lish
port.

Concerning the nature and fruitfulnesse of Brions Island, Isle Blanche,
and of Ramea, they do by nature yeeld exceeding plenty of wood, great
store of wild corne like barley, strawberries, gooseberries, mulberies,
white roses, and store of wilde peason. Also about the sayd Islands the
sea yeeldeth great abundance of fish of diuers sorts. And the sayd Islands
also seeme to proffer, through the labour of man, plenty of all kinde of
our graine, of roots, of hempe, and other necessary commodities.

Charles Leigh.

XIV. The first relation of Iaques Carthier of S. Malo, of the new land
called New France, newly discovered in the yere of our Lord 1534.

How M. Iaques Carthier departed from the Port of S. Malo, with two ships,
and came to Newfoundland, and how he entred into the Port of Buona Vista.

After that Sir Charles of Mouy knight lord of Meylleraye, and Viceadmirall
of France had caused the Captaines, Masters, and Mariners of the shippes
to be sworne to behaue themselues truely and faithfully in the seruice of
the most Christian King of France, vnder the charge of the sayd Carthier,
vpon the twentieth day of Aprill 1534, we departed from the Port of S.
Malo with two ships of threescore tun apiece burden, and 61 well appointed
men in each one: and with such prosperous weather we sailed onwards, that
vpon the tenth day of May we came to Newfoundland, where we entred into
the Cape of Buona Vista, which is in latitude 48 degrees and a halfe, and
in longitude ----.(13) But because of the great store of the ice that was
alongst the sayd land, we were constrayned to enter into an hauen called
S. Katherins Hauen, distant from the other Port about fiue leagues toward
Southsoutheast: there did we stay tenne days looking for faire weather;
and in the meanwhile we mended and dressed our boats.

How we came to the Island of Birds, and of the great quantity of birds
that there be.

Vpon the 21 of May the wind being in the West, we hoisted saile, and
sailed toward North and by East from the cape of Buona Vista vntil we came
to the Island of Birds, which was enuironed about with a banke of ice, but
broken and crackt: notwithstanding the sayd banke, our two boats went
thither to take in some birds, whereof there is such plenty, that vnlesse
a man did see them, he would thinke it an incredible thing: for albeit the
Island (which containeth about a league in circuit) be so full of them,
that they seeme