Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	country_n	great_a	place_n	1,512	5	4.1011	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43838	A relation of a discovery lately made on the coast of Florida (from lat. 31 to 33 deg. 45 min. north-lat.) / by William Hilton, Anthony Long and Peter Fabian, in the ship Adventure, which set sayl from Spikes Bay, Aug. 10. 1663. and was set forth by several gentlemen and merchants of the Island of Barbadoes ; giving an account of the nature and temperature of the soyl, the manners and disposition of the natives, and whatsoever else is remarkable therein ; together with proposals made by the commissioners of the lords proprietors to all such persons as shall become the first setlers on the rivers, harbors, and creeks there.	Hilton, William, d. 1675.; Long, Anthony.; Fabian, Peter.	1664 (1664)	Wing H2043; ESTC R35440	17,500	38

Tree on the top of the bank calling the place Mount-Skerry We looked up the River as far as we could discern and saw that it widened it self and came running directly down the Countrey So we returned and viewed the Land on both sides the River finding the banks steep in some places but very high in others The banks sides are generally Clay and as some of our company doth affirm some Marle The Land and Timber up this River is no way inferiour to the best in the other which we call the main River So far as we discovered this seems as fair if not fairer than the former and we think runs further into the Countrey because there is a strong Current comes down and a great deal more drift-wood But to return to the business of the Land and Timber We saw several plats of Ground cleared by the Indians after their weak manner compassed round with great Timber-Trees which they are no ways able to fall and so keep the Sun from their Corn-fields very much yet neverthelesse we saw as large Corn-stalks or bigger than we have seen any where else So we proceeded down the River till we found the Canoa the Indian was in who shot at us In the morning we went on shoar and cut the same in pieces the Indians perceiving us coming towards them run away We went to his Hut and pulled it down brake his pots platters and spoons tore his Deer-skins and Mats in pieces and took away a basket of Akorns So we proceeded down the River two leagues or thereabouts and came to another place of Indians bought Akorns and some Corn of them and went downwards two leagues more at last we espied an Indian peeping over a high bank we held up a Gun at him and calling to him said Skerry presently several Indians appeared to us making great signes of friendship saying Bonny Bonny and running before us endeavouring to perswade us to come on shoar but we answered them with stern countenances and said Skerry taking up our guns and threatning to shoot at them but they cryed still Bonny Bonny And when they saw they could not prevail nor perswade us to come on shoar two of them came off to us in a Canoa one padling with a great Cane the other with his hand they came to us and laid hold of our Boat sweating and blowing and told us it was Bonny on shoar and at last perswaded us to go ashoar with them As soon as we landed several Indians to the number of near forty lusty men came to us all in a great sweat and told us Bonny we shewed them the Arrow-head in the Boats-side and a piece of the Canoa which we had cut in pieces the chief man of them made a large Speech and threw Beads into our Boat which is a signe of great love and friendship and made us to understand when he heard of the Affront which we had received it caused him to cry and now he and his men were come to make peace with us making signes to us that they would tye his Arms and cut off his head that had done us that abuse and for a further testimony of their love and good will towards us they presented to us two very handsom propet young Indian women the tallest that we have seen in this Countrey which we supposed to be the Kings Daughters or persons of some great account amongst them These young women were ready to come into our Boat one of them crouding in was hardly perswaded to go out again We presented to the King a Hatchet and several Beads also Beads to the young women and to the chief men and to the rest of the Indians as far as our Beads would go they promised us in four days to come on board our Ship and so departed from us When we left the place which was presently we called it Mount-Bonny because we had there concluded a firm Peace Proceeding down the River two or three leagues further we came to a place where were nine or ten Canoa's all together we went ashoar there and found several Indians but most of them were the same which had made Peace with us before We made little stay there but went directly down the River and came to our Ship before day Thursday the 26th of November the winde being at South we could not go down to the Rivers mouth but on Friday the 27th we weighed at the mouth of Hilton's River and got down one league towards the Harbours mouth On Sunday the 29th we got down to Crane-Island which is four leagues or thereabouts above the Entrance of the Harbours mouth Now on Tuesday the first of December we made a purchase of the River and land of Cape-Fair of Wattcoosa and such other Indians as appeared to us to be the chief of those parts they brought us store of Fresh-fish aboard as Mullets Shads and other very good Fish this River is all Fresh-water fit to drink Some eight leagues within the mouth the Tide runs up about thirty five leagues but stops and riseth a great deal farther up it flowes at the Harbours mouth S. E. and N. W. six foot as Neap-Tides and eight foot at Spring-Tides the Chanel on the Easter-side by the Cape-shoar is the best and lyes close aboard the Cape-land being three fathoms at High-water in the shallowest place in the Chanel just at the Entrance but as soon as you are past that place half a Cables length inward you shall have six or seven fathoms a fair turning Chanel into the River and so continuing four or five leagues upwards afterwards the Chanel is more difficult in some places six or seven fathoms four or five and in other places but nine or ten foot especially where the River is broad When the River comes to part and grows narrow there is all Chanel from side to side in most places in some places you shall have five six or seven fathoms but generally two or three Sand and Oaze We viewed the Cape-land and judged it to be little worth the Woods of it shrubby and low the Land sandy and barren in some places Grass and Rushes and in other places nothing but clear sand a place fitter to starve Cattel in our judgement then to keep them alive yet the Indians as we understand keep the English Cattle down there and suffer them not to go off the said Cape as we suppose because the Countrey Indians shall have to part with them and as we think are fallen out about them who shall have the greatest share They brought aboard our Ship very good and fat Beef several times which they could afford very reasonable also fat and very large Swine good cheap penny-worths but they may thank their friends of New-England who brought their Hogs to so fair a Market Some of the Indians brought very good Salt aboard us and made signes pointing to both sides of the Rivers mouth that there was great store thereabouts We saw up

