SACQVENVMMENER a kinde of berries almost like vnto capres but somewhat
greater which grow together in clusters vpon a plant or herb that is
found in shalow waters: being boiled eight or nine hours according to
their kind are very good meate and holesome, otherwise if they be eaten
they will make a man for the time franticke or extremely sicke.
There is a kind of reed which beareth a seed almost like vnto our rie or
wheat, & being boiled is good meate. [In]
In our trauailes in some places wee founde wilde peaze like vnto ours in
England but that they were lesse, which are also good meate.
'Of a kinde of fruite or berrie in the forme of
Acornes.'
There is a kind of berrie or acorne, of which there are fiue sorts that
grow on seuerall kinds of trees; the one is called 'Sagatemener', the
second 'Osamener', the third 'Pummuckoner'. These kind of acorns they
vse to drie vpon hurdles made of reeds with fire vnderneath almost after
the maner as we dry malt in England. When they are to be vsed they first
water them vntil they be soft & then being sod they make a good
victuall, either to eate so simply, or els being also pounded, to make
loaues or lumpes of bread. These be also the three kinds of which, I
said before, the inhabitants vsed to make sweet oyle.
An other sort is called 'Sapummener' which being boiled or parched doth
eate and taste like vnto chestnuts. They sometime also make bread of
this sort.
The fifth sort is called 'Mangummenauk', and is the acorne of their kind
of oake, the which beeing dried after the maner of the first sortes, and
afterward watered they boile them, & their seruants or sometime the
chiefe theselues, either for variety or for want of bread, doe eate them
with their fish or flesh.
'Of Beastes.'
'Deare', in some places there are great store: neere vnto the sea coast
they are of the ordinarie bignes as ours in England, & some lesse: but
further vp into the countrey where there is better feed they are
greater: they differ from ours onely in this, their tailes are longer
and the snags of their hornes looke backward.
'Conies', Those that we haue seen & al that we can heare of are of a
grey colour like vnto hares: in some places there are such plentie that
all the people of some townes make them mantles of the furre or flue of
the skinnes of those they vsually take.
'Saquenuckot' & 'Maquowoc'; two kindes of small beastes greater then
conies which are very good meat. We neuer tooke any of them our selves,
but sometime eate of such as the inhabitants had taken & brought vnto vs.
'Squirels' which are of a grey colour, we haue taken & eaten.
