te of the Crowne of England, of the Newfounde Landes,
&c.(58) The wordes are these in the firste leafe: Then Sir Humfry wente to
viewe the contrye, beinge well accompanied with moste of his capitaines
and souldiers. They founde the same very temperate, but somwhat warmer
then England at that time of the yere, replenished with beastes and greate
store of fowle of divers kyndes, and fisshes of sondrye sortes, bothe in
the salte water and in the freshe, in so greate plentie as mighte suffice
to victuall an armye, and they are very easely taken. And in the fifte
chapter of the said discourse I reade in this manner: But let us omitte
all presumtions, howe vehemente soeuer, and dwell upon the certentie of
suche comodities as were discovered and founde by Sir Humfry Gilbert and
his assistantes in Newfoundelande, in Auguste laste; ffor there may very
easely be made pitche, tarr, rosen, sope asshes, in greate plentie, yea,
as it is thoughte, ynoughe to serve the whole realme of every of these
kindes; and of trayne oyle suche quantitie as if I shoulde set downe the
value that they doe esteme it at, which have bene there, it woulde seme
incredible.

(M228) To this in effecte agreeth that which one Stephanus Parmenius, a
learned Hungarian, borne in Buda, and lately, my bedfelowe in Oxforde,(59)
wrote unto me oute of Newfounde lande, beinge of Sir Humfryes companye:
Piscium (saieth he, writinge in Latin) inexhausta copia, inde huc
commeantibus magnus quaestus. Vix hamus fundum attigit, illico insigni
aliquo onustus est. Terra universa montana et syluestris; arbores ut
plurimum pinus et abietes. Herbae omnes procerae, sed raro a nostris
diuersae. Natura videtur velle niti etiam ad generandum frumentum. Inueni
enim gramina et spicas in similitudinem secalis. Et facile culutra et
satione in vsum humanum assuefieri posse videntur. Rubi in siluis vel
potius fraga arborescentia magna suauitate. Vrsi circa tuguria nonnunquam
apparent et conficiuntur. ... Ignotum est an aliquid metalli subsit
montibus, ... etsi aspectus eorum mineras latentes prae se ferat. (M229)
Nos Admiralio authores fuimus syluas incendere, quo ad inspiciendam
regionem spatium pateret; nec displicebat illi consilium, si non magnum
incommodum allaturum videretur. Confirmatum est enim ab idoneis hominibus,
cum casu quopiam in alia nescio qua statione id accidisset, septennium
totum pisces non comparuisse, exacerbata maris vnda ex terebinthina, quae
conflagrantibus arboribu