A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 32
Of the parts of America towards the North.
THE rumor of the discovery of these parts being blown over Christendome, and the great quantitie of the Land, together with the fruitfulness thereof, being reported abroad, some other Nations did enterprize to set foot therein: as namely, the Frenchmen, who sent certain ships to a part of this Country, lying North from Hispania nova, some few degrees without the Tropick of Cancer; into which when they had arrived, because of the continuall greennesse of the ground and trees, (as if it had been a perpetual spring) they called it Florida: where after some few ofAnd named it Florida. them had for a time setled themselves, the Spaniards took notice of it, and being unwilling to endure any such neighbours, they came suddenly on them, and most cruelly slew them all, without taking any ransome. And the French in revenge of this deed of the Spaniards, came in again afterwards into this Country, and slew those that were the slaiers of their country men: yet the Syaniards for want of men, are not able to inhabite that Countrey, but leave it to the old people.
The French had built in Florida, The river Mayo.upon the River of Mayo, where they were visited by our Sir John Hawkins, a Fort which they called Fort Carolin, and had reasonably assured themselves for their defence against the Natives: but some malicious spirits amongst them fled to the Spaniards, with whom they return again into Florida▪ to the murther and overthrow of their own Country-men.
He who list to see both the attempt of the French-men for the inhabiting of that part, and the usage of the Spaniards towards them, let him read the Expedition into Florida, which is the end of Benzo's story, concerning the New found World; and there he shall find both the covetous and infatiable nature of the Spaniards; who would not endure the French neere unto them, although there was land sufficient, and much to spare for both of them; also their perfidiousnesseNote the Spaniards unchistian cruelty. in breaking of Oaths, and promises, and their unchristian cruelty, whereby they massacred all.
The Spaniards also to the number of three hundred foot, and two hundred horse, under the conduct of Ferdinando de Sota, entred Florida, about the year of our Lord, 1550. and there conquered a thousand miles wide and large, and after four or five yeares continuance in that Country, betook themselves again from thence, and went to new Spain, landing at Panuc in Ships and Vessels that they had built in Florida. And in all that time notwithstanding many conflicts with the natives, and divers discommodities▪ and wants which they sustained in the Countrey, they lost but two hundred men.
After this departure of the Spaniards out of Florida, brought thither by Ferdinando de Sota, who died in the Country; after the defeat of the French, and their revenge again taken on the Spaniards, the King of Spaine sent thither some small forces to take possession of the Country, and sit down there; for no other end, as it is thought, but to keep out other Nations from entring there: the one half whereof set down on the River of Saint Augustine, and the other, half a dozen leagues from thence, to the Northward, at a place by them called Saint Helena.
In the year 1586. as Sir Francis Drake came coasting along fromSir Francis Drakes Voyage. Cartagena, a City in the main land to which he put over, and took it, after he departed from Sancto Domingo, when the mortality that was amongst our English, had made them to give over their enterpri…e, to go with Nombre de Dios, and so over land to Panama, there to have stricken the stroake for the Treasure: he was on the coast of Florida in the height of thirty, our men discryed on the shore, a place built like a Beacon, which was made for men to discover to Sea-ward: so comming to the shore, they marched along the Rivers side, till they came to a Fort built all of whole trees, which the Spaniards called the Fort of Saint John, where the King entertained halfe his Forces that he then had in the Countrey, which were an hundred and fifty Souldiers; the like number being at Saint Helena, all of them under the government of Petro Melendez, Nephew to the admirall Melendez, that fifteen or sixteen years before had been to bring with onr English in the B…y of Mexico; this Fort our English …ook, and not far from thence the Town also of Saint Augustine upon the same river, where resolving to umdertake also the enterprize of Saint Helena, when they came to the Havens mouth where they should enter they durst not for the dangerous shoals: wherefore they sorsooke the place, coasting along to Virginia, where they took in Mr. Ralph Lane and his company, and so came into England▪ as you shall heare when we speak of Virginia.
