A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
History
A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
This harbor is a bay greater than Cape Cod, compassed with a goodly
land, and in the bay, two fine islands uninhabited, wherein are nothing
but wood, oaks, pines, walnuts, beech, sassafras, vines, and other trees
which we know not. This bay is a most hopeful place, innumerable store
of fowl, and excellent good, and cannot but be of fish in their seasons;
skote,[50] cod, turbot, and herring, we have tasted of, abundance of
mussels the greatest and best that ever we saw; crabs and lobsters, in
their time infinite. It is in fashion like a sickle or fish-hook.
Monday the 18th day, we went a-land, manned with the master of the ship
and three or four of the sailors. We marched along the coast in the
woods some seven or eight miles, but saw not an Indian nor an Indian
house; only we found where formerly had been some inhabitants, and where
they had planted their corn. We found not any navigable river, but four
or five small running brooks of very sweet fresh water, that all run
into the sea. The land for the crust of the earth is, a spit’s[51]
depth, excellent black mould,[52] and fat[53] in some places, two or
three great oaks but not very thick, pines, walnuts, beech, ash, birch,
hazel, holly, asp,[54] sassafras in abundance, and vines everywhere,
cherry trees, plum trees, and many others which we know not. Many kinds
of herbs we found here in winter, as strawberry leaves innumerable,
sorrel, yarrow, carvel, brooklime, liverwort, watercresses, great store
of leeks and onions, and an excellent strong kind of flax and hemp. Here
is sand, gravel, and excellent clay, no better in the world, excellent
for pots, and will wash like soap, and great store of stone, though
somewhat soft, and the best water that ever we drank, and the brooks now
begin to be full of fish. That night, many being weary with marching, we
went aboard again.
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