the well ordering of their Commonwealth, as they not long since
termed it.
The military part of their Commonwealth is governed by one
Major-General, and three Serjeant Majors; to the Major-General
belongeth particularly the Town of _Boston_, to the three Serjeant
Majors belong the four Counties, but with submission to the
Major-General. The first Serjeant Major chosen for the County
of _Suffolk_ was Major _Gibbons_. For the County of _Middlesex_
Major _Sedgwick_. For the County of _Essex_ and _Northfolk_ Major
_Denison_.
Every Town sends two Burgesses to their great and solemn general
Court.
For being drunk, they either whip or impose a fine of Five
shillings; so for swearing and cursing, or boring through the
tongue with a hot Iron.
For kissing a woman in the street, though in way of civil salute,
whipping or a fine.
For Single fornication whipping or a fine.
For Adultery, put to death, and so for witchcraft.
An _English_ woman suffering an _Indian_ to have carnal knowledge
of her, had an _Indian_ cut out exactly in red cloth sewed [p.
179.] upon her right Arm, and injoyned to wear it twelve moneths.
Scolds they gag and set them at their doors for certain hours, for
all comers and goers by to gaze at.
Stealing is punished with restoring four fould, if able; if not,
they are sold for some years, and so are poor debtors.
If you desire a further inspection to their Laws, I must refer
you to them being in print, too many for to be inserted into this
Relation.
The Governments of their Churches are Independent and Presbyterial,
every Church (for so they call their particular Congregations)
have one Pastor, one Teacher, Ruling Elders and Deacons.
They that are members of their Churches have the Sacraments
administred to them, the rest that are out of the pale as they
phrase it, are denyed it. Many hundred Souls there be amongst them
grown up to men & womens estate that were never Christened.
They judge every man and woman to pay Five shillings _per_ day, who
comes not to their Assemblies, and impose fines of forty shillings
and fifty shillings on such as meet together to worship God.
[p. 180.] Quakers they whip, banish, and hang if they return again.
Anabaptists they imprison, fine and weary out.
The Government both Civil and Ecclesiastical is in the hands of the
thorow-pac’d Independents and rigid Presbyterians.
The grose _Goddons_, or great masters, as also some of their
Merchants are damnable rich; generally all of their judgement,
inexplicably covetous and proud, they receive your gifts but as
an homage or tribute due to their transcendency, which is a fault
their Clergie are also guilty of, whose living is upon the bounty
of their hearers. On Sundays in the afternoon when Sermon is ended
the people in the Galleries come down and march two a breast up one
Ile and down the other, until they come before the desk, for Pulpit
they have none: before the desk is a long pue where the Elders and
Deacons sit, one of them with a mony box in his hand, into which
the people as they pass put their offering, some a shilling, some
two shillings, half a Crown, five shillings according to their
ability and good will, after this they conclude with a Psalm; but
this by the way.
The chiefest objects of discipline, Religion, [p. 181.] and
morality they want, some are of a _Linsie-woolsie_ disposition, of
several professions in Religion, all like _Æthiopians_ white in
the Teeth only, full of ludification and injurious dealing, and
cruelty the extreamest of all vices. The chiefest cause of _Noah’s_
floud, Prov. 27. 26. _Agni erant ad vestitum tuum_, is a frequent
Text among them, no trading for a stranger with them, but with a
_Græcian_ faith, which is not to part with your ware without ready
money, for they are generally in their payments recusant and slow,
great Syndies, or censors, or controllers of other mens manners,
and savagely factious amongst themselves.
There are many strange women too, (in _Salomon’s_ sence) more the
pitty, when a woman hath lost her Chastity, she hath no more to
lose.
But mistake me not to general speeches, none but the guilty take
exceptions, there are many sincere and religious people amongst
them, descryed by their charity and humility (the true Characters
of Christianity) by their Zenodochie or hospitality, by their
hearty submission to their Soveraign the King of _England_, by
their diligent and honest labour in their callings, amongst these
we may account the Royalists, who are lookt upon with an evil eye,
and [p. 182.] tongue, boulted or punished if they chance to lash
out; the tame _Indian_ (for so they call those that are born in the
Countrey) are pretty honest too, and may in good time be known for
honest Kings men.
They have store of Children, and are well accommodated with
Servants; many hands make light work, many hands make a full
fraught, but many mouths eat up all, as some old planters have
experimented; of these some are _English_, others _Negroes_: of the
_English_ there are can eat till they sweat, and work till they
freeze; & and of the females that are like Mrs. _Winters_ paddocks,
very tender fingerd in cold weather.
