New Englands Prospect: A true, lively, and experimentall description of that part of America, commonly called New England: discovering the state of that Countrie, both as it stands to our new-come English Planters; and to the old Native InhabitantsWood, William, active 1629-1635
History
New Englands Prospect: A true, lively, and experimentall description of that part of America, commonly called New England: discovering the state of that Countrie, both as it stands to our new-come English Planters; and to the old Native Inhabitants
Wood, William, active 1629-1635
Indians of North America -- Massachusetts -- Early works to 1800; Massachuset language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc. -- Early works to 1800; Massachusetts -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Massachusetts -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
legges, and necke; yet is his body rounder than other fowles, not much
unlike the body of a Turkie. I have seene many of these fowles, yet did
I never see one that was fat, I suppose it is contrary to their nature
to grow fat; Of these there be many in Summer, but none in winter,
their price is two shilling. There be likewise many Swannes which
frequent the fresh ponds and rivers, seldome consorting themselves with
Duckes and Geese; these bee very good meate, the price of one is six
shillings. The Geese of the countrey be of three sorts, first a brant
Goose, which is a Goose almost like the wilde Goose in _England_, the
price of one of these is six pence. The second kind is a white Goose,
almost as big as an _English_ tame Goose, these come in great flockes
about Michelmasse, sometimes there will be two or three thousand in a
flocke, these continue six weekes, and so flye to the southward,
returning in March, and staying six weekes more, returning againe to
the Northward; the price of one of these is eight pence. The third kind
of Geese, is a great gray Goose, with a blacke necke, and a blacke and
white head, strong of flight; these bee a great deale bigger than the
ordinary Geese of _England_, some very fat, and in the Spring so full
of Feathers, that the shot can scarce peirce them; most of these Geese
remaine with us from Michelmas to Aprill; they feede on the Sea of
Fish, and in the woods of Acornes, having as other Foule have, their
passe and repasse to the Northward and Southward: the accurate marksmen
kill of these both flying and sitting; the price of a good gray Goose
is eighteene pence. The Duckes of the countrey be very large ones and
in great abundance, so is there of Teale likewise; the price of a Ducke
is six pence, of a Teale three pence. If I should tell you how some
have killed a hundred Geese in a weeke, 50. Duckes at a shot, 40.
Teales at another, it may be counted impossible, though nothing more
certaine. The Oldwives, be a foule that never leave tatling day or
night, something bigger than a Ducke. The Loone is an ill shap'd thing
like a Cormorant; but that he can neyther goe nor flye; he maketh a
noise sometimes like a Sowgelders horne. The Humilities or Simplicities
(as I may rather call them) bee of two sorts, the biggest being as big
as a greene Plover, the other as big as birds we call knots in
_England_. Such is the simplicity of the smaller sorts of these birds,
that one may drive them on a heape like so many sheepe, and seeing a
fit time shoot them; the living seeing the dead, settle themselves on
the same place againe, amongst which the Fowler discharges againe. I my
selfe have killed twelve score at two shootes: these bird are to be had
upon sandy brakes at the latter end of Summer before the Geese come in.
Thus much have I shewed you as I know to bee true concerning the Fowle
of the countrey. But me thinkes I heare some say that this is very good
if it could be caught, or likely to continue, and that much shooting
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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