Florida

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA. (Book Virginia)

VIRGINIA and Florida doe follow in our method. Virginia as some suppose was so called from the Earle Viguinus, but hee that sett forth a Journall or Commentary of Sir Francis Drakes Voyage in the West-Indies in the yeere 1584. saith that it was so called from Elizabeth Queene of England. The Inhabitants doe call it Wingandocoa. It is very fruitfull, and beareth plentifully whatsoever is necessary for the sustation and delectation of mans life: as Wine, Oyle, Beanes, which the Inhabitants call Okindgere, and Pease, which they call Wickanzenr, also Pompions and Melons, which they call Macocquer: also divers Hearbes besides Chesnuts, Walnuts, Straberies, and other excellent Fruits: also Allome, Pitch and Tarre, Turpentine, Iron, Copper, Silke, Flaxe, Cotton, Pearles, and many other things. But especially it hath great store of Virginy Wheate, which the Inhabitants doe call Pagatowr, and the West-Indians Maiz: which is to bee wondred at because they use a meane kinde of Husbandry. For they know neither Plough nor Harrow, neither doe they make Furrow or plough the ground, nor breake the clods after they have sowne the seed as we doe, but they turne up the earth with a woodden Shovell or Spade, and so in the little Furrowes they set the Graine with a setting sticke as we doe Beanes, which being coverd with earth will sprout forth wonderfully. In some parts it hath divers kindes of Beasts, as Beares, Lions, Wolves, Conies, and those which the Inhabitants call Saquenuckot, Maquowoc, and Squirrels. It hath moreover divers Birds, as Indian Cocks and Hens, Doves, Partridges, Cranes, Swans, Geese, Parrots, Falkons, and Hawkes. The Townes here are very small, containing onely 10. or 12. Houses, they build them round with Stakes and Poles set in the Earth, with a narrow comming in, Princes, and Noblemens Houses have a Court-yard and some few Houses round about them. The Citties by the Shore side are these: Pyshokonnock, or the Womens Citty, also Chipanum, Weopomiock, Muscamunge, and Mattaquen, and Oanoke, which the English call'd the blind Citty, also Pemeoke, Phycoake a great Citty, Chowanaoke, Sequotam, and others. The Rivers which water it are Occam, Cipo, Nomopano, Neus, and others. In foure Moneths of the yeere, February, March, Aprill, and May, here is good fishing for Sturgeons, and Herrings. Here are also good Trouts, Scate, Mullets, and Plaise, and many other kindes of Fish. It hath also Woods which are full of Connies, Hares, and Fowle. But the Woods are not such as be in Bohemia, Moscovy, or Hyrcania, which are barren and doe yeeld nothing, but they are full of high tall Cedars, Pines, Cypresse Trees, Mastick Trees, and many other odoriferous Trees. The Inhabitants are of a middle stature, just in their dealing, they beleeve the Immortality of the Soule, but they delight in dancing, and immoderate drinking, as the other Americans doe, but yet they abstaine from mans flesh. They doe hunt wilde beasts every day. And their Armes are Bowes and Arrowes. They beleeve that there are many Gods whom they call Mant•a•, but of divers kindes and degrees, and that there is onely one chiefe God that was before all ages, who they say, when he purposed to create the whole world, did first create the other speciall Gods, that he might use them as assistants, and helpers both in creating and governing the whole World. And then hee made the Sunne, the Moone, and the Statres, as the lesser Gods to be assisting to the chiefe Cods. They say the waters were first created, out of which the Gods did create all kindes of creatures visible and invisible. Concerning mankinde, they affirme that the woman was first created, which by the helpe of one of the Gods did conceive and bring forth children, and this they say was the first originall of all mankinde. But concerning the manners and nature of the Inhabitants and the other commodities and wonders of Virginia, you may see more which Iohn Wytts Description, and Thomas Harriotts Relation, Theodore Brius hath written of them in a particular Booke, and hath cut them forth in Brasse Figures.

FLORIDA. (Book Florida)

