A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 205 – Subpart 208
Jamica described.
Jamica, or the Island of St. James, which was once very populous, but now is almost destitute of Inhabitants; the Spaniards having slain in this, and a neighbouring Island called Boriquen above sixty thousand living souls: so that the women used to kill their Children before they had given them life, that they might not serve so cruel a Nation: Its in length two hundred and fourscore mil…s, and in breadth threescore and ten. Its well watered, and hath two Towns of note, Oristana, and Sevil: Here the English have this last year planted themselves.
Jamica is very subject to Hurricanes, which are such terrible Gusts of wind, that nothing can resist them. They …urn up Trees, overturn houses, transport ships from Sea to Land, and bring with them a most dreadful confusion▪ they are most frequent in August, September, and October, The natives are of quicker wits, than in other Islands.
Cuba is three hundred miles long▪ some say three hundred leagues, and threescore and ten broad. Its full of Forrests, Rivers, Lakes salt, and fresh, and mountains: Here the people were prohibited the eating of Serpents, as a dainty, reserved for the higher powers. The air is temperate, the soil is fertil, producing excellent brass, but the gold is drossie: it abounds with Ginger, Mastick, Cassia, Aloes, Cinamon, Sugar, Flesh, Fish, and Fowle. The chief Cities being seated on the Northern shoar, are, St. J…go, and Havana, a safe rode for ships, where the King of Spains ▪ Navie rides till they carry home their rich lading.
In this Isle of Cuba two things are admirable: one a Valley trending between two hills for three leagues, which produceth abundance of stones, of a perfect round form like bullets: The other a Fountain, whence Bitumen, or a pitchie substance floweth abundantly, and is excellent to pitch ships. In these Islands the Inhabitans have been wasted by the Mines of Hispaniola, and Cuba to the number of twelve hundred thousand.
Bermudae were discovered by Sir Thomas Summers, and thence called Summers Islands: they are four hundred in number: In the biggest is a Colony of English, who found it fruitful, and agreeable to their constitutions.
The commodities in these Islands, are variety of Fish, plenty of Swine, Mulberries, Silk-worms, Palmitos, Cedars, Pearls, and Amber-greese. They have great variety of Fowle, as big as Pidgions, which lay speckled Eggs as big as Hens Eggs on the Sand. Another Fowle there is that lives in holes, like Conie-holes: Tortoises they have, and in the belly of one of them they finde a bushel of Eggs, very sweet: One of them will serve fifty men at a meal: Their winter is in December, January, and February, yet not so sharp, but then you may meet with young birds. Its so invironed with Rocks, that without knowledge a Boat of ten Tuns cannot bee brought in, and yet within is safe harbour for the greatest ship.
Hispaniola, which lamenteth her loss of three millions of her inhabitants murthered by the bloody Spaniards. Its in compass one thousand and four hundred miles, having a temperate air, fertil soil, rich Mines, Amber, and Sugar. It excels Cuba in three things. 1. In the fineness of gold. 2. In the increase of Sugar, one Sugar-Cane will here fill twenty, sometimes thirty measures. 3. The great fruitfulness of the soil; the Corn yeelding an hundred fold. The chief City is St. Domingo, ransaked by Sir Francis Drake, Anno Christi 1585. And lately attempted by our English, but through miscarriages they lost their opportunity of taking it, which made them go to Jamica.
Hispaniola seemeth to enjoy a perpetual spring, the trees always flourishing, and the Medows all the year cloathed in green. Its in a manner equally divided by four great Rivers, descending from high mountains, whereof Junna runneth East, Attibunicus West, Nabiba South, and Jache Northward: Diverse of their Rivers after they have run a course of ninety miles, are swallowed up of the earth. On the top of an high Mountain is a lake three miles in compasse, into which some Rivolets run, without any apparent issue. In one part of this Island is a Lake, whose water is salt, though it receive into it four great fresh rivers, and twenty smaller: It is thought, to have some intercourse with the sea, because some Sharks are found in it: it is subject to stormes, and tempests. Another Lake there is that is partly salt, partly fresh, being twenty five miles long, and eight broad. These are in a large plain which is one hundred and twenty miles in length, and between twenty five and twenty eight miles in breadth. Another valley there is, that is two hundred miles long, and broader than the former, and another of the same breadth, but one hundred and eighty miles long.
One of the Provinces in Hispaniola called Magua, is a plain compassed about with hills, wherein are many thousand Rivers and Brooks, whereof twelve are very great: some thousands of them are enriched with gold. Another Province is most barren, and yet most rich, with Mines. From this Island the Spaniards used to bring yearly, four or five thousand Duckats of gold.
This Island is much infested with flyes, whose stinging, causeth great swelling; also there is a worm that creepeth into the soles of mens feet, which causeth great swelling, and pain, for which they have no remedy, but to lance the flesh, and so to dig them out.
They have a certain kinde of Beetles, which have four lights that shine much in the dark, two in their eyes, and two under their wings when they flye; they use to bring them into their houses, where they do them double service: First, by killing the Gnats: secondly, by giving them light, which is so great, that they can see to read by it. Kine in this Island carried thither by the Spaniards are so multiplied, and grown wild, that they kill them for their hides and Tallow, leaving their flesh to bee devoured by dogs, and fowl: Almost forty thousand of them have been transported in one year. Anno Christi 1519. Ants were as noisome to them, as Grashoppers in other parts of the world; they spoiled their fruits, and fruit trees; they could keep nothing in their houses, which was fit to bee eaten, from them, and had they continued, they would have unpeopled the Island. There are worms also which do such harm in Timber, that a house will scarce stand here thirty years: when the King in this Countrey died, they buried the best beloved of his Concubines with him, who also had other women buried for to attend upon them in the other World, together with their Jewels and Ornaments: they had also set in their Sepulchre a Cup of water, and some of their Cassavi bread. Anno Christi 1508, here happened such an Hurricane as threw down most of the houses in Domingo, and Bona ventura, destroied twenty sail of ships, lifted up many men into the air, who falling down again were miserably bruised.
