Excerpt from John Guy’s Journal of a Voyage to Trinity Bay

This excerpt describes what was seen at the “great freshe water lake” at the bottom of Trinity Bay.

October 26
"The 26 day being about to departe hence, & under sayle, contrarie windes put vs in again, & then I sent some to follow the said way to see how farre yt went, & wheather they could see any savages. Who within one houre returning, declared that they saw a great freshe water lake, wheather the said way did lead them, & two fires, one vpon ane Iland in the said lake & ane other vpon the said lake. Whearevpon Iohn Guy, with fourteene more went to the said lake, wheare they had sight of the said fires, & a canoa with two rowing in her in the said lake and soe goeing through the woods with what silence was possible, alongste the lake side at twilighte, they came within halfe a mile of the place of one of the said fires, wheare remayning two hours within nighte after they proceeded, & came to the said place, wheare they fownded noe savages, but three of theire housen [i.e. houses], whearof two had bin latelie vsed, in one of the which the hearth was hot. The savages weare gone to the said Iland, wheather we could not goe for want of a boate. We fownd theare a cooper kettle kepte very brighte, a furre gowne, some seale skinnes, ane old sail, & a fishing reele.

"Order was taken that nothing should be diminished, & because the savages should know that some had bin theare, every thing was removed out of his place, & brought into one of the cabines, and laid orderlie one upon the other, & the kettle hanged over them, whearin there was put some bisket, & three or four amber beades. This was done to beginne to winne them by fayre means. [...]

"This time of the yeare they live by hunting, for we fownd twelve stages hoofes that were latelie killed. A little peece of fleshe was broughte away, which was fownde to be a beaver cod, which is foorthcoming to be seene. Theire housen theare weare nothing but poules set in a rownde forme, meeting all togeather alofte, which they cover with deere skinnes. They are about tenne foote broade, and in the middle they make their fire. One of them was covered with a sayle, which they had gotten from some Christian."

"Soe all thinges in this manner lefte, everyone returned by the moonelighte, goeing by the banke of the lake vnto the entrance of the made way, & a little before they came theather they passed by a new savage house almoste finished, which was made in a square forme with a small roofe & soe came to the barke."

October 27
"The nexte day we put foorth a flag of truce being a white flag. The lake is about a mile from any parte of the harborough. Theare issueth out of yt a very great brooke enough to drive three fordges with the currant. Theare was seene at theire cabanes showes made of Deere, & seale skinnes very artificiallie. They have two kind of oares, one is about fower foote long of one peece of firre, the other is about 10 foote long made of two peeces, one being as long, big & rownd as a halfe pike made of beeche woode, which by likelihood they made of a biskaine oare. th'other is the blade of the oare, whiche is let into th'end of the long one slit and whipped very stronglie. The shorte one they use as a paddle, & thother as ane oare."

October 30
"The 30 without further business with the savadges, we departed thence to the northerne side of Trinitie Bay, and anchored all that nighte vnder ane Iland."

On the morning of October 31 Guy’s party sailed from the island where they had anchored (most likely Dildo Island) northwest into Collier Bay which Guy called “Allhallows”. Over the next three days they explored the arm and also sailed around the Elbow (Tickle Harbour Point) in an attempt to land in Sandy Bay (present day Bellevue).

October 31
The 31th we rowed unto ane harboure which now is called Alhallowes, which hath adjoining unto yt very high land from whence was seene a great bay which ranne into the land North. Yt was to the neereste place about 3 leagues over land S.W. & some parte of yt did lie N.W.. This muste needes be the bay of Placentia.

November 1
The barke and shalloppe put out of the said harborough to discover the bay within the headland which now is called the Elbow, & being forth, the shalloppe was sent before to see [whether] there was any harborough there, & the barke returned to Alhallowes. Word was brought that there was noe harborough, but a sandie banke for a league of a gray colour & that a brooke came forth apparently in one place, but that there went soe greate a sea as they could not get a shoare. They gave a goode reporte of the likelihood of the place to yield good land. When they were a league of[f] there was not four fadome water.

On the morning of November 3 the colonists sailed out of Collier Bay northwest into Bull Arm. Along the way they noted the location of several Beothuk camps. On November 4 Crout led a party overland along a Beothuk path from Bull Arm to present day Come-By-Chance in Placentia Bay. On November 5 John Guy led a party to the top of a hill (almost certainly the Powder Horn) to get a better view of Placentia Bay and the surrounding countryside, and on November 6 the colonists meet and shared a meal with a group of Beothuk somewhere in Bull Arm. Guy’s descriptions of the Beothuk’s appearance, clothing and canoes provides us with some of the earliest and most detailed information ever recorded on these people.

