Delmarva Heritage Series, by Dr. William H. Wroten, Jr.
Verrazano's 1524 Letter Describes Early Eastern Shore Exploration
Salisbury Times - July 13, 1960
Edward Channing, one of America's foremost historians, claims that probably
no single event in our history has aroused sharper controversy than the voyage
of Giovanni da Verrazano to the New World. Channing wrote that the debaters
argued the case so learnedly and so lengthily as thoroughly to befog the points
at issue.
George Bancroft, an earlier American historian and for whom Bancroft Hall at
the Naval Academy is named, was so convinced by arguments that Verrazano did not
come to America that he left out all mention of him in the revised edition of
History Of The United States.
One of the chief opponents of Verrazano, Henry C, Murphy, sought to discredit
the explorer because no original manuscript of the "Verrazano Letter"
is in existence. Channing had a good answer to this argument: "In reply it
might be said that if we were to follow him (Murphy) in this, we should throw
out the voyages of Columbus and Magellan, of Cartier and Drake, to say nothing
of the plays of Shakespeare and Jonson, and of all that went before them. We may
safely accept the Verrazano voyage in its broad outlines and leave the
settlement of the details to posterity."
MORE RECENT scholarship supports the facts that Verrazano did make a voyage
to the New World and that the famous "VerrazanoLetter" is most true.
The "Verrazano Letter", upon which all the arguments center, is know
to exist in two or three copies, but no original.
These are copies of a letter which Verrazano wrote to King Francis I of
France, dated July 8, 1524, and copies of which he sent to various friends. One
copy was printed in 1556, a second found and published in 1841 and the third was
first published in 1909.
To give added support to the Verrazano voyage, there exists the "Verrazano
Map." The map was made by the navigator's brother, Hieronimo, about 1529.
The map traces the coast line between Florida and Labrador and bears an
inscription stating that this land was discovered by Giovanni di Verrazano, of
Florence, by the order and command of the Most Christian King of France.
Although this map is not very accurately traced, the most interesting feature
is the Sea of Verrazano, a great bay of the Pacific, which almost reaches the
Atlantic coast in the vicinity of Chesapeake and Delaware bays.
Leaving the settlement of details to posterity here is the story of Verrazano
and his connection with the history of the Delmarva Peninsula.
AFTER THE discovery of the New World by Columbus and the follow-up voyages by
other explorers, nations such as England and France soon were looking to the
west. Francis I of France, who liked to be in the swim of things, engaged
Giovanni Verrazano, a Florentine, to find for him a water route to China.
Verrazano was the first corsair and explorer to sail under the French flag in
American waters.
Verrazano was born in Florence about 10 years before Columbus discovered
America. He appears in history for the first time in 1521 as a French corsair,
preying upon Spanish commerce between the New World and Europe. Probably through
this work he gained the attention of Francis. Late in 1523 he commanded the
first French expedition to America sent out under royal auspices. Keep in mind
that this voyage was 10 years before Cartier was to make a more famous one for
France in 1534.
The brief story of his voyage to America and his adventure along the coast
from the Carolinas to Newfoundland are told in the famous letter already
mentioned. On Jan. 17, 1524, Verrazano with 50 men and provisions sufficient for
eight months, arms and naval stores, set sail in the "Dauphine" from
the Fortunate Islands - object to reach Cathay (China) by a westward route.
After sailing westward for about 49 days (March 1524), Verrazano and his crew
reached the American coast, probably not far from Cape Fear or present day
Wilmington, N.C. He thus became the first European to explore this part of the
American coast. He exclaimed, "A newe land never before seen by any man,
either auncient (sic) or moderne."
AFTER MAKING a brief landing on the Carolina coast, the "Dauphine"
proceeded northward, ever looking for a water route to China. As the voyage
continued northward to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Verrazano from time to time
and place to place would send men ashore to look over the countryside and the
natives.
