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 Ilands along the Shore , some full of Wood and Mast to feed Swine ; and others cleere of Wood , and fruitfull to beare Corne. Also we haue 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 verie difficult and dangerous passage into them , but vnto such as are well acquainted with them , they are easie and safe enough . The aboundance of Sea . Fish are almost beyond beleeuing , and sure I should scarce haue beleeued it except I had seene it with mine owne Eyes . I saw great store of Whales , and Crampusse , and such aboundance of Makerils that it would astonish one to behold , likewise Cod-Fish aboundance on the Coast , and in their season are plentifully taken . There is a Fish called a Basse , a most sweet & wholesome Fish as euer I did eat , it is altogether as good as our fresh Sammon ; and the season of their comming was begun when wee came first to New-England in Iune , and so continued about three 〈◊〉 space . Of this Fish our Fishers take many hundreds together , which I haue seene 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 goe after they haue taken them , and yet sometimes they fill two Boats at a time with them . And besides Basse wee take plentie 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 owne part I was soone cloyed with them , they were so great , and far , and lussious . I haue seene some my selfe that haue weighed 16 pound , but others haue had diuers times so great Lobsters as haue weighed 25 pound , as they assure me . Also here is abundance of Herring , Turbut , Sturgion , Cuskes , Hadocks , Mullets , Eeles , Crabs , Muskles and Oysters . Beside there is probability that the Countrey is of an excellent temper for the making of Sa●●● for since our comming our Fishermen haue brought home verie good Salt which they found candied by the standing of the Sea water and the heat of the Sunne , vpon a Rock by the Sea shore : and in diuers Salt Marishes that some haue gone through , they haue found some Salt in some places crushing vnder their Feet and cleauing to their Shooes .

And as for fresh Water the Countrey is full of daintie Springs , and some great Riuers , and some lesser Brookes ; and at Masathulets Bay they digged Wels and found Water at three Foot deepe in most places : and neere Salem they haue as fine cleare Water as wee can desire , and we may digge Wels and finde Water where we list .

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

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

THe Temper of the Aire of New-England is one speciall thing that commends this place . Experience doth manifest that there is hardly a more healthfull place to be found in the World that agreeth better with our English Bodyes . Many that haue beene weake and sickly in old England , by comming hither haue beene thoroughly healed and growne healthfull and strong . For here is an extraordinarie cleere and dry Aire 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 speake hereof by their owne experience then my selfe . My Friends that knew me can well tell how verie sickly I haue been and continually in Physick , being much troubled with a tormenting paine through an extraordinarie weaknesse of my Stomacke , and aboundance of Melancholike humors ; but since I came hither on this Voyage , I thanke God I haue had perfect health , and freed from paine and vomitings , hauing a Stomacke to digest the hardest and coursest fare , who before could not eat finest meat ; and whereas my Stomacke could onely digest and did require such drinke as was both strong and stale , now I can and doe often times drink New-England water verie well , and I that haue not gone without a Cap for many yeeres together , neither durst leaue off the same , haue now cast away my Cap , and doe weare none at all in the day time : and whereas before-time I cloathed my selfe with double cloathes and thicke Wastcoats to keepe me warme , euen in the Summer time , I doe now goe as thin clad as any , onely wearing a light Stuffe Cassocke vpon my Shirt and Stuffe Breeches of one thicknesse without Linings . Besides , I haue one of my Children that was formerly most lamentably handled with sore breaking out of both his hands and feet of the Kings-Euill , but since he came hither he is verie well ouer he was , and there is hope of perfect recouerie shortly , euen by the verie wholesomnesse of the Aire , altering , digesting and drying vp the cold and crude humors of the Body : and therefore I thinke it is a wise course for all cold complections to come to take Physicke in New-England : for a sup of New-Englands Aire is better then a whole draught of old Englands Ale .

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

Fowles of the Aire are plentifull here , and of all sorts as we haue in England as farre as I can learne , and a great many of strange Fowles 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 my selfe walking in the Woods with another in company , sprung a Partridge so bigge that through the heauinesse of his Body could fly but a little way : they that haue killed them , say they are as bigge as our Hens . Here are likewise aboundance of Turkies often killed in the Woods , farre greater than our English Turkies , and exceeding fat , sweet and fleshy , for here they haue aboundance of feeding all the yeere long , as Strawberries , in Summer all places are full of them , and all manner of Berries and Fruits . In the Winter time I haue seene Flockes of Pidgeons , and haue eaten of them : they doe flye from Tree to Tree as other Birds doe , which our Pidgeons will not do in England : they are of all colours as ours are : but their wings and tayles are farr longer , and therefore it is likely they fly swifter to escape the terrible Hawkes in this Countrey . In Winter time this Countrey doth abound with wilde Geese , wild Ducks , and other Sea Fowle , that a great part of winter the Planters haue eaten nothing but roastmeat of diuers Fowles which they haue killed .