FLORIDA (that I may by the way speake of the Etimologie of the name) was so called because it was found to bee full of Da•e trees, which the Spaniards call in their language Pascua de Flores. This name was given to it by Iohn Pontius of Legion. Others as Thenatus have another originall of the name, namely because it is greene and flourishing, and the River spread and deckt with greene Flowers, but the Reader may approve of which derivation hee shall please. The Inhabitants doe call it Iaquasa. This Province hath large bounds, on the East Ba••ma, and the Leucajan Iles, on the West it toucheth the bounds of the Province of Mexico, on the South it looketh towards Cuba, running out in manner of an Isthmusa 100. miles, and where it is narrowest it is 30. miles broad. Above Florida Northward are Canada, Virginia, Avanares, and New France. It is a very pleasant and fruitfull Country. And the Inhabitants are very carefull of their Corne, for they sowe Maize in March, and June, and 3. moneths afterward they reape it, and gather it into their Barnes, and afterward every one hath a share according to their necessity and dignity. It hath also divers other kindes of Fruit, as Mulberries, Cherries, Chesnuts, Grapes, Medlars, and Prunes, which are faire to sight, but ill tasted. They have also Rootes call'd Harte, of which when they want Corne they make bread. It hath divers kinds of living creatures, as Harts, Hines, Goates, Beares, Leopards, Woolves, wild Dogs, Hares, and Connies. Neither doth it want Fowle, as Peacocks, Partridges, Parrets, Doves, Wood-Pigeons, Turtles, Black birds, Starling, and others. There are also divers kinds of serpents, and a kind of beast like an Affrican Lion. And it hath a strange kind of beast like a Foxe, which hath a kind of a Sacke or Satchell under his belly, which hee can open and shut, so that hee puts his young ones into it, and runnes away with them when hee sees any danger. This Countrey after Iohn Pontius had discovered it, lay a while untouched, and no man lookt after it, in regard of the fiercenesse of the Inhabitants, untill in Processe of time Ferdinand Sottus, obtained this Province of the Emperour Charles, and so sayled thither with a great company of Souldiers in the yeare 1534. but hee having no care to make a Plantation, wandered up and downe to seeke out veynes of gold, which hee beleeved hee should doe, but being deceived therein, hee dyed for griefe, and all his Souldiers and company were all slaine and killed by the Indians. Afterward the Frenchmen, in the time of Charles Nononus, with their Captaine Iohn Rhibaldus, sayled towards Florida, but they had an improsperous voyage. Another as unfortunate voyage the Frenchmen undertook with Captaine Landonier in the yeere 1562. and built there Charles his Fort, which shortly after the Spaniards tooke. Two yeeres afterward Dominicus Gourgnesius, with a Fleete of 3. Ships, and 150. Souldiers, and 80. Saylers, did revenge the Frenchmen, tooke Charles his Forte, and leveld it with the ground. But in his returne understanding that the King was angry at that which hee had done, he attempted nothing more, neither is there any mention of any voyage which the Frenchmen afterward made in Florida, and so the Spaniards had free possession of those Countries. The more famous Provinces of Florida which were discoverd by the Spaniards, are the Country Panuca, which confineth on New Spaine, the Inhabitants whereof are warlike people, and cruell in Warre: they sacrifice their captives to Idols, and doe eate them. The men doe pluck of their Beards, that they may seeme more beautifull, and they have holes bored thorow their Noses and Eares, neither are they married before they are 40. yeeres old. Next to this is the Country Avanares, and the Province of Albardaosia, the Inhabitants whereof are most crafty, and doe differ in manners from the other Indians. There is also in Florida the Country Iaguazia, the Inhabitants whereof are so swift of foote, that they will out-runne and catch Deare, and they will runne a whole day and never be weary. There are also other Countries and Provinces of Florida, as Apulchia, Anthia, Samovia, and others. All the Country is watered with divers Rivers and Streames and therewith moystned: and in the Mountaine Apolchicis there doe great Rivers rise, which have Gold and Silver sands, which the Inhabitants doe gather, and bring it downe the River to the Sea Coast to sell it. The chiefe Rivers are Porto Real, which signifies the Royall Porte. The mouth of this River is 3. miles over, and hath two Promontories, the one whereof looketh Westward, the other Northward: also Rioseco, Fl. Magnus, or Grandis Garumna, Charenta, Ligeris, Anona, Sequana, Ay, Serravahi, Majus, and others. The Country is plaine, and it hath few Mountaines, among which the Apalchician are the chiefe. About the River Porto Real there are many woods full of Oakes and Cedars, in which there are many Harts, and wilde Beasts, and also many Indian Peacocks are found. The Inhabitants are of a crafty cunning disposition, and prone to warre and seeking revenge.

