A Land of Abundance

It was while such thoughts as these were passing through my mind, that Captain Fleet entertained the company by telling of the abundance of the land, explaining that even though the harvest failed us, we had on every hand sufficient to feed all the people of the great city of London, and yet leave untasted as much again.

There were wild fowl on the waters of the bay, or in the rivers, so plentiful that a man might go out, if so be he was not niggardly with shot and powder, and fill a shallop in one day's hunting.

Fish were to be had for the catching, and in such quantities that a single person could feed all our company, and yet not overwork himself.

Beneath the waters were to be found shellfish called oysters, and exceeding sweet are they to the taste, whether eaten raw or roasted in the coals, as I already knew, having that same day feasted upon the savory meat until I could eat no more.

Large, round, green reptiles or fish called crabs, with many legs and most disagreeable to look upon, yet when boiled, turning to a bright red, and yielding flesh of a sweet flavor very pleasing to the palate, also could be had in plenty.

Pigeons in the woods, as I have already set down, were of such numbers that when a flock flies over one's head, it shields him from the rays of the sun even as does the night, and Captain Fleet assured us most positively that he had seen a flight of these birds which darkened the light of day for more than two hours in the passing. And as for other wild fowl, at that very moment we had on the table in the great cabin a huge bird which the cook of the Ark  had roasted brown, until the skin crackled pleasantly between one's teeth.

All these were to be had for the shooting; these and birds and animals of every kind, until, if you had heard Captain Fleet holding forth that night, you would have believed we had but to reach out our hands to gather in all that was palatable and dainty in the way of eatables.

Nor did he strain the truth in thus telling, for before two days had passed our hunters proved for themselves, that he who was hungry need not go many miles from this village of Yaocomico in order to get all the meat that could be eaten not only by himself but by all our company.