the west of England, with two barks well furnished with men and
victuals, having received our last and perfect directions by your
letters, confirming the former instructions and commandments delivered
by yourself at our leaving the river of Thames. And I think it a matter
both unnecessary, for the manifest discovery of the country, as also for
tediousness' sake, to remember unto you the diurnal of our course,
sailing thither and returning; only I have presumed to present unto you
this brief discourse, by which you may judge how profitable this land is
likely to succeed, as well to yourself, by whose direction and charge,
and by whose servants, this our discovery hath been performed, as also
to her highness and the commonwealth. In which we hope your wisdom will
be satisfied, considering that as much by us hath been brought to light
as by those small means and number of men we had could anyway have been
expected or hoped for.
The tenth of May in this present year we arrived at the Canaries, and
the tenth of June we were fallen with the islands of the West Indies,
keeping a more southwesterly course than was needful, because we doubted
about the current of the Bay of Mexico, disboguing between the Cape of
Florida and Havana, had been of greater force than afterward we found it
to be. At which islands we found the air very unwholesome, and our men
grew for the most part ill-disposed: so that having refreshed ourselves
with sweet water and fresh victual, we departed the twelfth day of our
arrival here. These islands, with the rest adjoining, are so well known
to yourself, and to many others, as I will not trouble you with the
remembrance of them.
The second of July 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 kind of odoriferous flowers; by which we were assured
that the land could not be far distant. And keeping good watch and
bearing but slack sail, the fourth of the same month we arrived upon the
coast, which we supposed to be a continent and firm land, and we sailed
along the same one hundred twenty 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 arquebuse-shot 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' great seal. Which being performed,
according to the ceremonies used in such enterprises, we viewed the land
about us, being, whereas we first landed, very sandy and low toward the
water's 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 on every little shrub as also climbing toward the
tops of high cedars, that I think in all the world the like abundance is
not to be found: and myself having seen those parts of Europe that most
abound, find such difference as were incredible to be written.
We passed from the sea side toward the tops of those hills next
adjoining, being but of mean[1] 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.[2] This land lay stretching itself to the west, which after
we found to be but an island of twenty miles long and not above six
miles broad. Under the bank or hill whereon we stood we beheld the
valleys replenished with goodly cedar-trees, and having discharged our
arquebuse-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.
[1] Middle.
[2] Either way.
This island had many goodly woods full of deer, coneys, hares, and fowl,
even in the midst of summer, in incredible abundance. The woods were not
such as you find in Bohemia, Moscovia, 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; pines,
cypress, sassafras, the lentisk, or the tree that beareth the mastic;
the tree that beareth the rind of black cinnamon, of which Master Winter
brought from the Straits of Magellan; 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 toward us, having in it three persons. This boat came
to the island side, four arquebuse-shot from our ships; and there two of
the people remaining, the third came along the shore side toward us, and
we being then all within board, he walked up and down upon the point of
the land next unto us.
Then the master and the pilot of the admiral, Simon Ferdinando, and the
captain, Philip Amidas, myself, and others, rowed to the land; whose
coming this fellow attended, never making any shew 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 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. Which, after he had, as much as
he might, requited the former benefits received, 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 civil as any of
Europe. His name was Granganimeo, and the King is called Wingina; the
country, Wingandacoa, and now, by her majesty, Virginia. The manner of
his 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. When he came to
the place, his servants spread a long mat upon the ground, on 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 him somewhat afar off. When we
came to the shore to him, with our weapons, he never moved from his
place, nor any of the other four, nor never mistrusted any harm to be
offered from us; but, sitting still, he beckoned us to come and sit by
him, which we performed; and, being set, he made all signs of joy and
welcome, striking on his head and his breast and afterward on ours, to
shew we were all one, smiling and making shew 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 ear very
softly.
The King is greatly obeyed and his brothers and children reverenced. The
King himself in person was at our being there sore wounded in a fight,
which he had with the King of the next country, called "Piemacum," 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 other 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. 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 shewed him
all our packet of merchandise, of all things that he saw a bright tin
dish most pleased him, which he presently took up and clapped it before
his breast, and after making a hole in the brim thereof and hung it
about his neck, making signs that it would defend him against his
enemies' arrows. For those people maintain a deadly and terrible war
with the people and King adjoining.
We exchanged our tin dish for twenty skins, worth twenty crowns or
twenty nobles; and a copper kettle for fifty skins, worth fifty crowns.
