Iron :In two places of the countrey specially, one about foure score and the other six score miles from the Fort or place where we dwelt: wee founde neere the water side the ground to be rockie, which by the triall of a mineral man, was founde to holde Iron richly. It is founde in manie places of the countrey else. I knowe nothing to the contrarie, but that it maie be allowed for a good marchantable commoditie, considering there the small charge for the labour and feeding of men: the infinite store of wood: the want of wood and deerenesse thereof in England: & the necessity of ballasting of shippes.
[One of the places where the iron ore was found was near to the present site of Richmond. Eventually this land came into the hands of the Byrd family. When Alexander Spotswood arrived in Virginia in 1710, Col. Byrd told Spotswood about the deposits and Spotswood proposed the Colony of Virginia establish an iron furnace to exploit the deposit. The project came to naught. Later, about 1716 or 1717, Spotswood started a search on unclaimed lands near his own lands using the First Germanna Colony people and found commercial deposits of iron. But the quotation from Harriott shows that iron deposits were known before Jamestown was founded.]
Oade :A thing of so great vent and use amongst English Diers, which cannot bee yeelded sufficiently in our own countrey for spare of ground; may be planted in Virginia, there being ground enough. The grouth thereof need not be to be doubted when as in the Ilands of the Asores it groweth plentifully, which is in the same climate. So likewise of Madder.
[I included these comments about Oade as a challenge to the reader. I have no idea what Harriott is talking about except Oade seems to groweth in the ground. Give me your thoughts and I'll report again. At the same time, you can send your comments on the following.]
Wapeih :Wapeih, a kinde of earth so called by the naturall inhabitants; very like to terra figillata: and hauing been refined, it hath beene found by some of our Phisitios and Chirurgeons to be bee of the same kinde of vertue and more effectuall. The inhabitants use it very much for the cure of sores and woundes: there is in diuers places great plentie, and in some places of a blewe sort.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.