The voyage of Verrazzano : $b a chapter in the early history of maritime discovery in AmericaMurphy, Henry Cruse
History
The voyage of Verrazzano : $b a chapter in the early history of maritime discovery in America
Murphy, Henry Cruse
America -- Discovery and exploration -- French; Verrazzano, Giovanni da, 1485-1528
As the "East" stretches around this country, I think it cannot be
devoid of the same medicinal and aromatic drugs, and various riches
of gold and the like, as is denoted by the colour of the ground. It
abounds also in animals. as deer, stags, hares, and many other
similar, and with a great variety of birds for every kind of
pleasant and delightful sports. It is plentifully supplied with
lakes and ponds of running water, and being in the latitude of 34.
the air is salubrious, pure and temperate, and free from the
extremes of both heat and cold. There are no violent winds in these
regions, the most prevalent are the north-west and west. In summer,
the season in which we were there, the sky is clear, with but little
rain: if fogs and mists are at any time driven in by the south wind,
they are instantaneously dissipated, and at once it becomes serene
and bright again. The sea is calm, not boisterous, and its waves are
gentle. Although the whole coast is low and without harbours, it is
not dangerous for navigation, being free from rocks And bold, so
that within four or five fathoms from the shore there is twenty-four
feet of water at all times of tide, and this depth constantly
increases in a uniform proportion. The holding ground is so good
that no ship can part her cable, however violent the wind, as we
proved by experience; for while riding at anchor on the coast, we
were overtaken by a gale in the beginning of March, when the winds
are high, as is usual in all countries, we found our anchor broken
before it started from its hold or moved at all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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