Part 4

To speake much of Hawkes, were to trespasse upon my owne judgement, and bring upon my selfe a deserved censure, for abusing the Faulconers termes: But by relation from those that have more insight into them than my selfe: There be divers kinds of Hawkes: their Aieries are easie to come by, being in the holes of Rockes, neare the shore, so that any who are addicted to that sport, if he will be but at the charge of finding Poultry for them, may have his desires. We could wish them well mew'd in _England_; for they make hauocke of Hens, Partridges, Heathcockes, and Duckes; often hindering the Fowler of his long look't for shoote. The Humbird is one of the wonders of the Countrey, being no bigger than a Hornet, yet hath all the demensions of a Bird, as bill, and wings, with quills, spider-like legges, small clawes: For colour, she is as glorious as the Raine-bow; as she flies, she makes a little humming noise like a Humble-bee: wherefore shee is called the Humbird. The Pigeon of that Countrey, is something different from our Dove-house Pigeons in _England_, being more like Turtles, of the same colour; but they haue long tayles like a Magpie: And they seeme not so bigge, because they carry not so many feathers on their backes as our _English_ Doves, yet are they as bigge in body. These Birds come into the Countrey, to goe to the North parts in the beginning of our Spring, at which time (if I may be counted worthy, to be beleeved in a thing that is not so strange as true) I have seene them fly as if the Ayerie regiment had beene Pigeons; seeing neyther beginning nor ending, length, or breadth of these Millions of Millions. The shouting of people, the ratling of Gunnes, and pelting of small shotte could not drive them out of their course, but so they continued for foure or five houres together: yet it must not be concluded, that it is thus often; for it is but at the beginning of the Spring, and at _Michaelmas_, when they returne backe to the Southward; yet are there some all the yeare long, which are easily attayned by such as looke after them. Many of them build amongst the Pine-trees, thirty miles to the North-east of our plantations; joyning nest to nest, and tree to tree by their nests, so that the Sunne never sees the ground in that place, from whence the _Indians_ fetch whole loades of them.

The Turky is a very large Bird, of a blacke colour, yet white in flesh; much bigger than our _English_ Turky. He hath the use of his long legs so ready, that he can runne as fast as a Dogge, and flye as well as a Goose: of these sometimes there will be forty, threescore, and a hundred of a flocke, sometimes more and sometimes lesse; their feeding is Acornes, Hawes, and Berries, some of them get a haunt to frequent our _English_ corne: In winter when the Snow covers the ground, they resort to the Sea shore to look for Shrimps, & such smal Fishes at low tides. Such as love Turkie hunting, must follow it in winter after a new falne Snow, when hee may follow them by their tracts; some have killed ten or a dozen in halfe a day; if they can be found towards an evening and watched where they peirch, if one come about ten or eleaven of the clocke he may shoote as often as he will, they will sit, unlesse they be slenderly wounded. These Turkies remaine all the yeare long, the price of a good Turkie cocke is foure shillings; and he is well worth it, for he may be in weight forty pound; a Hen two shillings. Pheasons bee very rare, but Heathcockes, and Partridges be common; he that is a husband, and will be stirring betime, may kill halfe a dozen in a morning.

