New Englands Plantation, Title page – To the reader
NEW-ENGLANDS PLANTATION. OR, A SHORT AND TRVE DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMODITIES AND DISCOMMODITIES of that Countrey. Written by Mr. Higgeson, a reuerend Diuine now there resident. Whereunto is added a Letter, sent by Mr. Graues an Enginere, out of New-England,
The second Edition enlarged.
LONDON, Printed by T. & R. Cotes, for Michael Sparke, dwelling at the Signe of the Blew Bible in Greene Arbor in the little Old Bailey. 1630.
To the Reader.
REader, do not disdaine to reade this Relation; and looke not here to hauehave a large Gate and no building within; a full-stuffed Title with no matter in the Booke: But here reade the truth, and that thou shalt find without any frothy bumbasted words, or any quaint new-deuised additions, onelyonly as it was written (not intended for the Presse) by a reuerend Diuine now there liuing, who onelyonly sent it to some Friends here, who were desirous of his Relations; which is an Epitomy of their proceedings in the Plantation. And for thy part if thou meanest to be no Planter nor Venturer, doe but lend thy good Prayers for the furthrance of it. And so I rest a well-wisher to all the good designes both of them which are gone, and of them that are to goe.
M. S.
NEW-ENGLANDS PLANTATION.
LEtting passe our Voyage by Sea, we will now begin our discourse on the shore of New-England. And because the life and wel-fare of euerie Creature here below, and the commodiousnesse of the Countrey whereas such Creatures liue, doth by the most wise ordering of Gods prouidence, depend next vntounto himselfe, vponupon the temperature and disposition of the foure Elements, Earth, Water, Aire and Fire (For as of the mixture of all these, all sublunarie thin… are composed; so by the more or lesse inioyment of the wholesome temper and conuenient vse of these, consisteth the onelyonly well-being both of Man and Beast in a more or lesse comfortable measure in all Countreys vnderunder the Heauens) Therefore I will indeauour to shew you what New-England is by the consideration of each of these apart, and truly endeauour by Gods helpe to report nothing but the naked truth, and that both to tell you of the discommodities as well as of the commodities, though as the idle Prouerbe is… Tra…ellers may lye by authoritie, and so may take too much sinfull libertie that way. Yet I may say of my selfe as once Nehemiah did in another case: Shall such a Man as I lye? No verily: It becommeth not a Preacher of Truth to bee a Writer of Falshod in any degree: and therefore I hauehave beene carefull to report nothing of New-England but what I hauehave partly seene with mine owne Eyes, and partly heard and inquired from the mouths of verie honest and religious persons, who by liuing in the Countrey a good space of time hauehave had experience and knowledge of the state thereof, & whose testimonies I doe beleeue as my selfe.
First therefore of the Earth of New-England and all the appertenances thereof: It is a Land of diuers and sundry sorts all about Masathulets Bay, and at Charles Riuer is as fat blacke Earth as can be seene any where: and in other places you hauehave a clay soyle, in other grauell, in other sand…s it is all about our Plantation at Salem, for so our Towne is now named, Psal. 76.2.
The forme of the Earth here in the superficies of it is neither too flat in the plainnesse; nor too high in Hils, but partakes of both in a mediocritie, and fit for Pasture, or for Plow or Meddow ground, as Men please to employ it: though all the Countrey bee as it were a thicke Wood for the generall, yet in diuers places there is much ground cleared by the Indians, and especially about the Plantation: and I am told that about three miles from vsus a Man may stand on a little hilly place and see diuers thousands of acres of ground as good as need to be, and not a Tree in the same. It is thought here is good Clay to make Bricke and Tyles and Earthen-Pots as needs to bee. At this instant we are setting a Bricke-Kill on worke to make Brickes and Tiles for the building of our Houses. For Stone, here is plentie of Slates at the Ile of Slate in Masathulets Bay, and Lime-stone, Free-stone, and Smooth-stone, and Iron-stone, and Marble-stone also in such store, that we hauehave great Rockes of it, and a Harbour hard by. Our Plantation is from thence called Marble-harbour.
Of Minerals there hath yet beene but little triall made, yet we are not without great hope of being furnished in that Soyle.
The fertilitie of the Soyle is to be admired at, as appeareth in the aboundance of Grasse that groweth euerie where both verie thicke, verie long, and verie high in diuers places: but it groweth verie wildly with a great stalke and a broad and ranker blade, because it neuer had been eaten with Cattle, nor mowed with a Sythe, and seldome trampled on by foot. It is scarce to be beleeued how our Kine and Goats, Horses and Hogges doe thriue and prosper here and like well of this Countrey.
