A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia | Page 9

white, some red, some yellow, and some blew. All of them yeelde a
very white and sweete flowre: beeing vsed according to his kinde it maketh a very good
bread. Wee made of the same in the countrey some mault, whereof was brued as good ale
as was to bee desired. So likewise by the help of hops therof may bee made as good
Beere. It is a graine of marueilous great increase; of a thousand, fifteene hundred and
some two thousand fold. There are three sortes, of which two are ripe in an eleuen and
twelue weekes at the most: sometimes in ten, after the time they are set, and are then of
height in stalke about sixe or seuen foote. The other sort is ripe in fourteene, and is about
ten foote high, of the stalkes some beare foure heads, some three, some one, and two:
euery head cõtaining fiue, sixe, or seuê hundred graines within a fewe more or lesse. Of
these graines besides bread, the inhabitants make victuall [b 3] eyther by parching them;
or seething them whole vntill they be broken; or boyling the floure with water into a
pappe.
'Okindgier', called by vs 'Beanes', because in greatnesse & partly in shape they are like to
the Beanes in England; sauing that they are flatter, of more diuers colours, and some pide.
The leafe also of the stemme is much different. In taste they are altogether as good as our
English peaze.
'Wickonzówr', called by vs 'Peaze', in respect of the beanes for distinction sake, because
they are much lesse; although in forme they little differ; but in goodnesse of tast much, &
are far better then our English peaze. Both the beanes and peaze are ripe in tenne weekes
after they are set. They make them victuall either by boyling them all to pieces into a
broth; or boiling them whole vntill they bee soft and beginne to breake as is vsed in
England, eyther by themselues or mixtly together: Sometime they mingle of the wheate
with them. Sometime also beeing whole soddeu, they bruse or pound them in a morter, &
thereof make loaues or lumps of dowishe bread, which they vse to eat for varietie.
'Macócqwer', according to their seuerall formes called by vs, 'Pompions', 'Mellions', and
'Gourdes', because they are of the like formes as those kindes in England. In 'Virginia'
such of seuerall formes are of one taste and very good, and do also spring from one seed.
There are of two sorts; one is ripe in the space of a moneth, and the other in two moneths.
There is an hearbe which in Dutch is called 'Melden'. Some of those that I describe it vnto,
take it to be a kinde of Orage; it groweth about foure or fiue foote high: of the seede
thereof they make a thicke broth, and pottage of a very good taste: of the stalke by
burning into ashes they make a kinde of salt earth, wherewithall many vse sometimes to
season their brothes; other salte they knowe not. Wee our selues, vsed the leaues also for
pothearbes.
There is also another great hearbe in forme of a Marigolde, about sixe foote in height; the
head with the floure is a spanne in breadth. Some take it to bee 'Planta Solis': of the
seedes heereof they make both a kinde of bread and broth.
All the aforesaid commodities for victuall are set or sowed, sometimes in groundes a part
and seuerally by themselues; but for the most part together in one ground mixtly: the
manner thereof with the dressing and preparing of the groûd, because I will note vnto you

the fertilitie of the soile; I thinke good briefly to describe.
The ground they neuer fatten with mucke, dounge or any other thing; neither plow nor
digge it as we in England, but onely prepare it in sort as followeth. A fewe daies before
they sowe or set, the men with wooden instruments, made almost in forme of mattockes
or hoes with long handles; the women with short peckers or parers, because they vse
them sitting, of a foote long and about fiue inches in breadth: doe onely breake the vpper
part of the ground to rayse vp the weedes, grasse, & old stubbes of corne stalkes with
their rootes. The which after a day or twoes [drying] drying in the Sunne, being scrapte
vp into many small heapes, to saue them labour for carrying them away; they burne into
ashes. ( And whereas some may thinke that they vse the ashes for to better the grounde; I
say that then they woulde eyther disperse the ashes abroade; which wee obserued they
doe not, except the heapes bee too great: or els would take speciall