The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Bres, where he left M. Nicolo with certaine small barkes and men and
munition. And now thinking he had done wel for this voyage, with those few
ships which were left he returned safe into Frisland. [Sidenote:
Engroneland.] M. Nicolo remaining nowe in Bres, determined in the spring to
go forth and discouer land: wherefore arming out three small barkes in the
moneth of Iuly, he sayled to the Northwards, and arriued in Engroneland.
[Sidenote: Preaching fryers of Saint Thomas.] Where he found a Monasterie
of Friers, of the order of the Predicators, and a Church dedicated to Saint
Thomas, hard by a hill that casteth forth fire, like Vesuuius and Etna.
There is a fountaine of hot burning water with the which they heate the
Church of the Monastery and the Fryers chambers, it commeth also into the
kitchin so boyling hot, that they vse no other fire to dresse their meate:
and putting their breade into brasse pots without any water, it doth bake
as it were in an hot ouen. They haue also smal gardens couered ouer in the
winter time, which being watered with this water, are defended from the
force of the snow and colde, which in those partes being situate farre
vnder the pole, is very extreme, and by this meanes they produce flowers
and fruites and herbes of sundry sorts, euen as in other temperate
countries in their seasons, in such sort that the rude and sauage people of
those partes seeing these supernaturall effects, doe take those Fryers for
Gods, and bring them many presents, as chickens, flesh, and diuers other
things, they haue them all in great reuerence as Lords. When the frost and
snowe is great, they heate their houses in maner before said, and wil by
letting in the water or opening the windowes, at an instant, temper the
heate and cold at their pleasure. In the buildings of the Monasterie they
vse no other matter but that which is ministred vnto them by the fire: for
they take the burning stones that are cast out as it were sparkles or
cinders at the fierie mouth of the hill, and when they are most enflamed,
cast water vpon them, whereby they are dissolued and become excellent white
lime and so tough that being contriued in building it lasteth for euer. And
the very sparkles after the fire is out of them doe serue in stead of
stones to make walles and vautes: for being once colde they will neuer
dissolue or breake, except they be cut with some iron toole, and the vautes
that are made of them are so light that they need no sustentacle, or prop
to holde them vp, and they will endure continually very faire and whole. By
reason of these great commodities, the Fryers haue made there so many
buildings and walles that it is a wonder to see. The couerts or roofes of
their houses for the most part are made in maner following: first they
rayse vp the wall vp to his full height, then they make it enclinining or
bowing in by little and litle in fourme of a vaut. [Sidenote: Winter of 9
moneths.] But they are not greatly troubled with raine in those partes,
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