most part white) arose under us, with such a cry redoubled by many echoes, as if an army of men had shouted all together. The islands had many goodly woods full of deer, conies, hares, and fowl, even in the midst of summer in incredible abundance. The woods are not such as you find in Bohemia, Moscovia, or Hercynia, barren and fruitless, but the highest and reddest of cedars in the world, far bettering the cedars of the Azores, of the Indies, or Libanus; pines, cypress, sassafras, the lentiscus, or the tree that beareth the mastic, the tree that beareth the rinde of black cinammon, of which Master Winter brought from the Straits of Magellan, and many other of excellent smell and quality. We remained by the side of the Islands two whole days before we saw any people of the country: the third day we espied one small boat rowing towards us, having in it three persons: this boat came to the Island side, four arquebus-shot from our ships, and there two of the people remaining, the third came along the shoreside towards 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 Amadas, myself, and others rowed to the land, whose coming this fellow attended, never making any show 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 land, and there he divided his fish into two parts, appointing 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 in Europe. His name was Granganimeo, and the king is called Wingina, the country Wingandacoa, and now by her Majesty Virginia.... The soil is very plentiful, sweet, fruitful and wholesome of all the world: there are about fourteen several sweet smelling timber trees, and 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 there 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 artifically.... Beyond this island there is the main land, 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 situated 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 about 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.... Towards the Southwest, four day's journey is situated a town called Sequotan, which is the southermost 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... other than these, there was never any people apparelled, or white of colour, either seen, or heard of amongst these people, and these aforesaid were seen only by the inhabitants of Secotan, which appeared to be very true, for they wondered marvelously when we were amongst them at the whiteness of our skins, ever coveting to touch our breasts, and to view the same. Besides they had our ships in marvelous 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 arquebus, 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 breastplates 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 towards 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 amongst them, the people are marvelously wasted, and in some places the country left desolate.... Beyond this island called Roanoak, are main 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 further into the land.......... Thus Sir, we have acquainted you with the particulars of our discovery made this present voyage, as far forth as the shortness of the time we were continued would afford us to take views of: and so contenting ourselves with this service at this time, which we hope hereafter to enlarge, as occasion and assistance shall be given, we resolved to leave the country, and to apply ourselves to return for England, which we did accordingly, and arrived safely in the west of England about the middle of September. (Ed. from Hakluyt, The Principal Navigations, etc., Lond., 1598-1600.) |