Thanks to your advocacy efforts on our behalf, we're happy to report that the recently passed Omnibus Spending Bill includes a very small increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities! While our work is not over with regards to the upcoming 2018 budget to be passed in the fall, the Omnibus Spending Bill represents an endorsement of the important work that the humanities do for our communities. These funds will continue to support our work of providing free access to authoritative content about Virginia's history and culture.
In this excerpt of his account of the 1584 English expedition to Roanoke Island, Arthur Barlowe reports first of
the area's animals and trees; then he tells of his party's first encounter with the
Indian weroance, or chief, Granganimeo. Barlowe's report, "The first voyage made
to the coasts of America," was published in Richard Hakluyt (the younger)'s Principal Navigations, Voyages and Discoveries of the English
Nation (1589). Some spelling has been updated and contractions expanded.
This Island had many goodly woodes, full of Deere, Conies,
Hares, and Fowle, even in the middest of Summer, in incredible abundance. The woodes
are not such as you finde on Bohemia, Moscovia, or Hercynia, barren and fruitles, but
the highest and reddest Ceders of the world, farre bettering the Cedars of the
Açores, of the Indies, or of Lybanus, Pynes, Cypres, Sassaphras, the Lentisk, or the
tree that beareth the Masticke, the tree that beareth the rine of blacke Sinamon,
— page 247 —
of which Master Winter brought from the streights
of Magellan, and many other of excellent smell and qualitie. We remained by the side
of this Island two whole dayes before we saw any people of the Countrey: the third
day we espied one small boate rowing towardes us having in it three persons: this
boat came to the Island side, foure harquebus-shot from our shippes, and there two of
the people remaining, the thirde came along the shore side towards us, and wee being
then all within boord, he walked up and downe upon the point of the land next unto
us: then the Master and the Pilot of the Admirall, Simon Ferdinando, and the Captaine
Philip Amadas, my selfe, and others rowed to the land, whose comming this fellow
attended, never making any shewe of feare or doubt. And after he had spoken of many
things not understood by us, we brought him with his owne good liking, aboord the
ships, and gave him a shirt, a hat & some other things, and made him taste of our
wine, and our meat, which he liked very wel: and after having viewed both barks, he
departed, and went to his owne boate againe, which hee had left in a little Cove or
Creeke adjoyning: assoone as hee was two bow shoot into the water, hee fell to
fishing, and in lesse then halfe an houre, he has laden his boate as deepe, as it
could swimme, with which hee came againe to the point of the lande, and there he
devided his fishe into two parts, pointing one part to the ship, and the other to the
pinnesse: which, after he had (as much as he might) requited the former benefites
receaved, departed out of our sight.
The next day there came unto us divers boates, and in one of them the Kings brother,
accompanied with fortie or fiftie men, very handsome and goodly people, and in their
behaviour as mannerly and civill as any of Europe. His name was Granganimeo, and the
king is called Wingina, the countrey Wingandacoa, and now by her Majestie Virginia.
The maner of his comming was in this sort: hee left his boates altogether as the
first man did a little from the shippes by the shore, and came along to the place
over against the ships, followed with fortie men. When hee came to the place, his
servants spread a long matte uppon the ground, on which he sate downe, and at the
other ende of the matte foure others of the companie did the like, the rest of his
men stood round about him, somewhat a farre off: when we came to the shore to him
with our weapons, hee never mooved from his place, nor any of the other foure, nor
never mistrusted any harme to be offered from us, but sitting still he beckoned us to
come and sit by him, which we perfourmed: and being set hee makes all signes of joy
and welcome, striking on his head and his breast and afterwardes on ours, to shewe
wee were all one, smiling and making shewe the best he could of all love, and
familiaritie. After hee had made a long speech unto us, wee presented him with divers
things, which hee received very joyfully, and thankefully. None of the company durst
to speake one worde all the time: onely the foure which were at the other ende, spake
one in the others eare very softly.