November 3
The 3 day we departed from Alhallowes & went Northwards towards a sound, which we were in good hope would bring them to Placentia & there in a harborough on the wester side of the sound we anchored. This lieth 7 leagues from Alhallowes North within a league of this harbour. In the waye from Alhallowes lieth ane other harbour, that hath before the entrance a good space of two rockes. There our boate saw nine savage housen [i.e. houses], used by them in their coasting. The sound here is about two miles broad.

November 4
The 4th we put forward in the sound. The first reach lieth N.B.W. westerly one league. From thence N.N.W. halfe a league & from thence W.N.W. one league where the sound did end. In that place was found eighte or nine savage housen in several places, and a way cut into the woods, which being prosecuted, yt was fownd to lead directlie to a harborough in the bay of Placentia distant only two miles W.. [This] harbour in Placentia bay is now called “Passage harbour”. A river came unto yt from the N.N. E.; they which went found there fish hookes, a copper kettle, a fishing line & a lead, a target, a staffe & a French basket but no show of housen. In two houres & a halfe twelve of the companie which went returned. Here was fownd a new canoe ashore, which now remayneth in the woods at Pernecam [i.e. Old Perlican]. By reason of stormie weather yt could not be broughte any further.

November 5
The fifte day John Guy & tenne with him went from the barke by land to the top of a very high hill to take a full view of the bay of Placentia and all the contrey about. In their way they waded over the river that runneth into Passage harborough. It is five times greater then any other river or brooke yet seen to the Southwards. Because the fogginess of the weather hindered the prospect they remayned there all nighte. About sunset yt cleered up from the SSW to the Northwards by the weste & then the wester side of the bay of Placentia was seene to lie W. WSW & SWBW & SW. About 10 leagues of[f] there was ane opening into the maine sea, noe land appearing. In [the] sound weare small Ilands in a righte line. SWBS there was land by which I thinke that all that lyeth betweene the said opening & Cape St. Lawrence, which is the Cape on the wester side of the bay of Placentia, are Ilands & that Passage harbour before spoken of is in the bottome of the bay of Placentia.

November 6
The 6 day they returned to the bark from the high hill & about two of the clock in the afternoone, about two houres after the returne, there was perceived a fire in the sound a mile of[f] where upon all the companie repaired aboorde because yt could be noe other then the doing of the savages. Presently, two canoes appeared & one man alone coming towards us with a flag in his hand of a wolfskinn, shaking yt & making a loud noise, which we tooke to be for a parley. Whereupon, a white flag was put out and the barke & shallope rowed towards them: which the savages did not like of & so tooke them to their canoes againe & were going away. Whereupon the barke wheared onto them & flourished the flag of truce & came to anker which pleased them and they stayed.

Presently after, the shallope landed Mr. Whittington with the flag of truce who went towards them. Then they rowed into the shore with one canoe, th’other standing aloofe of[f] & landed two men, one of them having the white skinne in his hand. And coming towards Mr. Whittington, the savage made a loude speeche & shaked the skinne, which was answered by Mr. Whittington in like manner & as the savage drew neere, he threw downe the white skinne into the grounde. The like was done by Mr. Whittington. Whereupon both the savages passed over a little water streame towards Mr. Whittington dancing. leaping & singing. And coming togeather, the foremoste of them presented unto him a chaine of leather full of small perwincle shells, a splitting knife, & a feather that stucke in his hair. The other gave him ane arrow without a head. The former [Indian] was requited with a linen cap & a hand towel [and he] put presentlie the linen cap upon his head. ... To the other [Indian] he gave a knife. And after hand in hand they all three did sing & dance.

Upon this one of our companie called Francis Tipton went a shoare, unto whom one of the savages came running & gave him a chaine such as is before spoken of. [The Indian] was gratified by Francis Tipton with a knife and a small peece of brasse. Then all four togeather danced, laughing & making signes of joy & gladness, sometimes striking the breasts of our companie and sometimes their own.

When signs was made unto them that they should be willing to suffer two of our companie more to come ashore for two of theirs more to be landed & that bread & drinke should be brought ashore, they made likewise signs that they had in their canoes meate also to eate. Upon this the shallope rowed aboorde and broughte John Guy & Mr. Teage a shoare who presented them with a shirte, two table napkins & raisons of the sun to eate & beere & aquavitie to drink. And one of them blowing in the aquavitae bottle yt made a sound which they fell all into laughter at. After, Mr. Croo[u]t and John Crouder came ashoare, whom [the Indians] went to salute giving them shell chaines. [They] bestowed gloves upon [the Indians].

One of the savages that came laste ashoare came walking with his oare in his hand & seemed to have some command over the reste & behaved him selfe civilly. For when meate was offered him, he drew of[f] his mitten from his hand before he would receive yt & gave ane arrow for a present without a head. [He] was requited with a dozen ... pointes.

