Bermuda

Sources from old books

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

A DESCRIPTION OF THE SVMMER ILANDS VVHICH THEY CALL BERMƲDAS. (Book Bermuda)

WEE have mentioned these Ilands in our former descriptions, but now seeing they have gotten a peculiar table of their owne, it will not be impertinent to adde this narration thereunto. Authors doe report that the chiefest of these Ilands is small and lowe, but that it groweth somewhat bigger in the middle. There are great store of Birds in it, but it is subject to stormes and tempests, and it hath great store of Cedar Trees, and Hogges. Some Englishmen suffring shipwrack neere unto it, planted a Colony there in a Semicircular forme, and called it after their Captaines name, Summers Colony.* 1.1 But afterward when the English had got the Kings Letters Patents to erect a Company for the governing these Ilands, they sent in the yeere 1612. to the aforesaid Ilands 60. men with Captaine Richard Mone, and so the Colony or Plantation began to encrease. The Captaine lived in these parts three yeeres, and raised every where many Forts, and Defences, and furnisht them with Ordnance, that the Colony might the better defend it selfe from any invasion of the enemy. After Captaine Mone there succeeded Captaine Tuckher, who caused many Trees which were brought out of the West-Indies to be planted there, and the Country to be devided among the Colony, that every one might have a greater care of his owne part. After whom Captaine Butler with 4. Ships, and 5. hundred men sayled thither,* 1.2 and so all the Country was replenisht with Inhabitants. On the East side Warwicks Forte was built, on the North-West Sands Fort, on the Pror¦montory toward Affrick, Danes-fort. Also two Fortresses were raised in a small Iland the one called Cavendish Fort, the other Pagets Fort. There is also an Iland which lyeth to the South which is called Coupers Ile. At the Promontory call'd Gurnets head there is Pembrooks Fort. A little farther Westward there is Nonsuch a little Iland, and Moores Iland with a Fort. The next is Charles his Fort, and more to the North is Kings Castle over-against the Easterne Promontory of the greatest Iland. Neere which there are many other Ilands, to which the English have given severall names. And that they might not want fresh water, they have digged Wells not farre from the Sea shoare, for the Sea doth not flow above a foote high. The ayre in these Ilands is cleere and temperate, and not too hot, so that fruits brought from other places doe grow and thrive here very well, but yet for want of heate they doe seldome come to maturity or ripenes:

they reape two Harvests in a yeere, and their Wheate is bigger than ours. Two graines of Maiz will grow to a pound waight. Neither are they much troubled with cold or raine, by reason of the divers windes which come from the Sea, which doe also mittigate the heate, they have thunder often, but it doth no harme. There are no venamous creatures in these Ilands, neither doth the earth bring forth any venemous thing, except one Plant. So that the English doe live here peaceably and commodiously, and have abundance of all things necessary.