A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



every one as high over the other as a Church-tower, 

 which fell with that fury, that the rebound of water made 

 it seeme, as if it had bene all covered over with a great 

 shower of raine : and in some places wee tooke it at the 

 first for a smoke that had risen over some great towne. 

 For mine owne part I was well perswaded from thence 

 to have returned, being a very ill footeman, but the rest 

 were all so desirous to goe neere the saide strange thunder 

 of waters, as they drew me on by little and little, till wee 

 came into the next valley where we might better discerne 

 A mostheauti- the same. I never saw a more beautifull countrey, nor 

 full country, jj^ore lively prospects, hils so raised here and there over 

 the valleys, the river winding into divers branches, the 

 plaines adjoyning without bush or stubble, all faire greene 

 grasse, the ground of hard sand easie to march on, either 

 for horse or foote, the deere crossing in every path, the 

 birdes towards the evening singing on every tree with a 

 thousand severall tunes, cranes and herons of white, 

 crimson, and carnation pearching in the rivers side, the 

 aire fresh with a gentle Easterly winde, and every stone 

 that we stouped to take up, promised either golde or 

 silver by his complexion. Your Lordship shall see of 

 many sorts, and I hope some of them cannot bee bettered 

 under the Sunne, and yet we had no meanes but with our 

 daggers and fingers to teare them out here and there, the 

 Abundance of rockes being most hard of that minerall Sparre afore- 

 mtneraU saide, which is like a flint, and is altogether as hard or 



harder, and besides the veines lye a fathome or two deepe 

 in the rockes. But we wanted all things requisite save 

 onely our desires and good will to have performed more 

 if it had pleased God. To be short, when both our com- 

 panies returned, each of them brought also severall sorts 

 of stones that appeared very faire, but were such as they 

 found loose on the ground, and were for the most part 

 but coloured, and had not any golde fixed in them, yet 

 such as had no judgement or experience kept al that 

 glistered, and would not be perswaded but it was rich 

 because of the lustre, and brought of those, and of Mar- 



404 



