WILLIAM GRIFFITH. 1607. [NEW-FOUNDLAND]
William Griffith. In the nam (sic) of God, Amen.
The Relation of a Voyage, unto New England. Began from the Lizard, the First of June 1607, by Captn Popham in the Ship the Gift, and Captn Gilbert in the Mary and John: Written by…and found amongst the Papers of the Truly Worpfull Sr. Ferdinando Gorges, Knt by Me William Griffith. [Copied from Original Manuscript at Lambeth Palace Library in England, by C.H. Levermore (Ed.); printed in Forerunners and Competitors of the Pilgrims and Puritans…, Vol. 1, pp. 358-381.]
[June 1, 1607; the Popham Colony and Sagadahoc, Raleigh L. Gilbert, George Popham.] “Sonday beinge the 30th Auguste retornynge before the wynd…” Travelling along the river Sagadehock, he writes: “these Illands are all overgrowen wth woods very thick as ocks [oaks] wallnut pyne trees & many other things growing as Sarsaperilla hassell nuts and whorts in aboundance. So this day we returned to our fort att Sagedehock.” (p. 373)
“…greatt store of grapes exceedinge good and sweet of to [two] Sorts both red butt on on[e] of them ys a mervellous deepe red. by both the syds of this ryver the grapes grow in aboundance & allso very good Hoppes & also Chebolls & garleck..”
Plants noted:
Ocks [Oaks]
Wallnut
Pyne trees
Sarsaperilla (Aralia racemosa, A. nudicaulis and relatives?)
hassell nuts (Corylus sp.)
whorts (var. Vaccinium spp.)
Chebolls: Ciboule (Fr.), Onion. (poss. Allium sp.; or a look-alike)
garleck: Garlic, Allium spp.
Grapes, two kinds
Vitis
Vitis? Menispermum? etc.?
Brian Altonen, MPH, MS 