The land affordeth the inhabitants as many rarities as any place else,
and the sea more: the Basse continuing from the middle of Aprill to
_Michaelmas_, which stayes not above half that time in the Bay: besides
here is a great deale of Rock-cod and Macrill, insomuch that shoales of
Basse have driven up shoales of Macrill from one end of the sandie
beach to the other, which the inhabitants have gathered up in
wheel-barrowes. The Bay that lyeth before the Towne at a low spring
tyde, will be all flatts for two miles together, upon which is great
store of Musclebanckes, and Clam bancks, and Lobsters amongst the
rockes and grassie holes. These flatts make it unnavigable for shippes,
yet at high water great Boates, Loiters, and Pinnaces of 20, and 30
tun, may saile up to the plantation, but they neede have a skilfull
Pilote, because of many dangerous rockes and foaming breakers, that lye
at the mouth of that Bay. The very aspect of the place is fortification
enough to keepe off an unknowne enemie, yet may it be fortified at a
little charge, being but few landing places there about, and those
obscure. Foure miles Northeast from _Saugus_ lyeth _Salem_, which
stands on the middle of a necke of land very pleasantly, having a South
river on the one side, and a North river on the other side: upon this
necke where the most of the houses stand is very bad and sandie ground,
yet for seaven yeares together it hath brought forth exceeding good
corne, by being fished but every third yeare; in some places is very
good ground, and very good timber, and divers springs hard by the sea
side. Here likewise is store of fish, as Basses, Eeles, Lobsters,
Clammes, &c. Although their land be none of the best, yet beyond those
rivers is a very good soyle, where they have taken farmes, and get
their Hay, and plant their corne; there they crosse these rivers with
small Cannowes, which are made of whole pine trees, being about two
foot & a half over, and 20. foote long: in these likewise they goe a
fowling, sometimes two leagues to sea; there be more Cannowes in this
towne than in all the whole Patent; every houshould having a
water-house or two. This Towne wants an Alewife river, which is a great
inconvenience; it hath two good harbours, the one being called Winter,
and the other Summer harbour, which lyeth within _Derbies_ Fort, which
place if it were well fortified, might keepe shippes from landing of
forces in any of those two places. _Marvill Head_ is a place which
lyeth 4 miles full South from _Salem_, and is a very convenient place
for a plantation, especially for such as will set upon the trade of
fishing. There was made here a ships loading of fish the last yeare,
where still stands the stages, and drying scaffolds; here be good
harbour for boates, and safe riding for shippes. _Agowamme_ is nine
miles to the North from _Salem_, which is one of the most spatious
places for a plantation, being neare the sea, it aboundeth with fish,
and flesh of fowles and beasts, great Meads and Marshes and plaine
plowing grounds, many good rivers and harbours and no rattle snakes. In
a word, it is the best place but one, which is _Merrimacke_, lying 8
miles beyond it, where is a river 20 leagues navigable, all along the
river side is fresh Marshes, in somes places 3 miles broad. In this
river is Sturgeon, Sammon, and Basse, and divers other kinds of fish.
To conclude, the Countrie hath not that which this place cannot yeeld.
So that these two places may containe twice as many people as are yet
in new _England_: there being as yet scarce any inhabitants in these
two spacious places. Three miles beyond the river of _Merrimacke_ is
the outside of our Patent for the _Massachusetts_ Bay. These be all the
Townes that were begun, when I came for _England_, which was the 15 of
August 1633.
CHAP. XI.
