Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/193

 of vs to Virginia. But our deliuery was not more strange in failing so opportunely, and happily vpon the land, as our feeding and preseruation, was beyond our hopes, and all mens expectations most admirable. For the Ilands of the Barmudas, as euery man knoweth that hath heard or read of them, were neuer inhabited by any Christian or heathen people, but euer esteemed, and reputed, a most prodigious and inchanted place, affording nothing but gusts, stormes, and foule weather; which made euery Nauigator and Mariner to auoide them, as Scylla and Charibdis; or as they would shunne the Deuill himselfe; and no man was euer heard, to make for the place, but as against their wils, they haue by stormes and dangerousnesse of the rocks, lying seauen leagues into the sea, suffered shipwracke; yet did we finde there the ayre so temperate and the Countrey so aboundantly fruitful of all fit necessaries, for the sustentation and preseruation of mans life, that most in a manner of all our prouisions of bread, beare, and victuall, being quite spoyled, in lying long drowned in salt water, notwithstanding we were there for the space of nine monethes (few dayes ouer or vnder) not only well refreshed, comforted, and with good satiety contented, but of the aboundance thereof, prouided vs some reasonable quantity and proportion of prouision, to carry vs for Virginia, and to maintaine ourselues, and that company we found there, to the great releefe of them, as it fell out in their so great extremities, and in respect of the shortnesse of time, vntill it pleased God, that by my Lords comming thither, their store was better supplyed, and greater, and better prouisions wee might haue made, if we had had better meanes for the storing and transportation thereof. Wherefore my opinion sincerely of this Island is, that whereas it hath beene, and is still accounted, the most dangerous, infortunate, and most forlorne place of the world, it is in truth the richest, healthfullest, and pleasing land, (the quantity and bignesse thereof considered) and meerely naturall, as euer set foote vpon: the particular profits and benefits whereof, shal be more especially inserted, and hereunto annexed, which euery man to his owne priuate knowledge, that was there, can auouch and iustifie for a truth. Vpon the eight and twentieth day of Iuly 1609. (after the extremity of the storme was something qualified) we fell vpon the shore at the Barmudas; where after our generall Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Sommers, and Captaine Newport, had by their