Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 3 (of 8): English Explorations and Settlements in North America 1497-1689
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 3 (of 8): English Explorations and Settlements in North America 1497-1689
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
On the 10th of May they reached the Canaries, on the 10th of June the
West Indies, and on the 4th of July the American coast. They sailed
northward one hundred and twenty miles before they found “any entrance
or river issuing into the sea.” They entered the first which they
discovered, probably that now known as New Inlet, and sailing a short
distance into the haven they cast anchor, and returned thanks to God
for their safe arrival. Manning their boats, they were soon on the
nearest land, and took possession of it in the name “of the Queen’s
most excellent Majestie, as rightful Queene and Princesse of the
same,” and afterwards “delivered the same over to Sir Walter Ralegh’s
use, according to her Majestie’s grant and letters patents under her
Highnesse great seale.” They found the land to be about twenty miles
long and six miles wide, and, in the language of the report to Sir
Walter,—
“very sandie and low towards the water’s side, but so ful of grapes,
as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them, of which we
found such plentie, as well there as in all places else, both on the
sand and on the greene soile on the hils as in the plaines, as well on
every little shrubbe, as also climing towards the tops of high cedars,
that I thinke in all the world the like abundance is not to be found;
and myselfe having seene those parts of Europe that most abound, find
such difference as were incredible to be written.”
The report continues:—
“This Island had many goodly Woodes full of Deere, Conies, Hares,
and Fowle, even in the middest of Summer, in incredible abondance.
The Woodes are not such as you finde in Bohemia, Moscovia, Hercynia,
barren and fruitles, but the highest and reddest Cedars of the world,
farre bettering the Cedars of the Azores, of the Indies, or Lybanus;
Pynes, Cypres, Sassaphras, the Lentisk, or the tree that beareth the
Masticke, the tree that beareth the rind of blacke Sinamon.”
On the third day a boat with three natives approached the island, and
friendly intercourse was at once established. On the next there came
several boats, and in one of them Granganimeo, the king’s brother,
“accompanied with fortie or fiftie men, very handsome and goodly
people, and in their behavior as mannerly and civill as any of Europe.”
When the English asked the name of the country, one of the savages,
who did not understand the question, replied, “Win-gan-da-coa,” which
meant, “You wear fine clothes.” The English on their part, mistaking
his meaning, reported that to be the name of the country.
The King was named Wingina, and he was then suffering from a wound
received in battle. After two or three days Granganimeo brought his
wife and daughter and two or three children to the ships.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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