Newbern weekly progress., 1862-06-07

- y I9It 1ila eoIoilN at Lori hnyat ~
1927, and about the same period, an.
other in the Chesapeake. There can
be but little doubt that the story wa,
true, and that the ship contained Span.
lards passing between these two places
hey also told curious stories of a rrea,
rivOr 'Cipo,' whers pearl WIS obtain,
ed, which has puzzled later historians
to locate; but we now know that Ofp0
or Sepo, in the Algonquin language,
which was spoken from Maine to about
TINS point, means simply a river, and
probably referred to either the Mora
no, now called the Roanoke, or to the
Chowan.
these narratives give a glowing ae.
count OF tho natives and Of their ability
to construct their houses and canoes
and tweirs for fish. As this was their
f1rst intercourse with Europeans, it un-
doubtedly shows what their true condi-
tion was and had been for centuries.
Situated, as this territory is, under a
mild climate, where corn, beans and
melons can be SO easily raised, and hav-
ing a great abundance of game and
fish, 1t must have been paradise for
the Indians. Of the kings brother, it
is said.
lie was very just of his promise
for many times we'delivered him mer.
chandlse upon his word, but ever lie
came within the day and performed
his promise. He sent us every day a
brace or two of fat bucks, comics, hares
and fish, the best in the world. lie
sent us divers kinds of fruits, melons,
Malnuts, cuenmbers, geurds, peas, and
divers roots and fruits, very excellent
and good; and of their country corn.
which is very white, fair and we'll
tasted, and grows three times in five
months. In May, they sow; in July,
they reap: in June, they SOW; in All,
gust, reap; in July, they SOW in Sep.
tember, they reap. They cast the corn
into the ground, breaking little of the
soft turf with wooden mattock. Our
selves proved the soil, and put sons of
our peas into the ground, and in ten
days they were fourteen inches high.
They have also beans, very fair, of d.
vers colors and wonderful plenty; some
growing naturally and some in their
gardens
her : q -ad rAnt TO Roanoke Island is
aboard our vessels, myself win sevcu
others went twenty miles into the river
I that runs toward the city of Skicoak,
which river they call Occum, and the
evening following,we came to an island
which they call Roanoke, distant from
the harbor by which we entered sever
leagues. At the north end thereof wa'
tavillage of nine houses, built OF ceda1
and fortified round about with sharl
trees, to keep out their enemies ant
the entrance into it made like a turn
. pike, very artificially. When W
came toward it, standing near unto III
, water side, the wife Of GrangamimcC
the kings brother, came running OF
to meet us very cheerfully and friendl,
. her husband was not then in the vi
lage. Some of her people she con
manded to draw our boat on shore
: Others she appointed TO carry us {
i i their backsto tho dry ground, and OF
ers to bring our oars into the hons
y for fear of stealing. When We we
- come TO the ouier room, having II
o - rooms in her house, she caused us
u sit down by a great fire, and atterwa
~ took off our clothes and washed the
~ - and dried them again. Some OF t
.s' women washed our feet in warm v
!. ter, and she took great pains to see
'o' things ordered in the best mann
~, =" making great haste to drets some MI
ns for MS TO cat. After we had tried o
:" ad ourselves, sho brought Us into the
uu g" ncr room, when she sat on the bo'
"s =, standing alongside the house,
-, W placed before US some wheat fermt
=, ed, soddcn vcnison, and fish, fodd
- y boiled and roasted, mclons, raw
;eh -; sodden, roots OF divers kinds,and fru
.ad ,o We were entertained with all love
G ~ kindness, and with MS much hount.
,ho o we could possibly desire. We 70
~ M these people most gentle, loving,
.o6 n faithful roid Of all guile and tres
% oy and such as live after the mannt
,r,h ri ilc golden age
rar Beyond this island, called Roam
; ave- .r' main stands, very plentiful in 4
IL and other natural increase, togC
an and with many towns and villages al
wos side the continent, some horderipi
Ill ON the islands, aud some standing
,";r lhcr into the land.
= vi" a.. When wc inst had sight OF
Srare W. country, some thought the first
: 81 IT, VIC saw 10 he 4 continent; but
~ = - we cuterud into tho haven, We "a
."ars oa fore us another mighty long SCI
',nm, there lieth along tho coast tr
Ig ,aigiy island two hundred miles in o1te
ward war; Thus they picture the country
s,nrv the rosy tintso natural TO all dis'
9I NH ers. They speak Of the island ns
=, ,ho sixteen inilea long, which recer
y WV ..,. .ta.g t,,arly cnrrert Ma