In these Northerne parts of America, but especially within the main Continent, some have written (but how truly I cannot tell) that there is a sea which hath no enter course at all with the Ocean: so that if there be any third place beside the Mare Caspium, and the Mare Mortuum in Palestina, which retained in it self great saltnesse, and yet mingleth not with the other sea, it is in these Countries.
There is also in new Spain a great salt Lake, as big or bigger than the dead sea of Palestine, in the midst of which stands▪ the great City of Tenustitan, or Mexico, the Mistris cr…imperiall City of those parts: and on the Bankes or sides▪ of that Lake many other Cities also beside, which though they are but little in comparison of the greatnesse of Tenustitan, yet of themselves are geeat. This Tenustitan is supposed to consist of 60 thousand houses, as you may read in the third Chap. of the fifth of the Decades: and this City standing in the midst and center of this salt Lake, go which way you will from the Continent to the …ity, it is at least a League and an half, or two Leagues on the Lake unto it: some of the other Cities are said to be thirty, some of forty thousand Houses; the names of these are, Mesiquail…ingo, Coluacana, Four cities … in America.Wiohilabasco, Iztapalapa, and others: the Lake, though it be in the midst of the Land, hath his fluxus and refluxus, his ebbing and flowing, like the Sea, and yet seventy leagues distant from the Sea.
But certain it is, that towards the South of these parts, which is the Northern part of Hispania nova, above Mexico, there is a burningThe burning hill in Americs. hill, which often times breaketh out into flames, as Vesuvius in Campania, did in the daies of the elder Pliny, and as Aetna hath done many ages since and before.
Peter Martyr his his fifth of his Decades, saith, that eight leagues from Tenustitan or Mexico, as Ferdinando Cortes went thither from the Chiurute Calez, where is a Hill called of the Inhabitants Popecatepeque, as much as to say, A smoakie mountaine, at the top whereof there is a hole of a league and a halfe wide, out of which are cast fire, andA strange fire. stones with whitl-winds; and that the thickness of the ashes lying about the Hill is very great. It is reported also elsewhere of this hill, that the flames and the ashes thereof oft times destroy the fields and Gardens thereabouts. When Cortes, went by it, he sent ten Spaniards, with Guides of the Countrey, to see and make report thereof unto him; two of which ten venturing further than the rest, saw the mouth of this fiery gulph at the hils top: and had they not happily soon returned towards their fellows, and sheltered themselves under a rock on the side of the hill, such a multitude of stones were cast out with the flame, that by no meanes they could have escaped.
The English-men also desirous byOf Virginia the first plantation. Navigation to adde something unto their own Countrey, as before time they had travelled toward the farthest North part of America, so lately finding that part which lieth between Florida and Nova Francia, was not inhabited by any Christians, and was a Land fruitfull and fit to plant in, they sent thither two severall times, two severall companies, as Colonies to inhabite that part, which in remembrance of the Virginity of their Queen they called Virginia. But this voyage being enterprized upon by private men, and being not throughly followed by the State, the possession of this Virginia for that time was discontinued, and the Country left to the old inhabitants.
There were some English people,The second planta ion. who after they had understood the calmnesse of the Climate, and goodnesse of the soyle, did upon the instigation of some Gentlemen of England, voluntarily offer themselves, even with their Wives and Children, to go into those parts to inhabite; but when the most of them came there (upon some occasions) they returned home again the first time: which caused that the second year there was a great company transported thither, who were provided of many necessaries, and continued there over a whole winter, under the guiding of M. Lane: but not finding any sustenance in the Country (which could well brooke wi…h their nature, and being too meanely provided of Corn and Victuals from England) they had like to have perished with famine; and therefore thought themselves happy when Sir Francis Drake, comming that way from the Westerne-Indies, would take them into his ships, and bring them home into their native Country. Yet some there were of those English, which being left behind, ranged up and down the Country (and hovering about the sea-coast) made means at last (after their enduring much misery) by some Christian ships to be brought back again into England.
