Part 3

Though many of these trees may seeme to have epithites contrary to the nature of them as they grow in _England_, yet are they agreeable with the Trees of that Countrie. The chiefe and common Timber for ordinary use is Oake, and Walnut: Of Oakes there be three kindes, the red Oake, white, and blacke; as these are different in kinde, so are they chosen for such uses as they are most fit for, one kind being more fit for clappboard, others for sawne board, some fitter for shipping, others for houses. These Trees affoard much Mast for Hogges, especially every third yeare, bearing a bigger Acorne than our _English_ Oake. The Wallnut tree is something different from the _English_ Wallnut, being a great deale more tough, and more serviceable, and altogether as heavie: and whereas our Gunnes that are stocked with _English_ Wallnut, are soone broaken and cracked in frost, beeing a brittle Wood; we are driven to stocke them new with the Country Wallnut, which will indure all blowes, and weather; lasting time out of minde. These trees beare a very good Nut, something smaller, but nothing inferiour in sweetnesse and goodnesse to the _English_ Nut, having no bitter pill. There is likewise a tree in some part of the Countrey, that beares a Nut as bigge as a small peare. The Cedar tree is a tree of no great growth, not bearing above a foot and a halfe square at the most, neither is it very high. I suppose they be much inferiour to the Cedars of _Lebanon_ so much commended in holy writ. This wood is more desired for ornament than substance, being of colour red and white like Eugh, smelling as sweete as Iuniper; it is commonly used for seeling of houses, and making of Chests, Boxes, and staves. The Firre and Pine bee trees that grow in many places, shooting up exceeding high, especially the Pine: they doe afford good masts, good board, Rozin and Turpentine. Out of these Pines is gotten the candlewood that is so much spoken of, which may serve for a shift amongst poore folkes; but I cannot commend it for singular good, because it is something sluttish, dropping a pitchie kinde of substance where it stands. Here no doubt might be good done with saw mils; for I have seene of these stately highgrowne trees, ten miles together close by the River side, from whence by shipping they might be conveyed to any desired Port. Likewise it is not improbable that Pitch and Tarre may be forced from these trees, which beare no other kinde of fruite. For that countrey Ash, it is much different from the Ash of _England_, being brittle and good for little, so that Wallnut is used for it. The Horne-bound tree is a tough kind of Wood, that requires so much paines in riving as is almost incredible, being the best for to make bolles and dishes, not being subject to cracke or leake. This tree growing with broad spread Armes, the vines winde their curling branches about them; which vines affoard great store of grapes, which are very big both for the grape and Cluster, sweet and good: These be of two sorts, red and white, there is likewise a smaller kind of grape, which groweth in the Islands which is sooner ripe and more delectable; so that there is no knowne reason why as good wine may not be made in those parts, as well as in _Burdeuax_ in _France_; being under the same degree. It is great pittie no man sets upon such a venture, whereby he might in small time inrich himselfe, and benefit the Countrie; I know nothing which doth hinder but want of skilfull men to manage such an imployment: For the countrey is hot enough, the ground good enough, and many convenient hills which lye toward the south Sunne, as if they were there placed for the purpose. The Cherrie trees yeeld great store of Cherries, which grow on clusters like grapes; they be much smaller than our _English_ Cherrie, nothing neare so good if they be not very ripe: they so furre the mouth that the tongue will cleave to the roofe, and the throate wax horse with swallowing those red Bullies (as I may call them,) being little better in taste. _English_ ordering may bring them to be an _English_ Cherrie, but yet they are as wilde as the _Indians_. The Plummes of the Countrey be better for Plummes than the Cherries be for Cherries, they be blacke and yellow about the bignesse of a Damson, of a reasonable good taste. The white thorne affords hawes as bigge as an _English_ Cherrie, which is esteemed above a Cherrie for his goodnesse and pleasantnesse to the taste.

CHAP. VI.

