{MN} 1627.
{MN} Upon the 25th of November, the Indians set upon the French, for some injury about their Women, and slew six and twenty French Men, five English, and three Indians. Their Weapons are Bows and Arrows, their Bows are never bent, but the string lies flat to the Bow; their Arrows a small Reed, four or five foot long, headed some with the poisoned Sting of the Tail of a Stingray, some with Iron, some with Wood, but all so poisoned, that if they draw but blood, the hurt is incurable.
{MN} Three Indians Slain.
{MN} The next day came in Captain Charles Saltonstall, a young Gentleman, Son of Sir Samuel Saltonstall, who brought with him good store of all Commodities to relieve the Plantation; but by reason some Hollanders, and others had been there lately before him, who carried away with them all the Tobacco, he was forced to put away all his Commodities upon trust till the next crop; in the mean time he resolved there to stay, and imploy himself and his Company in planting Tobacco, hoping thereby to make a Voyage, but before he could be ready to return for England, a Hericano happening, his Ship was split, to his great loss, being sole Merchant and owner himself, notwithstanding forced to pay to the Governour the fifth part of his Tobacco, and for fraught to England, three pence a pound, and nine pence a pound custom, which amounts together to more than threescore pound in the hundred pound, to the great discouragement of him and many others, that intended well to those Plantations. Nevertheless he is gone again this present year 1629, with a Ship of about three hundred Tuns, and very near two hundred People, with Sir William Tuffton Governour for the Barbadoes, and divers Gentlemen, and all manner of Commodities fit for a Plantation.
{MN} The arrival of many English Ships.
Captain Prinn, Captain Stone, and divers others came in about Christmas; so that this last year, there hath been about thirty Sail of English, French, and Dutch Ships, and all the Indians forced out of the Isle, for they had done much mischief amongst the French, in cutting their Throats, burning their Houses, and spoiling their Tobacco; amongst the rest Tegramund, a little Child, the King's Son, his Parents being slain, or fled, was by great chance saved, and carefully brought to England, by Master Merifield, who brought him from thence, and bringeth him up as his own Children.
{MN-1} It lieth seventeen degrees Northward of the Line, about an hundred and twenty Leagues from the Cape de tres Puntas, the nearest main Land in America, it is about eight Leagues in length, and four in breadth; an Island amongst 100 Isles in the West Indies, called the Caribbes, where ordinarily all them that frequent the West Indies, refresh themselves; those, most of them are Rocky, little, and Mountainous, yet frequented with the Canibals; many of them inhabited, as Saint Domingo, Saint Mattalin, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Granada, and Margarita, to the Southward; Northward, none but Saint Christophers, and it but lately, yet they will be ranging Marigalanta, Guardalupo, Deceado, Mountserat, Antegua, Mevis, Bernardo, Saint Martin, and Saint Bartholomew, but the worst of the four Isles possessed by the Spaniard, as Portorico or Jamaica, is better than them all; as for Hispaniola, and Cuba, they are worthy the Title of two rich Kingdoms, the rest not respected by the Spaniards, for want of Harbours, and their better choice of good Land, and profit in the main. But Captain Warner, having been very familiar with Captain Painton, in the Amazon, hearing his information of this St. Christophers; and having made a years trial, as it is said, returned for England, joyning with Master Merifield and his Friends, got Letters Patents from King James to plant and possess it. Since then, the Right Honourable the Earl of Carlisle hath got Letters Patents also, not only of that, but all the Caribe Isles about it, who is now chief Lord of them, and the English his Tenants that do possess them; over whom he appointeth such Governours and Officers as their affairs require; and although there be a great Custom imposed upon them, considering their other charges, both to feed and maintain themselves; yet there is there, and now a going, near upon the number of three thousand People; where by reason of the rockiness and thickness of the Woods in the Isle, it is difficult to pass, and such a snuff of the Sea goeth on the Shoar, ten may better defend, than fifty assault. {MN-2} In this Isle are many Springs, but yet Water is scarce again in many places; the Valleys and sides of the Hills very fertile, but the Mountains harsh, and of a sulphurous composition; all overgrown with Palmetas, Cotten Trees; Lignum vitæ, and divers other sorts, but none like any in Christendom, except those carried thither; the air very pleasant and healthful, but exceeding hot, yet so tempered with cool breaths, it seems very temperate to them, that are little used to it; the Trees being always green, the days and nights always very near equal in length, always Summer; only they have in their Seasons great Gusts and Rains, and sometimes a Hericano, which is an over grown, and a most violent storm.