of the palm, laurel, cypress, and others then unknown in Europe, which grew to a great height, and diffused a delicious perfume that was discerned far out at sea. "The land also," says Verazzano in his letter to Francis I., "is full of many animals, as stags, deer, and hares, which were seen sporting in the forests, and frequenting the banks of pleasant lakes and rivers; nor were there wanting great plenty and variety of birds of game, fitted to afford delightful recreation for the sportsman. The sky was clear, the air wholesome and temperate, the prevalent wind blowing from the west, and the sea calm and placid. In short, a country more full of amenity could not well be imagined."* An excellent author and navigator thinks it probable that the spot where Verazzano first landed was on the coast of Georgia, near the present town of Savannah.t

From this he proceeded along the shore, which turned to the eastward and appeared thickly inhabited, but so low and open that landing in such a surf was impossible. In this perplexity a young sailor undertook to swim to land and accost the natives; but when he saw the crowds which thronged the beach he repented of his purpose, and although within a few yards of the landing-place, his courage failed, and he attempted to turn back. At this moment the water only reached his waist; but, overcome with terror and exhaustion, he had scarcely strength to cast his presents and trinkets upon the beach, when a high wave cast him stupified and senseless upon the shore. The savages ran immediately to his assistance, and carried him to a little distance from the sea, where it was some time before he recovered his recollection; and great was his terror when he found himself entirely in their power. Stretching his hands towards the ship, he uttered a piercing shriek, to which his friends of the New World replied by raising a loud yell, intended, as he afterward found, to encourage him. But, if this was sufficiently alarming, their further proceedings proved still more formidable. They carried him to the foot of a hill, turned his face towards the sun, kindled a large fire, and stripped him naked. No doubt was now left in the mind of the unhappy man that they were about to offer him

* Ramusio, vol. iii. p. 420.

t Forster's Discoveries in the North, p. 433.

as a sacrifice to the sun; and his companions on board, who watched the progress of the adventure, unable, from the violence of the sea, to lend him assistance, were of the same opinion. They thought, to use Verazzano's own words, that the natives were going to roast and eat him.* But their fears were soon turned into gratitude and astonishment; for they only dried his clothes, warmed him, and showed him every mark of kindness, caressing and patting his white skin; and on observing that he still trembled and looked suspicious, they assisted him to dress, conducted him to the beach, tenderly embraced him, and pointing to the vessel, removed to a little distance to show that he was at liberty to return to his friends. This he did by swimming to the ship's boat, which had been put out to receive him, followed by the kind gestures of the savages, who gazed after him till they saw him safe among his friends. The spot where Verazzano found this amiable people is conjectured by Forster to have been somewhere between NewJersey and Staten Island.

From this the Florentine sailed onward, observing the coast trending to the northward, and after a run of fifty leagues came to anchor off a delightful country covered with the finest forests. The trees, although equally luxuriant, did not emit the same perfume as those before seen; but the region was rich, covered with grass, and thickly peopled, although the natives appeared more timid than the last, and avoided all intercourse. The sailors, however, discovered and seized a family who had concealed themselves in the underwood, consisting of an old woman, a young girl of a tall and handsome figure, and six children. The two younger of the little ones were squatted on the shoulders of the old woman, and another child hung behind her back, while the girl was similarly loaded. On being approached both the females shrieked loudly; but, having succeeded in pacifying them, the sailors understood by their signs that all the men had escaped to the woods on the appearance of the ships. Much persuasion was now used to induce them to go on board; but although the elderly lady showed symptoms of acquiescence, and eagerly ate the food which was offered her, no entreaties could soften the obstinacy and rage of the

* Ramusio, vol. iii. p. 421.

younger. She uttered piercing cries, cast the meat indig nantly on the ground, and rendered the task of dragging her through the thick woods so tedious and distressing, that they were obliged to desist and leave her, only carrying with them a little boy, who could make no resistance.* The people of this country possessed fairer complexions than those whom they had just left, and were clad with large leaves sewed together with threads of wild hemp. Their common food was pulse, but they subsisted also by fishing, and were very expert in catching birds with gins. Their bows were made of hard wood, their arrows of canes headed with fish-bone, and their boats constructed of one large tree hollowed by fire, for they appeared to have no instruments of iron or other metal. Wild vines crept up the trunks of the trees, hanging in rich festoons from the branches, and the banks and meadows were covered with roses, lilies, violets, and many sorts of herbs different from those of Europe, yielding a fresh and delightful fragrance.

