A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia by Thomas Harriot

This book, which reprints the 1589 edition, is a fascinating account of early colonial history in the Americas. It contains descriptions of the products that might be exported, the food that could sustain colonists, and ethnographic reports of the indigenous peoples. In addition to the first part of the book, which must be read partially as propaganda convincing people to come to the area, there are illustrations of the native people, done by John White (whose granddaughter Virginia Dare disappeared with the Roanoke colonists), and also some drawings of Picts (to show the savage roots from which British civilization had risen). All in all a lovely book. A bit difficult because it exactly reproduces typeface and spellings used in the original.