_Of the evills, and such things as are hurtfull in
the Plantation._
I have informed you of the Country in generall and of every plantation
in particular, with their commodities and wherein one excelleth
another. Now that I may be every way faithfull to my reader in this
worke, I will as fully and truely relate to you what is evill, and of
most annoyance to the inhabitants. First: those which bring most
prejudice to their estates are the ravenous Woolves, which destroy the
weaker Cattell, but of these you have heard before: that which is most
injurious to the person and life of man is a rattle snake which is
generally a yard and a halfe long, as thicke in the middle as the small
of a mans legge, she hath a yellow belly, her backe being spotted with
blacke, russet, yellow, and greene colours, placed like scales; at her
taile is a rattle, with which she makes a noyse when she is molested,
or when she seeth any approach neere her, her necke seemes to be no
thicker than a mans thumbe yet can she swallow a Squerill, having a
great wide mouth, with teeth as sharpe as needles, wherewith she biteth
such as tread upon her: her poyson lyeth in her teeth, for she hath no
sting. When any man is bitten by any of these creatures, the poyson
spreads so suddenly through the veines & so runs to the heart, that in
one houre it causeth death, unlesse he hath the Antidote to expell the
poyson, which is a root called snakeweed, which must be champed, the
spittle swallowed, and the root applyed to the sore; this is present
cure against that which would be present death without it: this weede
is ranck poyson, if it be taken by any man that is not bitten:
whosoever is bitten by these snakes his flesh becomes as spotted as a
Leaper until hee be perfectly cured. It is reported that if the party
live that is bitten, the snake will dye, and if the partie die, the
snake will live. This is a most poysonous and dangerous creature, yet
nothing so bad as the report goes of him in _England_. For whereas he
is sayd to kill a man with his breath, and that he can flye, there is
no such matter, for he is naturally the most sleepie and unnimble
creature that lives, never offering to leape or bite any man, if he be
not troden on first, and it is their desire in hot weather to lye in
pathes, where the sunne may shine on them, where they will sleepe so
soundly that I have knowne foure men stride over one of them, and never
awake her; 5 or 6 men have beene bitten by them, which by using of
snake weede were all cured, never any yet losing his life by them.
Cowes have beene bitten, but being cut in divers places, and this weede
thrust into their flesh were cured. I never heard of any beast that was
yet lost by any of them, saving one Mare. A small switch will easily
kill one of these snakes. In many places of the Countrie there bee none
of them, as at _Plimouth_, _Newtowne_, _Igowamme_, _Nahant_, _&c._ In
some places they will live on one side of the river, and swimming but
over the water, as soone as they be come into the woods, they turne up
their yellow bellies and dye. Vp into the Countrey westward from the
plantations is a high hill, which is called rattlesnake hill, where
there is great store of these poysonous creatures. There be divers
other kinde of snakes, one whereof is a great long blacke snake, two
yards in length which will glide through the woods very swiftly; these
never doe any hurt, neither doth any other kinde of snakes molest
either man or beast. These creatures in the winter time creepe into
clifts of rockes and into holes under ground, where they lie close till
May or Iune. Here likewise bee great store of frogs, which in the
Spring doe chirpe and whistle like a bird, and at the latter end of
summer croake like our English frogges. Heere be also toades which will
climbe the topes of high trees where they will sit croaking, to the
wonderment of such as are not acquainted with them. I never saw any
Wormes or Moles, but pismires and spiders be there. There are likewise
troublesome flies. First there is a wilde Bee or Waspe, which commonly
guards the grape, building her cobweb habitation amongst the leaves:
secondly a great greene flye, not much unlike our horse flyes in
_England_; they will nippe so sore that they wil fetch blood either of
man or beast, and be most troublesome where most Cattle be, which
brings them from out of the woods to the houses; this flye continues
but for the Moneth of Iune. The third is a Gurnipper which is a small
blacke fly no bigger than a flea; her biting causeth an itching upon
the hands or face, which provoketh scratching which is troublesome to
some; this fly is busie but in close mornings or evenings, and
continues not above three weekes, the least winde or heate expells
them. The fourth is a Musketoe which is not unlike to our gnats in
_England_; In places where there is no thicke woods or Swampes, there
is none or very few. In new Plantations they be troublesome for the
first yeare, but the wood decaying they vanish: these Flies cannot
endure winde, heate or cold, so that these are onely troublesome in
close thicke weather, and against raine many that be bitten will fall a
scratching, whereupon their faces and hands swell. Others are never
troubled with them at all: those likewise that swell with their biting
