meane not to bee tedious: and so
having there such excellent temperature of the aire at all seasons, much
warmer than heere, and never so vehementlie hotte as it is vnder, and
betwixt the Tropicks, or neere them, wee neede not thinke of
vnwholesomenesse.
And now for the Passage: Is not the navigation knowne to bee short, as
sufficientlie experimented to have beene performed with an ordinarie
winde in eighteene dayes, and in as much backe againe? how manie
_Dutch_, _English_ and _French_ goe yeerelie there for fishing on the
coaste, and backe againe to their great commodities and profite: and by
the waye wee neither shall haue lee shoare, enemies, coast, rocke, nor
sands, all which in other voyages and in our coastings at home wee are
subject vnto.
And now last, it resteth I speake a worde of the nature of the People,
in so farre as you maye knowe, how litle they are to bee feared, in
respect of troubling our inhabiting and planting.
They are a people so fewe, so poore, so base, so incivile, and so
savage, as wanting both multitude, power, or airte to harme vs. They are
cloathed with loose mantles, made of Deere skinnes, casten rounde about
their middles, the rest of their bodie all naked, of such stature onelie
as wee are heere, having no edge tooles, nor weapons of yron, nor steele
to offende vs, neither knowe they how to make anie, nor howe to vse
them.
These weapons which they have, are onelie Bowes made of Hazell, and
arrowes of reedes: flat edged truncheons also of vvood, about a yarde
long: neither haue they anie thing to defende themselves, but targes
made of barkes, and some armour made of stickes vvickered together vvith
threed. In number they are verie fewe, in twentie myles, scarce
threescore people. Townes in the countrie are verie rare, and small:
containing fewe inhabitants: and hee is a Viroan, or great Lord, that
hath the government of one towne. There houses are litle, made of small
poles, and fast at the toppes in round forme, in moste parte covered
with barkes. If there shoulde fall out anie Warres betwixt vs and them,
what fight coulde there bee, wee having advantages against them, so
manie manner of wayes: it maye bee easilie imagined, by our discipline,
our strange weapons, especiallie, our Ordinance great, and small. And by
the experience that others hath had of them there, in places more
populous than this of ours where the taking of them-selves to their
heeles, was their best defence against them.
So seeing you maye perceive, what the Countrie is, and how situated: the
aire how temperate, and wholesome? the Soyle how fertile, and what
affluence it doeth yeelde of commoditie? the natives how both so fewe,
and so harmelesse? and the passage, howe so easie, and so frequentlie
experimented? I hope there remaineth no cause whereby the action should
bee misliked.
Thus referring my relation to your favourable con-
structions: the successe of the action to Him, who is to
bee acknowledged the Author and Governour, not onlie
of this, but of all thinges else: and these my subsequent
Offers, which I have freelie, and willinglie
granted, as helpes, and furtherances for
your encouragement to so good a
Worke; yee maye pervse, and
onelie imbrace as you shall
thinke your selves
disposed.
* *
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: A family crest with two figures around a knight’s head,
with the motto Dread God and the date 1625.]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE OFFERS
to bee granted to the
Adventurers in the new plantation of
_CAPE BRITON_, now _called_
by the name of _New Galloway_
in AMERICA,
_BY_