New Englands Plantation

Of the waters of New-England with the things belonging to the same.

NEw-England hath Water enough both salt and fresh, the greatest Sea in the World, the Atlanticke Sea runs all along the Coast thereof. There are abundance of Islands along the Shore, some full of Wood and Mast to feed Swine; and others clear of Wood, and fruitful to bear Corn. Also we have store of excellent harbours for Ships, as at Cape Anne, and at Masathulets Bay, and at Salem, and at many other places: and they are the better because for Strangers there is a very difficult and dangerous passage into them, but unto such as are well acquainted with them, they are easy and safe enough. The abundance of Sea. Fish are almost beyond believing, and sure I should scarce have believed it except I had seen it with mine own Eyes. I saw great store of Whales, and Crampusse, and such abundance of Makerils that it would astonish one to behold, likewise Cod-Fish abundance on the Coast, and in their season are plentifully taken. There is a Fish called a Basse, a most sweet & wholesome Fish as ever I did eat, it is altogether as good as our fresh Sammon; and the season of their coming was begun when we came first to New-England in June, and so continued about three 〈◊〉 space. Of this Fish our Fishers take many hundreds together, which I have seen lying on the shore to my admiration; yea their N • ts ordinarily take more then they are able to • ale to Land, and for want of Boats and Men they are constrained to let a many go after they have taken them, and yet sometimes they fill two Boats at a time with them. And besides Basse we take plenty of Sca • e and Thornbacke, and abundance of Lobsters, and the least Boy in the Plantation may both catch and eat what he will of them. For my own part I was soon cloyed with them, they were so great, and far, and lussious. I have seen some myself that have weighed 16 pound, but others have had diverse times so great Lobsters as have weighed 25 pound, as they assure me. Also here is abundance of Herring, Turbut, Sturgion, Cuskes, Hadocks, Mullets, Eels, Crabs, Muskles and Oysters. Beside there is probability that the Country is of an excellent temper for the making of Sa ••• for since our coming our Fishermen have brought home very good Salt which they found candied by the standing of the Sea water and the heat of the Sun, upon a Rock by the Sea shore: and in diverse Salt Marishes that some have gone through, they have found some Salt in some places crushing under their Feet and cleaving to their Shooes.

And as for fresh Water the Country is full of dainty Springs, and some great Rivers, and some lesser Brookes; and at Masathulets Bay they digged Wels and found Water at three Foot deep in most places: and near Salem they have as fine clear Water as we can desire, and we may dignity Wels and find Water where we list.

Thus we see both Land and Sea abound with store of blessings for the comfortable sustenance of Mans life in New-England.

Of the Air of New-England with the Temper and Creatures in it.

THe Temper of the Air of New-England is one special thing that commends this place. Experience doth manifest that there is hardly a more healthful place to be found in the World that agreeth better with our English Bodies. Many that have been weak and sickly in old England, by coming hither have been thoroughly healed and grown healthful and strong. For here is an extraordinary clear and dry Air that is of a most healing nature to all such as are of a Cold, Melancholy, Flegmatick, Reumaticke temper of body. None can more truly speak hereof by their own experience then myself. My Friends that knew me can well tell how very sickly I have been and continually in Physic, being much troubled with a tormenting pain through an extraordinary weakness of my Stomacke, and abundance of Melancholike humors; but since I came hither on this Voyage, I thank God I have had perfect health, and freed from pain and vomitings, having a Stomacke to digest the hardest and coarsest fare, who before could not eat finest meat; and whereas my Stomacke could only digest and did require such drink as was both strong and stale, now I can and do often times drink New-England water very well, and I that have not gone without a Cap for many years together, neither durst leave off the same, have now cast away my Cap, and do wear none at all in the day time: and whereas beforetime I clothed myself with double clothes and thick Wastcoats to keep me warm, even in the Summer time, I do now go as thin clad as any, only wearing a light Stuffe Cassocke upon my Shirt and Stuffe Breeches of one thickness without Linings. Besides, I have one of my Children that was formerly most lamentably handled with sore breaking out of both his hands and feet of the Kings-Evil, but since he came hither he is very well over he was, and there is hope of perfect recovery shortly, even by the very wholesomnesse of the Air, altering, digesting and drying up the cold and crude humors of the Body: and therefore I think it is a wise course for all cold complections to come to take Physic in New-England: for a sup of New-England's Air is better then a whole draught of old England's Ale.