_Of the Beasts that live on the land._

Having related unto you the pleasant situation of the Countrey, the healthfulnesse of the climate, the nature of the soile, with his vegetatives, and other commodities; it will not be amisse to informe you of such irrationall creatures as are daily bred and continually nourished in this countrey, which doe much conduce to the well being of the Inhabitants, affording not onely meate for the belly, but cloathing for the backe. The beasts be as followeth.

_The kingly Lyon, and the strong arm'd Beare The large lim'd Mooses, with the tripping Deare, Quill darting Porcupines, and Rackcoones bee, Castelld in the hollow of an aged tree; The skipping Squerrell, Rabbet, purblinde Hare, Immured in the selfesame Castle are, Least red-eyd Ferrets, wily Foxes should Them undermine, if rampird but with mould. The grim fac't Ounce, and ravenous howling Woolfe, Whose meagre paunch suckes like a swallowing gulfe. Blacke glistering Otters, and rich coated Bever, The Civet sented Musquash smelling ever._

Concerning Lyons, I will not say that I ever saw any my selfe, but some affirme that they have seene a Lyon at _Cape Anne_ which is not above six leagues from _Boston_: some likewise being lost in woods, have heard such terrible roarings, as have made them much agast; which must eyther be Devills or Lyons; there being no other creatures which use to roare saving Beares, which have not such a terrible kind of roaring: besides, _Plimouth_ men have traded for Lyons skinnes in former times. But sure it is that there be Lyons on that Continent, for the _Virginians_ saw an old Lyon in their plantations, who having lost his Iackall, which was wont to hunt his prey, was brought so poore that he could goe no further. For Beares they be common, being a great blacke kind of Beare, which be most feirce in Strawberry time, at which time they have young ones; at this time likewise they will goe upright like a man, and clime trees, and swimme to the Islands; which if the _Indians_ see, there will be more sportfull Beare bayting than Paris Garden can affoard. For seeing the Beares take water, an _Indian_ will leape after him, where they goe to water cuffes for bloody noses, and scratched sides; in the end the man gets the victory, riding the Beare over the watery plaine till he can beare him no longer. In the winter they take themselves to the clifts of rockes, and thicke swamps, to shelter them from the cold; and foode being scant in those cold and hard times, they live onely by sleeping and sucking their pawes, which keepeth them as fat as they are in Summer; there would be more of them if it were not for the Woolves, which devoure them; a kennell of those ravening runnagadoes, setting on a poore single Beare, will teare him as a Dogge will teare a Kid: it would be a good change if the countrey had for every Woolfe a Beare, upon the condition all the woolves were banished; so should the inhabitants be not onely rid of their greatest annoyance, but furnished with more store of provisions, Beares being accounted very good meate, esteemed of all men above Venison: againe they never prey upon the _English_ cattle, or offer to assault the person of any man, unlesse being vexed with a shot, and a man run upon them before they be dead, in which case they will stand in their owne defence, as may appeare by this instance. Two men going a fowling, appointed at evening to meete at a certaine pond side, to share equally, and to returne home; one of these Gunners having killed a Seale or Sea calfe, brought it to the side of the pond where hee was to meete his comrade, afterwards returning to the Sea side for more gaine; and having loaded himselfe with more Geese and Duckes, he repaired to the pond, where hee saw a great Beare feeding on his Seale, which caused him to throw downe his loade, and give the Beare a salute; which though it was but with Goose shot, yet tumbled him over and over, whereupon the man supposing him to be in a manner dead, ran and beate him with the hand of his Gunne; The Beare perceiving him to be such a coward to strike him when he was down, scrambled up, standing at defiance with him, scratching his legges, tearing his cloathes and face, who stood it out till his six foot Gunne was broken in the middle, then being deprived of his weapon, he ran up to the shoulders into the pond, where hee remained till the Beare was gone, and his mate come in, who accompanied him home.