In our Plantation we hauehave already a quart of Milke for a penny: but the aboundant encrease of Corne proues this Countrey to bee a wonderment. Thirtie, fortie, fiftie, sixtie are ordinarie here: yea Iosephs encrease in Aegypt is out-stript here with vsus. Our planters hope to hauehave more then a hundred fould this yere: and all this while I am within compasse; what will you say of two hundred fould and vpwards? It is almost incredible what great gaine some of our English Planters hauehave had by our Indian Corne. Credible persons hauehave assured me, and the partie himselfe auouched the truth of it to me, that of the setting of 13 Gallons of Corne hee hath had encrease of it 52 Hogsheads, eueryevery Hogshead holding seuen Bushels of London measure, and eueryevery Bushell was by him sold and trusted to the Indians for so much Beauer as was worth 18 shillings; and so of this 13 Gallons of Corne which was worth 6 shillings & pence, he made about 327 pounds of it the yeere following, as by reckoning will appeare: where you may see how God blessed husbandry in this Land. There is not such great and plentifull eares of Corne I suppose any where else to bee found but in this Countrey: being also of varietie of colours, as red, blew and yellow, &c. and of one Corne there springeth foure or fiue hundred. I hauehave sent you many Eares of diuers colours that you might see the truth of it.
Little Children here by setting of Corne may earne much more then their owne maintenance.
They hauehave tryed our English Corne at new Plimouth Plantation, so that all our seuerall Graines will grow here verie well, and hauehave a fitting Soyle for their nature.
Our Gouernour hath store of greene Pease growing in his Garden as good as euer I eat in England ▪
This Countrey aboundeth naturally with store of Roots of great varietie and good to eat. Our Turnips, Parsnips and Carrots are here both bigger and sweeter then is ordinarily to be found in England. Here are also store of Pumpions, Cowcombers, and other things of that nature which I know not. Also, diuers excellent Pot-herbs grow abundantly among the Grasse, as Strawberrie leaues in all places of the Countrey, and plentie of Strawberries in their time, and Penyroyall, Wintersauerie, Sorrell, Brookelime, Liuerwort, Caruell and Watereresses, also Leekes and Onions are ordinarie, and diuers Physicall Herbes. Here are also aboundance of other sweet Herbes delightfull to the smell, whose names we know not, &c. and plentie of single Damaske Roses verie sweet; and two kinds of Herbes that beare two kinds of Flowers very sweet, which they say, are as good to make Cordage or Cloath as any Hempe or Flaxe we hauehave.
Excellent Vines are here vp and downe in the Woods. Our Gouernour hath already planted a Vineyard with great hope of encrease.
Also, Mulberries, Plums, Raspherries, Corrance, Chesnuts, Filberds, Walnuts, Smalnuts, Hurtleberies & Hawes of Whitethorne neere as good as our Cherries in England, they grow in plentie here.
For Wood there is no better in the World I thinke, here being foure sorts of Oke differing both in the Lease, Timber, and Colour, all excellent good. There is also good Ash, Elme, Willow, Birch, Beech, Saxafras, Iuniper Ciprus, Cedar, Spruce, Pines & Firre that will yeeld abundance of Turpentine, Pitch, Tarie, Masts and other materials for building both of Ships and Houses. Also here are store of Sumacke Trees, they are good for dying and tanning of Leather, likewise such Trees yeeld a precious Gum called White Beniamen, that they say is excellent for perfumes. Also here be diuers Roots and Berries wherewith the Indians dye excellent holding colours that no raine nor washing can alter. Also, wee hauehave materials to make Sope-Ashes and Salt-Peter in aboundance.
For Beasts there are some Beare…, and they say some Lyons also; for they hauehave been seen at Cape A…e. Also here are seuerall sorts of Deere, some whereof bring three or foure young ones at once, which is not ordinarie in England ▪ Also Wolues, Foxes, Beauers, Otters, Martins, great wild Cats, & a great Beast called a Molke as bigge as an Oxe. I hauehave seen the Skins of all these Beasts since I came to this Plantation excepting Lyons. Also here are great store of Squerrels, some greater, and some smaller and lesser: there are some of the lesser sort, they tell me, that by a certaine Skin will fly from Tree to Tree though they stand farre distant.