Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony — John Shaqi
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay ColonyDow, George Francis
History
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Dow, George Francis
Massachusetts -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
During the ten years that followed the settlement of the
Massachusetts Bay, a continuous flow of emigration from England
crossed the Atlantic in all kinds of available sailing craft.[4]
The passage usually cost £5 per person and this included provisions
provided by the ship such as "salt Beefe, Porke, salt Fish, Butter,
Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water-grewell, and such kinde of Victualls,
with good Biskets, and sixe-shilling Beere; yet it will 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 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: Sallat-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 days at Sea. Iuyce of Lemons well put up, is good either to
prevent or curre the Scurvy.[5] Here it must not be forgotten to
carry small Skillets or Pipkins, and small frying-panns, to dresse
their victualls in at Sea. For bedding, so it be easie, and cleanly,
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
Seamen, shall not neede to feare, but he shall finde as good content
at Sea, as at Land.[6]
[4] Between 1630 and 1643,198 ships brought over 21,200
passengers.--Edward Johnson, _Wonder Working Providence_, London,
1654.
John Josselyn, coming to New England in 1638, mentions in his
journal of the voyage sighting or speaking thirteen vessels between
the Scilly Isles and the New England coast.
[5] Anti-scorbutics were very necessary for the long voyage. John
Josselyn during his first voyage (1638) writes that a young man, a
servant to one of the passengers, "was whipt naked at the Cap-stern,
with a Cat with Nine tails, for filching 9 great Lemmons out of the
Chirurgeons Cabbin, which he eat rinds and all in less than an hours
time."
[6] William Wood, _New-Englands Prospect_, London, 1634.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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