The beast called a Moose, is not much unlike red Deare, this beast is as bigge as an Oxe; slow of foote, headed like a Bucke, with a broade beame, some being two yards wide in the head, their flesh is as good as Beefe, their hides good for cloathing; The _English_ have some thoughts of keeping them tame, and to accustome them to the yoake, which will be a great commoditie: First because they are so fruitfull, bringing forth three at a time, being likewise very uberous. Secondly, because they will live in winter without any fodder. There be not many of these in the _Massachusets bay_, but forty miles to the Northeast there be great store of them; These pore beasts likewise are much devoured by the Woolves: The ordinary Deare be much bigger than the Deare of _England_, of a brighter colour, more inclining to red, with spotted bellies; the most store of these be in winter, when the more Northerne parts of the countrey bee cold for them; they desire to be neare the Sea, so that they may swimme to the Islands when they are chased by the Woolves: It is not to be thought into what great multitudes they would encrease, were it not for the common devourer the Woolfe; They have generally three at a time, which they hide a mile one from another, giving them sucke by turnes; thus they doe, that if the Woolfe should finde one, he might misse of the other. These Deare be fat in the deepe of winter; In Summer it is hard catching of them with the best Greyhounds that may be procured, because they bee swift of foote. Some credible persons have affirmed, that they have seene a Deare leape three score feet at little or no forcement; besides, there be so many old trees, rotten stumps, and _Indian_ barnes, that a dog cannot well run without being shoulder-shot: yet would I not disswade any from carrying good dogges; for in the winter time they be very usefull; for when the snow is hard frozen, the Deare being heavie, sinkes into the snow, the doggs being light runne upon the top and overtake them, and pull them downe: some by this meanes have gotten twenty Buckes and Does in a winter, the hornes of these Deare grow in such a straight manner, (overhanging their heads) that they cannot feede upon such things as grow low, till they have cast their old hornes: of these Deare there be a great many, and more in the _Massachusets bay_, than in any other place, which is a great helpe and refreshment to these planters. The Porcupine is a small thing not much unlike a Hedgehog; something bigger, who stands upon his guard and proclaimes a _Noli me tangere_, to man and beast, that shall approach too neare him, darting his quills into their legges, and hides. The Rackoone is a deepe furred beast, not much unlike a Badger, having a tayle like a Fox, as good meate as a Lambe; there is one of them in the Tower. These beasts in the day time sleepe in hollow trees, in the moone shine night they goe to feede on clammes at a low tide, by the Sea side, where the _English_ hunt them with their dogges. The Squerrells be of three sorts, first the great gray Squerrell, which is almost as bigge as an _English_ Rabbet; of these there be the greatest plenty, one may kill a dozen of them in an afternoone, about three of the clocke they begin to walke. The second is a small Squerrell, not unlike the _English_ Squerrell, which doth much trouble the planters of Corne, so that they are constrained to set divers Trappes, and to carry their Cats into the Corne fields, till their corne be three weekes old. The third kind is a flying Squerrell, which is not very bigge, slender of body, with a great deale of loose skinne which shee spreads square when shee flyes, which the winde gets, and so wafts her Batlike body from place to place; it is a creature more for sight and wonderment, than eyther pleasure or profit. The Rabbets be much like ours in _England_. The Hares be some of them white, and a yard long; these two harmelesse creatures are glad to shelter themselves from the harmefull Foxes, in hollow trees, having a hole at the entrance no bigger than they can creepe in at: if they should make them holes in the ground, as our _English_ Rabbets doe, the undermining Renoilds would rob them of their lives, and extirpate their generation. The beasts of offence be Squunckes, Ferrets, Foxes, whose impudence sometimes drives them to the good wives Hen roost, to fill their Paunch: some of these be blacke; their furre is of much esteeme.

