Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/338

 "328 Documents great age there being att that time severall upon the Hand who exceded above 100 Years old. there was one man att that time 117 years old and itt is verry Comon for 'em to live by ordinary Course of Nature betweene 80 and 90. both men and woomen are verry tall and large limbd withall; there are abundance of Broken Rocks that lyes of these Hands which verry often ships are fast away upon and the people of the Hand are verry Bold and ventersome in order to helpe ships in distress, they will venture out in there Yauts when you'd think itt where hard for an ordinary ship to Carry her Cources. wee stand three Dayes att this Hand. Cabbages and onions wee gott gopd store to help of with our salt provisions and wee suplyed our selves with fowles. the Capt bought a great quantity of salt which he made a good hand off att Mary land selling itt for above 8 times what it Cost. [2] the Governer att that time^ had nott so much as one Drop of Wine Brandy or strong Beere to make our Capt Drinke butt onely a little sort of table Beere which they Brew themselves of from Pottatoes. butt before wee left 'em the Capt made a Pressent to the Governer of 3 dozen Clarrett 3 doz S' John Parsons stout Beere' 2 Gall. Brandy i doz : Cannary and a Couple of Cheshire Cheeses. 3 dayes affter wee left the Hand haveing fine weather wee saw a great many Daulphins a Beautifull ffish to see too nott as our Painters make 'em upon signes Crooked butt a Clever strait fish sharp att the nose and comeing Cleane and taper of att the tayle. affter you have taken that fish before itt Dyes itt Chainges to all Collours in the Rainn bow. itt is allso a verry good fish to eat. wee tooke severall in so much that our ships Company was tired with 'em. wee endeavourd to keepe some to have Carried in to Mariland with us butt could nott. wee salted 'em and Pickled and soused 'em butt no way would doe above 3 dayes. wee were allways forced to fling 'em away they then being strong and nott fitt to eatt, wee att last came in sight of Great part of our scatter'd ffleete and with a fair and easy Gales made shift to weather the the [.nc] Capes of Virginia by the 22d Dec"', wee sailed up the Bay which I beleive is one of the finest in the world for itt's bigness itt, being ffree from Rocks and watter enough att all times to Receive the bigest ships that sailes to those parts, itt has also abundance of Navigable Rivers which empties themselves into itt and well stocked with good store of severall sorts of ffish which are of great use to the inhabitants in there families. wee were a weeke a sailing up the Bay to a River Call[ed] severn wher the Governer resides who att this time is Coll seemer' a verry honest worthy Gentleman and well belov'd of the Contrey People who seeme to be mightily sattisfied both as to his pson and Conduct, fsl they are Govern'd by him and also have a CounccU from whence they make all there by Laws of there owne which are Printed att Large, the 'Benjamin Bennett, governor 1701-1713. 'Sir John Parsons was the great brewer of his time, M. P. 1685-1717. knighted 1687. lord mayor of London 1703. 'John Seymour, governor of Maryland 1 704-1 709.