fley'd they take them prettily they roost in the night upon some Rock that lyes out in the Sea thither the Indian goes in his Birch Canow when the Moon shines clear and when he is come almost to it he lets his Canow drive on of it self when he is come under the Rock he shoves his Boat along till he come just under the Cormorants watchman the rest being asleep and so soundly do sleep that they will snore like so many Piggs the Indian thrusts up his hand of a sudden grasping the watchman so hard round about his neck that he cannot cry out as soon as he hath him in his Canow he wrings off his head and making his Canow fast he clambreth to the top of the Rock where walking softly he takes them up as he pleaseth still wringing off their heads when he hath shin as many as his Canow can carry he gives a shout which awakens the surviving Cormorants who are gone in an instant The next Creatures that you are to take notice of are they that live in the Element of water Pliny reckons them to be of 177 kinds but certainly if it be true that there is no Beast upon Earth which hath not his like in the Sea and which perhaps is not in some part parallel'd in the plants of the Earth we may by a diligent search find out many more of the same opinion is the Poet who saith that it is Affirm'd by some that what on Earth we find The Sea can parallell in shape and kind Divine Dubertus goes further You Divine wits of elder dayes from whom The deep invention of rare works hath comâ— Took you not pattern of our chiefest Tooles Out of the lap of Thetis Lakes and Pools Which partly in the Waves part on the edges Of craggy Rocks among their ragged sedges Bring forth abundance of Pins Spincers spokes Pikes piercers needles mallets pipes yoakâ— Oars sails swords saws wedges razors rammers Plumes cornets knives wheels vices horns and hammers Psalm 104.25 26. In ipso mari magno spatioso illic reptilia sunt atque innumera animantia parva cum magnis Illic navea ambulant balaena quam formasti ludendo in eo And as the females amongst Beasts and Birds of prey for form and beautie surpass the males so do they especially amongst fishes and those I intend to treat of I shall divide into salt-water fish and fresh-water fish The Sea that Piscina mirabilis affords us the greatest number of which I shall begin first with the Whale a regal fish as all fishes of extraordinary size are accounted of these there are as I have said in another place seven kinds the Ambergreese Whale the chieâ—est Anno Dom. 1668 the 17 of July there was one of them thrown up on the shore between Winter-harbour and Cape-porpus about eight mile from the place where I lived that was five and fifty foot long They are Creatures of a vast magnitude and strength The Royal Psalmist in the 148 psalm and the 7 verse makes mention of them Laudate Jebovam terrestria Cete Dracones as sâ—me traâ—slate it omnes abyssi And Moses in his history of Job Job 41.1 An extrahas balaenam hamâ— c. Whereby the subtlety of the Devil is shewed as also the greatness and brutishness of the Devil by the Elephant in the 10 verse of the foregoing Chapter In the book of Jonas prophecies we read of a great fish Jonah 1.17 Pararat autem Jehova piscem magnum â—ui obsorberet Jonam But whether this were a Whale or not is questioned by some In the head saith Mr. Parkinson the Herbalist of one only sort of Whale-fish is found that which is called sperma Caeti it lyes in a hole therein as it were a Well taken out and prest that the oyl may come out the substance is that we use for sperma Caeti and hath little or no smell the oyl smells strong See the rarities of New-England The Sea-hare is as big as Grampus or Herrin-hog and as white as a sheet There hath been of them in Black point-Harbour some way up the river but we could never take any of them several have shot sluggs at them but lost their labour The Sturgeon is a Regal fish too I have seen of them that have been sixteen foot in length of their sounds they make Isirglass which melted in the mouth is excellent to seal letters Sharkes there are infinite store who tear the Fishermens nets to their great loss and hinderance they are of two sorts one flat headed the other long snouted the pretious stone in their heads soveraign for the stone in a man so much coveted by the travelling Chirurgeon is nought else but the brains of the flat-headed Sharke With these we may joyn the Dog-fish or Thorn-hound who hath two long sharp prickles on his back The Sea-horse or Morse is a kind of monster-fish numerous about the Isle of Sables i. e. The sandy Isle An Amphibious Creature kill'd for their Teeth and Oyl never brings forth more than two at a birth as also doth the Soil and Manate or Cow-fish which is supposed to be the Sea-monster spoken of by Jeremy Lament 4.3 Etiam phocae praebent mammam lactant catulos suos So the Latins render it phoca a Sea-Calf or Soil The small Sword-fish is very good meat the Sea-bat or Sea-owl a kind of flying fish Negroes or Sea-Devils a very ugly fish having a black scale there are three sorts of them one a hideous fish another about two foot long of these I have seen store in Black-point Harbour in the water but never attempted to take any of them Squids a soft fish somewhat like a cudgel their horns like a Snails which sometimes are found to be of an incredible length this fish is much used for bait to catch a Cod Hacke Polluâ—k and the like Sea-fish The Dolphin Bonito or Dozado the ashes of their teeth mixed with honey is good to asswage the pain of breeding teeth in Children The Sea-bream Dorado or Amber-fish they follow ships as doth the Dolphin and are good meat The Mackarel of which there is choicefull plenty all summer long in the spring they are ordinarily 18 inches long afterwards there is none taken but what are smaller The Liver-fish like a Whiting The Herrin which are numerous they take of them all summer long In Anno Dom. 1670. they were driven into Black-point Harbour by other great fish that prey upon them so near the shore that they threw themselves it being high water upon dry land in such infinite numbers that we might have gone up half way the leg amongst them for near a quarter of a mile We used to qualifie a pickled Herrin by boiling of him in milk The Alewife is like a herrin but has a bigger bellie therefore called an Alewife they come in the end of April into fresh Rivers and Ponds there hath been taken in two hours time by two men without any
or fifty pounds a year and is a quarter of a mile over The River Mistick runs through the right side of the Town and by its near approach to Charles-River in one place makes a very narrow neck where stands most part of the Town the market place not far from the waterside is surrounded with houses forth of which issue two streets orderly built and beautified with Orchards and Gardens their meeting-house stands on the North-side of the market having a little hill behind it there belongs to this Town one thousand and two hundred Acres of arable four hundred head of Cattle and as many Sheep these also provide themselves Farms in the Country Up higher in Charles-River west-ward is a broad Bay two miles over into which runs Stony River and Maddy-River Towards the South-west in the middle of the Bay is a great Oyster bank towards the North-west is a Creek upon the shore is situated the village of Medford it is a mile and half from Charles-town Aâ— the bottom of the Bay the River begins to be narrower half a quarter of a mile broad by the North-side of the Râ—ver is New town three miles from Charles-town a league and half by water it was first intended for a City the neatest and best compacted Town having many fair structures and handsom contrived streets the Inhabitants rich they have many hundred Acres of land paled with one common fence a mile and half long and store of Cattle it is now called Cambridge where is a Colledg for Students of late it stretcheth from Charles-River to the Southern part of Merrimach-River Half a mile thence on the same side of the Rvier is Water-town built upon one of the branches of charles-Charles-River very fruitful and of large extent watered with many pleasant springs and small Rivulets the Inhabitants live scatteringly Within half a mile is a great pond divided between the two Towns a mile and half from the Town is a fall of fresh waters which conveigh themselves into the Ocean through charles-Charles-River a little below the fall of waters they have a wair to catch fish wherein they take store of Basse Shades Alwives Frost fish and Smelts in two tides they have gotten one hundred thousand of these fishes They have store of Cattle and Sheep and near upon two thousand Acres of arable land Ships of small burden may come up to these Towns We will now return to Charles-town again where the River Mistick runs on the North-side of the Town that is the right side as before said where on the Northwest-side of the River is the Town of Mistick three miles from Charles-town a league and half by water a scattered village at the head of this River are great and spacious ponds full of Alewives in the spring-spring-time the notedst place for this sort of fish On the West of this River is Mâ—rchant Craddock's plantation where he impaled a park Upon the same River and on the North-side is the Town of Malden The next Town is Winnisimet a mile from Charles-town the River only parting them this is the last Town in the still bay of Massachusets Without Pullin-point six miles North-cast from Winnisimet is Cawgust or Sagust or Sangut now called Linn situated at the bottom of a Bay near a River which upon the breaking up of winter with a furious Torrent vents it self into the Sea the Town consists of more than one hundred dwelling-houses their Church being built on a level undefended from the North-west wind is made with steps descending into the Earth their streets are straight and but thin of houses the people most husbandmen At the end of the Sandy beach is a neck of land called Nahant it is six miles in circumference Black William an Indian Duke out of his generosity gave this to the English At the mouth of the River runs a great Creek into a great marsh called Rumney-marsh which is four miles long and a mile broad this Town hath the benefit of minerals of divers kinds Iron Lead one Iron mill store of Cattle Arable land and meadow To the North-ward of Linn is Marvil or Marble-head a small Harbour the shore rockie upon which the Town is built consisting of a few scattered houses here they have stages for fishermen Orchards and Gardens half a mile within land good pastures and Arable land Four miles North of Marble-head is situated New-Salem whose longitude is 315 degrees and latitude 42 degrees 35 minutes upon a plain having a River on the South and another on the North it hath two Harbours Winter Harbour and Summer Harbour which lyeth within Darbie's sort they have store of Meadow and Arable in this Town are some very rich Merchants Upon the Northern Cape of the Massachusets that is Cape-Aun a place of fishing is situated the Town of Glocester where the Massachusets Colony first set down but Salem was the first Town built in that Colony here is a Harbour for Ships To the North-ward of Cape-Aun is Wonasquam a dangerous place to sail by in stormie weather by reason of the many Rocks and soaming breakers The next Town that presents it self to view is Ipswich situated by a fair River whose first rise is from a Lake or Pond twenty mile up betaking its course through a hideous Swamp for many miles a Harbour for Bears it issueth forth into a large Bay where they fish for Whales due East over against the Islands of Sholes a great place of fishing the mouth of that River is barr'd it is a good haven-town their meeting-house or Church is beautifully built store of Orchards and Gardens land for husbandry and Cattle Wenham is an inland Town very well watered lying between Salem and Ipswich consisteth most of men of judgment and experience in re rustica well stored with Cattle At the first rise of Ipswich-River in the highest part of the land near the head springs of many considerable Rivers Shashin one of the most considerable branches of Merrimach River and also at the rise of Mistick River and ponds full of pleasant springs is situated Wooburn an inland-Town four miles square beginning at the end of Charles-town bounds Six miles from Ipswich North-east is Rowley most of the Inhabitants have been Clothiers Nine miles from Salem to the North is Agowamine the best and spaciousest place for a plantation being twenty leagues to the Northward of New-Plimouth Beyond Agowamin is situated Hampton near the Sea-coasts not far from Merrimach-River this Town is like a Flower-deluce having two streets of houses wheeling off from the main body thereof they have great store of salt Marshes and Cattle the land is fertil but full of Swamps and Rocks Eight miles beyond Agowamin runneth the delightful River Merrimach or Monumach it is navigable for twenty miles and well stored with fish upon the banks grow stately Oaks excellent Ship timber not interiour to our English On the South-side of Merrimach-River twelve miles from Ipswich and near upon the wide venting streams