After they had all eaten & drunk one of them went to theire canoe & brought us deeres fleshe dryed in the smoke or wind and, drawing his knife from out of his necke, cut every man a peece & it savoured very well. At the firste meeting, when signes were made of meate to eate, one of the savages presentlie came to the banke side & pulled up a roote & gave it to Mr. Whittington. Which t’other savage, perceiving [it] to be dirty, took ...out of his hand & went to the water to wash yt & after divided yt among the four. Yt tasted very well.

He that came ashoare with the oare in his hand went & tooke the white skinne that they hailed us with & gave yt to Master Whittington & presentlie after they did take our white flag with them in the Canoe and made signes unto us that we should repaire to our barke & soe they put off for yt was almoste nighte.

In the two canoes there weare eighte men, yf none weare women (for commonlie in every canoe theare is one woman). They are of a reasonable stature, of ane ordinarie middle size; they goe bareheaded, wearing theire haire somewhat long, but rounded, they have noe beards. Behind they have a great locke of haire platted with feathers, like a hawkes lure with a feather in yt standing uprighte by the crowne of the head, & a small locke platted before. A shorte gowne or cassocke made of stag skinnes, the furre innermost that came down to the middle of their leg, with sleeves to the middle of their arme, & a beaver skinne about theire necke, was all their apparel, save that one of them had shoes and mittens, soe that all went bare legged, and moste barefoot. They are full die of a blacke colour, the colour of their haire was diverse, some blacke, some browne, & some yellow. Their faces [are] something flat & broad, red with ocher, as all theire apparel is & the rest of their bodie. They are broad breasted, & bold, & stand uprighte.

Theire canoes are about 20 foote long & 4 foote & a halfe broad in the middle alofte. For their keele & timbers they have thinne lighte peeces of dry firre rended as yt were lathes and instead of boorde they use the outer birche barke which is thinne & hath many folds, sewed together with a thread made of a small roote quartered. They will carrie four persons well & weigh not one hundred weight. They are made in forme of a new moone, stemme and sterne alike & equally distant from the greatest breath. From the stemme & sterne there riseth a yarde hight a light thinne staffe whipped about with small rootes which they take hold by to bring the canoe ashoare. That serveth instead of ropes and a harbour, for every place is to them a harbour. Where they can goe ashore themselves they take a land with them theire canoe & will never put to sea but in a calme or [in] very fayre weather. In the middle the canoe is hygher a great deale than in the bow & quarter. They be all bearing from the keele to the portals, not with any circular line but with a righte line.

They had made a tilte with a sail that they got from some Christian & pitched a dozen poles in the ground neere on which were hanged divers furres & chaines made of shells. ... At that instant we fell not in the reckoning to what intent yt was done but after yt came to our mindes as hereafter you shall perceive.

November 7
The 7th day we spent in washing & in beginning a house to shelter us when we should come theather hereafter upon a small Iland of about five acres of ground which is Joined to the maine with a small beach. For any bartering with the savages there can not be a fitter place.

November 8
Yt beganne to freeze & there was thinne Ice over the sound & because we heard nothing more of the savages, we beganne to returne out of the sound. And coming to the place which the savages had made two days before the fire in, we found all things remayning there as yt was when we parted. [That is] an old boate sayle, three or four shell chaines, about twelve furs (of beaver most) a foxe skinne, a saple skinne, a bird skinne & an old mitten set everyone upon ... several poles. Whereby we remained satisfied fully that they were brought theather [on] purpose to barter with us & that they would stand to our courtesy to leave for yt what we should think good. Because we were not furnished with fit things for to trucke, we tooke only a beaver skinne, a saple skinne & a bird skinne, leaving for them a hatchet, a knife & four needles threaded. Mr. Whittington had a pair of scissors which he lefte there for a small beaver beaver skinne. All the reste we [left] there untouched.

And [we] came that nighte to the harbour that we were in at our entering which we call Flagstaffe Harbour because we found there the flagstaff thrown by the savages away. These savages by all likelihood were animated to come to unto us by reason that we tooke nothing from them at Savage Bay. And some of them may be of those which dwell there. For in no other place where we were could we perceive any token of any abode of them at this point.

November 10
We departed from Flagstaffe harbour & came that nighte to a harbour called Hartes content.

(Lambeth Palace Library, MS 250, ff. 406-12v)

This transcription is based on a transcription first published in David B. Quinn’s Newfoundland from Fishery to Colony. Northwest Passages Searches. Vol 4 of New American World: A Documentary History of North America to 1612. (New York: Arno Press and Hector Bye 1979, pp. 152-157). While every attempt has been made to present this document as originally written, certain changes have been made to render it more comprehensible to present day readers. In some cases the original punctuation has been altered and the spellings modernized. The text has also been broken down into paragraphs and, where deemed necessary, a word or two has been inserted within square brackets to clarify what is being said.