The Partridges be bigger than they be in _England_, the flesh of the Heathcockes is red, and the flesh of a Partridge white, their price is foure pence a peece. The Ravens, and the Crowes be much like them of other countries. There are no Magpies, Iackedawes, Coockooes, Iayes, Sparrows, &c. The Stares be bigger than those in _England_, as blacke as Crowes, being the most troublesome, and injurious bird of all others, pulling up the cornes by the roots, when it is young, so that those who plant by reedy and sedgy places, where they frequent, are much annoyed with them, they being so audacious that they feare not Guns, or their fellowes hung upon poles; but the Corne having a weeke or nine dayes growth is past their spoyling. The Owles be of two sorts; the one being small speckled, like a Partridge, with eares, the other being a great Owle, almost as big as an Eagle, his body beeing as good meate as a Partridge. Cormorants bee as common as other fowles, which destroy abundance of small fish, these are not worth the shooting because they are the worst of fowles for meate, tasting ranke, and fishy: againe, one may shoot twenty times and misse, for seeing the fire in the panne, they dive under the water before the shot comes to the place where they were; they use to roost upon the tops of trees, and rockes, being a very heavy drowsie creature, so that the _Indians_ will goe in their Cannowes in the night, and take them from the Rockes, as easily as women take a Hen from roost; No ducking ponds can affoard more delight than a lame Cormorant, and two or three lusty Dogges. The Crane although hee bee almost as tall as a man by reason of his long legges, and necke; yet is his body rounder than other fowles, not much unlike the body of a Turkie. I have seene many of these fowles, yet did I never see one that was fat, I suppose it is contrary to their nature to grow fat; Of these there be many in Summer, but none in winter, their price is two shilling. There be likewise many Swannes which frequent the fresh ponds and rivers, seldome consorting themselves with Duckes and Geese; these bee very good meate, the price of one is six shillings. The Geese of the countrey be of three sorts, first a brant Goose, which is a Goose almost like the wilde Goose in _England_, the price of one of these is six pence. The second kind is a white Goose, almost as big as an _English_ tame Goose, these come in great flockes about Michelmasse, sometimes there will be two or three thousand in a flocke, these continue six weekes, and so flye to the southward, returning in March, and staying six weekes more, returning againe to the Northward; the price of one of these is eight pence. The third kind of Geese, is a great gray Goose, with a blacke necke, and a blacke and white head, strong of flight; these bee a great deale bigger than the ordinary Geese of _England_, some very fat, and in the Spring so full of Feathers, that the shot can scarce peirce them; most of these Geese remaine with us from Michelmas to Aprill; they feede on the Sea of Fish, and in the woods of Acornes, having as other Foule have, their passe and repasse to the Northward and Southward: the accurate marksmen kill of these both flying and sitting; the price of a good gray Goose is eighteene pence. The Duckes of the countrey be very large ones and in great abundance, so is there of Teale likewise; the price of a Ducke is six pence, of a Teale three pence. If I should tell you how some have killed a hundred Geese in a weeke, 50. Duckes at a shot, 40. Teales at another, it may be counted impossible, though nothing more certaine. The Oldwives, be a foule that never leave tatling day or night, something bigger than a Ducke. The Loone is an ill shap'd thing like a Cormorant; but that he can neyther goe nor flye; he maketh a noise sometimes like a Sowgelders horne. The Humilities or Simplicities (as I may rather call them) bee of two sorts, the biggest being as big as a greene Plover, the other as big as birds we call knots in _England_. Such is the simplicity of the smaller sorts of these birds, that one may drive them on a heape like so many sheepe, and seeing a fit time shoot them; the living seeing the dead, settle themselves on the same place againe, amongst which the Fowler discharges againe. I my selfe have killed twelve score at two shootes: these bird are to be had upon sandy brakes at the latter end of Summer before the Geese come in. Thus much have I shewed you as I know to bee true concerning the Fowle of the countrey. But me thinkes I heare some say that this is very good if it could be caught, or likely to continue, and that much shooting will fright away the fowles. True it is, that every ones imployment wil not permit him to fowle: what then? yet their imployments furnish them with silver Guns with which they may have it more easie. For the frighting of the fowle, true it is that many goe blurting away their pouder and shot, that have no more skill to kill, or winne a Goose, than many in _England_ that have rustie Muskets in their houses, knowes what belongs to a Souldier, yet are they not much affrighted. I have seene more living and dead the last yeare than I have done in former yeares.

CHAP. IX.

_Of Fish._

Having done with these, let me leade you from the land to the Sea, to view what commodities may come from thence; there is no countrey knowne, that yeelds more variety of fish winter and summer: and that not onely for the present spending and sustentation of the plantations, but likewise for trade into other countries, so that those which have had stages & make fishing voyages into those parts, have gained (it is thought) more than the new found land Iobbers. Codfish in these seas are larger than in new found land, six or seaven making a quintall, whereas there they have fifteene to the same weight; and though this they seeme a base and more contemptible commoditie in the judgement of more neate adventurers, yet it hath bin the enrichment of other nations, and is likely to prove no small commoditie to the planters, and likewise to _England_ if it were thorowly undertaken. Salt may be had from the salt Islands, and as is supposed may be made in the countrey. The chiefe fish for trade is Cod, but for the use of the countrey, there is all manner of fish as followeth.

