[Michel's description of Virginia in 1702, continued.]
"They have severe thunderstorms. I saw one at Yorktown when a ship at anchor was covered by waves which broke over the deck. Terrible winds, called hurricanes, frequently come with such violence and force that people often fear that houses and trees will give way. But they are soon over. Corn and other grain are often blown off the fields. The winter is not long or cold. Not much snow falls. The north wind is said to be cold in winter but it does not last long. When the south wind blows, it is warm again. When it is cold, they make big fires in the fireplaces. There is as much wood as one desires at the door."
"Regarding forest trees, it may be said that none can be found which are superior to them. The cedar tree is very common. The governor uses cedar trees to fence in a garden. The tall nut trees [walnuts] are useful for building purposes if fine work is desired. This tree bears a nut and a hammer or nail is necessary to open them. The chestnuts are small. The most numerous and largest trees are the oaks. There are also very tall pine trees which have a red wood. There is also a white pine but I have not seen it. I have seen only one beech tree. They make a little boat from the trunk of a tree which they call a canoe. There are many other kinds of trees whose names I do not know. Some have very beautiful blossoms. It is easy to ride horseback through the forest because the trees are tall and there is no undergrowth. Game can be found easily because the forests are so open. Part of this is due to the Indians."
"In October, twenty, forty, or more Indians gather and make a circle. Then each sets fire to the foliage and underbrush which is dried up. The unburned area gets smaller and the game is driven into it. The hunters shoot the animals that try to escape. They take the skins and as much of the meat as they need."
"The wild horses are hunted in April and May when they gorge on the new grass and become lazy. The tame horses have been fed oats and they are stronger. The wild horses are run down and caught. Some are taken to be broken in. But their meat is also good to eat. Some people catch horses by digging a pit into which a wild horse falls."
"Turtles of different kinds are found in the woods. They are gathered and eaten by the servants. Some of them are very beautiful."
[Francis Louis Michel, a native of Bern, Switzerland, wrote a "short report" on his exploration of Virginia. A copy of this is in the Bern Library. This was translated by Prof. Wm. J. Hinke and published in several issues of The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography starting in January 1916. Not only is the description of Virginia interesting, though it has its inaccuracies, but this trip of Michel was the commencement of a series of events which led to there being Germanna Colonies. The remarks of Michel will continue.]
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.