The Ounce or the wilde Cat, is as big as a mungrell dog, this creature is by nature feirce, and more dangerous to bee met withall than any other creature, not fearing eyther dogge or man; he useth to kill Deare, which hee thus effecteth: Knowing the Deares tracts, hee will lye lurking in long weedes, the Deare passing by he suddenly leapes upon his backe, from thence gets to his necke, and scratcheth out his throate; he hath likewise a devise to get Geese, for being much of the colour of a Goose he will place himselfe close by the water, holding up his bob taile, which is like a Goose necke; the Geese seeing this counterfet Goose, approach nigh to visit him, who with a suddaine jerke apprehends his mistrustlesse prey. The _English_ kill many of these, accounting them very good meat. Their skinnes be a very deepe kind of Furre, spotted white and black on the belly. The Woolves bee in some respect different from them of other countries; it was never knowne yet that a Woolfe ever set upon a man or woman. Neyther do they trouble horses or cowes; but swine, goates and red calves which they take for Deare, be often destroyed by them, so that a red calfe is cheaper than a blacke one in that regard; in Autumne and the beginning of the Spring, these ravenous rangers doe most frequent our _English_ habitations, following the Deare which come downe at that time to those parts. They be made much like a Mungrell, being big boned, lanke paunched, deepe breasted, having a thicke necke, and head, pricke eares, and long snoute, with dangerous teeth, long flaring haire, and a great bush taile; it is thought of many, that our _English_ Mastiffes might be too hard for them; but it is no such matter, for they care no more for an ordinary Mastiffe, than an ordinary Mastiffe cares for a Curre; many good Dogges have beene spoyled with them. Once a faire Grayhound hearing them at their howlings run out to chide them, who was torne in peeces before he could be rescued. One of them makes no more bones to runne away with a Pigge, than a Dogge to runne away with a Marrow bone. It is observed that they have no joynts from the head to the tayle, which prevents them from leaping, or suddaine turning, as may appeare by what I shall shew you. A certaine man having shot a Woolfe, as he was feeding upon a Swine, breaking his legge onely, hee knew not how to devise his death, on a suddaine, the Woolfe being a blacke one, he was loath to spoyle his furre with a second shot, his skinne being worth five or sixe pound Sterling; wherefore hee resolved to get him by the tayle, and thrust him into a River that was hard by; which effected, the Woolfe being not able to turne his joyntlesse body to bite him, was taken. That they cannot leape, may appeare by this Woolfe, whose mouth watering at a few poore impaled Kiddes, would needes leape over a five-foote pale to be at them; but his foote slipping in the rise, he fell a little short of his desire, and being hung in the Carpenters stockes, howled so loud, that he frighted away the Kids, and called the _English_, who killed him. These be killed dayly in some place or other, either by the _English_, or _Indian_; who have a certaine rate for every head: Yet is there little hope of their utter destruction, the Countrey being so spacious, and they so numerous, travelling in the Swamps by Kennels: sometimes ten or twelve are of a company. Late at night, and early in the morning, they set up their howlings, and call their companies together at night to hunt, at morning to sleepe; in a word they be the greatest inconveniency the Countrey hath, both for matter of dammage to private men in particular, and the whole Countrey in generall.

CHAP. VII.