There are none that beg in the Countrey, but there be Witches too
many, bottle-bellied Witches amongst the Quakers, and others that
produce many strange apparitions if you will believe report, of
a _Shallop_ at Sea man’d with women; of a Ship, and a great red
Horse standing by the main-mast, the Ship being in a small _Cove_
to the East-ward vanished of a suddain. Of a Witch that appeared
aboard of a Ship twenty leagues to Sea to a Mariner who took up the
Carpenters broad Axe and cleft her head with it, the Witch dying of
the wound at home, with such like bugbears and _Terriculamentaes_.
[p. 183.] It is published in print, that there are not much less
than Ten hundred thousand souls _English_, _Scotch_ and _Irish_ in
_New-England_.
Most of their first Magistrates are dead, not above two left in the
_Massachusets_, but one at _Plimouth_, one at _Connecticut_, and
one at _New-haven_, they having done their generation work are laid
asleep in their beds of rest till the day of doom, there and then
to receive their reward according as they have done be it good or
evil. Things of great indurance we see come to ruine, and alter,
as great Flouds and Seas dryed up; mighty hills and mountains sunk
into hollow bottoms: marvel not then that man is mortal, since his
nature is unconstant and transitory.
The Diseases 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-flux, 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 [p. 184.] 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, [p. 185.] 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-dung boiled in milk and applyed.
For Warts and Corns, bathe them with Sea-water.
[p. 186.] 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 foot 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-age, 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.
[p. 187.] 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.
[p. 188.] 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 man’s Arm.
_Flax_ and _Hemp_ flourish gallantly.
Our _Wheat_ i. e. summer _Wheat_ many [p. 189.] 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 hath infected the rest
in a weeks time, 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 sown or 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 [p. 190.] 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 to 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 [p. 191.] _New-Plimouth_
_Anno_ 1624 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 Glew, 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 spots out
of wollen Clothes being rub’d thereon.
[p. 192.] _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 [p. 193.] 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 [p. 194.] 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_ kind, 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 drawn out she put in her hand again and felt a
lump in his body as big as a half-peny loaf, strongly fastned to
his back, and much ado she had to pull it out; I found it to be
a tuff bag, containing stuff like liver, and very heavie, at one
end [p. 195.] of the bag, another little bag filled with a fatty
matter, his gizard, liver, and heart wasted. The Pipe or Roupe is
a common disease amongst their poultry infecting one another with
it. I conceive it cometh of a cold moisture of the brain, they will
be very sleepie with it, the best cure for it is _Garlick_, and
smoaking of them with dryed _Hysope_.
In _September_ following my Arrivage in the _Massachusets_ about
the twelfth hour of the eight day, I shipt my self and goods in a
Bark bound to the East-ward, meeting as we sailed out the _Dutch_
Governour of _New-Netherlands_, who was received and entertained
at _Boston_ by the Governour and Magistrates with great solemnity.
About nine of the clock at night we came to _Salem_ and lay aboard
all night.
The Ninth day we went ashore to view the Town which is a mile long,
and lay that night at a Merchants house.
The Tenth day we came from _Salem_ about twelve of the clock back
to _Marble-head_: here we went ashore and recreated our selves with
Musick and a cup of Sack and saw the Town, about ten at night we
returned to our Bark and lay aboard.
The Eleventh being Saturday, and the wind contrary, we came to
_Charles-town_, [p. 196.] again about twelve of the clock we took
store of _Mackarel_.
The Thirteenth being Monday, we went aboard again about nine of the
clock in the morning and out to Sea, about Sun going down we took
store of _Mackarel_. The
wind was scanty all along, and in the night time we durst not bear
much sail, because of the Rocks and foaming breakers that lay in
our way.
The Fourteenth day we came up with _Pascataway_, or _Pascatique_,
where there is a large River and a fair harbour, within here
is seated a Colony, properly belonging to the Heirs of Captain
_Mason_ sometime since of _London_; but taken into the Colony of
_Massachusets_, by what right I will not here discuss.
The chiefest places of note are the _Bay_ or _Harbour_ North from
_Boston_, on the West-side of the Harbour are built many fair
houses, and so in another part called _Strawberry-bank_.
By the Harbour is an Island which of late days is filled with
buildings, besides there are two Towns more seated up higher upon
the River, the one called _Dover_; the River-banks are clothed
with stately Timber, and here are two miles meadow land and arable
enough; the other town is called _Excester_.
[p. 197.] At the River _Pascataway_ begins the Province of _Main_:
having pleased our selves with the sight of _Pascataway_ at a
distance we sailed on, and came to _Black-point_.
The Fifteenth day, about eight of the clock at night, where the
next day I was shrewdly pinched with a great frost, but having two
or three bottles of excellent _Passada_, and good cheer bestowed
upon me I made a shift to bear it out, and now we are in the
Province of _Main_.