affairs and a Judge of the Admiraltie a Mâ—ster of Ordinance a Secretary c. Towns there are not many in this province Kittery situated not far from Pascataway is the most populous Next to that Eastward is seated by a River near the Sea Gorgiana a Majoraltie and the Metropolitan of the province Further to the Eastward is the Town of Wells Cape-Porpus Eastward of that where there is a Town by the Sea side of the same name the houses scatteringly built all these Towns have store of salt and fresh marsh with arable land and are well stockt with Cattle About eight or nine mile to the Eastward of Cape-Porpus is Winter harbour a noted place for Fishers here they have many stages Saco adjoyns to this and both make one scattering Town of large extent well stored with Cattle arable land and marshes and a Saw-mill Six mile to the Eastward of Saco forty mile from Gorgiana is seated the Town of Black-point consisting of about fifty dwelling houses and a Magazine or Dogonne scatteringly built they have store of neat and horses of sheep near upon Seven or Eight hundred much arable and marsh salt and fresh and a Corn-mill To the Southward of the point upon which are stages for fishermen lye two small Islands beyond the point North-eastward runs the River Spurwinch Four miles from Black-point one mile from Spurwinch River Eastward lyeth Richmans-Island whose longitude is 317 degrees 30 seconds and latitude 43 degrees and 34 minutes it is three mile in circumference and hath a passable and gravelly ford on the North-side between the main and the Sea at low-water here are found excellent Whetstones and here likewise are stages for fishermen Nine mile Eastward of Black-point lyeth scatteringly the Town of Casco upon a large Bay stored with Cattle Sheep Swine abundance of marsh and Arable land a Corn-mill or two with stages for fishermen Further East-ward is the Town of Kenebeck scated upon the River Further yet East-ward is Sagadehock where there are many houses scattering and all along stages for fishermen these too are stored with Cattle and Corn lands The mountains and hills that are to be taken notice of are first Acomentiens hills between Kettery and Gorgiana the high hills of Ossapey to the West-ward of Saco River where the princely Pilhanaw Ayries the white mountains to the North-ward of Black point the highest Terrasse in New-England you have the description of it in my Treatise of the rarities of New-England A Neighbour of mine rashly wandering out after some stray'd Cattle lost his way and coming as we conceived by his Relation near to the head spring of some of the branches of Black point River or Saco-River light into a Tract of land for God knowes how many miles full of delfes and dingles and dangerous precipices Rocks and inextricable difficulties which did justly daunt yea quite deter him from endeavouring to pass any further many such like places are to be met with in New-England The ponds or lakes in this province are very large and many out of which the great Rivers have their original we read of the lake Balsena that is thirty miles about here are that come very near to it stored with all sorts of fresh water fish and if you will believe report in one of them huge fishes like Whales are to be seen and some of them have fair Islands in them Twelve mile from Casco-bay and passable for men and horses is a lake called by the Indians Sebug on the brink thereof at one end is the famous Rock shap'd like a Moose-Deere or Helk Diaphanous and called the Moose-Rock Here are found stones like Crystal and Lapis Specularis or Muscovia glass both white and purple On the East-side of Black-point River upon a plain close to the Sea-bank is a pond two mile in compass fish it produceth but those very small and black and a number of Frogs and Snakes and much frequented by wild-fowl Ducks Teal and wild Swins and Geese especially spring and fall when they pass along to the Southward and return again to the North-ward where they breed The principal Rivers in the province of Main are Pascataway-River York-River Kenibunck-River near to this River clay bullets were cast up by a mineral vapour this River is by the Town of Wells Then Saco-River on the East-side of the Town the shore Rockie all along on both sides where musick echoes from several places seven miles up the River is a great fall where abundance of Salmon and Lamprons are taken at the fall a great way up the River runs upon the Rock in rupibus defendendo efficis rivos he cutteth out Rivers among the Rocks saâ—th Job of the Almighty Job 28.10 A littâ—â— above the fall is a saw-mill Then Black-pant River dâ—vided into many branches this as most of the Rivers in New-England is bar'd with a bank of Sand where the Indians take Sturgeon and Basse Spur-winck-River is next which by his near approach to Black-point-river maketh that neck of land almost an Island Further East-ward is Kenebeck-river fifty leagues off of New-Plimouth East-ward and Pechipsent famous for multitudes of mighty large Sturgeon The last river of the province East-ward is the great river Sagadehock where Sir John Pophams Colony seated themselves The chief harbours are Cape-porpus Winter harbour in which are some small Islands Black-point Richmans-Island Casco-bay the largest in the province full of Islands From Sagadehock to Nova Scotia is called the Duke of Yorkes province here Pemmaquid Montinicus Mobegan Capeanawhagen where Capt Smith fishâ— for Whales Muscataquid all fill'd with dwelling houses and stages for fishermen and have plenty of Cattle arable land and marshes Nova Scotia was sold by the Lord Starling to the French and is now wholly in their possession Now we are come to New-found-land which is over against the gulf of St. Lawrence an Island near as spacious as Ireland and lyeth distant from the Continent as far as England is from the nearest part of France and near half the way between Ireland and Virginia its longitude is 334 degrees 20 seconds and North latitude 46 degrees 30 minutes or as others will 53 minutes The longitude of places are uncertainly reported but in latitudes most agree Longitude is the distance of the meridian of any place from the meridian which passeth over the Isles of Azores where the beginning of longitude is said to be The meridian is a great circle dividing the Equinoctial at right Angles into two equal parts passing also through both the Poles and the Zenith to which circle the Sun coming twice every 24 hours maketh the middle of the day and the middle of the night Every place hath a several meridian but they all meet in the poles of the world Latitude is counted from the Equinoctial to the end of 30 degrees on each side thereof The Equinoctial is a great circle imagined in the Heavens also dividing the heavens into two equal parts and
boiled and soused sometime in Vinegar is more grateful to the pallat About 8 of the clock at night a flame settled upon the main mast it was about the bigness of a great Candle and is called by our Seamen St. Elmes fire it comes before a storm and is commonly thought to be a Spirit if two appear they prognosticate safety These are known to the learned by the names of Castor and Pollux to the Italians by St. Nicholas and St. Hermes by the Spaniards called Corpos Santes The Ninth day about two of the clock in the afternoon we found the head of our main mast close to the cap twisted and shivered and we presently after found the fore-top-mast crackt a little above the cap So they wolled them both and about two of the clock in the morning 7 new long Boat oars brake away from our Star-board quarter with a horrid crack The Eleventh day they observed and made the Ship to be in latitude 48 degrees 46 minuts having a great Sea all night about 6 of the clock in the morning we spake with Mr. Rupe in a Ship of Dartmouth which came from Marcelloes and now is Silly N. E. by E. 34 leagues off about 9 of the clock at night we sounded and had 85 fathom water small brownish pepperie sand with a small piece of Hakes Tooth and now we are 45 leagues off the Lizard great Seas all night and now we see to the S. W. six tall Ships the wind being S. W. The Twelfth day being Whitsunday at prayer-prayer-time we found the Ships trine a foot by the stern and also the partie that was sick of the small pox now dyed whom we buried in the Sea tying a bullet as the manner is to his neck and another to his leggs turned him out at a Port-hole giving fire to a great Gun In the afternoon one Martin Jvy a stripling servant to Captain Thomas Cammock was whipt naked at the Cap-stern with a Cat with Nine tails for filching 9 great Lemmons out of the Chirurgeons Cabbin which he eat rinds and all in less than an hours time The Thirteenth day we took a Sharke a great one and hoisted him aboard with his two Companions for there is never a Sharke but hath a mate or two that is the Pilot fish or Pilgrim which lay upon his back close to a long finn the other fish some what bigger than the Pilot about two foot long called a Remora it hath no scales and sticks close for the Shâ—â—kes belly So the Whale hath the Sea-gudgeon a small fish for his mate marching before him and guiding him which I have seen likewise The Seamen divided the Sharke into quarters and made more quarter about it than the Purser when he makes five quarters of an Oxe and after they had cooked him he proved very rough Grain'd not worthy of wholesome preferment but in the afternoon we took store of Bonitoes or Spanish Dolphins a fish about the size of a large Mackarel beautified with admirable varietie of glittering colours in the water and was excellent food The Fourteenth day we spake with a Plimouth man about dinner time bound for New-found-land who having gone up west-ward sprang a leak and now bore back for Plimouth Now was Silly 50 leagues off and now many of the passengers fall sick of the small Pox and Calenture The Sixteenth Mr. Clarke who came out of the Downs with us and was bound for the Isle of Providence one of the summer Islands the Spaniards having taken it a little before though unknown to Clarke and to Captain Nathaniel Butler going Governour they now departed from us the Wind N. W. great Seas and stormie winds all night The Seventeenth day the wind at N. W. about 8 of the clock we saw 5 great Ships bound for the Channel which was to the Westward of us about two leagues off we thought them to be Flemmings here we expected to have met with Pirates but were happily deceived The One and twentieth day the wind S. by W. great Seas and Wind fu'd our courses and tryed from 5 of the clock afternoon till 4 in the morning the night being very stormie and dark we lost Mr. Gâ—odlad and his Ship who came out with us and bound for Boston in New-England The Eight and twentieth day all this while a very great grown Sea and mighty winds June the first day in the afternoon very thick foggie weather we sailed by an inchanted Island saw a great deal of filth and rubbish floating by the Ship heard Cawdimawdies Sea-gulls and Crowes Birds that alwayes frequent the shoar but could see nothing by reason of the mist towards Sun-set when we were past the Island it cleared up The Fourteenth day of June very foggie weather we sailed by an Island of Ice which lay on the Star-board side three leagues in length mountain high in form of land with Bayes and Capes like high clift land and a River pouring off it into the Sea We saw likewise two or three Foxes or Devils skipping upon it These Islands of Ice are congealed in the North and brought down in the spring-time with the Current to the banks on this side New-found-land and there stopt where they dissolve at last to water by that time we had sailed half way by it we met with a French Pickeroon Here it was as cold as in the middle of January in England and so continued till we were some leagues beyond it The Sixteenth day we sounded and found 35 fathom water upon the bank of New-found-land we cast our our hooks for Cod-fish thick foggie weather the Codd being taken on a Sanday morning the Sectaries aboard threw those their servants took into the Sea again although they wanted fresh victuals but the Sailers were not so nice amongst many that were taken we had some that were wasted Fish it is observable and very strange that fishes bodies do grow slender with age their Tails and Heads retaining their former bigness Fish of all Creatures have generally the biggest heads and the first part that begins to taint in a fish is the head The Nineteenth day Captain Thomas Cammock a near kinsman of the Earl of Warwicks now had another lad Thomas Jones that dyed of the small pox at eight of the clock at night The Twentieth day we saw a great number of Sea-bats or Owles called also flying fish they are about the bigness of a Whiting with sour tinsel wings with which they fly as long as they are wet when pursued by other fishes Here likewise we saw many Grandpisces or Herring-hogs hunting the scholes of Herrings in the afternoon we saw a great fish called the vehuella or Sword fish having a long strong and sharp finn like a Sword-blade on the top of his head with which he pierced our Ship and broke it off with striving to get loose one of our Sailers dived and brought it aboard The One and twentieth day we met with two Bristow men bound for
