THose other things which I am more to make rehearsall of, are such as
concerne building, and other mechanicall necessarie vses; as diuers
sortes of trees for house & ship timber, and other vses els: Also lime,
stone, and brick, least that being not mentioned some might haue bene
doubted of, or by some that are malicious reported the contrary.
'Okes', there are as faire, straight, tall, and as good timber as any
can be, and also great store, and in some places very great.
'Walnut trees', as I haue saide before very many, some haue bene seen
excellent faire timber of foure & fiue fadome, & aboue fourescore foot
streight without bough.
'Firre trees' fit for masts of ships, some very tall & great.
['Rakiock',]
'Rakiock', a kind of trees so called that are sweet wood of which the
inhabitans that were neere vnto vs doe commonly make their boats or
Canoes of the form of trowes; only with the helpe of fire, harchets of
stones, and shels; we haue known some so great being made in that sort
of one tree that they haue carried well xx. men at once, besides much
baggage: the timber being great, tal, streight, soft, light, & yet tough
enough I thinke (besides other vses) to be fit also for masts of ships.
'Cedar', a sweet wood good for seelings, Chests, Boxes, Bedsteedes,
Lutes, Virginals, and many things els, as I haue also said before. Some
of our company which haue wandered in some places where I haue not bene,
haue made certaine affirmation of 'Cyprus' which for such and other
excellent vses, is also a wood of price and no small estimation.
'Maple', and also 'Wich-hazle'; wherof the inhabitants vse to make their
bowes.
'Holly' a necessary thing for the making of birdlime.
'Willowes' good for the making of weares and weeles to take fish after
the English manner, although the inhabitants vse only reedes, which
because they are so strong as also flexible, do serue for that turne
very well and sufficiently.
'Beech'and 'Ashe', good for caske, hoopes: and if neede require, plow
worke, as also for many things els.
'Elme.'
'Sassafras' trees.
'Ascopo' a kinde of tree very like vnto Lawrell, the barke is hoat in
tast and spicie, it is very like to that tree which Monardus describeth
to bee 'Cassia Lignea' of the West Indies.
There are many other strange trees whose names I knowe not but in the
'Virginian' language, of which I am not nowe able, neither is it so
conuenient for the present to trouble you with particular relatio:
seeing that for timber and other necessary vses I haue named sufficient:
And of many of the rest but that they may be applied to good vse, I know
no cause to doubt.
Now for Stone, Bricke and Lime, thus it is. Neere vnto the Sea coast
where wee dwelt, there are no kind of stones to bee found (except a fewe
small pebbles about foure miles off) but such as haue bene brought from
farther out of the maine. In some of our voiages wee haue seene diuers
hard raggie stones, great pebbles, and a kinde of grey stone like vnto
marble, of which the inhabitants make their hatchets to cleeue wood.
Vpon inquirie wee heard that a little further vp into the Countrey were
all sortes verie many, although of Quarries they are ignorant, neither
haue they vse of any store whereupon they should haue occasion to seeke
any. For if euerie housholde haue one or two to cracke Nuttes, grinde
shelles, whet copper, and sometimes other stones for hatchets, they haue
enough: neither vse they any digging, but onely for graues about three
foote deepe: and therefore no maruaile that they know neither Quarries,
nor lime stones, which both may bee in places neerer than they wot of.
In the meane time vntill there bee discouerie of sufficient store in
some place or other couenient, the want of you which are and shalbe the
planters therein may be as well supplied by Bricke: for the making
whereof in diuers places of the countrey there is clay both excellent
good, and plentie; and also by lime made of Oister shels, and of others
burnt, after the maner as they vse in the Iles of Tenet and Shepy, and
also in diuers other places of England: Which kinde of lime is well
knowne to bee as good as any other. And of Oister shels there is plentie
enough: for besides diuers other particular places where are abundance,
there is one shallowe sounde along the coast, where for the space of
many miles together in length, and two or three miles in breadth, the
grounde is nothing els beeing but halfe a foote or a foote vnder water
for the most part.
This much can I say further more of stones, that about 120. miles from
our fort neere the water in the side of a hill was founde by a Gentleman
of our company, a great veine of hard ragge stones, which I thought good
to remember vnto you.
'Of the nature and manners of the people'
It resteth I speake a word or two of the naturall inhabitants, their
natures and maners, leauing large discourse thereof vntill time more
conuenient hereafter: nowe onely so farre foorth, as that you may know,
how that they in respect of troubling our inhabiting and planting, are
not to be feared; but that they shall haue cause both to feare and loue
vs, that shall inhabite with them.
They are a people clothed with loose mantles made of Deere skins, &
aprons of the same rounde about their middles; all els naked; of such as
difference of statures only as wee in England; hauing no edge tooles or
weapons of yron or steele to offend vs withall, neither know they how to
make any:
