1602 – Gabriel Archer [New-Foundland]

GABRIEL ARCHER. 1602. [NEW-FOUNDLAND]

Gabriel Archer.  The Relation of Captain Gosnol’s Voyage to the North Part of Virginia, Begunne the Sixe-and-Twentieth of March, anno 42 Elizabethae Reginae, 1602, and Delivered by Gabriel Archer, a Gentleman in the Said Voyage.  1602.   [In  C.H. Levermore (Ed.), Forerunners and Competitors of the Pilgrims and Puritans…, Vol. 1, pp. 43-59]

Archer’s travel by water began March 26, 1602.  On the 7th of May they made it to “Saint Maries, an Iland of the Assoris.”  On the 28th of May the reached Elizabeth’s Island, which they noted to be “altogether unpeopled and disinhabited.”  In so far as natural resources were concerned, Archer noted the region to be unclaimed, overgrown and unsettled, which he felt made prime territory for colonization to take place in the future.  Like others, Archer was also in search of the cure for Venereal Disease: Sassafras, which he called “Sassafrage.”  His note of “Alexander” (Zizia aurea) as a wild food is interesting.

Archer’s mention of Tansy, Alexanders, Cypresse, Eglantine, Gooseberry and Honeysuckle exemplify the European touch Archer gave to his thinking and writing.  During the early years of exploration, as these early travellers were amazed by the offerings of the New World, the names they chose for these plants elude a philosophy of life and exploration that utopianized the settlement of the New World.  They named many of the plants they lacked any true name for after the Biblical plants which they were felt they best represented in the Old World.  Such examples are seen with the name Hyssop given to mints (not by Archer, but by other explorers), the selection of the Shakspeare name Eglantine for wild rose, and the Cypress for certain conifers.  [See related notes on this for Tansy and Alexander.]  

SUMMARY

Listing of Plants noted (*has added notes on itself, aside from the generic entries under “Natural History” etc.):

  • Weech-halse/Wich-hazell [Witch hazel]
  • *Sassafrage/young Sassafrage [Sassafras]
  • Cedars
  • Cypresse,
  • Birch,
  • Beach
  • wild Peaze,
  • Cherie-trees,
  • Vines
  • Goosebery bushes
  • Hawthorne
  • Honisuckles
  • Strawberies
  • Raspis [Raspberry]
  • *Tansie 
  • Pease,
  • Strawberries,
  • Hurtberries [Whortleberries].
  • Tobacco traded. [p. 48]
  • *Alexander  (Zizia aurea (L.) Koch.)
  • *Ground Nut (Apios tuberosa Moench)
  • *Rosa [Rose, Eglantine]
  • *Sassifrage [Sassafras albidum]
  • *Surrin [Elder?] (Sambucus canadensis L.)
  • *Touchwood (Polyporus sp.)

Trees:

  • Cypresse,
  • Cedars
  • Beach
  • Birch
  • Wich-hazell/Weech-halse,
  • Sassafrage
  • Cherie-trees,

Shrubs:

  • wild Peaze,
  • young Sassafrage,
  • Eglentine/Eglantine (Rosa sp.)    
  • Goosebery bushes,
  • Hawthorne,
  • Honisuckles,

Vines,

Herbs and Roots:

  • Strawberies,
  • Raspis [Raspberry],
  • Ground-Nuts,
  • Alexander,
  • Surrin,
  • Tansie, &c. without count. 

Food plants noted by Archer:

  • Ground-Nuts (Apios tuberosa) (which see)
  • Alexander (which see)
  • Sorrel pottage (which see)
  • Strawberies
  • Raspis [Raspberry]
  • Pease,
  • Strawberries,
  • Hurtberries [Whortleberries].
  • Sassafrage (medicinal tonic)

Tobacco. [p. 54, June 12, 1602]

Alexander  (Zizia aurea (L.) Koch.)

Noted by Archer in his listing of plants seen on western Elizabeth’s Island.  The Alexander noted in this section is footnoted as possibly being “Horse-Parsley” or “Alisander” a celery like vegetable of the Umbel family.

