Upon the most inward part of the Bay, stands the Town, which is about the bignesse of Hounslo, and is called the Bridge; for that a long Bridge was made at first over a little nook of the Sea, which was rather a Bog then Sea.
A Town ill scituate; for if they had considered health, as they did conveniency, they would never have set it there; or, if they had any intention at first, to have built a Town there, they could not have been so improvident, as not to forsee the main inconveniences that must ensue, by making choice of so unhealthy a place to live in. But, one house being set up, another was erected, and so a third, and a fourth, till at last it came to take the name of a Town; Divers Store-houses being there built, to stow their goods in, for their convenience, being neer the Harbour. But the main oversight was, to build their Town upon so unwholsome a place. For, the ground being somwhat lower within the Land, than the Sea-banks are, the spring-Tides flow over, and there remains, making a great part of that flat, a kinde of Bog or Moraste, which vents out so loathsome a savour, as cannot but breed ill blood, and is (no doubt) the occasion of much sicknesse to those that live there.
At the time of our arrivall, and a month or two after, the sicknesse raign’d so extreamly, as the living could hardly bury the dead; and for that this place was neer to them, they threw the dead carcases into the bog, which infected so the water, as divers that drunk of it were absolutely poysoned, and dyed in few houres after; but others, taking warning by their harmes, forbare to taste any more of it.
The ground on either side the Bay, (but chiefly that to the Eastward) is much firmer, and lies higher; and, I believe, they will in time, remove the Town upon that ground, for their habitations, though they suffer the Store-houses to remain where they are, for their convenience. But the other scituation, may be made with some charge as convenient as that, and abundantly more healthfull.
Three Bayes there are more of note in this Iland; one, to the Eastward of this, which they call Austin’s Bay, not in commemoration of any Saint, but of a wilde mad drunken fellow, whose lewd and extravagant carriage, made him infamous in the Iland; and his Plantation standing neer this Bay, it was called by his name. The other two are to the West of Carlile Bay; and the first is called Mackfields Bay, the other Spikes Bay; but neither of these three are environ’d with Land, as Carlile Bay is: but being to the Leeward of the Iland, and good Anchorage, they seldome are in danger; unlesse in the time of Turnado, when the wind turnes about to the South; and then, if they be not well moor’d, they are subject to fall foul on one another, and sometimes driven aground. For, the Leeward part of the Iland being rather shelvie then rockie, they seldome or never are cast away.
The Extent.
The length and breadth of this Iland, I must deliver you only upon trust; for, I could not go my selfe about it, being full of other businesse, but I had some speech with the antientest, and most knowing Surveyer there, one Captain Swann, who told me, that he once took an exact plot of the whole Iland, but it was commanded out of his hands by the then Governour, Sir Henry Hunks, who carried it into England; since which time, neither himselfe, nor any other, to his knowledge, had taken any; nor did he believe, there was any extant. I desired him yet that he would rub up his memory, and take a little paines in the survey of his Papers, to try what could be found out there, that might give me some light in the extent of the Iland, which he promised to do; and within a while after, told me, that he had found by some Papers, that lay scattered in his Study, the length of it; but for the breadth, it was very uncertain, by reason of the nooks and corners that reach’d out into the Sea, so that it must of necessity be broad in some places, and narrow in others. I desired then to know, how many miles the broadest, and how few the narrowest parts might be. He told me, that he guest, the broadest place could not be above seventeen miles, nor the narrowest under twelve; and that the length, he was assured, was twenty eight miles. Out of these uncertain grounds, it was a hard matter to conclude upon any certainties; and therefore the evenest way I can go, is, upon a Medium, between twelve and seventeen; and, I will be as modest as I can in my computation; and take but 14. which is lesse then the Medium, and multiply 14. which is supposed to be the breadth, by 28. which is assured to be the length, and they make 392 square miles in the Iland. Beyond this, my enquiries could not reach, and therefore was compell’d to make my estimate upon this bare Supposition. But, for the forme of the Superficies of the Iland, I am utterly ignorant; and for the Upright, I have given it you in my first view of the Iland, that it rises highest in the middle.
The Length of daies.
When the Sun is in the Æquinoctiall, or within 10 Degrees of either side, we finde little change in the daies length; for at six and six the Sun rises and sets: but when he is neer the Tropick of Capricorn, and is 37 Degrees from us, we finde a difference; for then, the day is somewhat shorter, and we perceive that shortning, to begin about the end of October; the Crepusculum being then not much longer then at other times, which is not halfe the length, as ’tis with us in England.
At the time of new Moon, we finde both her Corners equally high, when the Sun is neer us; but when it is at the distance of 37 Degrees to the Southward, we finde some difference; for then it hangs not so equall, but one end is higher then the other, by reason of the position we are in.