of America which together with Virginia Mary land and Nova-scotia were by the Indians called by one name Wingadacoa after the discovery by Sir Walter Rawleigh they were named Virginia and so remained untiil King James divided the Countrey into Provinces New-England then is all that tract of land that lyes between the Northerly latitudes of 40 and 46 that is from De-la-ware-Bay to New-found-land some will have it to be in latitude from 41 to 45. in King Jame's Letters Patents to the Council of Plimouth in Devonshire from 40 to 48 of the same latitude it is judged to be an Island surrounded on the North with the spacious River of Canada on the South with Mahegan or Hudsons River having their rise as it is thought from two great lakes not far off one another the Sea lyes East and South from the land and is very deep some say that the depth of the Sea being measured with line and plummet seldom exceeds two or three miles excâ—pt in some places near the Swevian-shores and about Pontus observed by Pliny Sir Francis Drake threw out 7 Hogsheads of line near Porto-bello and sound no bottom but whether this be true or no or that they were deceived by the Currants carrying away their lead and line this is certainly true that there is more Sea in the Western than the Eastern Hemisphere on the shore in more places than one at spring-tides that is at the full or new of the moon the Sea riseth 18 foot perpendicular the reaâ—on of this great flow of waters I refer to the â—earned onely by the way I shall acquaint you â—ith two reasons for the ebbing and flowâ—ng of the Sea the one delivered in Common conference the other in a Sermon at Boston in the Massachusets-Bay by an eminent man The first was that God and his spirit â—oving upon the waters caused the motion â—he other that the spirit of the waters gathered â—he waters together as the spirit of Christ gathered Souls The shore is Rockie with high cliffs â—aving a multitude of considerable Harâ—ours many of which are capacious â—nough for a Navy of 500 sail one of a â—housand the Countrie within Rockie and mountanious full of tall wood onâ— stately mountain there is surmounting the 〈◊〉 about four score mile from the Sea The description of it you have in my rarities of New-England between the mountains are many ample rich and pregnant valleys as â—ver eye beheld besâ—t on each side with variety of goodly Trees the grass man-high unmowed uneaten and uselâ—sly withering within these valleys are spacious lakes or ponds well stored with Fish and Beavers the original of all the great Rivers in the Countrie of which there are many with lesser streams wherein are an infinite of fish manifesting the goodness of the soil which is black red-clay gravel sand loom and very deep in some places as in the valleys and swamps which are low grounds and bottoms infinitely thick set with Trees and Bushes of all sorts for the most part others having no other shrub or Tree growing but spruse under the shades whereof you may freely walk two or three mile together being goodly large Trees and convenient for masts and sail-yards The whole Countrie produceth springs in abundance replenished with excellent waters having all the properties ascribed to the best in the world Swift is' t in pace light poiz'd to look in clear And quick in bâ—iling which esteemed were Such qualities as rightly understood Withouten these no water could be good One Spring there is at Black-point in the Province of Main coming out of muddy-clay that will colour a spade as if hatcht with silver it is purgative and cures scabs and Itch c. The Mountains and Rocky Hills are richly surnished with mines of Lead Sâ—lver Copper Tin and divers sorts of minerals â—ranching out even to their summits where â—n small Crannies you may meet with threds of perfect silver yet have the English no â—naw to open any of them whether out of â—gnorance or fear of bringing a forraign Enemy upon them or like the dog in the manger to keep their Soveraign from parâ—aking of the benefits who certainly may claim an interest in them as his due being eminently a gift proceeding from divine bounty to him PLACE = marg Isa 45.3 no person can pretend interest in Gold Silver or Copper by the law of Nations but the Soveraign Prince but the subjects of our King have a right to mines discovered in their own Lands and inheritances So as that every tenth Tun of such Oar is to be paid to the proprieters of such lands and not to the state if it be not a mine-Royal if it prove to be a mine-Royal every fifth Tun of all such Oar as shall hold Gold or Silver worth refining is to be rendered to the King The learned Judges of our Kingdom have long since concluded that alihough the Gold or Silver conteined in the base mettals of a mine in the land of a Subjâ—ct be of less value than the baser mettal yet if the Gold or Silver do countervail the charge of refining it or be more worth than the base mettal spent in refining it that then it is a mine-Royal and as well the base mettal as the Gold anâ— Silver in it belongs by prerogative to thâ— Crown The stones in the Countrey are for thâ— most mettle-stone free-stone pebble slate none that will run to lime of which they have great want of the slate you may make Tables easie to be split to the thickness of an inch or thicker if you please and long enough for a dozen men to sit at Pretious stones there are too but if you desire to know further of them see the Rarities of New-England onely let me add this observation by the way that Crystal set in the Sun taketh fire and setteth dry Tow or brown Paper on fire held to it There is likewise a sort of glittering sand which is altogether as good as the glassie powder brought from the Indies to dry up Ink on paper newly written The climate is reasonably temperate hotter in Summer and colder in Winter than with us agrees with our Constitutions better than hotter Climates these are limbecks to our bodies forraign heat will extract the inward and adventitions beat consume the natural so much more heat any man receives outwardly from the heat of the Sun so much more wants he the same inwardly which is one reason why they are able to receive more and larger draughts of Brandy the like strong spirits than in England without offence Cold is less tolerable than heat this a friend to nature that an enemy Many are of opinion that the greatest enemies of life consisting of heat and moisture is cold and dryness the extremity of cold is more easie to be endured than extremity of heat the violent sharpness of winter than the fiery raging of Summer To conclude they are both bad too much heat brings a hot
Jonas de ricino illo laetitia magna Ricinum that is palma Christi called also cucurbita and therefore translated a Gourd Tobacco or Tabacca so called from Tabaco or Tabagâ— one of the Caribbe-Islands about 50 English miles from Trinidad The right name according to Monardus is picielte as others will petum nicotian from Nicot a Portingal to whom it was presented for a raritie in Anno Dom. 1559. by one that brought it from Florida Great contest there is about the time when it was first brought into England some will have Sir John Hawkins the first others Sir Francis Drake's Mariners others again say that one Mr. Lane imployed by Sir Walter Rawleigh brought it first into England all conclude that Sir Walter Rawleigh brought it first in use It is observed that no one kind of forraign Commodity yieldeth greater advantage to the publick than Tobacco it is generally made the complement of our entertainment and hath made more slaves than Mahomet There is three sorts of it Marchantable the first horse Tobacco having a brâ—ad long leaf piked at the end the second round pointed Tobacco third sweet scented Tobacco These are made up into Cane leaf or ball there is little of it planted in New-England neither have they learned the right way of curing of it It is sowen in April upon a bed of rich mould sifted they make a bed about three yards long or more according to the ground they intend to plant and a yard and a half over this they tread down hard then they sow their seed upon it as thick as may be and sift fine earth upon it then tread it down again as hard as possible they can when it hath gotten four or six leaves they remove in into the planting ground when it begins to bud towards flowring they crop off the top for the Flower drawes away the strength of the leaf For the rest I refer you to the Planter being not willing to discover their mysteries The Indians in New England use a small round leafed Tobacco called by them or the Fishermen Poke It is odious to the English The vertues of Tobacco are these it helps digestion the Gout the Tooth-ach prevents infection by scents it heats the cold and cools them that sweat feedeth the hungry spent spirits restoreth purgeth the stomach killeth nits and lice the juice of the green leaf healeth green wounds although poysoned the Syrup for many diseases the smoak for the Phthisick cough of the lungs distillations of Rheume and all diserses of a cold and moist cause good for all bodies cold and moist taken upon an emptie stomach taken upon a full stomach it precipitates digestion immoderately taken it dryeth the body enflameth the bloud hurteth the brain weakens the eyes and the sinews White Hellebore is used for the Scurvie by the English A friend of mine gave them first a purge then conserve of Bear-berries then sumed their leggs with vinegar sprinkled upon a piece of mill-stone made hot and applied to the sores white Hellebore leaves drink made of Orpine and sorrel were given likewise with it and Seascurvie-grass To kill lice boil the roots of Hellebore in milk and anoint the hair of the head therewith or other places Mandrake is a very rare plant the Indians know it not it is found in the woods about Pascataway they do in plain terms stink therefore Reubens-Flowers that he brought home were not Mandrakes Gen. 30.14 15 16. They are rendered in the Latine Amabiles flores the same word say our Divines is used in Canticles 7.4 Amabiles istos flores edentes odorem secundum ostia nostra omnes pretiosos fructus recentes simulac veteres dilecte mi repono tibi So that the right translation is Reuben brought home amiable and sweet smelling Flowers this in the Canticles say they expounding the other Calamus Aromaticus or the sweet smelling reed it Flowers in July see New-Englands rarities Sarsaparilla or roughbind-weed as some describe it the leaves and whole bind set with thorns of this there is store growing upon the banks of Pouds See the rarities of New-England The leaves of the Sarsaparilla there described pounded with Hogs grease and boiled to an unguent is excellent in the curing of wounds Live for ever it is a kind of Cud-weed flourisheth all summer long till cold weather comes in it growes now plentifully in our English Gardens it is good for cough of the lungs and to cleanse the breast taken as you do Tobacco and for pain in the head the decoction or the juice strained and drunk in Bear Wine or Aqua vitae killeth worms The Fishermen when they want Tobacco take this herb being cut and dryed Lysimachus or Loose-strife there are several kinds but the most noted is the yellow Lysimachus of Virginia the root is longish and white as thick as ones thumb the stalkes of an overworn colour and a little hairie the middle vein of the leaf whitish the Flower yellow and like Primroses and therefore called Tree-primrose growes upon seedie vessels c. The first year it growes not up to a stalke but sends up many large leaves handsomely lying one upon another Rose fashion Flowers in June the seed is ripe in August this as I have said is taken by the English for Scabious St. John's wort it preserveth Cheese made up in it at Sea Spurge or Wolfes milch there are several sorts Avens or herb-bennet you have an account of it in New-Englands rarities but one thing more I shall add that you may plainly perceive a more masculine quality in the plants growing in New-England A neighbour of mine in Hay-time having over-heat himself and melted his grease with striving to outmowe another man fell dangerously sick not being able to turn himself in his bed his stomach gon and his heart fainting ever and anon to whom I administred the decoction of Avens-Roots and leaves in water and wine sweetning it with Syrup of Clove-Gilliflowers in one weeks time it recovered him so that he was able to perform his daily work being a poor planter or husbandman as we call them Red-Lilly growes all over the Countrey amongst the bushes Mr. Johnson upon Gerard takes the Tulip to be the Lilly of the field mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 6.28 29. Ac de vestitu quid soliciti estis discite quomodo lilia agrorum augescant non fatigantur neque nent sed dico vobis ne Solomonem quidem cum universa gloria sic amictum fuisse ut unum ex istis Solomon in all his Royalty was not like one of them His reasons are first from the shape like a lilly The second because those places where 〈◊〉 Savioâ—r was conversant they grow wild in the fields Third the infinite variety of the colours The fourth and last reason the wondrous beautie and mixture of these Flowers Water-lillys the black roots dryed and pulverized are wondrous effectual in the stopping of all manner of fluxes of the belly drunk with
