And Afterwards Were Erected Not Far From
That Place The Arms Of England Engraven In Lead, And Infixed Upon A
Pillar Of Wood.
Yet further and actually to establish this possession
taken in the right of her Majesty, and to the behoof
Of Sir Humfrey
Gilbert, knight, his heirs and assigns for ever, the General granted
in fee-farm divers parcels of land lying by the water-side, both in
this harbour of St. John, and elsewhere, which was to the owners a
great commodity, being thereby assured, by their proper inheritance,
of grounds convenient to dress and to dry their fish; whereof many
times before they did fail, being prevented by them that came first
into the harbour. For which grounds they did covenant to pay a certain
rent and service unto Sir Humfrey Gilbert, his heirs or assigns for
ever, and yearly to maintain possession of the same, by themselves or
their assigns.
Now remained only to take in provision granted, according as every
ship was taxed, which did fish upon the coast adjoining. In the
meanwhile, the General appointed men unto their charge: some to repair
and trim the ships, others to attend in gathering together our supply
and provisions: others to search the commodities and singularities of
the country, to be found by sea or land, and to make relation unto the
General what either themselves could know by their own travail and
experience, or by good intelligence of Englishmen or strangers, who
had longest frequented the same coast. Also some observed the
elevation of the pole, and drew plots of the country exactly graded.
And by that I could gather by each man's several relation, I have
drawn a brief description of the Newfoundland, with the commodities by
sea or land already made, and such also as are in possibility and
great likelihood to be made. Nevertheless the cards and plots that
were drawn, with the due gradation of the harbours, bays, and capes,
did perish with the Admiral: wherefore in the description following, I
must omit the particulars of such things.
That which we do call the Newfoundland, and the Frenchmen /Baccalaos/,
is an island, or rather, after the opinion of some, it consisteth of
sundry islands and broken lands, situate in the north regions of
America, upon the gulf and entrance of a great river called St.
Lawrence in Canada; into the which, navigation may be made both on the
south and north side of this island. The land lieth south and north,
containing in length between 300 and 400 miles, accounting from Cape
Race, which is in 46 degrees 25 minutes, unto the Grand Bay in 52
degrees, of septentrional latitude. The land round about hath very
many goodly bays and harbours, safe roads for ships, the like not to
be found in any part of the known world.
The common opinion that is had of intemperature and extreme cold that
should be in this country, as of some part it may be verified, namely
the north, where I grant it is more cold than in countries of Europe,
which are under the same elevation: even so it cannot stand with
reason and nature of the clime, that the south parts should be so
intemperate as the bruit hath gone. For as the same do lie under the
climes of Bretagne, Anjou, Poictou in France, between 46 and 49
degrees, so can they not so much differ from the temperature of those
countries: unless upon the out-coast lying open unto the ocean and
sharp winds, it must indeed be subject to more cold than further
within the land, where the mountains are interposed as walls and
bulwarks, to defend and to resist the asperity and rigour of the sea
and weather. Some hold opinion that the Newfoundland might be the more
subject to cold, by how much it lieth high and near unto the middle
region. I grant that not in Newfoundland alone, but in Germany, Italy
and Afric, even under the equinoctial line, the mountains are extreme
cold, and seldom uncovered of snow, in their culm and highest tops,
which cometh to pass by the same reason that they are extended towards
the middle region: yet in the countries lying beneath them, it is
found quite contrary. Even so, all hills having their descents, the
valleys also and low grounds must be likewise hot or temperate, as the
clime doth give in Newfoundland: though I am of opinion that the sun's
reflection is much cooled, and cannot be so forcible in Newfoundland,
nor generally throughout America, as in Europe or Afric: by how much
the sun in his diurnal course from east to west, passeth over, for the
most part, dry land and sandy countries, before he arriveth at the
west of Europe or Afric, whereby his motion increaseth heat, with
little or no qualification by moist vapours. Whereas, on the contrary,
he passeth from Europe and Afric unto American over the ocean, from
whence he draweth and carrieth with him abundance of moist vapours,
which do qualify and enfeeble greatly the sun's reverberation upon
this country chiefly of Newfoundland, being so much to the northward.
Nevertheless, as I said before, the cold cannot be so intolerable
under the latitude of 46, 47, and 48, especial within land, that it
should be unhabitable, as some do suppose, seeing also there are very
many people more to the north by a great deal. And in these south
parts there be certain beasts, ounces or leopards, and birds in like
manner, which in the summer we have seen, not heard of in countries of
extreme and vehement coldness. Besides, as in the months of June,
July, August and September, the heat is somewhat more than in England
at those seasons: so men remaining upon the south parts near unto Cape
Race, until after holland-tide (All-hallow-tide - November 1), have not
found the cold so extreme, nor much differing from the temperature of
England.
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