In the Summer time in the midst of July and August, it is a good deal hotter then in old England : and in Winter, January and February are much colder as they say: but the Spring and Autumn are of a middle temper.

Fowls of the Air are plentiful here, and of all sorts as we have in England as far as I can learn, and a great many of strange Fowls which we know not. Whilst I was writing these things, one of our Men brought home an Eagle which he had killed in the Wood: they say they are good meat. Also here are many kinds of excellent Hawkes, both Sea Hawkes and Land Hawkes: and myself walking in the Woods with another in company, sprung a Partridge so big that through the heaviness of his Body could fly but a little way: they that have killed them, say they are as big as our Hens. Here are likewise abundance of Turkies often killed in the Woods, far greater than our English Turkies, and exceeding fat, sweet and fleshy, for here they have abundance of feeding all the year long, as Strawberries, in Summer all places are full of them, and all manner of Berries and Fruits. In the Winter time I have seen Flocks of Pigeons, and have eaten of them: they do fly from Tree to Tree as other Birds do, which our Pigeons will not do in England : they are of all colors as ours are: but their wings and tales are far longer, and therefore it is likely they fly swifter to escape the terrible Hawkes in this Country. In Winter time this Country doth abound with wild Geese, wild Ducks, and other Sea Fowl, that a great part of winter the Planters have eaten nothing but roastmeat of diverse Fowls which they have killed.

Thus you have heard of the Earth, Water and Air of New-England, now it may be you expect something to be said of the Fire proportionable to the rest of the Elements.

Indeed I think New-England may boast of this Element more then of all the rest: for though it be heresomewhat cold in the winter, yet here we have plenty of Fire to warm us, and that a great deal cheaper then they sel Billets and Faggots in London : nay, all Europe is not able to afford to make so great Fire as New-England. A poor Servant here that is to possess but 50 Acres of Land, may afford to give more wood for Timber & Fire as good as the world yields, then many Noble men in England can afford to do. Here is good living for those that love good Fires. And although New-England have no Tallow to make Candles of, yet by the abundance of the Fish thereof, it can afford Oil for Lamps. Yea our Pine-Trees that are the most plentiful of all wood, doth allow us plenty of Candles, which are very useful in a House: and they are such Candles as the Indians commonly use, having no other, and they are nothing else but the wood of the Pine Tree cloven in two little slices something thin, which are so full of the moisture of Turpentine and Pitch, that they burn as clear as a Torch. I have sent you some of them that you may see the experience of them.

Thus of New-England's commodities, now I will tell you of some discommodities that are here to be found.

First, in the Summer season for these three months, June, July, and August, we are troubled much with little Flies called Musketoes, being the same they are troubled with in Lincolneshiere and the Fens: and they are nothing but Gnats, which except they be smoked out of their houses are troublesome in the night season.

Secondly, in the Winter season for two months space, the earth is commonly covered with Snow, which is accompanied with sharp biting Frosts, something more sharp then is in old England, and therefore are forced to make great Fires.

Thirdly, this Country being very full of Woods, and Wildernesses, doth also much abound with Snakes and Serpents of strange colors, and huge greatness: yea there are some Serpents called Rattle-snakes, that have Rattles in their Tayles, that will not fly from a man as others will, but will fly upon him and sting him so mortally, that he will die within a quarter of an hour after, except the party stinged have about him some of the root of an Hearbe called Snake weed to bite on, and then he shall receive no harm: but yet seldom falls it out that any hurt is done by these. About three years since, an Indian was stung to death by one of them, but we heard of none since that time.