wine or water Herba-paris one berry herb true love or four-leaved night-shade the leaves are good to be laid upon hot tumours Vmbiticus veneris or New-England daisie it is good for hot humours Erisipelas St. Anthonie's fire all inflammations Glass-wort a little quantity of this plant you may take for the Dropsie but be very careful that you take not too much for it worketh impetuously Water-plantane called in New-England water Suck-leaves and Scurvie-leaves you must lay them whole to the leggs to draw out water between the skin and the flesh Rosa-solis Sun-dew moor-grass this plant I have seen more of than ever I saw in my whole life before in England a man may gather upon some marish-grounds an incrâ—dible quantity in a short time towards the middle of June it is in its season for then its spear is shot out to its length of which they take hold and pull the whole plant up by the roots from the moss with case Amber-greese I take to be a Mushroom see the rarities of New-England Monardus writeth that Amber greese riseth out of a certain clammy and bituminous earth under the Seas and by the Sea-side the billows casting up part of it a land and fish devour the rest Some say it is the seed of a Whale others that it springeth from fountains as pitch doth which fishes swallow down the air congealeth it And sometimes it is found in the crevises and corners of Rocks Fuss-balls Mullipuffes called by the Fishermen Wolves-farts are to be found plentifully and those bigger by much than any I have seen in England Coraline there is infinite store of it cast upon the shore and another plant that is more spinie of a Red colour and as hard as Corral Coraline laid to the gout easeth the pain Sea-Oake or wreach or Sea-weed the black pouches of Oâ—r-weed dryed and pulverized and drunk with White-wine is an excellent remedy for the stone I will finish this part of my relation concerning plants with an admirable plant for the curing and taking away of Corns which many times sore troubleth the Traveller it is not above a handful high the little branches are woodie the leaves like the leaves of Box but broader and much thicker hard and of a deep grass-green colour this bruised or champt in the mouth and laid upon the Corn will take it away clean in one night And observe all Indian Trees and plants their Roots are but of small depth and so they must be set Of Beasts of the earth there be scarce 120 several kinds and not much more of the Fowls of the Air is the opinion of some Naturalists there are not many kinds of Beasts in New-England they may be divided into Beasts of the Chase of the stinking foot as Roes Foxes Jaccals Wolves Wild-cats Racoons Porcupines Squncks Musquashes Squirrels Sables and Mattrises and Beasts of the Chase of the sweet foot Buck Red Dear Rain Dear Elke Marouse Maccarib Bear Beaver Otter Marten Hare The Roe a kind of Deer and the fleetest Beast upon earth is here to be found and is good venison but not over fat The Fox the male is called a dog-fox the female a bitch-fox they go a clicketing the beginning of the spring and bring forth their Cubs in May and June There are two or three kinds of them one a great yellow Fox another grey who will climb up into Trees the black Fox is of much esteem Foxes and Wolves are usually hunted in England from Holy-Rood day till the Annunciation In New-England they make best sport in the depth of winter they lay a sledg-load of Cods-heads on the other side of a paled fence when the moon shines and about nine or ten of the clock the Foxes come to it sometimes two or three or half a dozen and more these they shoot and by that time they have cased them there will be as many So they continue shooting and killing of Foxes as long as the moon shineth I have known half a score kill'd in one night Their pisles are bonie like a doggs their fat liquified and put into the ears easeth the pain their tails or bushes are very fair ones and of good use but their skins are so thin yet thick set with deep â—urr that they will hardly hold the dressing Jaccals there be abundance which is a Creature much like a Fox but smaller they â—re very frequent in Palaestina or the Holy-â—and The Wolf seeketh his mate and goes a â—licketing at the same season with Foxes and bring forth their whelps as they do but â—heir kennels are under thick bushes by great Trees in remote places by the swamps he is to be hunted as the Fox from Holyâ—ood day till the Annunciation But there they have a quicker way to destroy them See New-England rarities They commonly go in routs a rout of Wolves is 12 or more sometimes by couples In 1664. we sound a Wolf asleep in a small dry swamp under an Oake a great mastiff which we had with us seized upon him and held him till we had put a rope about his neck by which we brought him home and tying of him to a stake we bated him with smaller Doggs and had excellent sport but his hinder legg being broken they knockt out his brains Sometime before this we had an excellent course after a single Wolf upon the hard sands by the Sea-side at low water for a mile or two at last we lost our doggs it being as the Lancashire people phrase it twi-lâ—ght that is almost dark and went beyond them for a mastiff-bitch had seized upon the Wolf being gotten into the Sea and there held him till one went in and led him out the bitch keeping her hold till they had tyed his leggs and so carried him home like a Calf upon a staff between two men being brought into the house they unbound him and set him upon his leggs hâ— not offering in the least to bite or so much as to shew his teeth but clapping his stern betwixt his leggs and leering towards the door would willingly have had his liberty but they served him as they did the other knockt his brains out for our doggs were not then in a condition to bate him their eyes shine by night as a Lanthorn the Fangs of a Wolf hung about childrens necks keep them from frighting and are very good to rub their gums with when they are breeding of Teeth the gall of a Wolf is Soveraign for swelling of the sinews the fiants or dung of a Wolf drunk with white-wine helpeth the Collick The Wild-cat Lusern or luceret or Ounce as some call it is not inferiour to Lamb their grease is very soveraign for lameness upon taking cold The Racoon or Rattoon is of two sorts gray Rattoons and black Rattoons their grease is soveraign for wounds with bruises aches streins bruises and to anoint after broken bones and dislocations The Squnck is almost as big as a Racoon perfect black and white or pye-bald with a
these are the Deer that the flat-â—ooted Wolves hunt after The Maccarib is a Creature not found that ever I heard yet but upon Cape-Sable near to the French plantations The Bear when he goes to mate is a terrible Creature they bring forth their Cubs in March hunted with doggs they take a Tree where they shoot them when he is fat he is excellent Venison which is in Acorn time and in winter but then there is none dares to attempt to kill him but the Indian He makes his Denn amongst thick Bushes thrusting in here and there store of Moss which being covered with snow and melting in the day time with heat of the Sun in the night is frozen into a thick coat of Ice the mouth of his Den is very narrow here they lye single never two in a Den all winter The Indian as soon as he finds them creeps in upon all â—our seizâ—s with his left hand upon the neck of the sleeping Bear drags hâ—m to the mouth of the Den where with a club or small hatchet in his right hand he knocks out his brains before he can open his eyes to see his enemy But sometimes they are too quick for the Indians as one amongst them callâ—d black Robin lighting upon a male Bear had a piece of his buttock torn off before he could fetch his blow their grease is very soveraign One Mr. Purchase cured himself of the Sciatica with Bears-greese keeping some of it continually in his groine It is good too for swell'd Cheeks upon cold for Rupture of the hands in winter for limbs taken suddenly with Sciatica Gout or other diseases that cannot stand upright nor go bed-rid it must be well chaft in and the same cloth laid on still it prevents the shedding of the hair occasioned by the coldness of winters weather and the yard of a Bear which as a Doggs or Foxes is bonie is good for to expell Gravel out of the kidneys and bladder as I was there told by one Mr. Abraham Philater a Jersey-man The Beaver or Pound-dog is an Amphibious Creature lives upon the land as well as in the water I suppose they feed upon fish but am sure that the Bark of Trees is also their food there is an old proverbial saying sic me jubes quotidie ut fiber sâ—licem you love me as the Beaver doth the willow who eateth the Bark and killeth the Tree They will be tame witness the Beaver that not long since was kept at Boston in the Massachusets-Bay and would run up and down the streets returning home without a call Their skins are highly valued and their stones are good for the palsie trembling and numbness of the hands boiling of them in Oyl of Spike and anointing the sinews in the neck If you take of Castorium two drams of womans hair one dram and with a little Rozen of the Pine-Tree make it up into pills as big as Filberts and perfume a woman in a fit of the mother with one at a time laid upon coals under her nostrils it will recover her out of her fit The grease of a Beaver is good for the Nerves Convulsions Epilepsies Apoplexies c. The tail as I have said in another Treatise is very fat and of a masculine vertue as good as Erigno's or Satyrion-Roots The Otter or River Dog is Amphibious too he hunteth for his kind in the spring and bringeth forth his whelps as the Beaver doth they are generally black and very numerous they are hunted in England from Shrovetide untill Midsummer but in New-England they take them when they can The skin of an Otter is worth Ten Shillings and the Gloves made thereof are the best fortification for the hands against wet weather that can be thought of the furr is excellent for muffs and is almost as dear as Beaver the grease of an Otter will make fish turn up their bellies and is of rare use for many things The Hare I have no more to write of them than that they kindle in hollow Trees What else concerns him or any of the fore-mentioned Creatures you have in my New-Englands rarities to which I refer you The Porcupine likewise I have treated of only this I forgot to acquaint you with that they lay Eggs and are good meat The last kind of Beasts are they that are begot by equivocal generation as Mules and several others that when the Beasts were brought by the Almighty Creator to Adam who gave them names were not then in rerum natura Of these there are not many known in New-England I know but of one and that is the Indian dog begotten betwixt a Wolf and a Fox or between a Fox and a Wolf which they made use of taming of them and bringing of them up to hunt with but since the English came amongst them they have gotten store of our dogs which they bring up and keep in as much subjection as they do their webbs Of Birds there are not many more than 120 kinds as our Naturalists have conjectured but I think they are deceived they are divided into land-birds and water-birds the land-birds again into birds of prey birds for meat singing-birds and others The Pilhannaw is the King of Birds of prey in New-England some take him to be a kind of Eagle others for the Indian-Ruck the biggest Bird that is except the Ostrich One Mr. Hilton living at Pascataway had the hap to kill one of them being by the Sea-side he perceived a great shâ—dow over his head the Sun shining out clear casting up his eyes he saw a monstrous Bird soaring aloft in the air and of a sudden all the Ducks and Geese there being then a great many dived under water nothing of them appearing but their heads Mr. Hilton having made readie his piece shot and brought her down to the ground how he disposed of her I know not but had he taken her alive sent her over into England neither Bartholomew nor Sturbridge-Fair could have produced such another sight Hawkes there are of several kinds as Goshawkes Falcons Laniers Sparrow-hawkes and a little black hawke highly prized by the Indians who wear them on their heads and is accounted of worth sufficient to ransome a Sagamour they are so strangely couragious and hardie that nothing flyeth in the Air that they will not bind with I have seen them tower so high that they have been so small that scarcely could they be taken by the eye Hawkes grease is very good for sore eyes The Osprey I have treated of There is a small Ash-colour Bird that is shaped like a Hawke with talons and beak that falleth upon Crowes mounting up into the Air after them and will beat them till they make them cry The Vulture or Geire which is spoken of in Levit. 11.14 and called a Gripe their skins are good to line doublets with and the bones of their head hung about the neck helpeth the head-ach The Gripe see New Englands rarities and for the Turkie-buzzard The