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

Indeed I thinke New-England may boast of this Element more then of all the rest : for though it bee heresomewhat cold in the winter , yet here we haue plenty of Fire to warme vs , and that a great deale 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 poore Seruant here that is to possesse but 50 Acres of Land , may afford to giue more wood for Timber & Fire as good as the world yeelds , then many Noble men in England can afford to do . Here is good liuing for those that loue good Fires . And although New-England haue no Tallow to make Candles of , yet by the abundance of the Fish thereof , it can afford Oyle for Lampes . Yea our Pine-Trees that are the most plentifull of all wood , doth allow vs plenty of Candles , which are very vsefull in a House : and they are such Candles as the Indians commonly vse , hauing no other , and they are nothing else but the wood of the Pine Tree clouen in two little slices something thin , which are so full of the moysture of Turpentine and Pitch , that they burne as cleere as a Torch . I haue sent you some of them that you may see the experience of them .

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

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

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

Thirdly , this Countrey being very full of Woods , and Wildernesses , doth also much abound with Snakes and Serpents of strange colours , and huge greatnesse : yea there are some Serpents called Rattle-snakes , that haue Rattles in their Tayles , that will not flye from a man as others will , but will flye vpon him and sting him so mortally , that hee will dye within a quarter of an houre after , except the partie stinged haue about him some of the root of an Hearbe called Snake weed to bite on , and then hee shall receiue no harme : but yet seldome fals it out that any hurt is done by these . About three yeeres since , an Indian was stung to death by one of them , but wee 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 Sheepe to make vse of this fruitfull Land : great pitty it is to see so much good ground for Corne and for Grasse as any is vnder the Heauens , to lye altogether vnoccupied , when so many honest Men and their Families in old England through the populousnesse thereof , do make very hard shift to liue one by the other .

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

For their Gouernours they haue Kings , which they call Saggamores , some greater , and some lesser , according to the number of their Subiects .

The greatest Saggamores about vs can not make aboue three hundred Men , and other lesse Saggamores haue not aboue fifteene Subiects , and others neere about vs but two .

Their Subiects aboue twelue yeeres since were swept away by a great & grieuous Plague that was amongst them , so that there are verie few left to inhabite the Countrey .

The Indians are not able to make vse of the one fourth part of the Land , neither haue they any setled places , as Townes to dwell in , nor any ground as they challenge for their owne possession , but change their habitation from place to place .

For their Statures , they are a tall and strong limmed People , their colours are tawny , they goe naked , saue onely they are in part couered with Beasts Skins on one of their Shoulders , and weare something before their Priuities : their Haire is generally blacke , and cut before like our Gentlewomen , and one locke longer then the rest , much like to our Gentlemen , which fashion I thinke came from hence into England .

For their weapons , they haue Bowes and Arrowes , some of them headed with Bone , and some with Brasse : I haue sent you some of them for an example .

The Men for the most part liue idlely , they doe nothing but hunt and fish : their wiues set their Corne and doe all their other worke . They haue little Houshold stuffe , as a Kettle , and some other Vessels like Trayes , Spoones , Dishes and Baskets .

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

They doe generally professe to like well of our comming and planting here ; partly because there is abundance of ground that they cannot possesse nor make vse of , and partly because our being heere will bee a meanes both of reliefe to them when they want , and also a defence from their Enemies , wherewith ( I said ) before this Plantation begun , they were often indangered .

For their Religion , they doe worship two Gods , a good God and an euill God : the good God they call Tantum and their euill God whom they feare will doe them hurt , they call Squantum .

For their dealing with vs , we neither feare them nor trust them , for fourtie of our Musketeeres will driue fiue hundred of them out of the Field . We vse them kindly , they will come into our Horses sometimes by halfe a douzen or halfe a score at a time when we are at victuals , but will aske or take nothing but what we giue them .

We purpose to learne their language as soone as we can , which will be a meanes 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 halfe a score Houses , and a faire House newly built for the Gouerners , we found also aboundance of Corne planted by them , verie good and well liking . And we brought with vs about two hundred Passengers and Planters more , which by common consent of the old Planters were all combined together into one Body Pol●●icke , vnder the same Gouernour .

There are in all of vs both old and new Planters about three hundred , whereof two hundred of them are setled at Nehum-kek , now called Salem : and the rest haue Planted themselues at Masathulets Bay , beginning to build a Towne there which we doe call Cherton , or Charles Towne .

We that are setled at Salem make what haste we can to build Houses , so that within a short time we shall haue a faire Towne .

We haue great Ordnance , wherewith we doubt not but we shall fortifie our selues in a short time to keepe out a potent Aduersarie . But that which is our greatest comfort , and meanes of defence aboue all other , is , that we haue here the true Religion and holy Ordinances of Almightie God taught amongst vs : Thankes be to God , we haue here plentie of Preaching , and diligent Catechizing , with strickt and carefull exercise , and good and commendable orders to bring our People into a Christian conuersation with whome we haue to doe withall . And thus we doubt not but God will be with vs , and if God be with vs , who can be against vs ?