The “Horse Parsley” of Europe was Smyrnium olusatrum L., also known as Alshinder, Elshinder, Alisander, Wild Celery, and Wild or Macedonian Parsley.   About eight species of Smyrnium are noted by Lyons to have resided in Europe.  [Lyons, p. 348, entry 1866] 

This is most likely Zizia aurea (L.) Koch. [Smyrnium aureum L.; Thapsia aureum var. apterum Gray]  The Zizia genus has three North American species, and is a perennial which bears yellow flowers.  Z. aurea inhabits much of northern North America at the U.S.-Canada border, between eastern Canada west and the Dakotas.  Its other names include Wild Parsnip, Golden Alexanders, Wild Parsley, and Golden Meadow Parsnip. [Lyons, p. 403, entry 2154]

According to Lyons, a second option for a plant named “Alexander” is Thaspium trifoliatum (L.) A. Gray.  Also known as Meadow-Parsnip, Purple Meadow Parsnip, Purple Alexanders and Round Heart.  This Thaspium grew from Rhode Island south to Tenn and west to Illinois ca. 1900.   The golden variety T. aureum Nutt. is called Godlen Alexanders.  (Lyons p. 368, entry 1979]

Eglantine/Eglentine–see Rose.

Ground Nut (Apios tuberosa Moench)

Mention of roast ground-nut used for food. [p. 52]

Apios is a name given to it for the Pear shape of its tubers.  Its other names include Indian Potato, Dakota Potato, Potato Pea, Trailing Pea, Traveler’s Delight, White Apple, and Ground Pea.  Four species are noted, of which one inhabits North America.  [Lyons, p. 39, entry 157] 

Natural History

[May 24, 1602, p. 48]  Approaching “Mayne” by boat, they reached “This Iland Captain Gosnoll called Elizabeths Ile.”  By the 28th they had decided to settle on the western part of that Ile.  Of the desolate and untamed condition of the New World they were on, Archer wrote (p. 49):

“It is overgrowne with Wood, Weech-halse, Sassafrage, and Cedars, with divers other unknowne names.  The Rubbish us wild Peaze, young Sassafrage, Cherie-trees, Vines, Eglentine, Goosebery bushes, Hawthorne, Honisuckles, and others of like qualitie.  Their herbs and Roots are Strawberies, Raspis [Raspberry], Ground-Nuts, Alexander, Surrin, Tansie, &c. without count.  Touching the fertilitie of the soyl by our own experience made, we found it to be excellent for sowing some English pulse, it sprowted out in one fortnight almost halfe a foot.”

They then set up a fortress on this land, “contayning neere an Acre of ground full of wood.”

NOTE:  Archer gave some of the plants European names, which matched their Old World look-alikes.  “Alexander” and “Tansy” are two examples of these; they are perhaps native plants which were unrecognized by Archer, and so he gave them the names of their English equivalents in appearances.   The Alexander, and English food crop and Umbel, may be referring to any of several larger umbels native to the Newfoundland.  “Tansy” could be another Umbel or Aster plant.  [See related entry on “Surrin.”]  

Natural Products

The following products were noted by Archer:

Pease, Strawberries, Hurtberries [Whortleberries]. [p. 45]

For use as Firewood:  Cypresse, Birch, Wich-hazell and Beach [p. 46]

“This place most pleasant…found it full of Wood, Vines, Gooseberry bushes, Hurtberies, Raspices, Eglentine, &c.” [p. 47, May 21, 1602.]

Tobacco traded. [p. 48]

Food plants noted by Archer:

Ground-Nuts (Apios tuberosa), which see.

Alexander (which see) and Sorrel pottage (which see), Ground-Nuts and Tobacco. [p. 54, June 12, 1602]

Rosa [Rose, Eglantine]

  • Relevant Eurasian Rosa species:
  • R. damascena Mill.  Damask Rose.  Of the Orient. 
  • R. rubiginosa L. (Also called R. Eglanteria Moll. not L.)
  • R. gallica L. Southern Europe, Levant.  Used to make the officinal Rosa Gallica U.S.P.
  • North American “Wild Rose” species noted by Lyons (p. 324, entry 1743):
  • R. carolina L.  Swamp Rose.
  • R. humulis Marsh  Pasture, Dwarf or Low Wild Rose.
  • R. blanda Ait.  Pale, Smooth, of Meadow Rose
  • R. nitida Michx.  Shining or Northeastern Rose
  • R. setigera Michx. Prairie or Michigan Rose
  • R. laevigata Michx.  Cherokee Rose.
  • R. humulis is of the neastern part of North America.  R. nitida is of the Northeast.  R. setigera is of the midwest Prairie lands.