croak like Toads It is admirable to consider the generating of these Creatures first they lay their gelly on the water in ponds and still waters which comes in time to be full of black spots as broad as the head of a Ten-penny nail and round these separate themselves from the gleir and after a while thrust out a tail then their head comes forth after their head springs out their fore-legs and then their hinder-legs then their tail drops off and growes to have a head and four legs too the first proves a frog the latter a water-nuet The Herbalist useth to say by way of admiration quaelibet herba deum c. So God is seen in the production of these small Creatures which are a part of the Creation Laudate Jehovam coelites laudate eum in excelsis c. Laudent nomen Jehovae quae ipso praecipiente illico creata sunt c. ipsae bestiae omnes jumenta reptilia aves alatae Psal 148. The Toad is of two sorts one that is speckled with white and another of a a dark earthy colour there is of them that will climb up into Trees and sit croaking there but whether it be of a third sort or one of the other or both I am not able to affirm but this I can testifie that there be Toads of the dark coloured kind that are as big as a groat loaf Which report will not swell into the belief of my sceptique Sirs nor that there is a Hell being like Salomon's fool Prov. 26.22 Sed si contunderes stultum in mortario cum mola pistillo non recederet ab eo stultitia ejus Now before I proceed any further I must to prevent misconstructions tell you that these following Creatures though they be not properly accounted Serpents yet they are venomous and pestilent Creatures As first the Rat but he hath been brought in since the English came thither but the Mouse is a Native of which there are several kinds not material to be described the Bat or flitter mouse is bigger abundance than any in England and swarm which brings me to the infects or cut-wasted creatures again as first the honey-Bee which are carried over by the English and thrive there exceedingly in time they may be produced from Bullocks when the wild Beasts are destroyed But the wasp is common and they have a sort of wild humble-Bee that breed in little holes in the earth Near upon twenty years since there lived an old planter at Black-point who on a Sunshine day about one of the clock lying upon a green bank not far from his house charged his Son a lad of 12 years of age to awaken him when he had slept two hours the old man falls asleep and lying upon his back gaped with his mouth wide enough for a Hawke to shit into it after a little while the lad sitting by spied a humble-Bee creeping out of his Fathers mouth which taking wing flew quite out of sight the hour as the lad ghest being come to awaken his Father he jogg'd him and called aloud Father Father it is two a clock but all would not rouse him at last he sees the humble-Bee returning who lighted upon the sleepers lip and walked down as the lad conceived into his belly and presently he awaked The Countrey is strangely incommodated with flyes which the English call Musketaes they are like our gnats they will sting so fiercely in summer as to make the faces of the English swell'd and scabby as if the small pox for the first year Likewise there is a small black fly no bigger than a flea so numerous up in the Countrey that a man cannot draw his breath but he will suck of them in they continue about Thirty dayes say some but I say three moneths and are not only a pesterment but a plague to the Countrey There is another sort of fly called a Gurnipper that are like our horse-slyes and will bite desperately making the bloud to spurt out in great quantity these trouble our English Cattle very much raising swellings as big as an egg in their hides The Butterfly is of several sorts and larger than ours So are their Dragon-flyes Glow-worms have here wings there are multitudes of them insomuch that in the dark evening when I first went into the Countrey I thought the whole Heavens had been on fire seeing so many sparkles flying in the air about Mount-Carmel and the valley of Acree in the Holy-land there be abundance of them These are taken for Cantharides Cantharides are green flyes by day in the night they pass about like a flying Glow-worm with fire in their tails I have finished now my relation of plants c. I have taken some pains in recollecting of them to memory and setting of them down for their benefit from whom I may expect thanks but I believe my reward will be according to Ben Johnsons proverbs Whistle to a Jâ—de and he will pay you with a fart Claw a churl by the britch and he will shit in your fist The people that inhabited this Countrey are judged to be of the Tartars called Samonids that border upon Mascovia and are divided into Tribes those to the East and North-east are called Churchers and Tarentines and Monhegans To the South are the Pequets and Narragansets Westward Connecticuts and Mowhacks To the North ward Aberginians which confist of Mattachusets Wippanaps and Tarrentines The Pocanakets live to the Westward of Plimouth Not long before the English came into the Countrey happened a great mortality amongst them especially where the English afterwards planted the East and Northern parts were sore smitten with the Contagion first by the plague afterwards when the English came by the small pox the three Kingdoms or Sagamorships of the Mattachusets were very populous having under them seven Dukedoms or petti Sagamorships but by the plague were brought from 30000 to 300. There are not many now to the Eastward the Pequots were destroyed by the English the Mowhacks are about five hundred Their speech a dialect of the Tartars as also is the Turkish tongue There is difference between Tongues and Languages the division of speech at Babel is most properly called Languages the rest Tongues As for their persons they are tall and handsome timber'd people out-wristed pale and lean Tartarian visag'd black eyed which is accounted the strongest for sight and generally black hair'd both smooth and curi'd wearing of it long No beards or very rarely their Teeth are very white short and even they account them the most necessary and best parts of man And as the Austreans are known by their great lips the Bavarians by their pokes under their chins the Jews by their goggle eyes so the Indians by their flat noses yet are they not so much deprest as they are to The Southward The Indesses that are young are some of them very comely having good features their faces plump and round and generally plump of their Bodies as
look out for their food Pompiens and water Mellons too they have good store they have prodigious stomachs devouring a cruel deal meer voragoes never giving over eating as long as they have it between meals spending their time in sleep till the next kettlefull is boiled when all is gone they satisfie themselves with a small quantity of the meal making it serve as the frugal bit amongst the old Britains which taken to the mountenance of a Bean would satisfie both thirst and hunger If they have none of this as sometimes it falleth out being a very careless people not providing against the storms of want and tempest of necessity they make use of Sir Francis Drake's remedy for hunger go to sleep They live long even to an hundred years of age if they be not cut off by their Children war and the plague which together with the small pox hath taken away abundance of them Pâ—iny reckons up but 300 Diseases in and about man latter writers Six thousand 236 belonging to the eyes There are not so many Diseases raigning amongst them as our Europeans The great pox is proper to them by reason as some do deem that they are Man-eaters which Diseâ—se was brought amongst our Europeans first by the Spaniards that went with Christopher Columbus who brought it to Naples with their Indian-women with whom the Italians and French conversed Anno Dom. 1493. Paracelsus saith it hapned in the year 1478 and 1480. But all agree that it was not known in Europe before Columbus his voyage to America It hath continued amongst us above two hundred and three score years There are Diseases that are proper to certain climates as the Leprosie to Aegypt swelling of the Throat or Mentegra to Asia the sweating sickness to the Inhabitants of the North to the Portugals the Phthisick to Savoy the mumps So to the West-Indies the Pox but this doth not exclude other Diseases In New-England the Indians are afflicted with pestilent Feavers Plague Black-pox Consumption of the Lungs Falling-sickness Kings-evil and a Disease called by the Spaniard the Plague in the back with us Empyema their Physicians are the Powaws or Indian Priests who cure sometimes by charms and medicine but in a general infection they seldom come amongst them therefore they use their own remedies which is sweating c. Their manner is when they have plague or small pox amongst them to cover their Wigwams with Bark so close that no Air can enter in lining them as I said before within and making a great fire they remain there with a stewing heat till they are in a top sweat and then run out into the Sea or River and presently after they are come into their Hutts again they either recover or give up the Ghost they dye patiently both men and women not knowing of a Hell to scare them nor a Conscience to terrifie them In times of general Mortality they omit the Ceremonies of burying exposing their dead Carkases to the Beasts of prey But at other times they dig a Pit and set the diseased therein upon his breech upright and throwing in the earth cover it with the sods and bind them down with sticks driving in two slakes at each end their mournings are somewhat like the howlings of the Fish seldom at the grave but in the Wigwam where the party dyed blaming the Devil for his hard heartedness and concluding with rude prayers to him to afflict them to further They acknowledge a God who they call Squanâ—â—m but worship him they do not because they say he will do them no harm But Abbâ—mocho or Cheepie many times smites them with incurable Diseases scares them with his Apparitions and pannick Terrours by reason whereof they live in a wretched consternation worshipping the Devil for fear One black Robin an Indian sitting down in the Corn field belonging to the house where I resided ran out of his Wigwam frighted with the apparition of two infernal spirits in the shape of Mohawkes Another time two Indians and an Indess came running into our house crying out they should all dye Cheepie was gone over the field gliding in the Air with a long rope hanging from one of his legs we askt them what he was like they said all wone Englishman clothed with hat and coat shooes and stockings c. They have a remarkable observation of a flame that appears before the death of an Indian or English upon their Wigwams in the dead of the night The first time that I did see it I was call'd out by some of them about twelve of the clock it being a very dark night I perceived it plainly mounting into the Air over our Church which was built upon a plain little more than half a quarter of a mile from our dwelling house on the Northside of the Church look on what side of a house it appears from that Coast respectively you shall hear of a Coarse within two or three days They worship the Devil as I said their Priests are called Powaws and are little betteâ— than Witches for they have familiar conference with him who makes them invulnerable that is shot-free and stick-free Craftie Rogues abusing the rest at their pâ—easure having power over them by reason of their Diabolical Art in curing of Diseases which is performed with rude Ceremonies they place the sick upon the ground siâ—ring and dance in an Antick manner round about him beating their naked breasts with a strong hand and making hideous faces sometimes calling upon the Devil for his help mingling their prayers with horrid and barbarous charms if the sick recover they send rich gifts their Bowes and Arrowes Wempompers Mohacks Beaver skins or other rich Furs to the Eâ—stward where there is a vast Rock not far from the shore having a hole in it of an unsearchable profundity into which they throw them Their Theologie is not much but questionless they acknowledge a God and a Devil and some small light they have of the Souls immortality for ask them whither they go when they dye they will tell you pointing with their finger to Heaven beyond the white mountains and do hint at Noah's Floud as may be conceived by a story they have received from Father to Son time out of mind that a great while agon their Countrey was drowned and all the People and other Creatures in it only one Powaw and his Webb foreseeing the Floud fled to the white mountains carrying a hare along with them and so escaped after a while the Powaw sent the Hare away who not returning emboldned thereby they descended and lived many years after and had many Children from whom the Countrie was filled again with Indians Some of them tell another story of the Beaver saying that he was their Father Their learning is very little or none Poets they are as may be ghessed by their formal speeches sometimes an hour long the last word of a line riming with the last word of the following line and the