_The king of waters, the Sea shouldering Whale, The snuffing Grampus, with the oyly Seale, The storme præsaging Porpus, Herring-Hogge, Line shearing Sharke, the Catfish, and Sea Dogge, The Scale-fenc'd Sturgeon, wry mouthd Hollibut, The flounsing Sammon, Codfish, Greedigut: Cole, Haddocke, Haicke, the Thornebacke, and the Scate, Whose slimie outside makes him selde in date, The stately Basse old Neptunes fleeting post, That tides it out and in from Sea to Coast. Consorting Herrings, and the bony Shad, Big bellied Alewives, Machrills richly clad With Rainebow colours, th' Frostfish and the Smelt, As good as ever lady Gustus felt. The spotted Lamprons, Eeles, the Lamperies, That seeke fresh water brookes with Argus eyes: These waterie villagers with thousands more, Doe passe and repasse neare the verdant shore._

Kinds of all Shel-fish.

_The luscious Lobster, with the Crabfish raw, The Brinish Oister, Muscle, Periwigge, And Tortoise sought for by the Indian Squaw, Which to the flats daunce many a winters Iigge, To dive for Cocles, and to digge for Clamms, Whereby her lazie husbands guts shee cramms._

To omit such of these as are not usefull, therefore not to be spoken of, and onely to certifie you of such as be usefull. First the Seale which is that which is called the Sea Calfe, his skinne is good for divers uses, his body being betweene fish and flesh, it is not very delectable to the pallate, or congruent with the stomack; his Oyle is very good to burne in Lampes, of which he affoards a great deale. The Sharke is a kinde of fish as bigge as a man, some as bigge as a horse, with three rowes of teeth within his mouth, with which he snaps asunder the fishermans lines, if he be not very circumspect: This fish will leape at a mans hand if it be over board, and with his teeth snap off a mans legge or hand if he be a swimming; These are often taken, being good for nothing but to put on the ground for manuring of land. The Sturgions be all over the countrey, but the best catching of them be upon the shoales of _Cape Codde_, and in the River of _Mirrimacke_, where much is taken, pickled and brought for _England_, some of these be 12.14.18. foote long: I set not downe the price of fish there, because it is so cheape, so that one may have as much for two pence, as would give him an angell in _England_. The Sammon is as good as it is in _England_ and in great plenty. The Hollibut is not much unlike a pleace or Turbut, some being two yards long, and one wide, and a foot thicke; the plenty of better fish makes these of little esteeme, except the head and finnes, which stewed or baked is very good: these Hollibuts be little set by while Basse is in season. Thornebacke and Scates is given to the dogges, being not counted worth the dressing in many places. The Basse is one of the best fishes in the countrey, and though men are soone wearied with other fish, yet are they never with Basse; it is a delicate, fine, fat, fast fish, having a bone in his head, which containes a sawcerfull of marrow sweet and good, pleasant to the pallat, and wholsome to the stomack. When there be great store of them, we onely eate the heads, and salt up the bodies for winter, which exceedes Ling or Haberdine. Of these fishes some be three and some foure foot long, some bigger, some lesser: at some tides a man may catch a dozen or twenty of these in three houres, the way to catch them is with hooke and line: The Fisherman taking a great Cod-line, to which he fastneth a peece of Lobster, and throwes it into the Sea, the fish biting at it he pulls her to him, and knockes her on the head with a sticke. These are at one time (when Alewives passe up the Rivers) to be catched in Rivers, in Lobster time at the Rockes, in Macrill time in the Bayes, at Michelmas in the Seas. When they use to tide it in and out to the Rivers and Creekes, the _English_ at the top of