{MN-1} The Cahow is a bird of the night, for all the day she lies hid in holes in the Rocks, where they and their young are also taken with as much ease as may be, but in the night if you but whoop and hollow, they will light upon you, that with your hands you may chuse the fat and leave the leane; those they have only in winter: their Eggs are as big as hens, but they are speckled, the other white. Mr. Norwood hath taken twenty dozen of them in three or foure houres, and since there hath beene such havocke made of them, they were neere all destroyed, till there was a strict inhibition for their preservation. {MN-2} The Tropicke bird is white, as large as a Pullet, with one onely long Feather in her taile, and is seldome seene far distant from other of the Tropicks: another small Bird there is, because she cries Pemblyco they call her so, she is seldome seene in the day but when she sings, as too oft she doth very clamorously; too true a Prophet she proves of huge winds and boysterous weather: there were a kinde of small Owles in great abundance, but they are now all slaine or fled: some tame Ducks, Geese and Pigeons there are, but the two latter prosper not.
Of Vermine.
Note. {MN}
Concerning vermine and noisome creatures, there are not many, but onely Rats and Cats, there increased since the Plantation, but how they agree together you shall heare hereafter. The Musketas and Flies are also too busie, with a certaine India Bug, called by the Spaniards a Cacarootch, the which creeping into Chests they eat and defile with their ill-sented dung: also the little Ants in summer time are so troublesome, they are forced to dry their figs upon high frames, and anoint their feet with tar, wherein they sticke, else they would spoile them all ere [V.172.] they could be dryed: Wormes in the earth also there are, but too many, so that to keepe them from destroying their Corne and Tobacco, they are forced to worme them every morning, which is a great labour, else all would be destroyed. Lizards there were many and very large, but now none, and it is said they were destroyed by the Cat. {MN} Certaine Spiders also of very large size are found hanging upon trees, but instead of being any way dangerous as in other places, they are here of a most pleasing aspect, all over drest, as it were with Silver, Gold, and Pearle, and their Webs in the Summer woven from tree to tree, are generally a perfect raw silke, and that as well in regard of substance as colour, and so strong withall, that divers Birds bigger than Black-birds, being like Snipes, are often taken and snared in them as a Net: then what would the Silke-worme doe were shee there to feede upon the continuall greene Mulbery?
Fishes.
The most hurtfull things in those Iles. {MN}
But above all the rest of the Elements, the Sea is found most abundantly liberall: hence have they as much excellent Fish, and as much variety as need be desired. The most of which being unknowne to our Northerne parts, got there new names, either for their shapes or conditions; as the large Rocke-fish from his like hew, and haunting amongst the Rocks, the fat Hog-fish from his swinelike shape and snout: for this is not the old knowne Hog-fish with brussels on his backe; the delicate Amber-fish from his taste and smell, Angell-fish, Cony-fish, the small yellow taile from that naturall painting; the great Growper from his odde and strange grunting, some of them yet knowne to the Americans, as the Purgoose, the Cavallo, the Gar-fish, Flying-fish and Morerayes: the rest are common to other Continents; as the Whale in great numbers, the Sharke, the Pilot-fish, the Sea-Breame, the Oyster and Lobster, with divers others; twenty Tortoises have beene taken in a day, and some of them will affoord halfe a bushell of Egges, and suffice to feed forty men at a meale. And thus have you briefely epitomized Mother Natures benefits to this little, yet danty spot of earth, neither were it ingenuity to conceale wherein shee inclineth to the Stepdame, especially since the particulars are so few, as rather requisite Antidotes against idlenesse to rouse up industry, then any great cause of much distaste, much lesse despaire: {MN} and of those to speake troth, there are onely two: viz. the Winds, and the Wormes, especially in the Spring and Autumne; and thus conditioned as yet we will let rest these small Ilands, in the midst of this mightie and maine Ocean, so invironed on every side, by infinite numbers of uncertaine scattered Rocks, lying shallowly hid under the surface of the water, a league, two, three, foure, or five, to Sea, to the which advantages added by art, as hereafter you shall heare at large, and finde described in the Map. It may well be concluded to be the most impregnable place in the world, and although the Amber Greece, Pearles, nor Tobacco, are of that quantity and certainty to be relied upon to gaine wealth; yet by practise and experience they finde, by Silke, Saffron, Indico, Madar, Sugar-canes, Wine, Oile, and such like great profit may be expected: yet were those hopelesse in regard of their conveniency to nourish and maintaine themselves, and releeve them shall visit them with wood, water, and other necessaries, besides what an eye-sore they are already becommed to them that have them not, and how deare and pretious to them that have them, I thinke none will deny but they are well worth the keeping: and so we will proceed to the accidents that befell the first finders; also the proceedings of the first Planters and their successors, Master Norrod, Thomas Sparkes, and divers others.
A.D. 1593.
A briefe relation of the shipwracke of
Henry May.
How it is supposed they were called the Bermudas.
How these Iles came by the name of Bermudas, or the infinite number of blacke Hogs, or so fearefull to the world, that many called them the Ile of Devils, that all men did shun as Hell and perdition; I will not expostulate, nor trouble your patiences with those uncertaine antiquities further then thus; our men found [V.173.] divers crosses, peeces of Spanish monies here and there. Two or three wracks also they found, by certaine inscriptions to bee some Spanish, some Dutch, some French; but the greatest rumour is, that a Spanish ship called Bermudas was there cast away, carrying Hogges to the West-Indies that swam a shore, and there increased: how the Spaniards escaped is uncertaine: but they say, from that ship those Iles were first called Bermudas, which till then for six thousand yeares had beene namelesse.
But the first English-man that was ever in them, was one Henry May, a worthy Mariner that went with Captaine Lancaster to the East-Indies 1591. and in their returne by the West-Indies, being in some distresse, sent this Henry May for England by one Mounsier de la Barbotier, to acquaint the Merchants with their estate. The last of November, saith May, we departed from Laguna in Hispaniola, and the seventeenth of December following, we were cast away upon the North-west of the Bermudas; the Pilots about noone made themselves Southwards of the Iles twelve leagues, and demanded of the Captaine their Wine of hight as out of all danger, which they had: but it seemes they were either drunke, or carelesse of their charge; for through their negligences a number of good men were cast away. I being but a stranger amongst fiftie and odde French-men, it pleased God to appoint me to be one of them should be saved. In this extremity we made a raft, which we towed with our Boat, there were but six and twentie of us saved; and I seeing scarce roome for the one halfe, durst not passe in amongst them till the Captaine called me along with him, leaving the better halfe to the seas mercy: that day we rowed till within two houres of night ere we could land, being neere dead with thirst, every man tooke his way to seeke fresh water, at length, by searching amongst many weeds, we found some raine water, but in the maine are many faire Baies, where we had enough for digging.