great River Called the Black Minequaas River (possibly the Ohio River) out of which the Sassquahana forte meets a branch some leagues opposite to one another (likely the Allegheny) out of the Sassaquahana River where formerly those Black Minequas came over and as far as Delaware to trade but the Sassaquahana and Sinnicus Indians went over and destroyed that very great Nation and whether the same River comes out into the Bay of Mexico or the West Sea is not known. Certain it is that as the Spaniard is possessed with great store of Mineralls at the opposite side of these mountains the same treasure they may in process of time afford also to us here on this Side when Occupyed which is Recommended to Posterity to Remember.”
In conformity with a custom used by early cartographers, spaces of territory about which little is known were described by brief annotations. As can readily be appreciated in the present instance such descriptions were confined mainly toward the western part of the map. But there are others, too:
“The land between James River and Roanoke River is for the most part Low Sunken Swampy Land not well passable but with great difficulty. And therein harburs Tygers Bears and other Devouringe Creatures.”
West of Henrico is another curious annotation:
“Here about Sr. Will Barkley conquered and tooke Prisoner the great Indian Emperor Abatschakin, after the massacre in Virginia Ano.”
The most westerly portion of Virginia Herrman calls Mount Edlo.
“This name derives from a person that was in his infancy taken Prisoner in the last Massacre over Virginia. And carried among others to the Mount, by the Indians which was their Watch Hill, the country there about being champion and not much Hilly.”
South of Mount Edlo is
