MAMMALS OF BERMUDA. 155 



Again in " Domestic Correspondence," Jac. I, vol. Ixxiv, No. 89, allu- 

 sion is made to it in a communication from one John Chamberlain to 

 the Right Hon. Sir Dudley Oarleton, Kt : 



"Oct. 27, 1613. 



"From the Bermudas or Sommer viands there hath come great ston-e 

 of Ambergreece this yeare, w*''' is the only com moditie they have thence 

 as yet, but they hope for more hereafter of many kindes, though noth- 

 ing so rich, and begin to nestle and plant there very handsomely, where- 

 at the Spaniard is nothing ])leased but threatens the next yeare to re- 

 move them, which advertisement they have by goode meanes and many 

 wayes, but they seeme nothing dismayed therewith, trusting rather to 

 the difficultie of accesse, than to any other strength of they re owne; the 

 greatest peece of amber in one lump that hath bin heard of was found 

 there this yeare being as bigge as the body of a giant, and annswerable 

 or resembling almost in all i^oints sauiug for the want of the heade and 

 one arme; but they handled the matter so foolishly that they brake yt 

 in peeces, and the biggest they brought home was not above 168 ounces 

 w*''^ sells better by twelve or fifteen shillings in an ounce than that "W^^ 

 is smaller." 



That it was considered at that time to be of particular commercial 

 v^alue we glean from the following threatened punishment to be inflicted 

 on those who dared to buy or sell it on the islands (Date, 1616) : 



"No Marryner Saj'ler or any else of what quality or grade so eue"" be- 

 longing to any shippe or shipps uowe here resident or who hereafter 

 shall arrive, may bargayne buy trucke or trade with any member of 

 this Plantacon, man woman or cliilde for Ambergreece of what qiumtity 

 so eue'", nor for any Ambergreece shall exchange any their provisions 

 whether Butter Cheese Bisket Meale Aquavitoe Oyle any kind of frute 

 or spice or any other prouisions of what qualitie so eue' at any tyme or 

 soe long as they shall here remayne from the date of their presents 

 upon payne to lose the Ambergreece soe bought or trucked for, and losse 

 of their wages in England with corporale punishm*^ here to be inflicted 

 upon them, and what so eue'' pson or psons belonging unto any such shipp 

 or shipps receeve or take any the said Ambergreece of or from any pson 

 or psons members of this plantacon privately take the same unto Eng- 

 land upon the same p. ill. Nor shall any pson or psons whatsoeu'^ of 

 what degree or qualitie soeu"^ of their Island dare to sell any Ambergreece 

 or the same to trucke exchange or give awaye vnto any such for money 

 or such aforesaide prouisions or otherwise to be as aforesaide upon p. ill 



