Page:Diuers voyages touching the discouerie of America - Hakluyt - 1582.djvu/99

of Reedes trimly couched together, which serue them both for beddes and seates, they be of height two foote from the grounde, set vpon great rounde pillers painted with red, yelowe, and blewe, well and trimlie polished: some sorte of this people perceiuing that we had in no maner wise hurted their dwellings nor gardens whiche they dressed very diligently, they returned all vnto vs before our imbarking, seeming very well contented by their giuing vnto vs water, fruites, and Hartskinnes. It is a place wonderfull fertill,Great fertilitie. and of strong situatiõ, the ground fat, so that it is likely that it would bring forth Wheate and all other corne twise a yeere, and the commodities for liuelihood, and the hope of more riches, bee like vnto those we found and considered vpon the riuer of May, without comming into the sea: this arme doth diuide, and maketh many other Iles of May, as also many other great Ilandes: by the which wee trauell from one Ilande to another, betweene lande and land. And it seemeth that men may sayle without danger through al the countrey,Note. and neuer enter into the great sea, which were a wonderfull aduantage.

This is the lande of Checere whereof some haue written, & which many haue gone about to find out, for y͏ͤ great riches they perceiued by some Indians to be founde there. It is set vnder so good a climate, that none of our men (though wee were there in the hotest time of the yeere, the sunne entring into Cancer), were troubled with any sicknesses. The people there liue long and in great health and strength, so that the aged men goe without staues, and are able to goe and runne like the youngest of them, who onely are knowen to be olde by the wrinckles in their face, and decay of sight. Wee departed from them verie friendly, & with their contentation. But the night ouertaking vs, we were constrayned to lye in our ships all that night, till it was day, floting vpon this riuer which we haue called Sene,The riuer of Sene. because that the entery of it is as broade as from hauer degrace vnto Honesleue. At the breake of the day wee espied out of the South syde one of the fayrest, pleasauntest, and greatest medowe groundethat