_Beasts living in the water._

For all creatures that liv'd both by Land and Water, they be first Otters, which be most of them blacke, whose furre is much used for Muffes, and are held almost as deare as Beaver. The flesh of them is none of the best meate, but their Oyle is of rare use for many things. Secondly, Martins, a good furre for their bignesse: Thirdly, Musquashes, which be much like a Beaver for shape, but nothing neare so bigge; the Male hath two stones which smell as sweete as Muske, and being killed in Winter, never lose their sweete smell: These skinnes are no bigger than a Coney-skinne, yet are sold for five shillings a peece, being sent for Tokens into _England_. One good skinne will perfume a whole house-full of cloathes, if it be right and good. Fourthly, the Beaver, concerning whom if I should at large discourse, according to knowledge or information, I might make a Volumne. The wisedome and understanding of this Beast, will almost conclude him a reasonable creature: His shape is thicke and short, having likewise short legs, feete like a Mole before, and behinde like a Goose, a broad tayle in forme like a shooe-soale, very tough and strong; his head is something like an Otters head, saving that his teeth before, be placed like the teeth of a Rabbet, two above, and two beneath; sharpe and broad, with which he cuts downe Trees as thicke as a mans thigh, afterwards diuiding them into lengths, according to the use they are appointed for. If one Bever be too weake to carry the logge, then another helpes him; if they two be too weake, then _Multorum manibus grande levatur onus_; foure more adding their helpe, being placed three to three, which set their teeth in one anothers tough tayles, and laying the loade on the two hindermost, they draw the logge to the desired place. That this may not seeme altogether incredible, remember that the like almost may be seene in our Ants, which will joyne sometimes seaven or eight together in the carrying of a burthen. These Creatures build themselves houses of wood and clay, close by the Ponds sides, and knowing the Seasons, build them answerable houses, having them three stories high, so that as land-floods are raised by great Raines, as the waters arise, they mount higher in their houses; as they asswage, they descend lower againe. These houses are so strong, that no creature saving an industrious man with his penetrating tooles can prejudice them, their ingresse and egresse being Vnder water. These make likewise very good Ponds, knowing whence a streame runnes from betweene two rising Hils, they will there pitch downe piles of Wood, placing smaller rubbish before it with clay and sods, not leaving, till by their Art and Industry they have made a firme and curious damme-head, which may draw admiration from wise understanding men. These creatures keepe themselves to their owne families, never parting so long as they are able to keepe house together: And it is commonly sayd, if any Beaver accidentally light into a strange place, he is made a drudge so long as he lives there, to carry at the greater end of the logge, unlesse he creepe away by stealth. Their wisedome secures them from the _English_, who seldome or neuer kills any of them, being not patient to lay a long siege, or to be so often deceived by their cunning evasions, so that all the Beaver which the _English_ have, comes first from the _Indians_, whose time and experience fits them for that imployment.

CHAP. VIII.

_Of the Birds and Fowles both of Land and Water._

Having shewed you the most desireable, usefull, and beneficiall creatures, with the most offensive carrions that belong to our Wildernesse, it remaines in the next place, to shew you such kinds of Fowle as the Countrey affords: They are many, and we have much variety both at Sea and on Land; and such as yeeld us much profit, and honest pleasure, and are these that follow; as

_The Princely Eagle, and the soaring Hawke, Whom in their unknowne wayes there's none can chawke: The Humberd for some Queenes rich Cage more fit, Than in the vacant Wildernesse to sit. The swift wing'd Swallow sweeping to and fro, As swift as arrow from _Tartarian_ Bow. When as _Aurora's_ infant day new springs, There th' morning mounting Larke her sweete layes sings. The harmonious Thrush, swift Pigeon, Turtle-dove, Who to her mate doth ever constant prove: The _Turky_-Phesant, Heathcocke, Partridge rare, The carrion-tearing Crow, and hurtfull Stare, The long liv'd Raven, th' ominous Screech-Owle, Who tells as old wives say, disasters foule. The drowsie Madge that leaves her day-lov'd nest, And loves to roave when day-birds be at rest: Th' Eele-murthering Hearne, and greedy Cormorant, That neare the Creekes in morish Marshes haunt. The bellowing Bitterne, with the long-leg'd Crane, Presaging Winters hard, and dearth of graine. The Silver Swan that tunes her mournefull breath, To sing the dirge of her approaching death. The tatling Oldwines, and the cackling Geese, The fearefull Gull that shunnes the murthering Peece. The strong wing'd Mallard, with the nimble Teale, And ill-shape't Loone who his harsh notes doth squeale. There Widgins, Sheldrackes and Humilitees, Snites, Doppers, Sea-Larkes, in whole millions flees._

The Eagles of the Countrey be of two sorts, one like the Eagles that be in _England_, the other is something bigger with a great white head, and white tayle: these bee commonly called Gripes; these prey upon Duckes and Geese, and such Fish as are cast upon the Sea-shore. And although an Eagle be counted King of that feathered regiment, yet is there a certaine blacke Hawke that beates him; so that hee is constrayned to soare so high, till heate expell his adversary. This Hawke is much prized of the _Indians_, being accounted a Sagamores ransome.