ting
gum and resin upon one side thereof, they set fire into it, and when it
hath burned it hollow they cut out the coal with their shells, and ever
where they would burn it deeper or wider they lay on gums, which burn
away the timber, and by this means they fashion very fine boats, and
such as will transport twenty men. Their oars are like scoops, and many
times they set with long poles, as the depth serveth.

The King's brother had great liking of our armor, a sword, and divers
other things which we had, and offered to lay a great box of pearl in
gage for them; but we refused it for this time, because we would not
make them know that we esteemed thereof, until we had understood in what
places of the country the pearl grew, which now your worship doth very
well understand. He was very just of his promise: for many times we
delivered him merchandise upon his word, but ever he came within the day
and performed his promise. He sent us every day a brace or two of fat
bucks, coneys, hares, fish the best of the world. He sent us divers
kinds of fruits, melons, walnuts, cucumbers, gourds, pease, and divers
roots, and fruits very excellent good, and of their country corn, which
is very white, fair, and well tasted, and groweth three times in five
months: in May they sow, in July they reap; in June they sow, in August
they reap; in July they sow, in September they reap. Only they cast the
corn into the ground, breaking a little of the soft turf with a wooden
mattock or pick-axe. Ourselves proved the soil, and put some of our peas
in the ground, and in ten days they were of fourteen inches high. They
have also beans very fair, of divers colors, and wonderful plenty, some
growing naturally and some in their gardens; and so have they both wheat
and oats. The soil is the most plentiful, sweet, fruitful, and wholesome
of all the world. There are above fourteen several sweet-smelling
timber-trees, and the most part of their underwoods are bays and such
like. They have those oaks that we have, but far greater and better.

After they had been divers times aboard our ships, myself with seven
more went twenty mile into the river that runneth toward the city of
Skicoak, which river they call Occam; and the evening following we came
to an island which they call Roanoak, distant from the harbor by which
we entered seven leagues; and at the north end thereof was a village of
nine houses built of cedar and fortified round about with sharp tre