The Isle of Pines

Is contained in

Original publication date

1668

First words

It is written by the last post from Rochelle, to a merchant in this city, that there was a French ship arrived, the Master and Company of which reports that about two or three hundred leagues northwest from Cape Finis Terre, ... (show all)they fell in with an Island, where they went on shore and found about 2000 English people without clothes, only some small coverings about their middle, and that they related them that at their first coming to this Island (which was in Queen Elizabeth's time) they were but five in number, men and women, being cast ashore by distress or otherwise, and had their remained ever since, without having any correspondence with any other people, or any ship coming to them.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)No question but time will make this Island known better to the world; all that I shall ever say of it is that it is a place enriched with nature's abundance, deficient in nothing conducible to the sustentation of man's life, which were it manured by agriculture and gardening, as other of our European countries are, no question but it would equal, if not exceed many which now pass for praiseworthy.