Newfound-land described.
Newfound-land is an Island bordering upon the continent of America, no farther distant than England is from the nearest part of France. It lies between six and forty, and three and fifty degrees of Northerly latitude: Its near as big as Ireland, and is near half the way between Ireland, and Virginea; even in winter its as pleasant, and healthful a place as England. The natural Inhabitants are not many, and those rude, ignorant of God, and living under no kinde of civil Government. In their habits, customes, and manners, they resemble the Indians, which live upon the continent. They are ingenious, and tractable, and take great pains in helping those Christians which yearly fish upon their coasts, to kill, cut, and boil their Whales, expecting nothing for their labour, but a little bread, or some other trifles.
All along the coast of this Country, there are many spacious and excellent Bayes, some of them stretching into the land more than twenty leagues. And round about the Coast, and in the Bayes, there are many small Islands, all within a league of the land, which are both fair, and fruitful, neither doth any Country in the world afford greater store of good harbours, nor those more safe, commodious, and free from danger.
The soil of the Country in the Vallies, and sides of the Mountains is so fruitful, that without the labour of man it naturally produceth great plenty of Pease, and Vetches, as full, and wholesome as ours in England: Other places produce plenty of Grass: There are Strawberries red, and white, and Rasberries as fair, and good as ours in England: Multitude of Bilberries, and other delicate Berries, in great abundance: There are also Pears, Cherries, Filbeards, &c. There are Herbs for Sallets, and broth, as Parsley, Alexander, Sorrel, &c. As also Flowers, as Red, and Damask-Roses, with others; beautiful, and delightful both to the eye, and smell: There are also diverse Physical Herbs, and Roots. Some Corn that our men have sowed proved very good, and yeelded great increase: so do Cabbages, Carrats, Turneps, Lettice, &c.
In the Country there are great store of Deer, Hares, Foxes, Squirrels, Beavers, Wolves, Bears, and other kindes of Beasts, both for necessity, profit, and delight. Besides great numbers of small Birds, there are Hawks, great and small, Partridges, Thrustles, Nightingals, &c. As also Ravens, Gripes, Crowes, &c. besides plenty of water-Fowle, as Geese, Ducks, Gulls, Penguines, Pigeons, &c. Of these there is such abundance, that the Fisher-men which yearly trade thither finde great refreshing by them.
The Country yeelds store of Rivers, and Springs, pleasant, delightful, and wholesome: together with abundance of fuel for the fire; besides Timber Trees, as Fir, Spruce, fit for Masts of ships; from whence also comes abundance of Turpentine: Pines also, and Birch-Trees, &c. The Rivers, and Harbours are stored with delicate Fish, as Salmons, Pearles, Eeles, Herrings, Makarel, Flounders, Cods, Trouts, as large, fat, and sweet as any in the world: Besides Lobsters, Crab-fish, Muscles, &c. There are also Beavers, Otters, &c. The Seas along the shore yeeld Whales, Spanish-Makarel, Dorrel, Pales, Herring, Porposses, Seales, &c. Especially by their Cod-fishing, both our own, and other Nations are much enriched. Two hundred and fifty sail of Ships go thither usually in one year from England.
New-Scotland described.
New-Scotland lyeth on the East of St. Croix: on the North its compassed with the great River Canada; and hath the main Ocean on the South. It hath many safe harbours, and great Rivers, having on the sides of them delicate medows, where the earth of it self, bringeth forth Roses red, and white, and Lillies, having a dainty smell. The soil is fat, producing several sorts of Berries, as Goos-berries, Straw-berries, Hind-berries, Ras-berries, &c. as also Pease, Wheat, Barley, and Rye. The Rivers abound with Lobsters, Cockles, and other small fishes: There are great store of wild fowle, as Geese, Herons, Ducks, Wood-cocks, Pigeons,: The Coast hath store of Cod, and other great fishes: The Land is full of wood. mostly of great Oaks; the rest Fir-trees, Spruce, Birch, and many other sorts here unknown.
Groenland described.
Groenland is accounted part of America, and is high, mountainous, and full of broken Islands along the Coast: It hath good Baies, and navigable Rivers that are full of fish: Between the mountains are pleasant plains and vallies: there a…e store of fowle; black Foxes, and Deer: The people wander up and down in the Summer time, without fixed habitations, for hunting, and fishing, carrying their Tents, and baggage with them: they are of a middle stature, brown, active, warlike, eating raw flesh, or a little perboiled in blood, oil, or a little water, which they drink. Their apparrel are Beasts, or Fowles skins, the hairy, or feathered side outward in summer, and inward in winter: Their Arrows and Darts have but two feathers, and a bonehead; no wood growes there; they worship the Sun. Their Winter-houses are built of Whales-bones, covered with earth, and vaulted two yards deep under the earth; within land they have a King that is carried upon mens shoulders: They have Hares as white as Snow, with long fur: Dogs which live on fish, whose pizzels, as also of the Foxes, are bony. Their Summer work is to dry their fish on the Rocks, for their Winter provision: Every one hath a Boat made of Fir-wood, driven thither from other Countries, covered with Seals-skins, about twenty foot long, sowed with sinewes, or guts; so light, that one may carry them, and so swift, that no ship can hold way with them, and yet they use but one Oar which they hold by the middle, in the midst of their Boat, being broad at both ends wherewith they row forward, or backward, at pleasure.