They offered us good exchange for our hatchets and axes, and for knives,
and would have given anything for swords; but we would not depart with
any. After two or three days the King's brother came aboard the ships
and drank wine, and eat of our meat and of our bread, 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 very bashful. She had
on her back a long cloak of leather, with the fur side next to her 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, whereof we delivered
your worship a little bracelet, 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 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. They are of color yellowish, and
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 the governors of countries, and
the meaner sort. And we both noted there, and you have understood since
by these men which we brought home, that no people in the world carry
more respect to their king, nobility, and governors than these do. The
King's brother's wife, when she came to us--as she did many times--was
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 the 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 of 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, was out of a wrack, 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 part 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 windfallen, and, putting
gum and resin upon one side thereof, they set fire into it, and when it
hath burned it hollow they cut out the coal with their shells, and ever
where 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 set with long poles, as the 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, which now your worship doth very
well understand. 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 performed his promise. He sent us every day a brace or two of fat
bucks, coneys, hares, fish the best of the world. He sent us divers
kinds of fruits, melons, walnuts, cucumbers, gourds, pease, and divers
roots, and fruits very excellent 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, in August
they reap; in July they sow, in September they reap. Only they cast the
corn into the ground, breaking a little of the soft turf with a wooden
mattock or pick-axe. Ourselves proved the soil, and put some of our peas
in the ground, and in ten days they were of fourteen inches high. They
have also beans very fair, of divers colors, and wonderful plenty, some
growing naturally and some in their gardens; and so have they both wheat
and oats. The soil is the most plentiful, sweet, fruitful, and wholesome
of all the world. There are above fourteen several sweet-smelling
timber-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.
After they had been divers times aboard our ships, myself with seven
more went twenty mile into the river that runneth toward the city of
Skicoak, which river they call Occam; and the evening following we came
to an island which they call Roanoak, distant from the harbor by which
we entered seven leagues; and at the north end thereof was a village of
nine houses built of cedar and fortified round about with sharp trees to
keep out their enemies, and the entrance into it made like a turnpike
very artificially.[3] When we came toward it, standing near unto the
water's side, the wife of Granganimeo, the King's brother, came running
out to meet us very cheerfully and friendly. Her husband was not then in
the village. Some of her people she commanded to draw our boat on shore,
for the beating of the billow. Others she appointed to carry us on their
backs to the dry ground, and others to bring our oars into the house for
fear of stealing.
[3] The site of the colony established in the following year, 1585.
When we were come into the utter room--having five rooms in her
house--she caused us to sit down by a great fire, and after took off our
clothes and washed them and dried them again. Some of the women plucked
off our stockings and washed them, some washed our feet in warm water,
and she herself took great pains to see all things ordered in the best
manner she could, making great haste to dress some meat for us to eat.
After we had thus dried ourselves, she brought us into the inner room,
where she set on the board standing along the house some wheat like
frumenty, sodden venison and roasted, fish sodden, boiled and roasted,
melons raw and sodden, roots of divers kinds, and divers fruits. Their
drink is commonly water, but while the grape lasteth they drink wine,
and for want of casks to keep it, all the year after they drink water;
but it is sodden with ginger in it, and black cinnamon, and sometimes
sassafras, and divers other wholesome and medicinable herbs and trees.
We were entertained with all love and kindness, and with as much bounty,
after their manner, as they could possibly devise. We found the people
most gentle, loving and faithful, void of all guile and treason, and
such as live after the manner of the golden age. The people only care
how to defend themselves from the cold in their short winter, and to
feed themselves with such meat as the soil affordeth; their meat is very
well sodden, and they make broth very sweet and savory. Their vessels
are earthen pots, very large, white and sweet; their dishes are wooden
platters of sweet timber. Within the place where they feed was their
lodging, and within that their idol, which they worship, of whom they
speak incredible things. While we were at meat, there came in at the
gates two or three men with their bows and arrows from hunting, whom
when we espied we began to look one toward another, and offered to reach
our weapons; but as soon as she espied our mistrust, she was very much
moved, and caused some of her men to run out, and take away their bows
and arrows and break them, and withal beat the poor fellows out of the
gate again.
When we departed in the evening and would not tarry all night, she was
very sorry, and gave us into our boat our supper half-dressed, pots and
all, and brought us to our boat-side, in which we lay all night,
removing the same a pretty distance from the shore. She perceived our
jealousy, was much grieved, and sent divers men and thirty women to sit
all night on the bank-side by us, and sent us into our boats fine mats
to cover us from the rain, using very many words to entreat us to rest
in their houses. But because we were few men, and, if we had miscarried,
the voyage had been in very great danger, we durst not adventure
anything, although there was no cause of doubt; for a more kind and
loving people there cannot be found in the world, as far as we had
hitherto had trial.