Verazzano now proceeded one hundred leagues farther to a sheltered and beautiful bay surrounded by gently rising hills, and discovered a large river, which from its depth seemed navigable to a considerable distance. Fearful, however, of any accident, they ascended it in boats; and the voyage conducted them through a country so full of sweetness and attraction that they left it with much regret. Prosecuting their discoveries fifty leagues eastward, they reached another island of a triangular shape, covered with rich wood, and rising into gentle hills, which reminded them of Rhodes both in its form and general aspect. A contrary wind, however, rendered it impossible to land, and pursuing their course about fifteen leagues farther along the coast, they found a port where there was an excellent anchorage. Here they were soon visited by the natives, who came in a squadron of twenty boats, and at first cautiously kept at the distance of fifty paces. Observing, however, the friendly gestures of the strangers, they ventured nearer, and when the French threw them bells, mirrors, and other trinkets, they raised a loud and simultaneous shout expressive of joy and security, no longer hesitating to row their boats to the ship's side and come aboard. They are described by Verazzano

in his account of the voyage sent to Francis I., as the finest and handsomest race, and the most civilized in their manners, of any he had yet met in America. Their colour was fairer than that of the more southern people, and in the symmetry of their forms, and the simplicity and gracefulness of their attitudes, they almost vied with the antique. They soon became exceedingly friendly and intimate, and conducted the French into the interior of the country, which they found variegated with wood, and more delightful than can be easily described. Adapted for every sort of cultivation, whether of corn, vines, or olives, it was interspersed with plains of twenty-five or thirty leagues in length, open and unencumbered with trees, and of such fertility, that whatever fruit might be sown was certain to produce a rich and abundant return. They afterward entered the woods, which were of great size, and so thick that a large army might have been concealed in them. The trees consisted of oaks and cypresses, besides other species unknown to Europe. They found also apples, parsley, plums, and filberts, and many other kinds of fruit different from those of Italy. They saw likewise many animals, such as harts, roes, wolves, and stags, which the natives caught with snares, and destroyed with bows and arrows, their principal weapons of offence. The arrows were made with great neatness, and at the point instead of iron they inserted flints, jaspers, hard marble, and other kinds of cut stones. These they also made use of in felling trees, and in excavating their boats, which with great skill were made of a single trunk, yet large enough to hold ten or twelve men commodiously. Their oars were short and broad at the extremity, which they plied in the sea without any accident happening, trusting solely to their strength of arm and skilful management, and seeming able to go at almost any rate they pleased. Their houses were constructed in a circular shape, ten or twelve paces in circuit, built of boards, and separated from each other without any attention paid to architectural arrangement, covered with tiles made of clay, of excellent workmanship, and effectually protected from the wind and rain.* On one subject alone they showed suspicion, being extremely jealous of the least intercourse between the

Ramusio, vol. lii. p. 422.

French and their women. These they would on no persuasion allow to enter the ship; and on one occasion, while the king came on board, and spent some hours in curiously examining every part of the vessel, his royal consort was left with her female attendants in a boat at some distance, strictly watched and guarded.*

The French now bade adieu to this kind people, and pursued their discoveries for one hundred and fifty leagues, exploring a coast which extended first towards the east and afterward to the north. The country still presented an agreeable and inviting aspect, although the climate became colder, and the regions along which they passed more hilly. A progress of other fifty leagues brought them to a more mountainous district than any yet seen, covered with dark and dense forests, and possessed by a people whose habits and temper seemed to partake of the severer nature of their country. On attempting to open an intercourse, Verazzano found them as fierce and sullen as those with whom he had lately dealt were agreeable and generous. Twenty-five of the crew who landed were received with a shower of arrows; and although the exhibition of articles of barter overcame their scruples, and tempted them to agree to an interchange of commodities, the manner in which this was effected evinced a striking mixture of avidity and suspicion. They came down to the beach, choosing the spot where the surf was breaking most violently, and insisted that the French boat should remain on the other side; a rope was then passed from it to the shore, and the different articles were swung along it. Strings of beads, toys, or mirrors they utterly despised; but eagerly received knives, fishinghooks, swords, saws, or any thing in the shape of cuttingmetal to be used in war or in the chase, though such was their savage temper, that during the process of exchange they expressed their aversion to the strangers by uncouth gestures of contempt and derision. It seems probable that the country now for the first time visited by Europeans was the present state of Maine; as we are told by Ve razzano, that a further run of fifty leagues along the

*This country, according to Verazzano, was situated in 4120 of latitude (Ramusio, vol. iii. p. 422), which, if correct, would point it out as the present flourishing state of Massachusetts.

D