being very level with steep banks on both sides the River and in some places very high the woods stor'd with abundance of Deer and Turkies every where we never going on shoar but saw of each also Partridges great store Cranes abundance Comes which we saw in several places we heard several Wolves howling in the woods and saw where they had torn a Deer in pieces Also in the River we saw great store of Ducks T●ile VVidgeon and in the woods great flocks of Parrakeeto's the Timber that the woods afford for the most part consisting of Oaks of four or five sorts all differing in leaves but all bearing Akorns very good we measured many of the Oaks in several places which we found to be in bignesse some tvvo some three and others almost four fathoms in height before you come to boughs or limbs forty fifty sixty foot and some more and those Oaks very common in the upper parts of both Rivers Also a very tall large Tree of great bignesse which some do call Cyprus the right name we know not growing in Swamps Likewise Walnut Birch Beech Maple Ash Bay Willough Alder and Holly and in the lowermost parts innumerable of Pines tall and good for boards or masts growing for the most part in barren sandy ground but in some places up the River in good ground being mixed amongst Oaks and other Timber We saw several Mulberry-trees multitudes of Grape-Vines and some Grapes which we did eat of VVe found a very large and good tract of Land on the N. W. side of the River thin of Timber except here and there a very great Oak and full of Grasse commonly as high as a mans middle and in many places to his shoulders where we saw many Deer and Turkies also one Deer with very large horns and great in body therefore called it Stag-Park it being a very pleasant and delightful place we travelled in it several miles but saw no end thereof So we returned to our Boat and proceeded down the River and came to another place some twenty five leagues from the Rivers mouth on the same side where we found a place no lesse delightful than the former and as far as we could judge both Tracts came into one This lower place we called Rocky-point because we found many Rocks and Stones of several bignesse upon the Land which is not common We sent our Boat down the River before us our selves travelling by Land many miles were so much taken with the pleasantnesse of the Land that travelling into the woods so far we could not recover our Boat and company that night On Sunday the morrow following we got to our Boat and on Monday the 16th of November we proceeded down to a place on the East-side of the River some twenty three leagues from the Harbours mouth which we call'd Turkie-Quarters because we killed several Turkies thereabouts VVe viewed the Land there and found some tracts of good Land and high facing upon the River about one mile inward but backwards some two miles all Pine-land but good pasture-ground we returned to our Boat and proceeded down some two or three leagues where we had formerly viewed and found it a tract of as good Land as any we have seen with as good Timber on it The banks of the River being high therefore we called it High-Land Point Having viewed that we proceeded down the River going on shoar in several places on both sides it being generally large Marshes and many of them dry that they may more fitly be called Medows the wood-land against them is for the most part Pine and in some places as barren as ever we saw Land but in other places good Pasture ground And on Tuesday the 17th instant we got aboard our Ship riding against the mouth of Green's River where our men are providing wood and fitting the Ship for the Sea In the interim we took some view of the Land on both sides of the River there finding some good Land but more bad and the best not comparable to that above Friday the 20th instant was foul weather yet in the Afternoon we weighed and went down the River some two leagues and came to Anchor against the mouth of Hilton's River and took some view of the Land there on both sides which appeared to us much like unto that at Green's River Monday 23. we went with our Long-boat well victualled and manned up Hilton's River and when we came three leagues or thereabouts up the said River we found this and Green's River to come into one and so continued for four or five leagues which causeth a great Island betwixt them We proceeded still up the River till they parted again keeping up Hilton's River on the Lar-board side and followed the said River five or six leagues further where we found another large branch of Green's River to come into Hilton's which maketh another great Island On the Star-board side going up we proceeded stil up the River some four leagues and returned taking a view of the Land on both sides and now judge our selves to be from our ship some eighteen leagues W. and by W. One league below this place came four Indians in a Canoa to us and sold us several baskets of Akorns which we satisfied for and so left them but one of them followed us on the shoar some two or three miles till he came on the top of a high bank facing on the River we rowing underneath it the said Indian shot an Arrow at us which missed one of our men very narrowly and stuck in the upper edge of the Boat which broke in pieces leaving the head behind Hereupon we presently made to the shoar and went all up the bank except four to guide the Boat we searched for the Indian but could not finde him At last we heard some sing further in the Woods which we thought had been as a Chalenge to us to come and fight them We went towards them with all speed but before we came in sight of them we heard two Guns go off from our Boat whereupon we retreated with all speed to secure our Boat and Men when we came to them we found all well demanded the reason of their firing the Guns they told us that an Indian came creeping on the Bank as they thought to shoot at them therefore shot at him a great distance with Swan-shot but thought they did him no hurt for they saw him run way Presently after our return to the Boat while we were thus talking came two Indians to us with their Bows and Arrows crying Bonny Bonny we took their Bows and Arrows from them and gave them Beads to their content Then we led them by the hand to the Boat and shewed them the Arrow-head sticking in her side and related to them the businesse which when they understood both of them manifested much sorrow and made us understand by signes that they knew nothing of it so we let them go and marked a