In Our Return, We View'd The Land
On Both Sides The River, And Found As Good Tracts Of Dry, Well-
Wooded,
pleasant, and delightful Ground, as we have seen any where in the World,
with abundance of long thick Grass
On it, the Land being very level,
with steep Banks on both Sides the River, and in some Places very high,
the Woods stor'd every where, with great Numbers of Deer and Turkies,
we never going on Shoar, but we saw of each Sort; as also
great Store of Partridges, Cranes, and Conies, in several Places;
we likewise heard several Wolves howling in the Woods,
and saw where they had torn a Deer in Pieces. Also in the River
we saw great Store of Ducks, Teal, Widgeon; and in the Woods,
great Flocks of Parrakeeto's. The Timber that the Woods afford,
for the most part, consists of Oaks of four or five Sorts,
all differing in Leaves, but each bearing very good Acorns.
We measur'd many of the Oaks in several Places, which we found to be,
in Bigness, some Two, some Three, and others almost Four Fathom in Height,
before you come to Boughs or Limbs; forty, fifty, sixty Foot, and some more;
and those Oaks very common in the upper Parts of both Rivers;
also a very tall large Tree of great Bigness, which some call Cyprus,
the right Name we know not, growing in Swamps. Likewise Walnut, Birch,
Beech, Maple, Ash, Bay, Willow, Alder, and Holly; and in the lowermost Parts
innumerable Pines, tall and good for Boards or Masts,
growing, for the most part, in barren and sandy, but in some Places
up the River, in good Ground, being mixt amongst Oaks and other Timbers.
We saw Mulberry-Trees, Multitudes of Grape-Vines, and some Grapes
which we eat of. We found a very large and good Tract of Land,
on the N.W. Side of the River, thin of Timber, except here and there
a very great Oak, and full of Grass, commonly as high
as a Man's Middle, and in many Places to his Shoulders,
where we saw many Deer, and Turkies; one Deer having very large Horns,
and great Body, therefore call'd it Stag-Park. It being
a very pleasant and delightful Place, we travell'd in it several Miles,
but saw no End thereof. So we return'd to our Boat, and proceeded
down the River, and came to another Place, some twenty five Leagues
from the River's Mouth on the same Side, where we found a Place,
no less delightful than the former; and as far as we could judge,
both Tracts came into one. This lower Place we call'd Rocky Point,
because we found many Rocks and Stones, of several Sizes, upon the Land,
which is not common. We sent our Boat down the River before us;
ourselves travelling by Land, many Miles. Indeed we were so much taken
with the Pleasantness of the Country, that we travell'd into the Woods
too far to recover our Boat and Company that Night. The next day
being Sunday, we got to our Boat; and on Monday the 16th of November,
proceeded down to a Place on the East-Side of the River,
some 23 Leagues from the Harbour's Mouth, which we call'd Turky-Quarters,
because we kill'd several Turkies thereabouts; we view'd the Land there,
and found some Tracts of good Ground, and high, facing upon the River
about one Mile inward, but backwards some two Miles, all Pine Land,
but good Pasture Ground: We return'd to our Boat, and proceeded down
some 2 or 3 Leagues, where we had formerly view'd, and found it
a Tract of as good Land, as any we have seen, and had as good Timber on it.
The Banks on the River being high, therefore we call'd it High-Land-Point.
Having view'd that, we proceeded down the River, going on Shoar
in several Places on both Sides, it being generally large Marshes,
and many of them dry, that they may more fitly be call'd Meadows.
The Wood-Land against them is, for the most part, Pine,
and in some Places as barren, as ever we saw Land, but in other Places
good Pasture-Ground. On Tuesday, November the 17th, we got aboard our Ship,
riding against the Mouth of Green's River, where our Men
were providing Wood, and fitting the Ship for the Sea: In the interim,
we took a View of the Country on both sides of the River there,
finding some good Land, but more bad, and the best not comparable
to that above. Friday the 20th was foul Weather; yet in the Afternoon
we weigh'd, went down the River about two Leagues, and came to an Anchor
against the Mouth of Hilton's River, and took a View of the Land there
on both sides, which appear'd to us much like that at Green's River.
Monday the 23d, we went, with our Long-Boat well victuall'd and mann'd,
up Hilton's River; and when we came three Leagues, or thereabouts,
up the same, we found this and Green's River to come into one,
and so continu'd for four or five Leagues, which makes a great Island
betwixt them. We proceeded still up the River, till they parted again,
keeping up Hilton's River on the Larboard side, and follow'd the said River
five or six Leagues farther, where we found another large Branch
of Green's River to come into Hilton's, which makes another great Island.
On the Starboard side going up, we proceeded still up the River
some four Leagues, and return'd, taking a View of the Land on both sides,
and then judg'd ourselves to be from our Ship some 18 Leagues W. and by N.
One League below this Place, came four Indians in a Canoe to us,
and sold us several Baskets of Acorns, which we satisfy'd them for,
and so left them; but one of them follow'd us on the Shoar
some two or three Miles, till he came on the Top of a high Bank,
facing on the River; and as we row'd underneath it, the Fellow
shot an Arrow at us, which very narrowly miss'd one of our Men,
and stuck in the upper edge of the Boat; but broke in pieces,
leaving the Head behind.
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