GOD, who is every way in­finite and incomprehen­sible, is pleased sometimes in his just Judgments, to punish or restraine by Terrours and Affrigh­tings, most obstinate and rebelli­ous sinners: for those that will not lovingly be allured to obey him for his Goodnesse and unspeakable Mercies, will be fearefully infor­ced to abide the rigour of his most [Page 2] upright and severe Justice, by which meanes Hee makes his wayes to be knowne upon Earth, and his saving health amongst all Nations. And it is to be noted, that where God is least knowne and honou­red, there the Devill hath most power and domination. But hee that drew light out of darknesse, hath often (and can when he wil) draw good out of evill? for through slavery and bondage ma­ny people and Nations that were Heathens, and barbarous, have beene happily brought to Civility and Christian Liberty. The Great Alexanders conquests, those whom hee overcame, learned to build Townes, Cities, and defencible places, to apparell their naked bodies, in their thraldome they found Religion: and whereas in their Freedomes they did use to kill their aged Parents inhumane­ly, to eate them with savadge, ra­venous, [Page 3] most greedy Gormandi­zing, by Servitude they learned more reverend Duty; they were taught the Rites aud Lawes of Matrimony: And whereas in their licentious freedome, they bedded with their Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, and Neeces, not spa­ring any Kindred, Aliance, Propin­quity, or any degree of blood or consanguinity, they by Servitude learned better life and manners; and also by being conquer'd and overcome, they were taught the use of Armes, the practice of Arts, and the laudable Experience of Tillage and Husbandry. And such as these rude people were in anci­ent times; even such were the first Inhabitants of this our Island of great Britaine, untill such time as more civiller Nations did con­quer, tame, and teach us.

Yet in the latest Daies of the World all are not civilliz'd; there [Page 4] are yet many Heathens, Indians, and barbarous Nations unconver­ted: as for the knowne Examples in America, and in divers Islands adjacent, where this Hurri Cano is frequent; of which with the manner of the Description of it as followeth.

From whence the name of it is derived, I know not; but the Indi­ans doe call it Hurri Cano, or Hur­ri Caenae, or Cani: some say that it comes to the same place once in five yeares, but that is uncertaine, for it hath no certaine or set times of either yeares or dayes for the comming of it. It is held by the Natives to be a Spirit, it comes with such an extraordinary vio­lence, with Thunder, Lightning, and impetuous gusts of winde, (as it hath done many times) for it touches not all places there, but sometimes it comes but once, or never in a mans age to one place, [Page 5] and more often to another, accor­ding as it is sway'd or hurried with its owne robustuous motion, or as the influences and force of the Pla­nets doe drive it: and the Indians are so skilfull, that they doe know two or three or foure dayes before hand of the comming of it, and then they doe make provision to prevent the harme which it may doe unto them, by such meanes as shall be related in the latter end of this Treatise: the Indians doe know when it will come, by the markes or signes here mentioned. They doe observe that just so ma­ny daies as it will be before the Hurri Cano doth come, so many Circles will bee as it were fringed and gleaming about the Moone: as if it bee but one day before it come, then there will be but one Circle; if two Circles, then it wil be two daies; and so perhaps three or foure Circles, as it did lately [Page 6] at Saint Christophers, where it came in that fearefull and unre­sistable fury, on the fifth day of August last, 1638. Where, al­though that the Dutch and Eng­lish had warning of the comming of it, by the knowledge that the Indians had by observation of the Moone and the Circles, and that all possible meanes was used for the safeguard of men ships, and goods, yet when it came, the force of it was so great, and con­tinued so vehemently the space of foure dayes and nights without intermission, that maugre all the industry that could be, it sunke five Shipps, whereof two were English, and three were Dutch; and of Englishmen, Dutchmen, and Indians, it did drowne and kill to the number of Seventy and five persons, besides the harme it did to many Houses and goods.