Fourthly and lastly, Here wants as yet the good company of honest Christians to bring with them Horses, Kine and Sheep to make use of this fruitful Land: great pity it is to see so much good ground for Corn and for Grass as any is under the Heavens, to lie altogether unoccupied, when so many honest Men and their Families in old England through the populousnesse thereof, do make very hard shift to live one by the other.

Now, thus you know what New-England is, as also with the commodities and discommodities thereof: now I will show you a little of the Inhabitants thereof, and their government.

For their Governors they have Kings, which they call Saggamores, some greater, and some lesser, according to the number of their Subjects.

The greatest Saggamores about us cannot make above three hundred Men, and other less Saggamores have not above fifteen Subjects, and others near about us but two.

Their Subjects above twelve years since were swept away by a great & grievous Plague that was amongst them, so that there are very few left to inhabit the Country.

The Indians are not able to make use of the one fourth part of the Land, neither have they any settled places, as Towns to dwell in, nor any ground as they challenge for their own possession, but change their habitation from place to place.

For their Statures, they are a tall and strong limmed People, their colors are tawny, they go naked, save only they are in part covered with Beasts Skins on one of their Shoulders, and wear something before their Priuities: their Haire is generally black, and cut before like our Gentlewomen, and one lock longer then the rest, much like to our Gentlemen, which fashion I think came from hence into England.

For their weapons, they have Bows and Arrows, some of them headed with Bone, and some with Brasse: I have sent you some of them for an example.

The Men for the most part live idly, they do nothing but hunt and fish: their wives set their Corn and do all their other work. They have little Household stuff, as a Kettle, and some other Vessels like Trayes, Spoones, Dishes and Baskets.

Their Houses are very little and homely, being made with small Poles pricked into the ground, and so bended and fastened at the tops, and on the sides they are matted with Boughes, and covered on the Roofe with Sedge and old Mats▪ and for their beds that they take their rest on, they have a Mat.

They do generally profess to like well of our coming and planting here; partly because there is abundance of ground that they cannot possess nor make use of, and partly because our being here will be a means both of relief to them when they want, and also a defense from their Enemies, wherewith (I said) before this Plantation begun, they were often endangered.

For their Religion, they do worship two God's, a good God and an evil God: the good God they call Tantum and their evil God whom they fear will do them hurt, they call Squantum.

For their dealing with us, we neither fear them nor trust them, for forty of our Musketeeres will drive five hundred of them out of the Field. We use them kindly, they will come into our Horses sometimes by half a dozen or half a score at a time when we are at victuals, but will ask or take nothing but what we give them.

We purpose to learn their language as soon as we can, which will be a means to do them good.

Of the present condition of the Plantation, and what it is.

WHen we came first to Nethum kek, we found about half a score Houses, and a fair House newly built for the Gouerners, we found also abundance of Corn planted by them, very good and well liking. And we brought with us about two hundred Passengers and Planters more, which by common consent of the old Planters were all combined together into one Body Pol •• icke, under the same Governor.

There are in all of us both old and new Planters about three hundred, whereof two hundred of them are settled at Nehum-kek, now called Salem : and the rest have Planted themselves at Masathulets Bay, beginning to build a Town there which we do call Cherton, or Charles Town.

We that are settled at Salem make what haste we can to build Houses, so that within a short time we shall have a fair Town.

We have great Ordnance, wherewith we doubt not but we shall fortify our selves in a short time to keep out a potent Adversary. But that which is our greatest comfort, and means of defense above all other, is, that we have here the true Religion and holy Ordinances of Almighty God taught amongst us: Thanks be to God, we have here plenty of Preaching, and diligent Catechizing, with strict and careful exercise, and good and commendable orders to bring our People into a Christian conversation with whom we have to do withal. And thus we doubt not but God will be with us, and if God be with us, who can be against us ?