The Whole and True Discouerye of Terra Florida by Jean Ribault

bycause at the entrye yt is as broade as from Havre de Grace unto Honefleu. At the breake of the daye we espied on the southe side one of the fairest, pleasantest and greatest medowe ground that might be sene, into the which we went, fynd- ing at the verry entre a longe a faire and great lake [and] an innumerable numbre of fotestepes of hartes and hyndes of a wonderfull greatnes, the stepes [beynge] all freshe and newe. And yt semeth that the people do nurishe them like tame cattell, in great herdes ; for we sawe the fotestepes of an Indian that followed them. The channell and depthe of this river of Seyne is on the side of the medowe that is on the isle of May.   Being retourned to our shippes, we sailed to knowe more and more of the coast, going as nere the shore as we could. And as we had sailed so all alonge abowt six or seven leages, there apered unto us another baye where we cast ancre twart of yt, tarring so all the night. In the morrowe* we went thither, and fynding by our sounding at the entre many bankes and beatynges,f we ===================================================== * P., morning.   f Probably a translation of battures, reefs.