New-Englands plantation : $b with the sea journal and other writingsHigginson, Francis
History
New-Englands plantation : $b with the sea journal and other writings
Higginson, Francis
New England -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
_New-England_ hath Water enough both salt and fresh, the greatest Sea
in the World, the _Atlanticke_ Sea runs all along the Coast thereof.
There are abundance of Ilands along the Shore, some full of Wood and
Mast to feed Swine; and others cleere of Wood, and fruitful to beare
Corne. Also we haue store of excellent harbours for Ships, as at
Cape _Anne_, and at _Masathulets_ Bay, and at _Salem_, and at many
other places: and they are the better because for Strangers there
is a verie difficult and dangerous passage into them, but vnto such
as are well acquainted with them, they are easie and safe enough.
The aboundance of Sea-Fish are almost beyond beleeuing, and sure I
should scarce haue beleeued it except I had seene it with mine owne
Eyes. I saw great store of Whales, and Crampusse, and such aboundance
of Makerils that it would astonish one to behold, likewise Cod-Fish
aboundance on the Coast, and in their season are plentifully taken.
There is a Fish called a Basse, a most sweet & wholesome Fish as euer
I did eat, it is altogether as good as our fresh Sammon, and the
season of their comming was begun when we came first to _New-England_
in _Iune_, and so continued about three months space. Of this Fish
our Fishers take many hundreds together, which I haue seene lying on
the shore to my admiration; yea, their Nets ordinarily take more then
they are able to hale to Land, and for want of Boats and Men they are
constrained to let a many goe after they haue taken them, and yet
sometimes they fill two Boats at a time with them. And besides Basse
we take plentie of Scate and Thornbacke, and aboundance of Lobsters,
that the least Boy in the Plantation may both catch and eat what he
wil of them. For my owne part I was soone cloyed with them, they were
so great, and fat, and lussious. I haue seene some my selfe that haue
weighed 16 pound, but others haue had diuers time so great Lobsters
as haue weighed 25 pound, as they assured me. Also here is aboundance
of Herring, Turbut, Sturgion, Cuskes, Hadocks, Mullets, Eeles, Crabs,
Muskles and Oysters. Beside there is probabilitie that the Countrey
is of an excellent temper for the making of Salt: for since our
comming our Fishermen haue brought home verie good Salt which they
found candied by the standing of the Sea water and the heat of the
Sunne, vpon a Rock by the Sea shore: and in diuers Salt Marishes that
some haue gone through, they haue found some Salt in some places
crushing vnder their Feet and cleauing to their Shoes.
And as for fresh Water the Countrey is full of daintie Springs, and
some great Riuers, and some lesser Brookes; and at _Masathulets_ Bay
they digged Wels and found Water at three Foot deepe in most places:
and neere _Salem_ they haue as fine cleare Water as we can desire,
and we may digge Wels and find Water where we list.
Thus we see both Land and Sea abound with store of blessings for the
comfortable sustenance of Mans life in _New-England_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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