the first yeare, never swell the second: for my owne part I have bin
troubled as much with them or some like them, in the Fen country of
_England_ as ever I was there: Here be the flies that are called
Chantharides, so much esteemed of Chirurgions, with divers kinds of
Butterflies. Thus have you heard of the worst of the countrey: but some
peradventure may say no, and reply that they have heard that the people
have beene often driven to great wants and extremities; To which I
answer, it is true that some have lived for a certaine time with a
little bread, other without any, yet all this argues nothing against
the countrey in it selfe, but condemnes the folly and improvidence of
such as would venture into so rude and unmanaged a countrey, without so
much provisions as should have comfortably maintained them in health
and strength till by their labours they had brought the land to yeeld
his fruite. I have my selfe heard some say that they heard it was a
rich land, a brave country, but when they came there they could see
nothing but a few Canvis Boothes & old houses, supposing at the first
to have found walled townes, fortifications and corne fields, as if
townes could have built themselves, or corne fields have growne of
themselves, without the husbandrie of man. These men missing of their
expectations, returned home and railed against the Country. Others may
object that of late time there hath beene great want; I denie it not,
but looke to the originall, and tell me from whence it came. The roote
of their want sprung up in _England_, for many hundreds hearing of the
plenty of the Country, were so much their owne foes and Countries
hindrance, as to come without provision; which made things both deare
and scant: wherefore let none blame the Country so much as condemne the
indiscreetnesse of such as will needs runne themselves upon hardship.
And I dare further assure any that will carrie provision enough for a
yeare and a halfe, shall not neede to feare want, if he either be
industrious himselfe, or have industrious agents to mannage his estate
and affaires. And whereas many doe disparrage the land saying a man
cannot live without labour, in that they more disparage and discredit
themselves, in giving the world occasion to take notice of their
droanish disposition, that would live of the sweate of another mans
browes: surely they were much deceived, or else ill informed, that
ventured thither in hope to live in plenty and idlenesse, both at a
time: and it is as much pitty as he that can worke and will not, should
eate, as it is pitty that he that would worke and cannot, should fast.
I condemne not such therefore as are now there, and are not able to
worke; but I advise for the future those men that are of weake
constitutions to keepe at home, if their estates cannot maintaine
servants. For all new _England_ must be workers in some kinde: and
whereas it hath beene formerly reported that boyes of tenne or a twelve
yeares of age might doe much more than get their living, that cannot
be, for he must have more than a boyes head, and no lesse than a mans
strength, that intends to live comfortably; and hee that hath
understanding and Industrie, with a stocke of an hundered pound, shall
live better there, than he shall doe here of twenty pound _per annum_.
But many I know will say if it be thus, how comes it to passe then that
they are so poore? To which I answere, that they are poore but in
comparison, compare them with the rich Merchants or great landed men in
_England_, and then I know they will seeme poore. There is no
probability they should be exceeding rich, because none of such great
estate went over yet; besides, a man of estate must first scatter
before he gather, he must lay out monies for transporting of servants,
and cattle and goods, for houses and fences and gardens, &c. This may
make his purse seeme light, and to the eye of others seeme a leaking in
his estate, whereas these disbursments are for his future enrichments:
for he being once well seated and quietly setled, his increase comes in
double; and howsoever they are accounted poore, they are well
contented, and looke not so much at abundance, as a competencie; so
little is the poverty of the Country, that I am perswaded if many in
_England_ which are constrained to begge their bread were there, they
would live better than many doe here, that have money to buy it.
Furthermore when corne is scarse, yet may they have either fish or
flesh for their labour: and surely that place is not miserably poore to
them that are there, where foure Egges may be had for a Penny, and a
quart of new Milke at the same rate: Where Butter is sixe-pence a
pound, and Cheshire-Cheese at five pence; sure _Middlesex_ affords
_London_ no better penny-worths. What though there be no such plenty,
as to cry these things in the streetes? yet every day affords these
penny-worths to those that neede them in most places. I dare not say in
all: Can they be very poore, where for foure thousand soules, there are
fifteene hundred head of Cattle, besides foure thousand Goates, and
Swine innumerable? In an ill sheepe-yeare I have knowne Mutton as deere
in _Old-England_, and deerer than Goates-flesh is in _New-England_,
which is altogether as good if fancy be set aside.
