In the Gulf of St. Laurence, towards the Mouth of the River Canada, is another less considerable Island, said to have been first discover’d by Quartier, and by him call’d The Island of Assumption; by John Alphonso, The Island of Ascension; by the Natives, Natistcotec: It extends it self from the forty eighth to the fiftieth Degree, between the South-East and North-West.
Quartier makes mention of a strange kinde of Fish, found in the River of Canada, like unto a Sea-Hog, but having the Head of a Hare, it is call’d by the Natives Adhothuys.
Not far from this is a little Island, call’d by the French, Isle de Sable, or The Sandy Island; and another on the West of Terra Nova, call’d Isle de Bretons, or The Island of St. Laurence, besides several little scatter’d Islands in the Gulf of St. Laurence, as Menego, and The Three Islands of Birds; in which are found a kind of amphibious Animal, call’d by the French, Cualrus, and by the Russians, Morsh; somewhat like a Sea-Calf, but more monstrous.
CHAP. XII.
The Bermudas, or Summer-Islands.
Situation of the Bermudas.
The Bermudas, or Summer-Islands (probably so term’d as to the first Appellation from certain black Hogs, by the Spaniards call’d Bermudas, which from a Ship bound with them to some other parts of the West-Indies, and cast away upon that Coast, swam ashore, and there increased; or, as others say, from John Bermudes, a Spaniard, who is said to have been the first Discoverer; or, as to the second, from one George Summers, an English-man, who there suffer’d shipwrack) are situated in thirty two Degrees and twenty five Minutes of Northern Latitude about sixteen hundred Leagues from England, twelve hundred from Madera, four hundred from Hispaniola, and three hundred from the nearest Coast of Virginia. The first that endeavour’d to settle Plantations here was a Spaniard nam’d Hernando Camelo, being design’d Conductor in this Expedition: And this Undertaking was so much the more eagerly prosecuted, upon consideration that the Plate-Fleet Sailing from Havana through the Straights of Bahama, might here have a convenient Harbour; but those who were invited to become Adventurers, with proffers of great Advantage, shewing themselves very slack in the Business, and Charles the Fifth being at that time intangled in War and other troublesom Affairs, the Design came to nothing, and for above sixty years after no farther Attempt was made by any for the Planting of these Islands, till at last the French made a Voyage thither under Captain Barboriere, but by Shipwrack were frustrated of their hopes; nor made they any more Preparations in this Design. In which nevertheless the English were not so easily discourag’d, for first Captain Gosnol and Smith set forth, at the Charges of Mr. Edward Wingfield; next, Captain Nelson; then successively West, Gates, Argal, and Wyat, but all with little or no success, till at length in the Year 1612. a Company was establish’d in London by the King’s Letters Patents, who sent one Mr. Richard Moor with sixty Men to the Bermudas, where he spent three years in fortifying those Islands: but that which put a little stop to this good beginning, was a kind of Misfortune that hapned; for the Rats which were gotten ashore from a Shipwrack increas’d so exceedingly, that they devour’d all the Plants in the Field, and the Provision in the Houses, insomuch that a great Famine proceeded from thence, all means to destroy the Vermine being in vain; till at last Providence sent a Disease amongst them, which kill’d them all in a very short time. Mean while Moor went on in the fortification of the Island, and was ere long supply’d with fresh People. Mr. Barlet was sent over with sixty Men, and carried from thence with him eighty Pound of Ambergreece. And soon after three Ships more, viz. the Blessing, the Star, and the Margaret, convey’d thither four hundred and ten, Men and Women. As soon as Moor was call’d away, Daniel Tuckard coming from Virginia to succeed him, bestirr’d himself very much, Planting all places full of Trees fetch’d from the West-Indian Islands; as also Tobacco, with which he fraighted a Ship to London. Moreover, the Countrey was divided into Acres, that every Planter might have an equal share, and know his own Lands. Anno 1619. Tuckard was succceded by Nathaniel Butler, who in four Ships brought thither five hundred Men and Women, to supply the first Plantation, which was much decay’d since the Rats had devour’d their Provisions, so that it was little look’d after by the Company in London: But now they built a Church and erected a Court of Judicature, and all things were order’d conveniently for the publick good. After which many Noble Persons set Sail thither in the Magazine Frigat; and the Planters being now fifteen hundred in number, inhabited twenty Leagues of Land in length.
Forts built upon the Bermudas.
On the longest Island, call’d St. George, (for the Bermudas consists of several Islands, great and small) they built Warwick and Dover Forts, with other Fortifications and Towers, which had their Denominations from those Noble-men and Gentlemen that were Undertakers in this Plantation, as Cavendish, Paget, Herbert, &c. from the Earl of Devonshire, the Lord Paget, the Earl of Pembroke and others.
Ports and Havens.