CHAP. IV.] ST. THOMAS TO BERMUDAS. 975 
“ Before we present you the matters of fact, it is fit to offer 
to your view the Stage whereon they were acted, for as Geog- 
raphy without History seemeth a carkasse without motion, so 
History without Geography wandreth as a Vagrant without 
certaine habitation. Those Islands lie in the huge maine 
Ocean, and two hundred leagues from any continent, situated 
in 32 degrees and 25 minutes of northerly latitude, and distant 
from England, West-South-West, about 3300 miles, some twenty 
miles in length, and not past two miles and a halfe in breadth, 
enuironed with Rocks, which to the North-ward, West-ward, 
and south-East extend further than they have been yet well 
discouered: by reason of those Rocks the Country is naturally 
very strong, for there is but two places, and scarce two vnlesse 
to them who know them well, where shipping may safely come 
in, and those now are exceeding well fortified, but within is 
roome to entertaine a Royall Fleet: the Rocks in most places 
appeare at a low water, neither are they much couered at a 
high, for it ebbs and flowes not past fiue foot; the shore for 
most part is a Rocke, so hardened with the sunne, wind, and 
sea, that it is not apt to be worne away with the waues, whose 
violence is also broke by the Rocks before they can come to the 
shore: it is very vneuen, distributed into hills and dales, the 
mold is of diuers colors, neither clay nor sand, but a meane be- 
tween ; the red which resembleth clay is the worst, the whitest 
resembling sand and the blackest is good, but the browne be- 
twixt them both, which they call white, because there is min- 
gled with it a white meale, is the best ; vnder the mold two or 
three foot deep, and sometimes lesse, is a kinde of white hard 
substance which they call the Rocke: the trees vsually fasten 
their roots in it, neither is it indeed Rocke or stone, or so hard, 
though for most part more harder than chalke ; nor so white, 
but pumish-like and spungy, easily recieuing and containing 
much water. In some places Clay is found under it, it seemes 
to be engendered with raine water draining through the earth, 
