 | THE TRUE
TRAVELS,
ADVENTURES,
AND OBSERVATIONS
Of Captaine John Smith,
in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America:
beginning about the yeere 1593, and
continued to this present 1629. |  |
Chapter XXII.
The proceedings and present estate of the Summer Iles,
from An. Dom. 1624 to this present 1629.
FROM the Summer Iles, Master Ireland,
and divers others report,their Forts, Ordnance, and proceedings, are much as they were
in the yeare 1622. as you may read in the generall History, page 199.
Captaine Woodhouse governour. There are few sorts of any fruits
in the West Indies, but they grow there in abundance; yet the fertility
of the soile in many places decayeth, being planted every yeare; for
their Plantaines, which is a most delicate fruit, they have lately found
a way, by pickling or drying them, to bring them over into England,
there being no such fruit in Europe, and wonderfull for increase. For
fish, flesh, figs, wine, and all sorts of most excellent hearbs, fruits,
and rootes they have in abundance. In this Governours time, a kinde
of Whale, or rather a Jubarta, was driven on shore in Southampton
tribe from the west, over an infinite number of rocks, so bruised, that
the water in the Bay where she lay, was all oily, and the rocks about
it all bedasht with Parmacitty, congealed like ice, a good quantity
we gathered, with which we commonly cured any byle, hurt, or
bruise; some burnt it in their lamps, which blowing out, the very
snuffe will burne, so long as there is any of the oile remaining, for
two or three dayes together.
The next Governour, was Captaine Philip Bell,
whose timebeing expired, Captaine Roger Wood possessed his place, a worthy
Gentleman of good desert, and hathlived a long time in the Country;
their numbers are about two or three thousand, men, women, and
children, who increase there exceedingly; their greatest complaint,
is want of apparell, and too much custome, and too many officers;
the pity is, there are more men than women, yet no great mischiefe,
because there is so much lesse pride: the cattell they have increase
exceedingly; their forts are well maintained by the Merchants here,
and Planters there; to be briefe, this Ile is an excellent bit, to rule a
great horse.
All the Cohow birds and Egbirds are gone; seldome any wilde
cats seene; no Rats to speake of; but the wormes are yet very troublesome;
the people very healthfull; and the Ravens gone; fish enough,
but not so neere the shore as it used, by the much beating
Ile that hathsuch a rampire and a ditch, and for the quantity so
manned, victualled, and fortified, as few in the world doe exceed it,
or is like it.
The 22. of March, two ships came from thence; the Peter Bonaventure,
neere two hundred tunnes, and sixteene peeces of Ordnance;
the Captaine, Thomas Sherwin; The Master, Master Edward Some,
like him in condition, a goodly, lusty, proper, valiant man: the
Lydia, wherein was Master Anthony Thorne, a smaller ship; were
chased by eleven ships of Dunkerk; being thus overmatched, Captaine
Sherwin was taken by them in Turbay,
was slaine; the ship with about ∥ seventy English men, they carried
betwixt Dover and Callis, to Dunkerk; but the Lydia safely recovered
Dartmouth.
These noble adventurers for all those losses, patiently doe beare
them; but they hope the King and state will understand it is worth
keeping, though it afford nothing but Tobacco, and that now worth
little or nothing, custome and fraught payed, yet it is worth keeping,
and not supplanting; though great men feele not those losses, yet
Gardiners, Carpenters, and Smiths doe pay for it.
From the relation of Robert Chesteven, and others.
| THE TRUE
TRAVELS,
ADVENTURES,
AND OBSERVATIONS
Of Captaine John Smith,
in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America:
beginning about the yeere 1593, and
continued to this present 1629. | |