The present state of His Majesties isles and territories in America ... with new maps of every place : together with astronomical tables, which will serve as a constant diary or calendar, for the use of the English inhabitants in those islands, from the year 1686 to 1700 : also a table by which ... you may know what hour it is in any of those parts, and how to make sun-dials fitting for all those places.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE Island of ANTEGO.

* 1.1THE Island of Antego is seated in the Latitude of 16 Degrees, and 11 Minutes.

* 1.2It is in length about 6 or 7 Leagues, and much of the same breadth in several places; The Access to it is very dangerous for Shipping, by reason of the Rocks which incom∣pass it: It was conceived heretofore, that it was not to be inhabited, upon presumption that there was no fresh Water in it; but the English, who have planted themselves in it, have met with some few Springs of fresh Water; besides which, the Inhabitants, which are about 8 or 900 persons, have made several Ponds and Cisterns for the pre∣serving of Rain-water.

The Commodities* 1.3 of this Isle are Sugar, Indico, Ginger, and Tobacco, &c.

This Isle doth abound with Fish of all sorts,* 1.4 amongst which the Shark-fish deserves remark; it is a kind of Sea-Wolf, or Sea-Dog, the most devouring of all Fishes, and the most greedy of Mans-flesh, and therefore exceeding dangerous to those that swim; he lives altogether by prey, and generally follows Ships, to feed on the filth cast out of them into the Sea. These Monsters seem yellow in the water; some of them are of a vast length and bigness, insomuch that they are able to cut a man in two at one bite; their Skin so rough, that they pollish Wood with it, instead of Files; their Heads are flat, and the opening of their Mouths is under their Snout, so that they are forced to turn their Bellies almost upward when they seize their prey; their Teeth are very sharp and broad, jagged like a Saw, some having three or four ranks in each Jaw-bone, they lye within their Gums, but sufficiently appear when there is occasion. These cruel Sea-Dogs are attended by two or three small Fishes, and sometimes more, which go before them with such swiftness and ex∣actness, that they go either forward or stay as he doth: The Meat of him is not good, but the Brains are found to be good and profitable against the Stone and Gravel.

There is likewise found another ravenous Sea-Monster, called the Becune, a dreadful enemy to Man-kind, in shape like a Pike, being about seven or eight foot long; he lives by prey, and furi∣ously fastens, like a Blood-hound, on the Men he perceives in the water. He carries away whatso∣ever he once fastens on, and his Teeth are so veno∣mous, that the least touch of them becomes mor∣tal, if some sovereign Antidote be not immediate∣ly

applied, to divert and abate the Poyson.

There are another sort of Becunes, by some cal∣led Sea Wood-Cocks, their Beaks being somewhat like a Wood-Cock's Bill, only the upper part much longer than the lower, and moves both Jaws with like facility, some of them being four foot long, and twelve inches broad near the Head, which is somewhat like a Swines, with two large Eyes ex∣treamly shining; he hath two Fins on the sides, and under the Belly a large Plume, rising higher, like a Cock's Comb, reaching from Head to Tail: Be∣sides a long solid Beak, it hath two sorts of Horns, hard and black, and about a foot and a half in length, which hang down under his Throat, and are particular to this kind of Fish, and these he can easily hide in a hollow place under his Belly, which serves them for a sheath; it hath no Scales, but a rough, black Skin on the Back, and the Meat is eatable.

Another Fish, found about these Islands, is called the Sea Ʋrchin, or Hedge-Hog, and rightly deserves that Name; it is round as a Ball, and full of ex∣ceeding sharp Prickles, which makes it to be fear∣ed, and by several it is called the Armed Fish; they are sent as Presents to those that are curious, to hang in their Closets.

There is great plenty of most sorts of Wild Fowl, and not wanting in Venison and Tame Cattel. The Commodities this Island affords are Sugar, Indico, Ginger, and Tobacco, &c.

The Sea-Parrots are very admirable, having ex∣traordinary sparkling and beautiful Eyes, the Ball whereof being as clear as Cristal, inclosed within a circle as green as an Emerald, of which colour are the Scales on their Backs; they have no Teeth, but Jaws above and below of a solid bone, very

strong, of the same colour with their Scales, and divided into little compartiments, very beautiful to the Eye; they live on Shell-fish, and they crush, as between two Milstones, with their hard Jaws, Oysters, Muscles, and other Shell-fish, to get out the Meat. They are an excellent sort of Fish to eat, and so great, that some of them have weigh∣ed upward of twenty pound.

The Dorado, by some called the Sea-Bream, by others the Amber-fish, is also common in these parts; so called, because in the water the Head seems to be of a green guilt, and the rest of the Body as yel∣low as Gold. It takes great pleasure and delight in following of Ships, but being so swift, is very hard to take, being extraordinary well furnished for swimming, having the fore-part of the Head sharp; the Back bristles with prickles reaching to the Tail, which is forked; two Fins on each side the Head, and as many under the Belly, and the whole Body rather broad than big; all which give him a strange command of the water: he is as good Meat as a Trout or Salmon; they are caught only with a piece of white Linnen tyed to the Hook.

This Island also abounds with divers sorts of Fowls and Birds;* 1.5 those of more than an ordinary kind are the Canades, which some count the most beautiful Bird in the World, being under the Belly and Wings of a waving Aurora colour; the Back and one half of the Wings of a very bright Sky-colour; the Tail and greater Feathers of Wings are mixt with a sparkling Carnation, diversified with a Sky; upon the Back it is grass-green with shining black, which very much addeth to the Gold and Azure of the other Plumage; but the most beautiful part is the Head covered with a kind of

Murrey-down, chequered with green, yellow, and a pale blew, which reaches waving down to his Back, the Eye-lids being white, and the Apple of the Eye of a most excellent yellow, and red like a Ruby set in Gold; it hath upon the Head a Tuft, or Cap of Feathers, of a Vermilion red, spark∣ling like a lighted Coal, which is incompassed by other smaller Feathers of a Pearl colour. It is about the bigness of a Pheasant, and exceeding kind and familiar with its friends, but as severe to its enemies.

The Flamot is an exceeding large and beautiful Bird, about the bigness of a wild Goose; his Beak is like a Spoon, his Legs and Neck very long, so that his Body is three foot from the ground, their Feathers being white when they are young, after Murrey, and when they come to be old, of a bright Carnation, being rarely seen but in great compa∣nies; and their hearing and smelling is so perfect, that they smell the Huntsmen and Fire-arms at a large distance, and therefore, for fear of surprize, they make their aboad in the midst of the Fens, one of them being always Continel while they are searching about the waters for a livelihood; as soon as he hears the least noise, or sees a man, he takes his flight, and makes a great cry, for a signal to the rest to follow him: when the Huntsmen take them, they get the wind of them, that they may not smell the Powder, and covering themselves with an Ox-hide, creep on their hands and feet 'till they get such an opportunity that they are sure of killing them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Its Situa∣tion.
• * 1.2

  Extent.
• * 1.3

  Its Commodities.
• * 1.4

  Their Fish.
• * 1.5

  Fowls and Birds.