an high water do crosse the Creekes with long seanes or Basse Netts, which stop in the fish; and the water ebbing from them they are left on the dry ground, sometimes two or three thousand at a set, which are salted up against winter, or distributed to such as have present occasion either to spend them in their houses, or use them for their ground. The Herrings be much like them that be caught on the _English_ coasts. Alewives be a kind of fish which is much like a Herring, which in the latter end of Aprill come up to the fresh Rivers to spawne, in such multitudes as is allmost incredible, pressing up in such shallow waters as will scarce permit them to swimme, having likewise such longing desire after the fresh water ponds, that no beatings with poles, or forcive agitations by other devices, will cause them to returne to the sea, till they have cast their Spawne. The Shaddes be bigger than the _English_ Shaddes and fatter. The Macrells be of two sorts, in the beginning of the yeare are great ones, which be upon the coast; some are 18. inches long. In Summer as in May, Iune, Iuly, and August, come in a smaller kind of them: These Macrills are taken with drailes which is a long small line, with a lead and hooke at the end of it, being baited with a peece of red cloath: this kind of fish is counted a leane fish in _England_, but there it is so fat, that it can scarce be saved against winter without reisting. There be a great store of Salt water Eeles, especially in such places where grasse growes: for to take these there be certaine Eele pots made of Osyers, which must be baited with a peece of Lobster, into which the Eeles entring cannot returne backe againe: some take a bushell in a night in this manner, eating as many as they have neede of for the present, and salt up the rest against winter. These Eeles be not of so luscious a tast as they be in _England_, neyther are they so aguish, but are both wholesome for the body, and delightfull for the taste: Lamprons and Lampreyes be not much set by; Lobsters be in plenty in most places, very large ones, some being 20. pound in weight; these are taken at a low water amongst the rockes, they are very good fish, the small ones being the best, their plenty makes them little esteemed and seldome eaten. The _Indians_ get many of them every day for to baite their hookes withall, and to eate when they can get no Basse: The Oisters be great ones in forme of a shoo horne, some be a foote long, these breede on certaine bankes that are bare every spring tide. This fish without the shell is so big that it must admit of a devision before you can well get it into your mouth. The Perewig is a kind of fish that lyeth in the oaze like a head of haire, which being touched conveyes it selfe leaving nothing to bee seene but a small round hole. Muscles be in great plenty, left onely for the Hogges, which if they were in _England_ would be more esteemed of the poorer sort. Clamms or Clamps is a shel-fish not much unlike a cockle, it lyeth under the sand, every six or seaven of them having a round hole to take ayre and receive water at. When the tide ebs and flowes, a man running over these Clamm bankes will presently be made all wet, by their spouting of water out of those small holes: These fishes be in great plenty in most places of the countrey, which is a great commoditie for the feeding of Swine, both in winter, and Summer; for being once used to those places, they will repaire to them as duely every ebbe, as if they were driven to them by keepers: In some places of the countrey there bee Clamms as bigge as a pennie white loafe, which are great dainties amongst the natives, and would bee in good esteeme amongst the _English_, were it not for better fish.

CHAP. X.

_Of the severall plantations in particular._

[Sidenote: _Wessaguscus._]

[Sidenote: _Dorchester._]

[Sidenote: _Roxberry._]