Beyond this island there is the mainland, and over against this island
falleth into this spacious water the great river called Occam by the
inhabitants, on which standeth a town called Pomeiock, and six days'
journey from the same is situate their greatest city, called Skicoak,
which this people affirm to be very great; but the savages were never at
it, only they speak of it by the report of their fathers and other men,
whom they have heard affirm it to be above one hour's journey about.
Into this river falleth another great river called Cipo, in which there
is found great store of muscles, in which there are pearls; likewise
there descendeth into this Occam another river called Nomopana, on the
one side whereof standeth a great town called Chawanook, and the lord of
that town and country is called Pooneno. This Pooneno is not subject to
the King of Wingandacoa, but is a free lord.
Beyond this country is there another king, whom they call Menatonon, and
these three kings are in league with each other. Toward the southwest,
four days' journey, is situate a town called Secotan, which is the
southernmost town of Wingandacoa, near unto which six-and-twenty years
past there was a ship cast away, whereof some of the people were saved,
and those were white people, whom the country people preserved. And
after ten days remaining in an out island unhabited, called Wocokon,
they, with the help of some of the dwellers of Secotan, fastened two
boats of the country together, and made masts unto them, and sails of
their shirts, and having taken into them such victuals as the country
yielded, they departed after they had remained in this out island three
weeks. But shortly after, it seemed, they were cast away, for the boats
were found upon the coast, cast a-land in another island adjoining.
Other than these, there was never any people apparelled, or white of
color, either seen or heard of among these people, and these aforesaid
were seen only of the inhabitants of Secotan; which appeared to be very
true, for they wondered marvellously when we were among them at the
whiteness of our skins, ever coveting to touch our breasts and to view
the same.
Besides they had our ships in marvellous admiration, and all things else
were so strange unto them, as it appeared that none of them had ever
seen the like. When we discharged any piece, were it but an arquebuse,
they would tremble thereat for very fear, and for the strangeness of the
same, for the weapons which themselves use are bows and arrows. The
arrows are but of small canes, headed with a sharp shell or tooth of a
fish sufficient enough to kill a naked man. Their swords be of wood
hardened; likewise they use wooden breast-plates for their defence; They
have beside a kind of club, in the end whereof they fasten the sharp
horns of a stag, or other beast. When they go to wars they carry about
with them their idol, of whom they ask counsel, as the Romans were wont
of the oracle of Apollo. They sing songs as they march toward the
battle, instead of drums and trumpets. Their wars are very cruel and
bloody, by reason whereof, and of their civil dissensions which have
happened of late years among them, the people are marvellously wasted,
and in some places the country left desolate.
Adjoining to this country aforesaid, called Secotan, beginneth a country
called Pomovik, belonging to another king, whom they call Piemacum; and
this King is in league with the next King adjoining toward the setting
of the sun, and the country Newsiok, situate upon a goodly river called
Neus. These kings have mortal war with Wingina, King of Wingandacoa; but
about two years past there was a peace made between the king Piemacum
and the Lord of Secotan, as these men which we have brought with us to
England have given us to understand; but there remaineth a mortal malice
in the Secotans, for many injuries and slaughters done upon them by this
Piemacum. They invited divers men, and thirty women of the best of his
country, to their town to a feast, and when they were altogether merry,
and praying before their idol--which is nothing else but a mere delusion
of the devil--the captain or lord of the town came suddenly upon them,
and slew them every one, reserving the women and children; and these two
have oftentimes since persuaded us to surprise Piemacum his town, having
promised and assured us that there will be found in it great store of
commodities. But whether their persuasion be to the end they may be
revenged of their enemies, or for the love they bear to us, we leave
that to the trial hereafter.
Beyond this island called Roanoak are many islands very plentiful of
fruits and other natural increases, together with many towns and
villages along the side of the continent, some bounding upon the
islands, and some stretching up farther into the land.
When we first had sight of this country, some thought the first land we
saw to be the continent; but after we entered into the haven we saw
before us another mighty long sea, for there lieth along the coast a
tract of islands two hundred miles in length, adjoining to the ocean
sea, and between the islands two or three entrances. When you are
entered between them, these islands being very narrow for the most part,
as in some places six miles broad, in some places less, in few more,
then there appeareth another great sea, containing in breadth in some
places forty, in some fifty, in some twenty miles over, before you come
unto the continent; and in this enclosed sea there are above one hundred
islands of divers bignesses, whereof one is sixteen miles long, at which
we were, finding it a most pleasant and fertile ground, replenished with
goodly cedars and divers other sweet woods, full of currants, of flax,
and many other notable commodities which we at that time had no leisure
to view. Besides this island there are many, as I have said, some of
two, of three, of four, of five miles, some more, some less, most
beautiful and pleasant to behold, replenished with deer, coneys, hares,
and divers beasts, and about them the goodliest and best fish in the
world, and in greatest abundance.