like a pursenet put upon a round hoop'd stick with a handle in fresh ponds where they come to spawn The Bass and Blew-fish they take in harbours and at the mouth of barr'd Rivers being in their Canows striking them with a fisgig a kind of dart or staff to the lower end whereof they fasten a sharp jagged bone since they make them of Iron with a string fastened to it as soon as the fish is struck they pull away the staff leaving the bony head in the fishes body and fasten the other end of the string to the Canow Thus they will hale after them to shore half a dozen or half a score great fishes this way they take Sturgeon and in dark evenings when they are upon the fishing ground near a Bar of Sand where the Sturgeon feeds upon small fishes like Eals that are called Lances sucking them out of the Sands where they lye hid with their hollow Trunks for other mouth they have none the Indian lights a piece of dry Birch-Bark which breaks out into a flame holds it over the side of his Canow the Sturgeon seeing this glaring light mounts to the Surface of the water where he is slain and taken with a fisgig Salmons and Lampres are catch'd at the falls of Rivers All the Rivers of note in the Countrey have two or three desperate falls distant one from another for some miles for it being rising ground from the Sea and mountainous within land the Rivers having their Originals from great lakes and hastning to the Sea in their passage meeting with Rocks that are not so easily worn away as the loose earthie mould beneath the Rock makes a fall of the water in some Rivers as high as a house you would think it strange to see yea admire if you saw the bold Barbarians in their light Canows rush down the swift and headlong stream with desperate speed but with excellent dexterity guiding his Canow that seldom or never it shoots under water or overturns if it do they can swim naturally striking their pawes under their throat like a dog and not spreading their Arms as we do they turn their Canow again and go into it in the water Their Merchandize are their beads which are their money of these there are two sorts blew Beads and white Beads the first is their Gold the last their Silver these they work out of certain shells so cunningly that neither Jew nor Devil can counterfeit they dril them and string them and make many curious works with them to adorn the persons of their Sagamours and principal men and young women as Belts Girdles Tablets Borders for their womens hair Bracelets Necklaces and links to hang in their ears Prince Phillip a little before I came for England coming to Boston had a Coat on and Buskins set thick with these Beads in pleasant wild works and a broad Belt of the same his Accountrements were valued at Twenty pounds The English Merchant giveth them ten shillings a fathom for their white and as much more or near upon for their blew Beads Delicate sweet dishes too they make of Birch-Bark sowed with threads drawn from Spruse or white Cedar-Roots and garnished on the out-side with flourish works and on the brims with glistering quills taken from the Porcupine and dyed some black others red the white are natural these they make of all sizes from a dram cup to a dish containing a pottle likewise Buckets to carry water or the like large Boxes too of the same materials dishes spoons and trayes wrought very smooth and neatly out of the knots of wood baskets bags and matts woven with Sparke bark of the Line-Tree and Rushes of several kinds dyed as before some black blew red yellow bags of Porcupine quills woven and dyed also Coats woven of Turkie-feathers for their Children Tobacco pipes of stone with Imagerie upon them Kettles of Birchen-bark which they used before they traded with the French for Copper Kettles by all which you may apparently see that necessity was at first the mother of all inventions The women are the workers of most of these and are now here and there one excellent needle woman and will milk a Cow neatly their richest trade are Furs of divers sorts Black Fox Beaver Otter Bear Sables Mattrices Fox Wild-Cat Rattoons Martins Musquash Moose-skins Ships they have none but do prettily imitate ours in their Birchen-pinnaces their Canows are made of Birch they shape them with flat Ribbs of white Cedar and cover them with large sheets of Birch-bark sowing them through with strong threds of Spruse-Roots or white Cedar and pitch them with a mixture of Turpentine and the hard rosen that is dryed with the Air on the outside of the Bark of Firr-Trees These will carry half a dozen or three or four men and a considerable fraight in these they swim to Sea twenty nay forty miles keeping from the shore a league or two sometimes to shorten their voyage when they are to double a Cape they will put to shore and two of them taking up the Canow carry it cross the Cape or neck of land to the other side and to Sea again they will indure an incredible great Sea mounting upon the working billowes like a piece of Corke but they require skilful hands to guide them in rough weather none but the Indians scarce dare to undertake it such like Vessels the Ancient Brittains used as Lucan relates Primum cana salix madefacto vimine parvam Texitur in puppim caesoque induta juvenco Vectoris patiens tumidum super emicat amnem Sic Venetus stagnante Pado fusoque Britanus Navigat oceano When Sicoris to his own banks restor'd Had left the field of twigs and willow boord They made small Boats cover'd with Bullocks bide In which they reacht the Rivers further side So sail the Veneti if Padus flow The Brittains sail on their calm ocean so So the Aegyptians sail with woven Boats Of paper rushes in their Nilus Floats Their Government is monarchical the Patrueius or they that descend from the eldest proceeding from his loyns is the Roytelet of the Tribe and if he have Daughters his Son dying without a Son the Government descends to his Daughters Son after the same manner their lands descend Cheetadaback was the chief Sachem or Roytelet of the Massachusets when the English first set down there Massasoit the great Sachem of the Plimouth Indians his dwelling was at a place called Sowans about four miles distant from New-Plimouth Sasasacus was the chief Sachem of the Pequets and Mientoniack of the Narragansets The chief Roytelet amongst the Mohawks now living is a Dutchmans Bastard and the Roytelet now of the Pocanakets that is the Plimouth-Indians is Prince Philip alias Metacon the Grandson of Massasoit Amongst the Eastern Indians Summersant formerly was a famous Sachem The now living Sachems of note are Sabaccaman Terrumkin and Robinhood Their Wars are with Neighbouring Tribes but the Mowhawks are enemies to all the
that the English are afflicted with are the same that they have in England with some proper to New England griping of the belly accompanied with Feaver and Ague which turns to the bloudy-flâ—x a common disease in the Countrey which together with the small pox hath carried away abundance of their children for this the common medicines amongst the poorer sort are Pills of Cotton swallowed or Sugar and Sallet-oyl boiled thick and made into Pills Alloes pulverized and taken in the pap of an Apple I helped many of them with a sweating medicine only Also they are troubled with a disease in the mouth or throat which hath proved mortal to some in a very short time Quinsies and Impostumations of the Almonds with great distempers of cold Some of our New-England writers affirm that the English are never or very rarely heard to sneeze or cough as ordinarily they do in England which is not true For a cough or stitch upon cold Wormwood Sage Marygolds and Crabs-claws boiled in posset-drink and drunk off very warm is a soveraign medicine Pleurisies and Empyemas are frequent there both cured after one and the same way but the last is a desperate disease and kills many For the Pleurisie I have given Coriander-seed prepared Carduus-seed and Harts-horn pulverized with good success the dose one dram in a cup of Wine The Stone terribly afflicts many and the Gout and Sciatica for which take Onions roasted peeled and stampt then boil them with neats-feet oyl and Rhum to a plaister and apply it to the hip Head-aches are frequent Palsies Dropsies Worms Noli-me-tangeres Cancers pestilent Feavers Scurvies the body corrupted with Sea-diet Beef and Pork tainted Butter and Cheese corrupted fish rotten a long voyage coming into the searching sharpness of a purer climate causeth death and sickness amongst them Men and Women keep their complexions but lose their Teeth the Women are pittifully Tooth-shaken whether through the coldness of the climate or by sweet-meats of which they have store I am not able to affirm for the Toothach I have found the following medicine very available Brimstone and Gunpowder compounded with butter rub the mandible with it the outside being first warm'd For falling off of the hair occasioned by the coldness of the climate and to make it curl take of the strong water called Rhum and wash or bath your head therewith it is an admirable remedie For kibed heels to heal them take the yellowest part of Rozen pulverize it and work it in the palm of your hand with the tallow of a Candle to a salve and lay of it to the sore For frozen limbs a plaister framed with Soap Bay-salt and Molosses is sure or Cow-lung boiled in milk and applyed For Warts and Corns bathe them with sea-Sea-water There was in the Countrey not long since living two men that voided worms seven times their length Likewise a young maid that was troubled with a sore pricking at her heart still as she lean'd her body or stept down with her soot to the one side or the other this maid during her distemper voided worms of the length of a finger all hairy with black heads it so fell out that the maid dyed her friends desirous to discover the cause of the distemper of her heart had her open'd and found two crooked bones growing upon the top of the heart which as she bowed her body to the right or left side would job their points into one and the same place till they had worn a hole quite through At Cape-Porpus lived an honest poor planter of middle-ige and strong of body but so extreamly troubled with two lumps or wens as I conjectured within him on each side one that he could not rest for them day nor night being of great weight and swagging to the one side or the other according to the motion or posture of his body at last he dyed in Anno 1668 as I think or thereabouts Some Chirurgeons there were that proffered to open him but his wife would not assent to it and so his disease was hidden in the Grave It is the opinion of many men that the blackness of the Negroes proceeded from the curse upon Cham's posterity others again will have it to be the property of the climate where they live I pass by other Philosophical reasons and skill only render you my experimental knowledge having a Barbarie-moor under cure whose finger prickt with the bone of a fish was Impostumated after I had lanc'd it and let out the Corruption the skin began to rise with proud flesh under it this I wore away and having made a sound bottom I incarnated it and then laid on my skinning plaister then I perceived that the Moor had one skin more than Englishmen the skin that is basted to the flesh is bloudy and of the same Azure colour with the veins but deeper than the colour of our Europeans veins Over this is an other skin of a tawny colour and upon that Epidermis or Cuticula the flower of the skin which is that Snakes cast and this is tawny also the colour of the blew skin mingling with the tawny makes them appear black I do not peremptorily affirm this to be the cause but submit to better judgment More rarities of this nature I could make known unto you but I hasten to an end only a word or two of our English Creatures and then to Sea again I have given you an Account of such plants as prosper there and of such as do not but so briefly that I conceive it necessary to afford you some what more of them Plantain I told you sprang up in the Countrey after the English came but it is but one sort and that is broad-leaved plantain Gilliflowers thrive exceedingly there and are very large the Collibuy or humming-Bird is much pleased with them Our English dames make Syrup of them without fire they steep them in Wine till it be of a deep colour and then they put to it spirit of Vitriol it will keep as long as the other Eglantine or sweet Bryer is best sowen with Juniper-berries two or three to one Eglantine-berry put into a hole made with a stick the next year separate and remove them to your banks in three years time they will make a hedge as high as a man which you may keep thick and handsome with cutting Our English Clover-grass sowen thrives very well Radishes I have seen there as big as a mans Arm. Flax and Hemp flourish gallantly Our Wheat i. e. summer Wheat many times changeth into Rye and is subject to be blasted some say with a vapour breaking out of the earth others with a wind North-east or North-west at such time as it flowereth others again say it is with lightning I have observed that when a land of Wheat hath been smitten with a blast at one Corner it begins at the stem which will be spotted and goes upwards to the ear making it fruitless in 1669 the pond that lyeth between
