Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/174

 *

and grauen, which they weare about their neckes; othersome made round like a pancake, with a hole in the midst, to boulster vp their breasts withall, because they thinke it a deformity to haue great breasts.

As for mines either of gold or siluer, the Frenchmen can heare of none they haue vpon the Island, but of copper, whereof as yet also they haue not made the proofe, because they were but few men: but it is not vnlike, but that in the maine where are high hilles, may be golde and siluer, as well as in Mexico, because it is all one maine.

The Frenchmen obteined pearles of them of great bignesse, but they were blacke, by means of rosting of them, for they do not fish for them as the Spanyards doe, but for their meat: for the Spanyards vse to keepe dayly afishing some two or three hundred Indians, some of them that be of choise a thousand: and their order is to go in canoas, or rather great pinnesses, with thirty men in a piece, whereof the one halfe, or most part be diuers, the rest doe open the same for the pearles: for it is not suffered that they should vse dragging, for that would bring them out of estimation, and marre the beds of them. The oisters which haue the smallest sort of pearles are found in seuen or eight fadome water, but the greatest in eleuen or twelue fadome.

The Floridians haue pieces of vnicornes hornes which they weare about their necks, whereof the Frenchmen obteined many pieces. Of those vnicornes they haue many: for that they doe affirme it to be a beast with one horne, which comming to the riuer to drinke, putteth the same into the water before he drinketh. Of this vnicornes horne there are of our company, that hauing gotten the same of the Frenchmen brought home thereof to shew. It is therefore to be presupposed that there are more commodities as well as that, which for want of time, and people sufficient to inhabit the same, can not yet come to light: but I trust God will reueale the same before it be long, to the great profit of them that shal take it in hand. Of beasts in this countrey besides deere, foxes, hares, polcats, conies, ownces, and leopards, I am not able certeinly to say: but it is thought that there are lions and tygres as well as vnicornes; lions especially; if it be true that is sayd, of the enmity betweene