390 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 7 



so that the more southward, the farther ofT from 

 the bay are those niountaines. From which tiill 

 certaine brookes which alter come to flue priiicipall 

 navigable rivers. These run from tlie northwest 

 into the soutlieast, and so into the west side of the 

 bay, where the Itill of every river is wilhin 20 or 

 15 myles one of the other. 



The mountaines are of divers natures: for at the 

 head of the bay tiie rockes are of a composition 

 like mill stones. Some of marble, &c. And ma- 

 ny peeces like christall we found, as throwne 

 downe by water from those mountaines. For in 

 winter they are covered with much snow, and 

 when it dissolveth, the waters fall with such vio- 

 lence, that it causeth (Treat inundations in some 

 narrow valleys, whicli is scarce perceived being 

 once in t!ie rivers. These waters wash from the 

 rocks such glisfering tinctures, that the ground in 

 some places scemetli as guilded, where both the 

 rocks and the earth are so splendent to behold, that 

 better iudgements then ours might haue beene 

 pers waded, they contained more then probabilities. 

 The vesture of the earth in most places dolh mani- 

 festly prone the nature of the soyle to be lusty and 

 very rich. The colour of the earth we found in 

 diverse places, resembleth bole armnniac^ terra a 

 sigillata, and Lemnia, Fullers earth, marie, and 

 divers and other such appearances. But general- 

 ly for the most part it is a blacke sandy mould, in 

 some places a fat slimy clay, in other places a very 

 barren gravell. But the best ground is knowne by 

 the vesture it beareth, as by the greatnesse of 

 trees, or abundance of weeds, &c. 



The country is not mountanous, nor yet low, but 

 euch pleasant plaine hils, and fertile valieyes, one 

 prettily crossmg another, and watered so conve- 

 niently with fresh brookes and springs, no lesse 

 commodious, thendelightsome. By the rivers are 

 many plaine marishes, contait)ing some 20. some 

 100, some 200 acres, some more, some lesse. Other 

 plaines there are few, but onely where the salva- 

 ges inhabit: but all overgrowne with trees and 

 weeds, being a plaine wildernesse as God first 

 made it. 



On the west side of the bay, we savd were 5 

 faire and delightfull navigable rivers. The first of 

 those, and the next to the mouth of the bay hath 

 his course from the west northwest. It is called 

 Powhatan, according to the name of a principall 

 countrey that lyeth vpon it. The mouth of this ri- 

 ver is neare three myles in breadth, yet doe the 

 ehoules force the channellso neare the land, that a 

 sarce will overshoot it at point blancke. It is na- 

 vigable 150 myles, the shoules and soundings 

 are here needlesse to be expressed. It lalleth 

 from rockes farre west in a country inhabited by a 

 nation they call Monacans. But where it com- 

 meth into our discovery it is Powhatan. In the 

 farthest place that was diligently observed, are 

 falles, rockes, shoules, &c., which makes it past 

 navigation any higher. Thence in the running 

 downeward, the river is enriched with many good- 

 ly brookes, which are maintained by aii infinit 

 number of small rundles and pleasant springs that 

 disperse themselues for the best service, as do the 

 veines of a nuins body. From the South there 

 f;\ls into it, first, the pleasant river of Apamatuck. 

 Next more to the east are two small rivers of Qui- 

 youghcohanocke. A little fulher is a bay where- 

 in fiilleth 3 or 4 prettie brookes and creckes that 

 halfe intrench the inhabitants of Warraskoyac, tiicn 



the river of Nansamund, and lastly the brooke of 

 Chisapeack. From the north side is the river of 

 Chickahaniania. the backe river of lames Town; 

 another by the Cedar Isle, where we lined ten 

 Aveekes vpon oysters, then a convenient harbour 

 for fisher boats at Kecoughtan, that so turneth it 

 selte into bayes and creekes, it makes that place 

 very pleasant to inhabit; their coniefields being 

 girded therein in a manner as peninsulaes. The 

 most of these rivers are inhabited by severall na- 

 tions, or rather families, of the name of the rivers. 

 They haue also over those some Governour, as 

 their King, which they call Werowances. In a 

 peninsula on the north side of this river are the 

 English planted in a place by them called lames 

 Tovvne, in honour of the Kings most excellent 

 JMaiestie. 



The first and next the rivers mouth are the Ke- 

 coughtans, who besides their women and children, 

 haue not past 20 fighting men. The Paspahe- 

 ghes (on whose land is seated lames Tovvne, 

 some 40 myles from the Bay) haue not past 40. 

 The river called Chickahamania neare 2oO. The 

 Weanocks 100. The Arrovvhatocks 30. The 

 place called Powhatan, some 40. On the south 

 side this river the Appamatucks haue sixtie fight- 

 ing men. The Quiyougcohanocks 25. The 

 Nansanuinds 200. The Chesapeacks 100. Of 

 this last place the bay beareth the name. In all 

 these places is a severall commander, which they 

 call Werowance, except the Chickahamanians, 

 who are governed by the priests and their assis- 

 tants, or their elders called Caw-cawwassoughse. 

 In sommer no place afibrdeth more plentie of 

 sturgeon, nor in winter more abundance of (bule, 

 especially in the time of frost. I tooke once 52 

 sturgeons at a draught, at another 68. From the 

 later end of May till the eijd of lune are taken 

 few, but yonii sturgeons of two fc;ot, or a yard 

 long. From thence till- the midst of September, 

 them of two or three yards long and few others. 

 And in 4 or 5 houres with one net were ordinarily 

 taken 7 or 8; often more, seldome lesse. In the 

 small rivers all the j'eare there is good plentie of 

 small fish, so that with hookes those that would 

 take paines had sufficient. 



Foureteene myles northward from the river 

 Powhatan, is the river Pauiavnkee, wiiich is navi- 

 gable 60 or 70 myles, but with catches and small 

 barkcs 30 or 40 myles further. At the ordinary 

 flowing of the salt water, it divideth it self into two 

 gallant branches. On the south side inhabit the 

 people of Youghtanund, who haue about 60 men 

 for warres. On the north branch JMattapament, 

 who haue 30 men. Where this river is divided, 

 the country is called Pamavnkee and nourisheth 

 neare 300 able men. About 25 myles lower on 

 the north side of this river is Werawocomoco, 

 where their great king inhabited when I was de- 

 livered him piisoncr; yet there are not past 40 able 

 men. Ten or twelue myles lower, on the south 

 sitle of this river, is Chiskiack, vrhich hath some 

 40 or 50 men. These, as also Apamatuck, Irro- 

 halock, and Powhatan, are their great kings 

 chiefi^ alliance, and inhabitants. The rest his 

 conquests. 



Before we come to the third river that falleth 

 fl'om the mountaines, there is another river (some 

 30 myles navigable) that commeih from the in- 

 land, called I'ayankatanke: the inhabitants are 

 about 50 or 50 serviceable men. 