Water-town and Cambridge cast its fish dead upon the shore forc't by a mineral vapour as was conjectured Our fruit-Trees prosper abundantly Apple-trees Pear-trees Quince-trees Cherry-trees Plum-trees Barberry-trees I have observed with admiration that the Kernels sownor the Succors planted produce as fair good fruit without graffing as the Tree from whence they were taken the Countrey is replenished with fair and large Orchards It was affirmed by one Mr. Woolcut a magistrate in Connecticut Colony at the Captains Messe of which I was aboard the Ship I came home in that he made Five hundred Hogsheads of Syder out of his own Orchard in one year Syder is very plentiful in the Countrey ordinarily sold for Ten shillings a Hogshead At the Tap-houses in Boston I have had an Ale-quart spic'd and sweetned with Sugar for a groat but I shall insert a more delicate mixture of it Take of Maligo-Raisons stamp them and put milk to them and put them in an Hippocras-bag and let it drain out of it self put a quantity of this with a spoonful or two of Syrup of Clove-Gilliflowers into every bottle when you bottle your Syder and your Planter will have a liquor that exceeds passada the Nectar of the Countrey The Quinces Cherries Damsons set the Dames a work Marmalad and preserved Damsons is to be met with in every house It was not long before I left the Countrey that I made Cherry-wine and so may others for there are good store of them both red and black Their fruit-trees are subject two diseases the Meazels which is when they are burned and scorched with the Sun and lowsiness when the wood-peckers job holes in their bark the way to cure them when they are lowsie is to bore a hole into the main root with an Augur and pour in a quantity of Brandie or Rhum and then stop it up with a pin made of the same Tree The first Neat carried thither was to New-Plimouth Anno 162 these thrive and increase exceedingly but grow less in body than those they are bred of yearly Horses there are numerous and here and there a good one they let them run all the year abroad and in the winter seldom provide any fother for them except it be Magistrates great Masters and Troopers Horses which brings them very low in flesh till the spring and so crest fallen that their crests never rise again Here I first met with that excrescence called Hippomanes which by some is said to grow on the forehead of a foal new cast and that the Mare bites it off as soon as foaled but this is but a fable A neighbour at Black point having a Mare with foal tyed her up in his Barn the next day she foaled and the man standing by spied a thing like a foals tongue to drop out of the foals mouth which he took up and presented me with it telling me withall that he had heard many wonderful things reported of it and that it was rank poyson I accepted of it gladly and brought it home with me when it was dry it lookt like Glow but of a dark brown colour to omit all other uses for it this I can assure you that a piece of it soakt in warm water or cold will take sport out of wollen Clothes being tub'd thereon Goats were the first small Cattle they had in the Countrey he was counted no body that had not a Trip or Flock of Goats a hee Goat gelt at Michaelmas and turn'd out to feed will be fat in a moneths time is as good meat as a weather I was taught by a Barbary Negro a medicine which before I proceed any further I will impart unto you and that was for a swelling under the throat Take Goats hair and clay and boil them in fair water to a poultis and apply it very warm Sheep now they have good store these and Goats bring forth two sometimes three Lambs and Kids at a time Hoggs are here innumerable every planter hath a Heard when they feed upon shell-fish and the like as they do that are kept near the Sea and by the fishers stages they tast fishie and rank but fed with white Oak-Acorns or Indian-Corn and Pease there is not better Pork in the whole world besides they sometimes have the Meazels which is known when their hinder legs are shorter than ordinary Catts and Dogs are as common as in England but our Dogs in time degenerate yet they have gallant Dogs both for fowl wild Beasts all over the Countrey the Indians store themselves with them being much better for their turns than their breed of wild dogs which are as I conceive like to the Tasso-canes or mountain dogs in Italy Of English Poultry too there is good store they have commonly three broods in a year the hens by that time they are three years old have spurs like the Cock but not altogether so big but as long they use to crow often which is so rare a thing in other Countries that they have a proverb Gallina recinit a Hen crowes And in England it is accounted ominous therefore our Farmers wives as soon as they hear a Hen crow wring off her neck and so they serve their spur'd Hens because they should not break their Eggs with their spurs when they sit In the year 1637. which was when I went my first Voyage to New-England a good woman brought aboard with her a lusty Cock and Hen that had horns like spurs growing out on each side of their Combs but she spoiled the breed killing of them at Sea to feed upon for she loved a fresh bit In Anno 1647 8. Certain Indians coming to our house clad in Deere-skin coats desired leave to lodge all night in our kitchin it being a very rainie season some of them lay down in the middle of the Room and others under the Table in the morning they went away before any of the people were up the poultry had their breakfast usually in cold weather in the kitchin and because they should not hinder the passing of the people too and again it was thrown under the Table in the afternoon they began to hang the wing in the night the sickest dropt dead from the perch and the next day most of them dyed we could not of a sudden ghess at the cause but thought the Indians had either bewitched or poysoned them it came at last into my head seeing their Crops very full or rather much swell'd to open them where I found as much Deers hair as Corn they that pickt up none of the hair lived and did well In the year 1667. October the 7th amongst our poultry we had one white game Cock of the French kâ—nd a bird of high price when he was three years old he drooped and his spirit was quite gone one of our Negro maids finding him in the yard dead brought him into the house and acquainted me with it I caused her to draw him when his guts were all
lying just in the middle betwixt the two poles being in compass from West to East 360 degrees every degree thereof on the terrestrial Globe valuing 20 English miles or 60 miles Into the Bay of St. Lawrence the River of St. Lawrence or Canada disimbogues it self a River far exceeding any River in the elder world thirty or forty mile over at the mouth and in the Channel one hundred fathom deep it runs on the back-side of New England and Virginia the French it is said have gone up six weeks voyage in it and have not yet discovered the spring-head the longitude is 334 degrees 11 seconds in 50 degrees 21 minutes of North latitude This may satisfie a modest Reader and I hope yield no offence to any I shall onely speak a word or two of the people in the province of Main and the Dukes province and so conclude The people in the province of Main may be divided into Magistrates Husbandmen or Planters and fishermen of the Magistrates some be Royalists the rest perverse Spirits the like are the planters and fishers of which some be planters and fishers both others meer fishers Handicrafts-men there are but few the Tumelor or Cooper Smiths and Carpenters are best welcome amongst them shop-keepers there are none being supplied by the Massachusets Merchants with all things they stand in need of keeping here and there fair Magazines stored with English goods but they set excessive prices on them if they do not gain Cent per Cent they cry out that they are losers hence English shooes are sold for Eight and Nine shillings a pair worsted stockins of Three shillings six pence a pair for Seven and Eight shillings a pair Douglass that is sold in England for one or two and twenty pence an ell for four shillings a yard Serges of two shillings or three shillings a yard for Six and Seven shillings a yard and so all sorts of Commodities both for planters and fishermen as Cables Cordage Anchors Lines Hooks Nets Canvas for Sails c. Bisket twenty five shillings a hundred Salt at an excessive rate pickled-herrin for winter bait Four and five pound a barrel with which they speed not so well as the waggish lad at Cape-porpus who baited his hooks with the drown'd Negro's buttocks so for Pork and Beef The planters are or should be restless pains takers providing for their Cattle planting and sowing of Corn fencing their grounds cutting and bringing home fuel cleaving of claw-board and pipe-staves fishing for fresh water fish and fowling takes up most of their time if not all the diligent hand maketh rich but if they be of a droanish disposition as some are they become wretchedly poor and miserable scarce able to free themselves and family from importunate famine especially in the winter for want of bread They have a custom of taking Tobacco sleeping at noon sitting long at meals sometimes four times in a day and now and then drinking a dram of the bottle extraodinarily the smoaking of Tobacco if moderately used refresheth the weary much and so doth sleep A Traveller five hours doth crave To sleep a Student seven will have And nine sleeps every Idle knave The Physician allowes but three draughâ—s at a meal the first for need the second for pleasure and the third for sleep but little observed by them unless they have no other liquor to drink but water In some places where the springs are frozen up or at least the way to their springs made unpassable by reason of the snow and the like they dress their meat in Aqua Caelestis i. e. melted snow at other times it is very well cookt and they feed upon generally as good flesh Beef Pork Mutton Fowl and fish as any is in the whole world besides Their Servants which are for the most part English when they are out of their time will not work under half a Crown day although it be for to make hay and for less I do not see how they can by reason of the dearness of clothing If they hire them by the year they pay them Fourteen or Fifteen pound yea Twenty pound at the years end in Corn Cattle and fish some of these prove excellent fowlers bringing in as many as will maintain their masters house besides the profit that accrews by their feathers They use when it is to be had a great round shot called Barstable shot which is best for fowl made of a lead blacker than our common lead to six pound of shot they allow one pound of powder Cannon powder is esteemed best The fishermen take yearly upon the coasts many hundred kentals of Cod hake haddock polluck c. which they split salt and dry at their stages making three voyages in a year When they share their fish which is at the end of every voyage they separate the best from the worst the first they call Mâ—rchantable fish being sound full grown fish and well made up which is known when it is clear like a Lanthorn horn and without spots the second sort they call refuse fish that is such as is salt burnt spotted rotten and carelesly ordered these they put off to the Massachusets Merchants the merchantable for thirty and two and thirty ryals a kental a kental is an hundred and twelve pound weight the refuse for Nine shillings and Ten shillings a kental the Merchant sends the merchantable fish to Lisbanne Bilbo Burdeaux Marsiles Talloâ—n Rochel â—â—an and other Cities of France to the Canaries with claâ—-board and pipe-staves which is there and at the Charibs a prime Commodity the refuse fish they put off at the Charib-Islands Barbadoes Jamaica c. who seed their Negroes with it To every Shallop belong four fishermen a Master or Steersman a Midship-man and a Foremast-man and a shore man who washes it out of the salt and dries it upon hurdles pitcht upon stakes breast high and tends their Cookery these often get in one voyage Eight or Nine pound a man for their shares but it doth some of them little good for the Merchant to increase his gains by putting off his Commodity in the midst of their voyages and at the end thereof comes in with a walking Tavern a Bark laden with the Legitimate bloud of the rich grape which they bring from Phial Madera Canaries with Brandy Rhum the Barbadoes strong-water and Tobacco coming ashore he gives them a Taster or two which so charms them that for no perswasions that their imployers can use will they go out to Sea although fair and seasonable weather for two or three days nay sometimes a whole week till they are wearied with drinking taking ashore two or three Hogsheads of Wine and Rhum to drink off when the Merchant is gone If a man of quality chance to come where they are roystering and gulling in Wine with a dear selicity he must be sociable and Roly-poly with them taking off their liberal cups as freely or else be gone which is best for him for
