A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia | Page 8

the copper
was made and the white graynes of mettall founde. The aforesaide copper wee also
founde by triall to holde siluer.
'Pearle.'
Sometimes in feeding on muscles wee founde some pearle; but it was our hap to meete
with ragges, or of a pide colour; not hauing yet discouered those [places] places where
wee hearde of better and more plentie. One of our companie; a man of skill in such
matters, had gathered to gether from among the sauage people aboute fiue thousande: of
which number he chose so many as made a fayre chaine, which for their likenesse and
vniformitie in roundnesse, orientnesse, and pidenesse of mãy excellent colours, with
equalitie in greatnesse, were verie fayer and rare; and had therefore beene presented to
her Maiestie, had wee not by casualtie and through extremity of a storme, lost them with
many things els in comming away from the countrey.
'Sweete Gummes.'
Sweete Gummes of diuers kindes and many other Apothecary drugges of which wee will
make speciall mention, when wee shall receiue it from such men of skill in that kynd, that
in taking reasonable paines shall discouer them more particularly then wee haue done;
and than now I can makc relation of, for want of the examples I had prouited and
gathered, and are nowe lost. with other thinges by causualtie before mentioned.
'Dyes of diuers kindes.'

There is Shoemake well knowen, and vsed in England for blacke; the seede of an hearbe
called Wasewówr; little small rootes called Cháppacor; and the barke of the tree called by
the inhabitaunts Tangomóckonomindge: which Dies are for diuers sortes of red: their
goodnesse for our English clothes remayne yet to be proued. The inhabitants vse them
onely for the dying of hayre; and colouring of their faces, aud Mantles made of Deare
skinnes; and also for the dying of Rushes to make artificiall workes withall in their
Mattes and Baskettes; hauing no other thing besides that they account of, apt to vse them
for. If they will not proue merchantable there is no doubt but the Planters there shall finde
apte vses for them, as also for other colours which wee knowe to be there.
'Oade.'
A thing of so great vent and vse amongst English Diers, which cannot bee yeelded
sufficiently in our owne countrey for spare of ground; may bee planted in Virginia, there
being ground enough. The grouth therof need not to be doubted when as in the Ilandes of
the Asores it groweth plentifully, which is in thesame climate. So likewise of Madder.
'Suger canes.'
Whe carried thither Suger canes to plant which beeing not so well preserued as was
requisit, & besides the time of the yere being past for their setting when we [b 2] arriued,
wee could not make that proofe of them as wee desired. Notwithstãding, seeing that they
grow in the same climate, in the South part of Spaine and in Barbary, our hope in reason
may yet continue. So likewise for Orenges, and Lemmons, there may be planted also
Quinses. Wherebi may grow in reasonable time if the action be diligently prosecuted, no
small commodities in Sugers, Suckets, and Marmalades.
Many other commodities by planting may there also bee raised, which I leaue to your
discret and gentle considerations: and many also may bee there which yet we haue not
discouered. Two more commodities of great value one of certaintie, and the other in hope,
not to be planted, but there to be raised & in short time to be prouided and prepared, I
might have specified. So likewise of those commodities already set downe I might haue
said more; as of the particular places where they are founde and best to be planted and
prepared: by what meanes and in what reasonable space of time they might be raised to
profit and in what proportion; but because others then welwillers might bee therewithall
acquainted, not to the good of the action, I haue wittingly omitted them: knowing that to
those that are well disposed I haue vttered, according to my promise and purpose, for this
part sufficient. [THE]
THE SECOND PART, OF SVCHE COMMO-- DITIES AS VIRGINIA IS knowne to
yeelde for victuall and sustenãce of mans life, vsually fed vpon by the naturall inhabitants:
as also by vs during the time of our aboad. And first of such as are sowed and husbanded.
PAGATOWR, a kinde of graine so called by the inhabitants; the same in the West Indies
is called MAYZE: English men call it Guinney wheate or Turkie wheate, according to the
names of the countreys from whence the like hath beene brought. The graine is about the
bignesse of our ordinary English peaze and not much different in forme and shape: but of

diuers colours: some