The Whole and True Discouerye of Terra Florida by Jean Ribault
or xx^ persons, and go therwith verry swiftly.*
They that rowe stand upright having there owers
short, made after the fashyon of apeele.f Thus be-
ing amonges them they presented us with there
meale, dreassed and baked, verry good and well
tasting and of good nurishment, also beanes,
ffishe, as crabbes, lopsters, crevices || and many
other kindes of good ffishes, shewing us by signes
that there dwellinges were far of, and that if there
provision had byn nere hande, they would have
presented us with many other reffreshinges.
The night nowe approching we were fayne
to retourn to our shippes, muche to our greef, for
that we durst not hasarde to enter with our shippes
by reason of a barr of sande that was at [the] en-
tre of the porte, howebeyt at a full sea there is
two fadom and a half of water at the most,§ and
yt is but a leap or surge fi” to passe this barr, not
passing the lengthe of two cables, and thenfourth
with every where within vj or vij fadom water,
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* P., go their wayes very safely.
f The original had probably pelle, shovel.
|| Ecrevisses, crayfish or lobsters.
§ P., leaste. fS P., over a surge.
[…] Ribault’s account of his first trip to La Florida entitled “The True Discouerie of Terra Florrida” includes many clues that help pinpoint locations that would be helpful in finding the true […]