719 A. E. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 307 
e.— Cattle and other Domestic Animals. 
A few cattle, goats, sheep, and English rabbits or coneys were 
sent over very soon after the settlement, in 1612, but these first 
importations were probably mostly, if not all, destroyed during the 
famine of 1615. Governor Butler, as mentioned above, stated that 
the lazy people then colonized at Port Royal, rather than to fish, 
killed for food the few cattle then existing and pretended to the 
Governor that they ran into the sea and were drowned. But prob- 
ably other cattle were sent out by nearly every magazine ship, for 
several years, till they increased naturally and became common. 
Governor Butler mentioned that Governor Tucker, in 1616, was 
engaged in building fences, to protect his introduced plants against 
domestic animals, and stated that the cattle had beén sent partly by 
the general Company, but mostly by the Earl of Warwick. 
Governor Butler, in 1619, also wrote as follows: 
-** As for the beasts of the field,—cowes and bulls ther are which 
prosper exceedingly ; hogges (wherof some fewe wilde) in great 
numbers; Indian and English goates likewise, but of noe great hope, * 
for (like the pigeons) they are also found dead and dieinge in every 
corner;* and lastly, there are a late great increase of tame conyes, 
the which, being reserved in certaine empaled places about the 
houses, are ther fedd with the potatoe slipps and other simples 
native of the place, the which they eate very greedely ; they fare 
well withall.” 
Sheep do not appear to have been kept in large numbers, at any 
time. Probably they did not thrive very well, as in most hot 
climates. But Hughes, in 1615, says: 
“The Calves and Lambes that we brought out of England, did 
prosper exceedingly, till the hunters met with them.” 
jf.—Hfforses. 
I can tind no record of the arrival of horses, mules, or asses in the 
early years, nor any mention of their presence there for many years 
later. The narrowness of the highways and of the early streets in 
St. George’s indicates that horses and carriages were not commonly 
used there till long after the settlement. Probably the earliest 
horses were only used for horseback riding, by the more wealthy 
* Doubtless due to poisonous plants that they ate, including tobacco. (See p. 
592.) At the present time goats are common enough. 