Having described the situation of the countrey in generall, with all his commodities arising from land and Sea, it may adde to your content and satisfaction to be informed of the situation of every severall plantation, with his conveniences, commodities, and discommodities, &c. where first I will begin with the outmost plantation in the patent to the South ward, which is called _Wessaguscus_ an _Indian_ name: this as yet is but a small Village, yet it is very pleasant, and healthfull, very good ground, and is well timbred, and hath good store of Hey ground; it hath a very spacious harbour for shipping before the towne; the salt water being navigable for Boates & Pinnaces two leagues. Here the inhabitants have good store of fish of all sorts, and Swine, having Acornes and Clamms at the time of yeare; here is likewise an Alewife river. Three miles to the North of this is mount _Walleston_, a very fertile soyle, and a place very convenient for Farmers houses, there being great store of plaine ground, without trees. This place is called _Massachusets fields_ where the greatest _Sagamore_ in the countrey lived, before the Plague, who caused it to be cleared for himselfe. The greatest inconvenience is, that there is not very many Springs, as in other places of the countrey, yet water may bee had for digging: A second inconvenience is, that Boates cannot come in at a low water, nor ships ride neare the shore. Sixe miles further to the North, lieth _Dorchester_; which is the greatest Towne in _New England_; well woodded and watered; very good arable grounds, and Hay-ground, faire Corne-fields, and pleasant Gardens, with Kitchin-gardens. In this plantation is a great many Cattle, as Kine, Goats, and Swine. This plantation hath a reasonable Harbour for ships: Here is no Alewife-river, which is a great inconvenience. The inhabitants of this towne, were the first that set upon the trade of fishing in the Bay, who received so much fruite of their labours, that they encouraged others to the same undertakings. A mile from this Towne lieth _Roxberry_, which is a faire and handsome Countrey-towne; the inhabitants of it being all very rich. This Towne lieth upon the Maine, so that it is well woodded and watered; having a cleare and fresh Brooke running through the Towne: Vp which although there come no Alewives, yet there is great store of Smelts, and therefore it is called Smelt-brooke.

A quarter of a mile to the North-side of the Towne, is another River called _Stony-river_; upon which is built a water-milne. Here is good ground for Corne, and Medow for Cattle: Vp westward from the Towne it is something rocky, whence it hath the name of _Roxberry_; the inhabitants have faire houses, store of Cattle, impaled Corne-fields, and fruitfull Gardens. Here is no Harbour for ships, because the Towne is seated in the bottome of a shallow Bay, which is made by the necke of land on which _Boston_ is built; so that they can transport all their goods from the Ships in Boats from _Boston_, which is the nearest Harbour.

[Sidenote: _Boston._]

_Boston_ is two miles North-east from _Roxberry_: His situation is very pleasant, being a _Peninsula_, hem'd in on the South-side with the Bay of _Roxberry_, on the North-side with _Charles-river_, the Marshes on the backe-side, being not halfe a quarter of a mile over; so that a little fencing will secure their Cattle from the Woolues. Their greatest wants be Wood, and Medow-ground, which never were in that place; being constrayned to fetch their building-timber, and fire-wood from the Ilands in Boates, and their Hay in Loyters: It being a necke and bare of wood: they are not troubled with three great annoyances, of Woolves, Rattle-snakes, and Musketoes. These that live here upon their Cattle, must be constrayned to take Farmes in the Countrey, or else they cannot subsist; the place being too small to containe many, and fittest for such as can Trade into _England_, for such commodities as the Countrey wants, being the chiefe place for shipping and Merchandize.

This _Necke of land_ is not above foure miles in compasse, in forme almost square, having on the South-side at one corner, a great broad hill, whereon is planted a Fort, which can command any ship as shee sayles into any Harbour within the still Bay. On the North-side is another Hill, equall in bignesse, whereon stands a Winde-mill. To the North-west is a high Mountaine with three little rising Hils on the top of it, wherefore it is called the _Tramount_. From the top of this Mountaine a man may over-looke all the Ilands which lie before the Bay, and discry such ships as are upon the Sea-coast. This Towne although it be neither the greatest, nor the richest, yet it is the most noted and frequented, being the Center of the Plantations where the monthly Courts are kept. Here likewise dwells the Governour: This place hath very good land, affording rich Corne-fields, and fruitefull Gardens; having likewise sweete and pleasant Springs. The inhabitants of this place for their enlargement, have taken to themselves Farme-houses, in a place called _Muddy-river_, two miles from their Towne; where is good ground, large timber, and store of Marsh-land, and Medow. In this place they keepe their Swine and other Cattle in the Summer, whilst the Corne is on the ground at _Boston_, and bring them to the Towne in Winter.

[Sidenote: _Charles-Towne._]

[Sidenote: _Medford._]

[Sidenote: _New-towne._]