The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
The bread which they eate in all the land of Florida is of Maiz, which
is like course millet. And this maiz is common in all the Islandes and
West Indies from the Antiles forward. There are also in Florida great
store of Walnuts and Plummes, Mulberries, and Grapes. They sow and
gather their Maiz euery one their seuerall crop. The fruits are common
to all: for they grow abroad in the open fields in great abundance,
without any neede of planting or dressing. Where there be Mountaines,
there be chestnuts: they are somewhat smaller then the chestnuts of
Spaine. [Sidenote: Soft Walnuts Eastward from Rio Grande.] [Sidenote:
Hard Walnuts Westward from Rio Grande.] From Rio Grande Westward, the
Walnuts differ from those that grow more Eastward: for they are soft,
and like vnto Acornes: And those which grow from Rio Grande to Puerto
del Spiritu Santo for the most part are hard; and the trees and Walnuts
in shew like those of Spaine. There is a fruit through all the Countrie
which groweth on a plant like Ligoacan, which the Indians doe plant. The
fruit is like vnto Peares Riall: it hath a verie good smell, and an
excellent taste. There groweth another plant in the open field, which
beareth a fruit like vnto strawberries, close to the ground, which hath
a verie good taste. The Plummes are of two kindes, red and gray, of the
making and bignesse of nuts, and haue three or foure stones in them.
These are better than all the plummes of Spaine, & they make farre
better Prunes of them. In the Grapes there is onelie want of dressing:
for though they bee big, they have a great Kirnell. All other fruits
are very perfect, and lesse hurtfull than those of Spaine.
[Sidenote: Beasts.] There are in Florida many Beares, and Lyons, Wolues,
Deere, Dogges, Cattes, Marterns, and Conies. [Sidenote: Fowles.] There
be many wild Hennes as big as Turkies, Partridges small like those of
Africa, Cranes, Duckes, Pigeons, Thrushes and Sparrowes. There are
certaine Blacke birds bigger then Sparrowes, and lesser then Stares.
There are Gosse Hawkes, Falcons, Ierfalcons, and all Fowles of prey that
are in Spaine.
The Indians are well proportioned. Those of the plaine Countries are
taller of bodie, and better shapen, then those of the Mountaines. Those
of the Inland haue greater store of Maiz, and commodities of the
Countrie, then those that dwell vpon the sea coast. The Countrie along
the sea coast is barren and poore: and the people more warlike. The
coast runneth from Puerto del Spiritu Santo to Apalache, East and West;
and from Apalache to Rio de las Palmas from East to West: from Rio de
las Palmas vnto Nueua Espanna from North to South. It is a gentle coast,
but it hath many sholdes, and great shelues of sand.
Deo gratias.
This relation of the discouerie of Florida was printed in the house of
Andrew de Burgos, Printer and Gentleman of the house of my Lord
Cardinall the Infante.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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