CHAP. XII.
_What provision is to be made for a Iourney at Sea, and
what to carry with us for our use at Land._
Many peradventure at the looking over of these relations, may have
inclinations or resolution for the Voyage, to whom I wish all
prosperity in their undertakings; although I will use no forcive
arguments to perswade any, but leave them to the relation; yet by way
of advice, I would commend to them a few lines from the Pen of
experience. And because the way to _New England_ is over Sea, it will
not be amisse to give you directions, what is most necessary to bee
carried. Many I suppose, know as well, or better than my selfe; yet all
doe not, to those my directions tend; although every man have
ship-provisions allowed him for his five pound a man, which is salt
Beefe, Porke, salt Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water-grewell,
and such kinde of Victuals, with good Biskets, and sixe-shilling Beere:
yet will it be necessary, to carry some comfortable refreshing of fresh
victuall. As first, for such as have ability, some Conserves, and good
Clarret Wine to burne at Sea: Or you may have it by some of your
Vintners or Wine-Coopers burned here, & put up into vessels, which will
keepe much better than other burnt Wine, it is a very comfortable thing
for the stomacke; or such as are Sea-sicke: Sallet-oyle likewise.
Prunes are good to be stewed; Sugar for many things: White Biskets, and
Egs, and Bacon, Rice, Poultry, and some weather-sheepe to kill aboard
the ship; and fine flowre-baked meates, will keepe about a weeke or
nine dayes at Sea. Iuyce of Lemons well put up, is good either to
prevent or cure the Scurvy. Here it must not be forgotten to carry
small Skillets, or Pipkins, and small frying-panns, to dresse their
victuals in at Sea. For bedding, so it be easie, and cleanely, and
warme, it is no matter how old or coarse it be for the use of the Sea;
and so likewise for Apparrell, the oldest cloathes be the fittest, with
a long coarse coate, to keepe better things from the pitched ropes and
plankes. Whosoever shall put to Sea in a stoute and well-conditioned
ship, having an honest Master, and loving Sea-men, shall not neede to
feare, but he shall finde as good content at Sea, as at Land.
It is too common with many to feare the Sea more than they neede, and
all such as put to Sea, confesse it to be lesse tedious than they
either feared or expected. A ship at Sea may well be compared to a
Cradle, rocked by a carefull Mothers hand, which though it be moved up
and downe, yet is it not in danger of falling: So a ship may often be
rocked too and againe upon the troublesome Sea, yet seldome doth it
sinke or over-turne, because it is kept by that carefull hand of
Providence by which it is rocked. It was never knowne yet, that any
ship in that voyage was cast away, or that ever fell into the Enemies
hand.
For the health of Passengers it hath beene observed, that of sixe
hundred soules, not above three or foure haue dyed at Sea: It is
probable in such a company, more might have dyed either by sicknesse or
casualities, if they had stayed at home. For Women, I see not but that
they doe as well as men, and young Children as well as either; having
their healths as well at Sea as at Land: Many likewise which have come
with such foule bodies to Sea, as did make their dayes uncomfortable at
Land, have beene so purged and clarified at Sea, that they have beene
more healthfull for after-times; their weake appetites being turned to
good stomackes, not onely desiring, but likewise disgesting such
victuals as the Sea affords. Secondly, for directions for the Countrey,
it is not to be feared, but that men of good estates may doe well
there; alwayes provided, that they goe well accommodated with servants.
In which I would not wish them to take over-many: tenne or twelve lusty
servants being able to mannage an estate of two or three thousand
pound. It is not the multiplicity of many bad servants, (which
presently eates a man out of house and harbour, as lamentable
experience hath made manifest) but the industry of the faithfull and
diligent labourer, that enricheth the carefull Master; so that he that
hath many dronish servants, shall soone be poore; and he that hath an
industrious family, shall as soone be rich.
