APPENDIX I.

EXTRACTS FROM CAPTAINE RICHARD WHITBOVRNES DISCOVRSE AND DISCOUERY OF NEVVFOVND-LAUND IMPRINTED AT LONDON, 1622.'

'IN a voyage to that countrey about 36 yeeres since I had then the command of a worthy ship of 220 tun set foorth by one Master Crooke of South-hampton, At that time Sir Humfrey Gilbert a Deuonshire Knight, came thither with two good ships and a pinnace, and brought with him a large patent from the late most renowned Queene Elizabeth, and in her name tooke possession of that countrey in the harbour of S. Iohn's, whereof I was an eye witnesse, He sailed from thence towards Virginia; and by reason of some vnhappy direction in his course, the greatest ship he had strucke vpon shelues, on that coast of Canadie and was there lost, with most part of the company in her: And hee himselfe being then in a small pinnace of 20 tun in the company of his Vice Admirall (one Captaine Hayes) returning towards England, in a great storme was overwhelmed with the seas and so perished' (Preface).

The naturall inhabitants of the countrey, as they are but few in number, so are they something rude and sauage people; having neither knowledge of God, nor liuing vnder any kinde of ciuill gouernment, In thier habits customes and manners, they resemble the Indians of the Continent from whence (I suppose) they come; they liue altogether in the north and west part of the countrey, which is seldome frequented by the English: But the French and Bescaines.

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(who resort thither yeerely for the whale-fishing and also for the cod-fish) report them to be an ingenious and tractable people, (being well vsed) they are ready to assist them with great labor and patience, in the killing, cutting, and boyling of whales; and making the traineoyle, without expectation of other reward, than a little bread or some such small hire' (p. 2).

Then have you there faire straw-berries red and white, and as faire raspasse-berries, and goose-berries, as there bee in England as also multitudes of bilberries, which are called by some whortes, & many other delicate berries (which I cannot name) in great abundance

'There are also many other fruits, as small peares, cherries, filberds &c And of those berries and fruits the store is there so great, that the mariners of my ship and barke's company, haue often gathered at once, more then halfe an hogshead would hold, of which diuers times eating thier fill I neuer heard of any man whose health was thereby impaired

'There are also herbes for sallets & broth; as parsley, alexander sorrell &c And also flowers, as the red & white damaske rose, with other kinds; which are most beautifull & delightfull both to the sight & smell

'And questionlesse the countrey is stored with many physicall herbs and roots, albeit thier vertues are not knowne, because not sought after; and yet within these few yeeres many of our nation finding themselues ill, have bruised some of the herbes and strained the iuyce into beere, wine, or aqua-vita; and so by God's assistance, after a few drinkings, it hath restored them to thier former health

'The like vertue it hath to cure a wound or swelling, either by washing the grieued places with some of the herbes boyled, or by applying them so thereunto (plaister-wise) which I haue seene by often experience' (pp. 6–7).

'What the reasons motiues and inducements are either of honour profit or aduantage, which may iustly inuite your Maiesty and all your good subiects, to take some speedy and reall course for planting there, I will endeauour hereafter to

show, For it is most certaine, that by a plantation there and by that meanes onely, the poore mis-believing inhabitants of that countrey may be reduced from barbarisme, to the knowledge of God, and the light of his truth; and to a ciuill and regular kinde of life and gouernment

'This is a thing so apparant, that I neede not inforce it any further, or labour to stirre up the charitie of Christians therein, to giue thier furtherance towards a worke so pious, euery man knowing that euen we ourselues were once as blinde as they in the knowledge and worship of our Creator, and as rude and sauage in our liues and manners-Onely thiss much will I adde, that it is not a thing impossible, but that by meanes of those slender beginnings which may be made in New-found-land, all the regions neere adioyning thereunto may in time bee fitly conuerted to the true worship of God

'Secondly, the vniting of a countrey so beneficiall already, and so promising vnto your Maiesties kingdoms, without either bloodshed charge or vsurpation must needes bee a perpetuall honour to your Maiestie in all succeeding ages; and not so onely but also a great benefit and aduantage to the state, by a new accesse of dominion. And what prince or state can inlarge thier territories, by a more easie, and more iust meanes than this' (pp. 14-15).

'There are yeerely neere vnto the harbour of Renouze great store of deere seene; and sometimes diuers of them haue been taken. There is a man yet liuing, that was once at New-found-land in a ship with me; and he on one voyage did there, neere vnto the harbour of Renouze, kill 18, very large & fat deere, as it is well knowne, yet he went with his peece but seldome for that purpose, & would then haue killed many more if hee might haue been spared from other labour to attend thereon: whereby it may bee well vnderstood, that there is great store of deere's flesh in that countrey, and no want of good fish, good fowle, good fresh water, and store of wood &c. By which commodities people may well liue very pleasantly' (p. 54).

'It is well knowne vnto all those that haue seen the

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countrey and obserued it, how the land is ouergrowne with woods and bushes that haue growne, and so rotted into the ground againe (in my opinion euer since the flood) the rottenness therof hath so couered the earth, and rocks in diuers places of the countrey in great thickness, and by reason therof the open land and woods doe a long time in summer containe a great moisture vnder the same so that a man may obserue, when the heat of the yeere comes on, a kinde of fogge arising continually from it-Therefore in my opinion which I submit to deeper iudgements, if those vnnecessary bushes and such vnseruiceable woods were in some places burned, so as the hot beames of the sunne might pearce into the earth and stones there, so speedily as it doth in some other countreys, that lye vnder the same eleuation of the Pole, it would then there make such a reflection of heate, that it would much lessen these fogges, and also make the countrey much the hotter winter and summer, and thereby the earth will bud forth her blossoms and fruits more timely in the yeere, then now it doth and so bring the land more familiar to vs, and fitter for tillage, and for beasts and also for land-fowle, then now it is; and thereby those ilands of ice that come on that coast at any time, will the sooner dissolue, which doe speedily melt, when they come neere the south part of that land' &c. (pp. 58-59).

I haue often (sailing towards the New-found-land) met with some French ships comming from the banke so called, deepe loden with fish, in the first of Aprill, who haue taken the same there in Ianuary February and March, which are the sharpest months in the yeere for storms and cruell weather-To which banke may our nation (such as will aduenture therein and doe great good in fishing) saile from the New-found-land in the latter part of the summer, when the fish begins to draw from that coast, as commonly it doth when the winter comes on, I meane such shipping as are to be imployed by whomsoever may vndertake to plant there, and likewise any other ships that saile thither a fishing, as now they vse to doe, who hauing disposed away such fish and traineoyle as they take there in the summer time vnto