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A

DESCRIPTION

of New England:

OR

THE OBSERVATIONS, AND DISCOUERIES, of Captain John Smith (Admirall of that Country) in the North of America, in the year of our Lord 1614 with the successe of sixe Ships, that

went the next yeare 1615; and the acci-
dents befell him among the French
men of warre:

With the proofe of the present benefit this
Countrey affoords: whither this present yeare,
1616, eight voluntary Ships are gone
to make further tryall.

At LONDON

Printed by Humfrey Lownes, for Robert Clerke; and
are to be sould at his house called the Lodge,
in Chancery lane, ouer against Lin-
colnes Inne. 1616.

[For an account of Captain John Smith's adventurous and romantic life, the reader is referred to Belknap's American Biography, Vol. I., to Sparks's American Biography, Vol. II., and to his own personal narrative, published in 1630, under the title of True Travels, Adventures, and Observations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, from 1593 to 1629. This work was reprinted at Richmond, Virginia, in 1819, in two volumes octavo.

Mr. Rich, in his Catalogue of Books relating to America, says of Smith's Description of New-England, that "this is the first book published which speaks of NEW-ENGLAND, previously called North Virginia." Publishing Committee.]

Because the Book was printed ere the

Prince his Highness had altered the names, I entreat the Reader peruse this schedule, which will plainly show him the correspondence of the old names to the new.

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O TO THE HIGH HOPEFUL

SIR:

S%

CHARLES, Prince of Great Britain.

*

O favorable was your most renowned and memorable brother, Prince Henry, to all generous designs, that in my discovery of Virginia, I presumed to call two nameless headlands after my sovereign's heirs, Cape Henry and Cape Charles. Since then, it being my chance to range some other parts of America, whereof I here present your Highness the description in a map, my humble suit is, you would please to change their barbarous names for such English, as posterity may say, Prince Charles was their godfather. What here in this relation I promise my country, let me live or die the slave of scorn and infamy, if (having means) I make it not apparent, please God to bless me but from such accidents as are beyond my power and reason to prevent. For my labors, I desire but such conditions as were promised me out of the gains, and that your Highness would deign to grace this work by your princely and favorable respect unto it, and know me to be

Your Highness's true and faithful servant,

JOHN SMITH.

[* This Map is in the third volume of our Collections, third series. Pub. Com.]

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