Now for the incouragement of his men, he must not doe as many have
done, (more through ignorance than desire) carry many mouthes, and no
meate; but rather much meate for a few mouthes. Want of due maintenance
produceth nothing but a grumbling spirit with a sluggish idlenesse,
when as those servants which be well provided for, goe thorough their
imployments with speede and cheerefulnesse. For meale, it will be
requisite to carry a Hogshead and a halfe, for every one that is a
labourer, to keepe him till hee may receive the fruite of his owne
labours, which will be a yeare and a halfe after his arrivall, if hee
land in _May_ or _Iune_. He must likewise carry Malt, Beefe, Butter,
Cheese, some Pease, good Wines, Vinegar, Strong-waters, &c. Whosoever
transports more of these than he himselfe useth, his over-plus being
sold, will yeeld as much profit as any other staple commodity. Euery
man likewise must carry over good store of Apparrell; for if he come to
buy it there, he shall finde it dearer than in _England_. Woollen-cloth
is a very good comodity, and Linnen better; as Holland, Lockram,
flaxen, Hempen, Callico stuffes, Linsey-woolsies, and blew Callicoe,
greene Sayes for Housewives aprons, Hats, Bootes, Shooes, good _Irish_
stockings, which if they be good, are much more serviceable than
knit-ones. All kind of grocery wares, as Sugar, Prunes, Raisons,
Currants, Honey, Nutmegs, Cloves, &c. Sope, Candles, and Lamps, &c. All
manner of household-stuffe is very good Trade there, as Pewter and
Brasse, but great Iron-pots be preferred before Brasse, for the use of
that Country. Warming-pannes and Stewing-pannes bee of necessary use,
and good Trafficke there. All manner of Iron-wares, as all manner of
nailes for houses, and all manner of Spikes for building of Boates,
Ships, and fishing stages: all manner of tooles for Workemen, Hoes for
planters, broad and narrow for setting and weeding; with Axes both
broad and pitching-axes. All manner of Augers, piercing bits,
Whip-saws, Two-handed saws, Froes, both for the riving of Pailes and
Laths, rings for Beetles heads, and Iron-wedges; though all these be
made in the Countrey: (there being divers Blacke-smiths) yet being a
heavy commodity, and taking but a little stoage, it is cheaper to carry
such commodities out of _England_. Glasse ought not to be forgotten of
any that desire to benefit themselves, or the Countrey: if it be well
leaded, and carefully pack't up, I know no commodity better for portage
or sayle. Here likewise must not be forgotten all Vtensils for the Sea,
as Barbels, splitting-knives, Leads, and Cod-hookes, and Lines,
Machrill-hooks and lines, Sharke-hookes, Seanes, or Basse nets, large
and strong, Herring-nets, &c. Such as would eate Fowle, must not forget
their sixe-foote Gunnes, their good Powder and shot, of all sorts; a
great round shot called _Bastable_-shot, is the best; being made of a
blacker Lead than ordinary shot: Furthermore, good Pooldavies to make
sayles for Boates, Roads, and Anchors for Boates and Pinnaces, be good;
Sea-coale, Iron, Lead, and Mil-stones, Flints, Ordonances, and
whatsoever a man can conceive is good for the Countrey, that will lie
as Ballast, he cannot be a loser by it. And lest I should forget a
thing of so great importance, no man must neglect to provide for
himselfe, or those belonging to him, his munition for the defence of
himselfe and the Countrey. For there is no man there that beares a
head, but that beares military Armes: even Boyes of fourteene yeares of
age, are practised with men in militarie discipline, every three weeks.
Whosoever shall carrie over Drummes and _English_ Colours, Pattesons,
Halberds, Pickes, Muskets, Bandelerous, with Swords, shall not neede to
feare good gaine for them, such things being wanting in the country:
Likewise whatsoever shall be needefull for fortifications of holds and
Castles, whereby the common enemy may be kept out in future times, is
much desired. They as yet have had no great cause to feare; but because
securitie hath beene the overthrow of many a new plantation, it is
their care according to their abilities, to secure themselves by
fortifications, as well as they can: Thus having shewed what
commodities are most usefull, it will not be amisse to shew you what
men be most fit for these plantations.