Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/197

 prouident carefulnesse landed all their men, and so much of the goods, and prouisions out of the ship, as was not vtterly spoyled, euerie man disposed and applyed himselfe, to search for, and to seeke out such releefe and sustentation, as the Country afforded: and Sir George Sommers, a man inured to extremities, (and knowing what thereunto belonged) was in this seruice, neither idle nor backward, but presently by his careful industry, went and found out sufficient, of many kind of fishes, and so plentifull thereof, that in halfe an houre, he tooke so many great fishes with hookes, as did suffice the whole company one day. And fish is there so aboundant, that if a man steppe into the water, they will come round about him; so that men were faine to get out for feare of byting. These fishes are very fat and sweete, and of that proportion and bignesse, that three of them will conneniently lade two men: those we called rock fish. Besides there are such aboundance of mullets that with a seane might be taken at one draught one thousand at the least, and infinite store of pilchards, with diuers kindes of great fishes, the names of them vnknowne to me: of cray fishes very great ones, and so great store as that there hath beene taken in one night with making lights, euen sufficient to feede the whole company a day. The Countrey affordeth great aboundance of Hogs, as that there hath beene taken by Sir George Sommers, who was the first that hunted for them, to the number of two and thirtie at one time, which he brought to the company in a boate, built by his owne hands. There is fowle in great number vpon the Ilands, where they breed, that there hath beene taken in two or three houres, a thousand at the least; the bird being of the bignesse of a good Pidgeon, and layeth egges as bigge as Hen egges vpon the sand, where they come and lay them dayly, although men sit downe amongst them; that there hath beene taken vp in one morning, by Sir Thomas Gates men, one thousand of egges: and Sir George Sommers men, comming a little distance of time after them, haue stayed there whilst they came and layed their eggs amongst them, that they brought away as many more with them; with many young birds very fat and sweet. Another Sea fowle there is that lyeth in little holes in the ground, like vnto a cony-hole, and are in great numbers, exceeding good meate, very fat and sweet (those we had in the winter) and their eggs are white, and of that bignesse, that they are not to be knowne from Hen egges. The other birds egges are