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

Florida. THe Spaniards and French, the Discoverers of this Province, have but very small knowledge of it, as not having been very far in the Country: the Spaniards under divers Leaders, and principally under Soto, made some Expeditions into it, but both he and most of his men, dyed in the prosecution of their design. The Name of Florida was given it, either upon the account of its Flowers which it produces in great abundance, or by reason of the first Discovery of some of its parts, which was on a Palm Sunday. The French that setled themselves in that part which lies towards the North-East, had left there the names of the Scine, Lonaloire, Garrone, Gironde, Chorcute, to the Rivers they met withal in those parts. But the Spaniards jealous of the French Names, having given them others, and the English, who have lately setled several Colonies here, do still at this day Christen them anew. In the Year 1562. John Ribaud caus'd to be built upon the River of Port-Royal, the Fortress of Charles's Fort, which he called by that Name, in consideration of King Charles the Ninth of France. Two years after, one Laudonier built the Fort of Carolina, upon the River of May, (Now, by the way, it is to be observ'd, that several Geographers do not give to these two Places their true Position.) Since which, the French were constrained to abandon 'em, both upon the account of the Civil Wars which arose in France, and of the jealousie of the Spaniards, who could not well bear with the Frenchmen having footing in Florida. The Spaniards made Florida much greater than it really is, for they attribute to it Virginia, and New France, perhaps not to prejudice the Pretentions of their Soveraign, who attributes to himself all America, tho' his Subjects have only appear'd in some of its Provinces: Others give only this Name of Florida to the Peninsula of Tegesta, which advances to the South, and contributes to form the great and famous Gulph of Mexico, and the Channel of Bahama. The Air of Florida is so temperate, that there has been often seen old Men at the Age of Two hundred and fifty years, whilst the Children of five Generations are all alive at the same time. The Land is fertile, full of Fruit-trees, and its Towns the best peopled of all America, having in several places rich Furs, and an immense quantity of Pearls. Its Mountain Apalatei, produces abundance of Copper: Its principal River is that of Spirito Sancto, or Chucagua, which falls into the Mexican Gulph. The Coast is not over convenient for great Ships, because the Sea is but very shallow. The Inland parts are possess'd by the Savages, under the Government and Jurisdiction of divers Paroustis or Caciques, who are their Lords. Relations acquaint us with the Brave Resistance they made against the Spaniards. These Savages adore the Sun and Moon. Upon the Coast the Spaniard holds St. Austin, and St. Matthews, two Colonies of small consideration, tho' in each there be a Castle. St. Austin is of the greatest importance, by reason of its Haven, and its nearness to the Channel of Bahama, where the Spanish-Fleets commonly pass, when with their Cargoes, they return from Havana into Europe.

1695. A New Body of Geography by A. Sewall & T. Child.

Florida, is not so big as the Spaniards make it, by attributing to it Virginia and New France; it reaches but from the 28th. degree to Virginia: Sebastian Cabet discover'd it in 1496. upon the account of Henry VII. King of England, but staid not the•e, having a design to find out a Passage that way into the East. John Ponce of Leon, was there in 1512, from the K•ng of Castile, but was driven out by the Inhabitants in 1520. Luke Vasquez D' Aillon, went in 1524 with some other Spaniards, to Subdue these People, and to bring them to the Mines in the Spanish Islands to work there. Pamphilius Narraez crossed it in 1528. Ferdinand Soto after the Conquest of Peru, Invaded it in 1538, May 24. and died there of Grief, because he could not accomplish his Designs, having given it the name of Florida, either because he arrived there on Palm-Sunday, which they call Pascha Florida, or because he found the Country cover'd with Flowers. Charles V. Emperor, and the Consul of the Indies sent some Priests thither in 1540, but they were destroyed by the Natives. In the year 1562, Francis Ribault under Charles IX. made a League with the Inhabitants, and built Charles's Fort. In 1564, Rinatus Laudonniere was there and built the Caroline Fort. It was about that time that the Spaniards jealous of the prosperous Success of the French, did under the pretence of visiting them and maintaining a familiar Correspondence with them, Surprize them in the night, and like base Villains, Hang'd the Soldiers, Flea'd Ribault, as Escarbot relates. In 1627 Dominicus Gurges a Gascoigne, fitted out a Vessel at his own Charge, went into Florida, re-took the Caroline Fort and another Fort which the Spaniards had built, hanged the Spaniards upon the same Trees that they had Executed the French; and after this, return'd into France, where he met with no kind reception for this great piece of Service.

The Air is very pure and temperate, and the Soil made very fruitful by the Dews. They make their Bread of Maze, and have Grapes and divers Fruits, but the Country hath the ill fortune not be well Tilled. It affords Lyons, Wolves, Deer, Wild-dogs and Cats, Hares, Wild-Poultrey, tame Cats, and several other Creatures. They catch Pearls out of their Rivers, and gather Gold-Sand out of them.

The Inhabitants are naturally white, but by anointing themselves with Ointments made on purpose, they become of an Olive colour; they are of a good Stature, especially those that dwell in the Plains; they love War and obey their Captains, whom they call Paroustis. They have Mines of Gold, but they are little regarded by the Inhabitants. They cloath themselves with Skins, The Spaniards have built two Forts, viz. St. Matthews and St. Austins. The English have settl'd themselves at Carolina, which the French built.

They have a great Veneration for the Sun and Moon, and pay much respect to their Priests, whom they call Joanas, who are also their Physicians and Surgeons. They are thought to be Sorcerers. The Spaniards and English follow their own Religion.