when Wine in their guts is at full Tide they quarrel fight and do one another mischief which is the conclusion of their drunken compotations When the day of payment comes they may justly complain of their costly sin of drunkenness for their shares will do no more than pay the reckoning if they save a Kental or two to buy shooâ—s and stockins shirts and wastcoats wâ—th 't is well otherwayes they must enter into the Merchants books for such things as they stand in need off becoming thereby the Merchants slaves when it riseth to a big sum are constrained to mortgage their plantation if they have any the Merchant when the time is expired is sure to seize upon their plantation and stock of Cartle turning them out of house and home poor Creatures â—o look out for a new habitation in some remote place where they begin the world again The lavish planters have the same fate partaking with them in the like bad husbandry of these the Merchant buys Beef Pork Pease Wheat and Indian Corn and sâ—lls it again many times to the fishermen Of the same nature are the people in the Dekes province who not long before I left the Countrey petitioned the Governour and Magistrates in the Massachusets to take them into their Government Birds of a feather will ralley together Anno Dom. 1671. The year being now well spent and the Government of the province turned topsiâ—â—vy being heartily weary and expecting the approach of winter I took my leave of my friends at Black-paint And on the 28 of August being Monday I shipt my self and my goods aboard of a shallâ—p bound for Boston towards Sun set â—â—e wind being contrary we put into Gibbâ—ns his Island a small Island in Winner harbour â—bout two leagues from black-point West-ward here we stayed till the 30. day being Wednesday about nine of the clock we set sail and towards Sun-set came up with Gorgiana the 31 day being Thursday we put into Cape-Ann-harbour about Suâ—â—â—t September the 1 being Saturday in the morning before day we seâ— sail and came to Boston about three of the clock in the afternoon where I â—ound the Inhabitants exceedingly â—fflâ—cted with griping of the guts and Heaver and Ague and bloudy Flux The Eight day of October being Wednesday I boarded the new-Supply of Boston 1â—0 Tun a Ship of better saâ—l than defence her Guns being small and for salutation only the Master Capt. Fairweather her sailers 16. and as many passengers Towards night I returned to Boston again the next day being Thanksgiving day on Fryday the Tenth day we weighed Anchor and fell down to Hull The 12 and 13 day about 20 leagues from Cape-Sable a bitter storm took us beginning at seven of the clock at night which put us in terrible fear of being driven upon the Cape or the Island of Sables where many a tall ship hath been wrackt November the One and twenty about two of the clock afternoon we saw within kenning before us thick clouds which put us in hope of land the Boson brings out his purse into which the passengers put their good will then presently he nails it to the main-mast up go the boyes to the mainmast-top sitting there like so many Crowes when after a while one of them cryes out land which was glad tidings to the wearied passengers the boyes descend and the purse being taken from the mast was distributed amongst them the lad that first descryed land having a double share about three of the clock Scilly was three leagues off The Four and twentieth day we came to Deal from thence the 25. to Lee the 26. being Sunday we steemed the Tide to Gravesend about two of the clock afternoon The 27 we came up with Wollich where I landed and refresht my self for that night next day I footed it four or five miles to Bexley in Kent to visit a near kinsman the next day proved rainie the 30 day being Fryday my kinsman accommodated me with a Horse and his man to Greenwich where I took a pair of Oars and went aboard our Ship then lying before Radeliff here I lay that night Next day being Saturday and the first of December I cleared my goods shot the bridge and landed at the Temple about seven of the clock at night which makes my voyage homeward 7 weeks and four days and from my first setting out from London to my returning to London again Eight years Six moneths and odd days Now by the merciful providence of the Almighty having perform'd Two voyages to the North-east parts of the Western-world I am safely arrived in my Native Countrey having in part made good the French proverb Travail where thou canst but dye where thou oughtest that is in thine own Countrey FINIS Chronological OBSERVATIONS OF AMERICA From the year of the World to the year of Christ 1673. LONDON Printed for Giles Widdowes at the Green 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Paul's-Church-yard 1674. The Preface THE Terrestrial World is by our learned Geographers divided into four parts Europe Asia Africa and America so named from Americus Vespucius the Florentine Seven years after Columbus although Columbus and Cabota deserved rather the honour of being Godfathers to it notwithstanding by this name it is now known to us but was utterly unknown to the Ancient Europeans before their times I will not say to the Africans and Asians for Plato in his Timeus relateth of a great Island called Atlantis and Philo the Jew in his book De mundo that it was over-flowen with water by reason of a mighty Earthquake The like happened to it 600 years before Plato thus was the Atlantick Ocean caused to be a Sea if you will believe the same Philosopher who flourished 366 years before the Birth of our Saviour America is bounded on the South with the streight of Magellan where there are many Islands distinguished by an interflowing Bay the West with the pacifique Sea or mare-del-zur which Sea runs towards the North separateing it from the East parts of Asia on the East with the Atlantick or our western Ocean called mare-del-Nort and on the North with the Sea that separateth it from Groveland thorow which Seas the supposed passage to China lyeth these North parts as yet are but barely discovered by our voyagers The length of this new World between the streights of Anian and Magellan is 2400 German miles in breadth between Cabo de fortuna near the Anian streights is 1300 German nâ—tles About 18 leagues from Nombre de dios on the South-Sea lyeth Panama a City having three fair Menasteriâ—s in it where the narrowest part of the Countrey is it is much less than Asia and far bigger than Europe and as the rest of the world divided into Islands and Continent the Continent supposed to contain about 1152400000 Acres The Native people I have spoken of already The discoverers and Planters of Colonies especially in the Northeast parts together with a continuation of the proceedings of the English in
Huet Minister arrived in New-England Mr. Peck and Mr. Saxton A Church gathered at Braintree Mr. Wheelright pastor Mr. Henry Dunster arrived in New-England Anno Domini 1641 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth Colony Mr. Richard Belingham chosen Governour of the Massachusets Colony Mr. John Endicot Deputy A Church gathered at Glocester in the Massachusets Colony A sharp winter in New-England the harbours and salt bayes frozen over so as passable for Men Horses Oxen and Carts five weeks Anno Domini 1642 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth Colony Mr. John Winthorp chosen Governour of the Massachusets Colony John Endicot Esq Deputy Governour This Spring Cowes and Cattle fell from 22 pound a Cow to six seven and eight pound a Cow of a sudden A Church now gathered at Weeburn in the Massachusets Colony Thirteen able Ministers now at this time in new-Plimouth Jurisdiction Harvard-Colledge founded with a publick Library Ministers bred in New-England and excepting about 10 in Harvard-Colledge one hundred thirty two of which dyed in the Countrey Ten now living eighty one removed to England sorty one June Warwick Parliament Admiral Anno Domini 1643 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of the new-Plimouth Colony Mr. John Winthorp chosen Governour of the Massachusets Colony Mr. John Endicot Deputy Governour May 19. the first Combination of the four united Colonies viz. Plimouth Massachusets Connecticut and new-haven Anno Domini 1644 Mr. Edward Winslow chosen Governour of new Plimouth Colony John Endicot Esq chosen Governour of the Massachusets Colony John Winthorp Esq Deputy Governour A Church gathered at Haveril Mr. Roger Harlackendin dyed about this time A Church gathered at Reading in New-England A Church gathered at Wenham both in the Massachusets Colony The Town of Eastham erected 〈◊〉 some in Plimouth Anno Domini 1645 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth Colony Mr. Thomas Dudley chosen Governour of the Massachusets Colony and Mr. John Winthorp Deputy Governour Mr. John Endicot major General A Church gathered at Springfield Anno Domini 1646 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth Colony Mr. John Winthorp chosen Governour of the Massachusets Mr. Thomas Dudley Deputy and Mr. John Endicot major General Two Suns appeared towards the latter end of the year This year they drew up a body of Laws for the well ordering of their Common-wealth as they termed it printed in 1648. Three men of War arrived in new-Plimouth harbour under the Command of Capt. Thomas Cromwell richly laden a mutiny amongst the Sea-men whereby one man was killed The second Synod at Cambridge touching the duty and power of magistrates in matters of Religion Secondly the nature and power of Syâ—â—â— Mâ— John Eliot first preached to the Indians in their Native language the principal Instruments of converting the Indians Mr. John Eliot Senior Mr. John Eliot Junior Mr. Thomas Mayhew Mr. Pierson Mr. Brown Mr. James and Mr. Cotton Anno Domini 1647 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth Colony Mr. John Winthoâ—p chosen Governour of the Massachusets Colony Mr. Thomas Dudley Deputy Governour and Mr. John Endicot Major General Now Mr. Thomas Hooker pastâ—r of the Church at Hertford dyed The Tartars over-run China Anno Domini 1648 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new Plimouth Colony John Winthorp chosen Govenour of the Mâ—ssachusets colony Mr. Thomas Dudley Deputy Governour Mr. John Endicot major General A Church gathered at Andover A Church gathered at Mâ—lden Mr. Sarjant pastor A second Church gathered at Boston A third Synod at Cambridge publishing the pâ—aâ—form of Discipline Jan. 30. King Charles the first murdered Charles the Second began his Raign Their Laws in the Massachusets colony printed Anno Domini 1649 John Winthorp Esq Governour of the Massachusets colony March the 26 deceased Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new Plimouth Mr. John Endicot chosen Governour of the Massachusets colony Mr. Thomas Dudley Deputy Governour Mr. Gibbons major General An innumerable Company of Caterpillars in some parts of New-England destroyed the fruits of the Earth August the 25 Mr. Thomas Shepherd Pastor of Cambridge Church dyed Mr. Phillips also dyed this year Anno Domini 1650 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. Thomas Dudley chosen Governour of the Massachusets colony Mr. John Endicot Deputy Governour Mr. Gibbons major General A great mortality amongst children this year in New-England Anno Domini 1651 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. John Endicot chosen Governour of the Massachusets coâ—â—ny Mr. Thomas Dudley Deputy Governour Mr. Gibbons major General The City Bilbo totally cover'd with waters for 15 days 16 foot above the tops of the highâ—st houses the loss was very much to the whole Kingdom there being their stock of dryed fish and dryed Goat the general dyet of Spair Barâ—â—dâ—s surrâ—ndred to the Parliament its longitude 322 latitude 13 degrees 17 or 18 miles in compass Hugh Peters and Mr. Wells and John Baker returned into England Anno Domini 1652 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. Jâ—hn Endicot chosen Governour of the Mâ—ssachusets colony Mr. Thomas Dudley Deputy Governour Mr. Gibbons major Gâ—neral John Cotton Teacher of Bâ—ston Church dyed a Comet was seen at the time of his sickness hanging over New-England which â—â—â—nt out soon after his death The Spirits that took Children in England said to be set a work first by the Parliament and Hugh Peters as chief Agent Actor or Procurer Anno Domini 1653 Oliver Cromwell Uâ—urped the Title of Protector December the Sixteenth Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. Thomas Dudley chosen Governour of the Massachusets colony Mr. John Endicot Deputy Governour Mr. Gibbons major General Mr. Thomas Dudley Governour of the Massachusets colony dyed aged about 77 years at his house at Râ—xebury July 31. A great fire at Boston in New-England Anno Domini 1654 Mr. William Bradfoâ—d chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. Bellingham Governour Endicot Deputy Major General Gibbons dyed this year Anno Domini 1655 Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. John Endicot Governour of the Massachusets Bellingham Deputy Jamaica taken by the English Anno Domini 1656 General Mountague taketh Spanish prizes Mr. William Bradford chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. John Endicot Governour of the Mâ—ssachusets Mr. Francis Willowby Deputy Anno Domini 1657 Mr. Thomas Prince chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mâ— William Bradford now dyed Mr. John Endicot Governour Bellingham Deputy Mr. Theophilus Eaton Governour of New-haven colony dyed Fifth monarchy-men rebell The Quakers arrive at new-Plimouth Anno Domini 1658 Oliver Cromwell dyed September the third Richard Cromwell set up Mr. Thomas Prince chosen Governour of new-Plimouth colony Mr. John Endicot chosen Governour of the Massachusets Bellingham Deputy A great Earth-quake in New-England Mr. Ralph Partrick minister at Ruxbury now deceased John Philips of Marshfield slain by thunder and lightning Anno Domini 1659 Mr. Thomas Prince chosen