28 



A True and ExaU Hiftory 



■^ke" ! 



red. 



This great heat and moifture tOgetherj is certainly the occafion 

 that the trees and plants grow to fuch vaft height ^ and largenels as 

 they are. - . 



There is nothing in this Iflatid lb much V^anting, as Springs and Ri- 

 vers of water 5 there being but very few, andthofe very fmall and in- 

 confiderable* Ikuow but Only one River 3 and that may rather be 

 term'd a Lake^ihan a River jThe Springs that run into it^are never able 

 to fill itjthey are fo fmall , out fall to Sea it has none 5 but at fpring tides, 

 the Sea comes in and fills it 3 and at Nepe tides, it cannot run out 

 again, the Sea banks being higher than it. But fomeofit ifliies out 

 through the Sands, and leaves behind it a rnixt water, of frelh and 

 (alt : at the time the tide comes in, it brings with it fome fifhes,which 

 are content to remain there 5 being better pleafed to live in this mixt 

 water, than the Salt. QoXoxs.^ Humphrey Wdrond ^ who is owner of 

 the land of both iides, and therefore of it 5 has told Me , that he has 

 taken fifties there, as big as Salmons , which have been overgrown 

 with fat, as you have feen Porpi(ces5 but extreamly fweet and 

 firm< 



But it has not been often, that fuch fifti, or any other, have been 

 taken in that place, by reafonthe whole Lake is filled with trees and 

 roots* 



So that no Net can be drawn, nor any Hook laid 5 for they will wind 

 the lines about the roots,and fb get away j or the lines bredk in pulling 

 Up, being faftned to the roots. 



This River,orLake,reachesnot within the Land above twelve Ibore 

 yards, or a flight ftiot at moft , and there is no part of it fo broad, but 

 you may cafta Coyteoverit. 



The fpring tides there, feldom rife above four or five foot upright ; 

 therccomefiromthe fea into thefe fmall bibling rivolets, little Ldb- 

 iters, but wanting the great claWs afore , which are the fweetefl: and 

 fulleftoffifli, that I havcfeenf CkicheJierLobHtevs are not to be com- 

 pared to them. 



But the water which the people of this Ifland liiofi: relye upon , is 

 ratinwater, which they keep in ponds, that have defcents of ground 

 to them, ib that what falls on other ground , may run thither. And 

 the place in which the Pond is fet, mufl: be low, and clay in the bot 

 torn ; or if it be not naturally of Clay, it muft be made fb. For if it 

 find any Leak to the rocky part, it gets between thoie clifts, and finks 

 inan inftant. About the end of Decm/'er, thefe ponds are filled 5 and 

 with the help it hath by the weekly fhowrs that fall, they continue fb. 

 yet (bmetimes they feel a want. This pond water,they ufc upon all occa- 

 fions,and to all purpofes5 to boyl their meat, to make their drink , to 

 wafli their hnnen, for it will bear fbap* But one thing fcem'd to me a 

 little loathfome, and that was the Negroes wafliing themfelves in the 

 Ponds,in hot weather 5 whofe bodies havenone ofthe fweeteft favours* 

 But the Planters are pleafed to fay, that the Sun with his virtual heat, 

 draws up all noifbme vapours, and fb the waters become rarified, and 

 pure again. But it was a great fatisfedion to me,that a little Rivulet was 

 near us, from whence we fetcht daily, as much as ferved us, both for 

 meatj and drink. 



In thefe ponds, I have never feen any fmall fifti,fry,or any thing that 

 lives or moves in it, except fbme flies that fall into it $ but the wa- 

 ter 