[Page 7]Where the Here or Hurri Cano comes, the Winde doth blow so strong and forcible, that it will puffe men from the ground into the Aire five or sixe foote high, as if they were no more but ragges, clouts, or feathers; and so violent it is, that it leaves not a lease up­on any Bough or Tree: and like­wise it overthroweth many Trees, rending them up by the roots, so that the Inhabitants (when they are warned of the comming of the Hurri Cano by the Circles about the Moone) they doe lop off the limbes and great heads off from the Trees, because the violent and outragious Tempest of the tempestuous Windes shall have the lesse force and power to over­turne them; and especially those Trees which they doe intend to preserve and keepe for bearing of fruite, they doe commonly cut off, and graffe them againe by our English advice.

[Page 8]The people all of them forsake their Houses, as not daring to re­maine in them for feare that they should be blown down about their eares; at which dangerous times they do creep for safety into holes Caves, pits, Dens and hollow pla­ces of the earth, which are either naturall of themselves, or digged and framed by Art or laborious industry of man, which places are good harbours and defences a­gainst the Hurry-Cano. They doe likewise tye or make fast Hamac­koes or hanging Cabin unto two Trees that are lopy'd, and then the people do get into those Cabins, & so they do lye downe in them, being hang'd above the ground sixe or seaven foot, eyther with strong Ropes or iron chaines; and so they swing two and againe like a Bell when it is rung, when this tempest is; their Hamackoes are made either of course linning [Page 9] cloath, or of strong stuffe made of twisted threads spun out of the rindes of trees; some who have not these Cabins, do for feare bind themselves with cords, singlely or severally to divers trees, and so they do remaine bound untill the fury of the Hurry-Cano is past. And this is the true relation of the nature and quality of it, and also partly of the harmes which it did in the moneth of August last past. The Indians do fore-know it by certain circles which appear about the Moone, and those Indians that are servants under our English, did give some notice, or else far more hurt had insued; and is when the Moon hath divers circles like mists and fogs about it, and of a fla­ming colour, and by some other signes, the people doe sometimes save themselves and their goods, in making caves or cellers in the ground, or else they loose all.

[Page 10]But for a late remarkable proofe of Gods mercy and power, in drawing good out of Evill; I de­sire the Reader to note that in the year 1609. eight ships were bound from London unto Virginia, Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir George Sommers Knights, were General and Admirall of the Fleete, and Captaine Newport was Vice-Ad­mirall. The Admirall Ship, wher­in Sir George Sommers was, was by a Hurry-Cano disperst and sun­dred from the rest of the Fleete, and with the greatnesse of the storme driven between two rocks at the Iland of Bermudas, where his ship stucke fast, and was there lost and split. But hee landed all his men safe, with some of his chiefest goods, where hee found good reliefe of Swine, Fish, and Fowle. But Sir Thomas Gates and the other Ships did give Sir George with his men to be utterly lost & [Page 11] cast away, but he made such shift, that with Timber that hee found, and fell'd in the Island, he caused two Ships to be built, with the which he sayled from the Bermu­daes to Virginia, (after hee had beene tenne Moneths supposed dead) where he was most joyful­ly welcomed: and thus out of this great danger (which in mans i­magination was evill) God was graciously pleased to make it the happy finding and discovery of that good and fruitfull Island, the Plantation whereof is now so profitable and beneficiall to the English Adventures; and the Bermudaes, with some other Islands, are at this time called the Sommer Islands, in memo­ry of Sir George Sommers, who was the first discoverer of them: and thus much shall suffice for the true Report and Description of the Hurri Cano.

[Page 12]Innumerable of other the like of such things as these, I have for­merly related, and many of them are Recorded in our owne Histo­ries, to have happened in our owne Country, which who so doe desire to read more, may see them amply and truely recorded in the workes of the learned Camb­den, painefull Speed, Stowe, and Howes, Histories and Chronicles, wherein they may bee certainely inform'd, that former Times have afforded as strange and fearefull Signes and warnings, as this prodi­gious Tempest and lamentable Accident at Worthycombe, neare Dartmoores in Devonshiere, as you may read in these ensuing Verses the whole truth, as followeth.