Page:The Life of George Washington, Volume 1.djvu/43

 INTRODUCTION. 13 to settle, and of acquiring some previous know- ch ap, i. ledo-e of those circumstances which might be 1584. '5 essential to the welfare of the colony he was about to plant. To avoid the error of Gilbert, in holding too far north, Amidas and Barlow took the route by the Canaries and the West India islands, and approached the North Ame- rican continent towards the gulf of Florida. On the second of July, they touched at an island situate on the inlet into Pamplicoe sound,* about fifteen miles in length, and six in breadth, which they called Wokocon (probably Ocakoke) where they were surprised and delighted with the immense number of grapes, the clusters of which covered alike the smallest shrubs and the tallest trees. k From thence they proceeded to Roanoke, near the mouth of Albemarle sound. At both places they carried on a pro- fitable traffic with the natives, who manifested neither fear, nor a disposition towards acts of hostility ; received them with great hospitality ; and displayed much Avillingness to exchange their rude productions for the commodities of the English; especially for iron and other use- ful metals. Having spent some weeks in this traffic, and collected from the Indians some confused ac- counts respecting the neighbouring continent, they took with them two of the natives who willingly accompanied them, and embarked for k Stith.
 * In the state of North Carolina.