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
There is no maner of creeping beast hurtfull, except some Spiders (which as
many affirme, are signes of great store of gold) and also certaine stinging
Gnattes, which bite so fiercely, that the place where they bite shortly
after swelleth, and itcheth very sore.
They make signes of certaine people that weare bright plates of gold in
their foreheads, and other places of their bodies.
[Sidenote: Description of the Countreis.] The Countreys on both sides the
streights lye very high with rough stony mountaines, and great quantitie of
snow thereon. There is very little plaine ground and no grasse, except a
little which is much like vnto mosse that groweth on soft ground, such as
we get Turffes in. There is no wood at all. To be briefe there is nothing
fit or profitable for the vse of man, which that Countrey with roote
yeeldeth or bringeth forth: Howbeit there is great quantity of Deere, whose
skins are like vnto Asses, there heads or hornes doe farre exceede, as well
in length as also in breadth, any in these our parts or Countreys: their
feete likewise are as great as our oxens, which we measured to be seuen or
eight ynches in breadth. There are also hares, wolues, fishing beares, and
sea foule of sundry sorts.
As the Countrey is barren and vnfertile, so are they rude and of no
capacitie to culture the same to any perfection; but are contented by their
hunting, fishing, and fouling, with raw flesh and warme blood to satisfie
their greedy panches, which is their only glory.
[Sidenote: A signe of Earthquakes or thunder.] There is great likelihood of
Earthquakes or thunder: for that there are huge and monstrous mountaines,
whose greatest substance are stones, and those stones so shaken with some
extraordinarie meanes that one is separated from another, which is
discordant from all other Quarries.
[Sidenote: No riuers, but such as the Sunne doth cause to come of Snow.]
There are no riuers or running springs, but such as through the heate of
the Sunne, with such water as decendeth from the mountaines and hilles,
whereon great drifts of snow do lie, are engendred.
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