Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 — John Shaqi
Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664
History
Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664
New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
At the south side of the town there flows down a small river of fresh
water, very rapid, but shallow, which takes its rise from several lakes
in the land above, and there empties into the sea; where in April and
the beginning of May, there come so many shad from the sea which want
to ascend that river, that it is quite surprising. This river the
English have shut in with planks, and in the middle with a little door,
which slides up and down, and at the sides with trellice work, through
which the water has its course, but which they can also close with
slides.
At the mouth they have constructed it with planks, like an eel-pot,
with wings, where in the middle is also a sliding door, and with
trellice work at the sides, so that between the two [dams] there is a
square pool, into which the fish aforesaid come swimming in such
shoals, in order to get up above, where they deposit their spawn, that
at one tide there are 10,000 to 12,000 fish in it, which they shut off
in the rear at the ebb, and close up the trellices above, so that no
more water comes in; then the water runs out through the lower
trellices, and they draw out the fish with baskets, each according to
the land he cultivates, and carry them to it, depositing in each hill
three or four fishes, and in these they plant their maize, which grows
as luxuriantly therein as though it were the best manure in the world.
And if they do not lay this fish therein, the maize will not grow, so
that such is the nature of the soil.
New Plymouth lies on the slope of a hill stretching east towards the
sea-coast, with a broad street about a cannon shot of 800 feet long,
leading down the hill; with a [street] crossing in the middle,
northwards to the rivulet and southwards to the land. The houses are
constructed of hewn planks, with gardens also enclosed behind and at
the sides with hewn planks, so that their houses and court-yards are
arranged in very good order, with a stockade against a sudden attack;
and at the ends of the streets there are three wooden gates. In the
centre, on the cross street, stands the governor's house, before which
is a square stockade upon which four patereros are mounted, so as to
enfilade the streets. Upon the hill they have a large square house,
with a flat roof, made of thick sawn plank, stayed with oak beams, upon
the top of which they have six cannon, which shoot iron balls of four
and five pounds, and command the surrounding country. The lower part
they use for their church, where they preach on Sundays and the usual
holidays. They assemble by beat of drum, each with his musket or
firelock, in front of the captain's door; they have their cloaks on,
and place themselves in order, three abreast, and are led by a sergeant
without beat of drum. Behind comes the governor, in a long robe;
beside him, on the right hand, comes the preacher with his cloak on,
and on the left hand the captain with his side-arms, and cloak on, and
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