While they were there inhabiting, there were some children born and baptized in those parts, and they might well have endured the Country, if they might have had such strength as to keep off the inhabitants from troubling them in tilling the ground, and reaping such corn as they would have sowed.
Again in the daies of our nowThe third plantation. raigning Soveraigne, in the year of our Lord 1606. the English planted themselves in Virginia, under the degrees 37, 38, 39. where they do to this day continue, and have built three Towns and Forts, as namely James-town and Henrico, Fort Henricke, & Fort Charls, with others, which they hold & inhabite; sure retreats for them against the force of the natives, and reasonable secured places against any power that may come against them by Sea.
In the same height, but a good distanceOf the summer Ilands from the coast of Virginia, lieth the Iland called by the Spaniards La Barmuda, but by our English the Summer Ilands, which of late is inhabited also by our Country men.
Northward from them on the coast lieth N…rumbega, which is the south part of that which the French men did without disturbance of any Christian for a time possess. For the French-men did discover a larg part of America, towards the Circle Articke, and did build there some Towns, and named it of their own Country Nova Francia.
As our English men have adventured very far for the discovery of new-found lands: so with very great labour and diligence they attempted to open something higher than Nova Francia: and therefore with some Ships they did passe thither, and entred upon the Land, from whence they brought some of the people, whose countenance was very tawny and dusky; which commeth not by any heat, but the great cold of the Climate, chilling and pricking them: but the digestion and stomack of these people is very good, insomuch that like unto the Tartars, and some other Norther nations, their feeding was (for the most part) upon raw meat, their manners otherwise being barbarous and suitable to their diet.
They had little leatherne Boats, wherein they would fish neare the brinks of the Sea, and at their pleasure would carry them from place to place on their backs.
Notwithstanding all their pains there taken, it was a great errour and ignorance in our men, when they supposed that they should find good store of Gold-mines in those quarters: for the country is so cold, that it is not possible to find there any full concoction of the sun, to breed and work such a metall within the ground; and therefore howsoe ver they brought home some store of earth, which they supsed to be Ore, and of shining stones; yet when it came to the triall it proved to be nothing worth, but verified the Proverb, All is not Gold that glisters.
In very many parts of these Northern Countries of America, there is very fit and opportune fishing some pretty way within the sea, and therefore divers Nations of Europe, do yearly send fishers thither, with shipping and great store of salt: where when they have taken fish; and dried it, and salted it at the land, they bring it home into Christendome, and utter it commonly byThe fish of New found, land. the name of New found-land-fish.
The English about the year 1570 did adventure far for to open the North parts of America, and sayled as far as the very Circle Articke, hoping to have fonnd a passage-by the North to the Moluccoes, and to China, which hitherto neither by the North of Asia, nor by the North of America, could be effefected by them, by reason of the very great cold and ice in the climate.
The rest of the Iland (being a huge space of earth,) hath not hither to by any Christian to any purpose been discovered; but by those near the sea coast it may be gathered, that they all which do there inhabite, are men rude and uncivill, without the knowledge of God. Yet on the north west part of America, some of our English men going through the straights of Magellane, and passing towards the North by Hispania nova, have touched on a Countrey, where they have found good entertainment, and the King thereof yeelded himself to the subjection of the Queen of England: whereuponNova Al bion. they termed it Nova Albion.
Sir Francis Drake, who toucht upon that Country and for some pretty time had his abode there, doth report in his Voyage, that the country is very good, yeelding much store of divers fruits delightful, both to the eye and taste: and that the people are apt enough by hospitality to yeeld favour & entertainment to strangers: but it is added withall, that they are marvellously addicted to Wichcraft, and adoration of Devils; from which they could not be perswaded to abstain even in the very presence of our Country-men.