It is believed that one such stopping place was somewhere along the Delmarva
Peninsula. Because the exact location of the landing is not known, claims may be
presented for the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Worcester County, Maryland, or even
the lower part of Delaware. Jennings C. Wise, the historian of the Eastern Shore
of Virginia, says the landing was about 10 miles north of Cape Charles; while
several Maryland historians claim the landing was in present day Worcester
County. Riding at anchor along the coast, the "Dauphine" remained in
the vicinity for three days, but as the men could not find a harbor they
departed to the northeast before stopping again 100 leagues farther on.
THE FOLLOWING IS what Verrazano wrote about the region of Delmarva where he
stopped - it is taken from a translation of his letter.
"Departing hence, and always following the shore, which stretched to the
north, we came, in the space of 50 leagues, to another land, approached it, and
going ashore with 20 men we went back from the coast about two leagues, and
found that the people had fled and hid themselves in the woods for fear. By
searching around we discovered in the grass a very old woman and a young girl of
about 18 or 20, who had concealed themselves for reason; the old woman carried
two infants on her shoulders and behind her neck a little boy of eight years of
age; when we came up to them they began to shriek and make signs to the men who
had fled to the woods. We gave them a part of our provisions, which they
accepted with delight, but the girl would not touch any; every thing we offered
to her being thrown down in great anger. We took the little boy from the old
woman to carry with us to France, and would have taken the girl also, who was
very beautiful and very tall, but it was impossible because of the loud shrieks
she uttered as we attempted to lead her away; having to pass some woods and
being far from the ship, we determined to leave her and take the boy only. We
found them fairer than the others, and wearing a covering made of certain
plants, which hung down from the branches of the trees, tying them together with
threads of wild hemp; their heads are without covering and the same shape as the
others. Their food is a kind of pulse which there abounds, different in colour
and size from ours, and of a very delicious flavour. Besides they take birds and
fish for food, using snares and bows made of hard wood, with reeds for arrows,
in the ends of which they put the bones of fish and other animals. The animals
in these regions are wilder than in Europe from being continually molested by
the hunters. We saw many of their boats made of one tree 20 feet long and four
feet broad, without the aid of stone or iron or other kinds of metal. In the
whole country for the space of 200 leagues, which we visited, we saw no stone of
any sort. To hollow out their boats they burn out as much of a log as is
requisite, and also from the prow and stern to make them float well on the sea.
The land, in situation, fertility and beauty, is like the other, abounding also
in forests filled with various kinds of trees, but not of such fragrance, as it
is more northern and colder.
We saw in this country man vines growing naturally, which entwine about the
trees, run up upon them as they do in the plains of Lambardy. These vines would
doubtless produce excellent wine if they were properly cultivated and attended
to, as we have often seen grapes which they produce very sweet and pleasant, and
not unlike our own. They must be held in estimation by them, as they carefully
remove the shrubbery from around them, wherever they grow, to allow the fruit to
ripen better. We found also wild roses, violets, lilies and many sorts of plants
and fragrant flowers different from our own.
WE CAN NOT describe their habitation, as they are in the interior of the
country, but from various indications we conclude they must be formed of trees
and shrubs. We saw also many grounds for conjecturing that they often sleep in
the open air, without any covering but the sky. Of their other usages we know
nothing; we believe, however, that all the people we were among live in the same
way."
After Verrazano had sailed as far north as Newfoundland, he set sail for
France, reaching Dieepe early in July, 1524. It was from here that he wrote his
famous letter which is the earliest description known to exist of the shores of
the United States.
What happened to Verrazano after his voyage of 1524? That is one of the
unsolved mysteries of history. It has been suggested that he went to England
where he offered his services to Henry VIII, and there are contemporary hints to
support the suggestion. One book advances the opinion that Verrazano was the
Piedmontese pilot who was killed and eaten by savages in 1527, which would
harmonize with another author's statement that he made a second voyage to
America and lost his life there. But this is extremely doubtful.
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