Sassifrage [Sassafras albidum]

[May 29, 1602, Elizabeths Ile]. 

Used as a PANACEA.

“The nine-and-twentieth, we labored in getting of Sassafrage, rubbishing our little Fort or Ilet, new keeling our shallop, and making a Punt or Flat-bottome Boate to passe to and fro our Fort over the fresh water.  The powder of Sassafrage in twelve hours cured one of our Company that had taken a great Surfet [over-indulged], by eating the bellies of Dog-fish, a very delicious meate.”  [p. 50]

Tansy

The True Tansy is Tanacetum vulgare L.  Eurasian, naturalized in the U.S.

Archer is either referring to either Ambrosia artemisiaefolia L. or Potentilla anserina L.

Of Ambrosia artemisiaefolia L. and A. trifida L., both are of Northern North America.  The former bears “Wild Tansy” as one of its common names.  Also called tassel-weed, Carrot-weed, Roman or Bastard Wormwood, Stick-weed, and Ragweed.  Accused of being an early hay fever culprit.

Potentilla anserina L., of Eurasia and North America, has been called Wild, Dog’s or Goose Tansy, Wild Agrimony, Silverweed, and Silverfeather. Its uses are as an astringent and tonic.  Close relatives of it in New Britain include:

P. canadensis L, the five-finger or common cinquefoil

P. fruticosa L. Shrubby Cinquefoil

The common P. tormentilla Neck. (Tormentilla) and P. reptans L. (Creeping Cinquefoil), according to Lyons, are of Eurasia.

According to Lyons, nearly all Potentilla spp. have similar uses as astringents and febrifuges.

Tansy Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea L., is of Europe, introduced to North America, and not related to this discussion. 

Achillea millefolium L., suspected to be naturalized in North America from Europe, has been called Tansy.

Agrimonia eupatoria L., of Europe is also called White or Wild Tansy.

Surrin [Elder?] (Sambucus canadensis L.)

In the editorial footnote on page 49, “Surrin” is noted by Levermore to perhaps be Sorrel.  Yet, the Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella Sorrels are probably not native plants, but rather were introduced by early settlers as one of their many garden and field crops.  The Oxalis sorrel, a small plant, is also a possibility, although one should ask would he have seen and recognized such as small plant? 

Sureau is the French name for the Common Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.), a much larger and more noticable plant of New France/New England.  The Elderberry natives to the New World included such Sambucus species as:

    • Sambucus canadensis L.  American Elder.  Of Canada, south to Florida and west to Arizona.
    • S. glauca Nutt.  California Elder.
    • S. pubens Michx.  Poison or Red-berried Elder.  Of British America, south to Georgia.

In view of these notes, the Sambucus canadensis L. is the most likely candidate for Archer’s “Surrin.”

See similar review of editor’s identification given for “Alexander.”

Touchwood (Polyporus sp.)

TINDER.  Used by Natives as the starting material to capture a spark made “by meanes of a mynerall stone.” (p. 53, June 8, 1602 entry.)

MEDICINE. Not noted by Archer for use as a medicine. 

Polyporous fomentarius (L.) Fries is the medicinal shelf fungus of Europe.  Its other names include: punk, spunk, and oak agaric; one of its uses is implied by another common name, Surgeon’s Agaric. 

Two other species are noted by Lyons: P. ignarius (L.) Fires. and P. marginatus Fries. 

The P. officinalis Fries of northern Asia and Europe is the French Agaric blanc officinal, Polypore du Meleze of the Codex.  It is hemostatic and purgative.  The other Polyporous spp. are hemostatic and astringent.

Trees (Notes pertaining to page 49 entry)

Trees:

  • Cypresse,
  • Cedars
  • Beach
  • Birch
  • Wich-hazell/Weech-hasle,
  • Sassafrage

Shrubs:

  • wild Peaze,
  • young Sassafrage,
  • Cherie-trees,

Vines,

  • Eglentine/Eglantine (Rosa sp.)    
  • Goosebery bushes,
  • Hawthorne,
  • Honisuckles,