VIRGINIA CARTOGRAPHY. 



\ 



In a volume written in the stilted but quaint style of 

 the day, entitled " Athenae Oxoniensis, by Anthony a Wood, 

 London, 1691-2," is found almost all we know of one Master 

 Thomas Hariot, who, according to the author's statement, " tum- 

 bled out of his mother's womb into the lap of the Oxonian muse, 

 in 1560." At an early age Hariot became the much admired 

 protege of Sir Walter Raleigh, on account of his great intellect, 

 and, like his gallant patron, was possessed oi a spirit of adven- 

 ture, which carried him away to explore unknown countries. 



Wingandacoa, so called by the natives, and Virginia, as named 

 by Raleigh, in honor of his fickle Queen, Elizabeth, was at that 

 time little known, and from hearsay offered an opening to the 

 adventurous of vast proportions. The spirit of discovery was 

 ignited by Hariot, who had remained in the colony governed by 

 Robert Lane, in 1 585-1 586. Soon after his return to England 

 he wrote a report, for the edification of Raleigh, which to this 

 day is valued, not only from being- the forerunner of many 

 statistical works and from its intrinsic value, but from its 

 now extreme rarity; it is a small volume of twenty-three leaves, 

 without map or plates, and was published in London, 1588. 

 At the end is a statement to the efifect " Of the Captaynes and 

 Masters of the voyages made since for transportation; of the 

 Gouernour and assistants of those alredie transported, as of 

 many persons, accidets, and things els, I have ready in a dis- 

 course by it self in maner of a Chronicle according to the course 

 of times, and when time shall be thought conueient shall be also 

 published." Whether this " Chronicle " has ever been pub- 

 lished, and, if not, what has become of the manuscript, is a ques- 

 tion of great literary interest. 



The second edition of Hariot was published in Hakluyt's " The 

 Principal! Navigations," in 1589, with the various other reports 

 of Raleigh's expeditions sent to Virginia, also without plates or 

 map. 



The third edition, published as the first part of the celebrated 

 De Bry collection in 1590, is the one of chief interest to America. 

 Four versions were published during the same year, in English, 

 Latin, French, German, all containing the plates and map. 



The original English text is among the very rare Americana, 

 and few copies are known of in this country; I derive my infor- 



