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Page 42
LORD BALTIMORE IN MARYLAND
(1633)
BY CONTEMPORARY WRITERS[1]
On Friday the 22 of November 1633, a small gale of winde comming
gently from the Northwest, weighed from the Cowes, in the Ile of
Wight, about ten in the morning; & (having stayed by the way twenty
dayes at the Barbada's, and fourtene dayes at St. Christophers, upon
some necessary occasions,) wee arrived at Point-Comfort in Virginia,
on the 24. of February following, the Lord be praised for it. At this
time one Captaine Claybourne was come from parts where wee intended to
plant, to Virginia, and from him wee vnderstood, that all the natiues
of these parts were in preparation of defence, by reason of a rumour
somebody had raised amongst them, of sixe ships that were come with a
power of Spanyards, whose meaning was to driue all the inhabitants out
of the Countrey.
On the 3. of March wee came into Chesapeake Bay, and made sayle to the
North of Patoemeck river, the Bay running betweene two sweete lands in
the channell of 7. 8. and 9 fathome deepe, 10 leagues broad, and full
of fish at the time of the yeere; It is one of the delightfullest
waters I euer saw, except Potoemeck, which wee named St. Gregories.
And now being in our own Countrey, wee began to give names to places,
and called the Southerne Pointe, Cape Saint Gregory; and the Northerly
Point, Saint Michaels.
This river, of all I know, is the greatest and sweetest, much broader
than the Thames; so pleasant, as I for my part, was never satisfied in
beholding it. Few marshes or swamps, but the greatest part sollid good
earth, with great Curiosity of woods which are not Choaked up with
under-shrubbes, but set commonly one from the other in such distance,
as a Coach and foure horses may easily trauell through them.
At the first loaming of the ship vpon the river, wee found (as was
foretold us) all the Countrey in Armes. The King of the Paschattowayes
had drawen together 1500 bowe-men, which wee ourselves saw, the woods
were fired in manner of beacons the night after; and for that our
vessel was the greatest that euer those Indians saw, the scowtes
reported wee came in a Canoe, as bigge as an Island, and had as many
men as there bee trees in the woods.
Wee sayled vp the river till wee came to Heron Ilands, so called from
the infinite swarmes of that fowle there. The first of those Ilands we
called Saint Clement's: The second Saint Katharine's; And the third,
Saint Cicilie's. We took land first in Saint Clement's, which is
compassed about with a shallow water, and admitts no accesse without
wading; here by the overturning of the Shallop, the maids which had
been washing at the land were almost drowned, beside the losse of much
linnen, and amongst the rest, I lost the best of mine which is a very
maine losse in these parts. The ground is couered thicke with
pokickeries (which is a wild Wall-nut very hard and thick of shell;
but the meate (though little) is passing sweete,) with black
Wall-nuts, and acorns bigger than Ours. It abounds with Vines and
Salletts, hearbs and flowers, full of Cedar and Sassafras. It is but
400 acres bigg, & therefore too little for vs to settle vpon.
Heere we went to a place, where a large tree was made into a Crosse;
and taking it on our shoulders, wee carried it to the place appointed
for it. The Gouernour and Commissioners putting their hands first vnto
it, then the rest of the chiefest adventurers. At the place prepared
wee all kneeled downe, & said certain Prayers; taking possession of
the Countrey for our Saviour, and for our soueraigne Lord the King of
England... The Gouernour being returned, wee Came some nine leagues
lower to a river on the North Side of that land, as bigg as the
Thames: which wee called Saint Gregorie's river.[2] It runs vp to the
North about 20 miles before it comes to the fresh. This river makes
two excellent Bayes, for 300 sayle of Shippes of 1000. tunne, to
harbour in with great safety. The one Bay we named Saint George's; the
other (and more inward) Saint Marie's. The King of Yaocomico, dwells
on the left-hand or side thereof: & we tooke vp our Seate on the
right, one mile within the land. It is as braue a piece of ground to
set down on as most is in the Countrey, & I suppose as good, (if not
much better) than the primest parcel of English ground.
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