Situation of theBermudas.
TheBermudas, orSummer-Islands(probably so term’d as to the first Appellation from certain black Hogs, by theSpaniardscall’dBermudas, which from a Ship bound with them to some other parts of theWest-Indies, and cast away upon that Coast, swam ashore, and there increased; or, as others say, fromJohn Bermudes, aSpaniard, who is said to have been the first Discoverer; or, as to the second, from oneGeorge Summers, anEnglish-man, who there suffer’d shipwrack)are situated in thirty two Degrees and twenty five Minutes of Northern Latitude about sixteen hundred Leagues fromEngland, twelve hundred fromMadera, four hundred fromHispaniola, and three hundred from the nearest Coast ofVirginia. The first that endeavour’d to settle Plantations here was aSpaniardnam’dHernando 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 fromHavanathrough theStraightsofBahama, 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, andCharlesthe 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 theFrenchmade a Voyage thither under CaptainBarboriere, but by Shipwrack were frustrated of their hopes; nor made they any more Preparations in this Design. In which nevertheless theEnglishwere not so easily discourag’d, for first CaptainGosnolandSmithset forth, at the Charges of Mr.Edward Wingfield; next, CaptainNelson; then successivelyWest,Gates,Argal, andWyat, but all with little or no success, till at length in the Year 1612. a Company was establish’d inLondonby the King’s Letters Patents, who sent one Mr.Richard Moorwith sixty Men to theBermudas, 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 whileMoorwent on in the fortification of the Island, and was ere long supply’d with fresh People. Mr.Barletwas sent over with sixty Men, and carried from thence with him eighty Pound of Ambergreece. And soon after three Ships more,viz.theBlessing, theStar, and theMargaret, convey’d thither four hundred and ten, Men and Women. As soon asMoorwas call’d away,Daniel Tuckardcoming fromVirginiato succeed him, bestirr’d himself very much, Planting all places full of Trees fetch’d from theWest-IndianIslands; as also Tobacco, with which he fraighted a Ship toLondon. Moreover, the Countrey was divided into Acres, that every Planter might have an equal share, and know his own Lands.Anno 1619.Tuckardwas succceded byNathaniel 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 inLondon: 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 theMagazineFrigat; and the Planters being now fifteen hundred in number, inhabited twenty Leagues of Land in length.
Forts built upon theBermudas.
On the longest Island, call’dSt. George, (for theBermudasconsists of several Islands, great and small) they builtWarwickandDoverForts, with other Fortifications and Towers, which had their Denominations from those Noble-men and Gentlemen that were Undertakers in this Plantation, asCavendish,Paget,Herbert, &c. from the Earl ofDevonshire, the LordPaget, the Earl ofPembrokeand others.
Ports and Havens.
Amongst the Havens the eminentest are,Southampton, the InletHarrington, and theGreat Sound.
All these Islands lying together resemble a Half-Moon, and are surrounded with Rocks, which appear at Low-water, and at High lie but shallow; for it seldomEbbs or Flows above five Foot. The Shore, for the most part Rocky, and hardned by the Sun and Wind, receives no damage by the Waves which continually beat against the same.
Nature of the Soil.
The Ground it self differs; for in some places it is sandy or clayie, and in others partly black, and partly white, or Ash-colour’d Earth; which last is accounted the worst, and the black the best. Three Foot deep under the Ash-colour’d Earth lie great Slates, and under the black, a white spungie Stone, like the Pumice, in whose moist Crevises Trees take root.
The Pits or Wells, though they Ebb and Flow with the Sea, yet produce a wholsom and sweet Water.
Temperature of the Air.
The Skie is generally serene, but when over-cast with Clouds, is subject to Lightning and Thunder; yet the Air is of a good temper, being neither exceeding cold, nor excessive hot: for which reason theEuropeanFruits grow better there than in their natural Soil.
Their Harvest is twice a year; for that which they Sowe inMarch, is ripe and gather’d inJune; then what they Sowe again inAugust, they gather inJanuary.
Productions of the Countrey.
These Islands breed no hurtful Creatures; nay, the yellow Spider which spins silken Cobwebs, is free from Poyson.
The PlantNuchtly, which bears speckled Pears, grows betwixt the Rocks which are drench’d with Sea-water.
The Hogs which above a hundred and fifty years since swam ashore out of theSpanishWrack, are exceedingly increas’d there, but because of their poorness are scarce eatable, they feeding onely on the sweet Berries which fall from thePalmito-Trees.
About the white and red Mulberries, which grow plentifully there, breed thousands of Silk-worms, which spin Silk according to the colour of the Mulberries.
The Sea produces some quantity of Pearls and Ambergreece.
From the beginning of the year tillMay, the Whales are seen to swim not far from the Shore.
A strange sort of Sea-Fowl breed in Holes like Rabbets; and amongst other Birds, here are also store of Cranes.
The Tobacco which theEnglishhave planted here grows very well.
Tortoises Laying of Eggs.
Here are likewise great Tortoises, which Lay their Eggs in the Sand on the Shore, where they are Hatch’d by the Beams of the Sun, and are taken after this manner: In the Night some are set to watch where they Land, and whilest they are digging a deep Hole in the Ground, are thrown on their Backs, and not being able to get upon their Legs again, they lie and groan very pitifully: some of them having above two Basons full of Eggs in their Bellies; which being about the bigness of a Tennis-Ball, have a thin Shell, which incloseth a Yolk and White. If these Eggs lie buried six years, then the young Tortoises breaking the Shell, come out of the Sand, and instantly creep into the Sea. Their Flesh is not onely wholsom but toothsom. The Oyl made of them is not inferior to Butter.
Cedars of an excellent kind.
Moreover, theBermudasproduce Cedars, the like of which are not to be found in the whole World: The Leaves are douny and prickly at the ends, almost like those of the Juniper Tree: The Wood hath a sweet smell, and the Berries, which are like the Myrtle, of a pale Red, inclose four white Kernels; the outermost Skin whereof is sweet; the innermost, which covers the Kernel, sharp, and the Pulp tartish: The Trees are always flourishing, being at the same time full of Blossoms, green, and ripe Fruit: The Berries, when grown ripe, begin to gape, and fall off in rainyWeather, leaving a round Stalk on the Boughs, which loses not its Rind till two years after; half which time the Berry requires, before it attains to its perfect ripeness, which generally happens in the Winter: The Boughs shoot straight upwards, and become in time so heavy, that they cause the Body of the Tree to bend. This most excellent Wood grows in divers places of theBermudas.
We shall conclude with the resolute Exploit of five Sea-men,Anno 1616.who, to the great admiration of all People, set Sail from thence in an open Vessel of three Tun through the main Ocean, and after having suffer’d terrible Tempests, arriv’d in the space of seven Weeks safe inIreland.
These Islands are remarkable for divers sorts of Plants, unknown in other Parts, as thePrickle Pear,Poyson Weed,Red Weed,Purging Bean,Costive Tree,Red Pepper, and theSea Feather. Also several strange Birds, as theEgg Bird,Cahow,Tropick Bird, and thePemlico, which presageth Storms.