534 A, EF. Verrili— The Bermuda Islands. 
a.—Shipwreck of the Bonaventura, 1593. 
The first actual description of the islands was published by Mr. 
Henry May, in London, 1594. Mr. May was an English sailor, 
returning from the West Indies, on the “ Bonaventura,” a French 
privateer. This vessel, through the drunkenness and carelessness of 
the officers and crew, as stated by May, was wrecked on the outer 
reefs of the Bermudas, alongside of the North Rocks, which are 
detached pinnacles of limestone rock, about 12 feet high, situated 
about eight miles from the land. The scene of this wreck is engraved 
on the reverse of the ancient Bermuda seal. (See figure 29.) 
This wreck occurred at about midnight, December 17th, 1593 (old 
style). They built a raft, which they towed behind a boat (apparently 
they had only one boat), and by this means, after rowing all day, 
26 of the officers and men were saved, including Mr. May. He was 
taken on board by the captain, just as they were leaving the vessel, 
and when he, being an Englishman, little expected it, as he says, 
“leaving the better half of our company to perish by the sea.” 
They afterwards recovered some tools, sails, cordage, and provi- 
sions, so that they were able to build a boat of 18 tons, out of the native 
cedar wood. In this, at the end of five months, they sailed to 
the fishing fleet, on the Newfoundland Banks, and by some of those 
vessels were taken to Europe. May arrived in Falmouth, Aug. 7, 
1593. 
Mr. May published, next year, an account of his experiences, with 
a brief, but fairly correct description of the Bermudas and their 
products. He particularly mentioned the wild hogs that they found 
there, but which, at that time of the year, they found very lean, for 
lack of food. The hogs fed largely on palmetto and cedar berries, 
both of which ripen in the fall and early winter. 
They found there a great abundance of sea-birds (Cahows and 
Terns) and lived largely on them and their eggs. The sea-turtles, 
which were large and abundant, bred there at that time and 
furnished them with both meat and eggs. Fish were also abundant. 
The following is his description of their ship-building and furnish- 
ing :— 
‘* Now it pleased God before our ship did split, that we saved our 
Carpenters tooles, els I thinke we had bene there to this day ; and 
having recovered the aforesaid tooles, we went roundly about the 
cutting downe of trees, and in the end built a small barke of some 
eighteen tons, for the most part with tronnels and very few nailes. 
As for tackling we made a voyage aboord the ship before she split ; 
