active 1629-1635 William Wood

“ These Indians be very hospitable, insomuch that when the English have trauelled forty, fifty, or threescore miles into the Countrey, they have entertained them into their houses, quartered them by themselves in the best roomes, providing the best victuals they could, expressing their welcome in as good termes as could be expected from their slender breeding; shewing more love than complement, not grumbling for a fortnights or three weekes tarrying; but rather caring to provide accommodation correspondent to their English custome. ”

“ Before they come to this sport, they paint themselves, even as when they goe to warre, in pollicie to prevent future mischiefe, because no man should know him that moved his patience or accidentally hurt his person, taking away the occasion of studying revenge. Before they begin their armes be disordered, and hung upon some neighbouring tree, after which they make a long scrowle on the sand, over which they shake loving hands, and with laughing hearts scuffle for victorie. While the men play the boyes pipe, and the women dance and sing trophies of their husbands conquests ”

“ For their carriage it is very civill, smiles being the greatest grace of their mirth; their musick is lullabies to quiet their children, who generally are as quiet as if they had neither spleene or lungs. ”

“ The hard Winters are commonly the fore-runners of pleasant Spring-times, and fertile Summers, being iudged likewise to make much for the health of our English bodies: It is found to be more healthfull for such as shall adventure thither, to come towards Winter, than the hot Summer; the Climate in Winter is commonly cold and dry, the Snow lies long, which is thought to be no small nourishing to the ground. ”

“ But though they be thus wedded to the haire of their head, you cannot wooe them to weare it on their chinnes, where it no sooner growes, but it is stubbed up by the rootes, for they count it as an unuseful, cumbersome, and opprobrious excrement, insomuch as they call him an English mans bastard that hath but the appearance of a beard, which some have growing in a staring fashion, like the beard of a cat, which makes them the more out of love with them, choosing rather to have no beards than such as should make them ridiculous. ”

“ Hubbub is five small Bones in a small smooth Tray, the bones bee like a Die, but something flatter, blacke on the one side and white on the other, which they place on the ground, against which violently thumping the platter, the bones mount changing colours with the windy whisking of their hands too and fro; which action in that sport they much use, smiting themselves on the breast, and thighs, crying out, Hub, Hub, Hub ”

“ It is too common with many to feare the Sea more than they neede, and all such as put to Sea, confesse it to be lesse tedious than they either feared or expected. A ship at Sea may well be compared to a Cradle, rocked by a carefull Mothers hand, which though it be moved up and downe, yet is it not in danger of falling: So a ship may often be rocked too and againe upon the troublesome Sea, yet seldome doth it sinke or over-turne, because it is kept by that carefull hand of Providence by which it is rocked. ”

“ For the Countrey it is as well watered as any land under the Sunne, every family, or every two families having a spring of sweet waters betwixt them, which is farre different from the waters of England, being not so sharpe, but of a fatter substance, and of a more jetty colour; it is thought there can be no better water in the world, yet dare I not preferre it before good Beere, as some have done, but any man will choose it before bad Beere, Wheay, or Buttermilke. Those that drinke it be as healthfull, fresh, and lustie, as they that drinke beere ”

“ The Countrey is not so extreamely cold, unlesse it be when the North-west winde is high, at other times it is ordinary for Fishermen to goe to Sea in Ianuary and February, in which time they get more Fish, and better than in Summer, onely observing to reach some good Harbours before night, where by good fires they sleepe as well and quietly, (having their mayne sayle tented at their backes, to shelter them from the winde) as if they were at home. To relate how some English bodies have borne out cold, will (it may be) startle beliefe of some, it being so strange, yet not so strange as true. ”

“ It might be, a Perillus his Bull, or the disjoynting racke might force a roare from them, but a Turkish drubbing would not much molest them, and although they be naturally much affraid of death, yet the unexpected approach of a mortall wound by a Bullet, Arrow, or Sword, strikes no more terrour, causes no more exclamation, no more complaint, or whinching, than if it had beene a shot into the body of a tree: such wounds as would be suddaine death to an English man, would be nothing to them. ”

“ If their fancie drive them to trade, they choose rather a good course blanket, thorough which they cannot see, interposing it betweene the sunne and them; or a piece of broade cloth, which they use for a double end, making it a coate by day, and a covering by night; they love not to be imprisoned in our English fashion: they love their owne dogge fashion better (of shaking their eares, and being ready in a moment) than to spend time in dressing them, though they may as well spare it as any men I know, having little else to doe. ”

“ 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. ”

“ If any men be so improvident as to set men about building of Castles in the Aire, or other unnecessary employments, they may grow poore; but such as employ labourers about planting of Corne, building of houses, fenceing in of ground, fishing, and divers other necessary occasions, shall receive as much or more by poore mens labours, than those that live in England doe from the industrie of such as they hire: Wherefore I doe suppose this to be but the surmisings of some that are ignorant of the state of the countrey, or else misinformed by some ill willers to the plantations. ”

“ And whereas it is generally conceived, that the woods grow so thicke, that there is no more cleare ground than is hewed out by labour of man; it is nothing so; in many places, divers Acres being cleare, so that one may ride a hunting in most places of the land, if he will venture himselfe for being lost: there is no underwood saving in swamps, and low grounds that are wet, in which the English get Osiers, and Hasles, and such small wood as is for their use. ”

“ The Herrings be much like them that be caught on the English coasts. Alewives be a kind of fish which is much like a Herring, which in the latter end of Aprill come up to the fresh Rivers to spawne, in such multitudes as is allmost incredible, pressing up in such shallow waters as will scarce permit them to swimme, having likewise such longing desire after the fresh water ponds, that no beatings with poles, or forcive agitations by other devices, will cause them to returne to the sea, till they have cast their Spawne. The Shaddes be bigger than the English Shaddes and fatter. ”

“ Furthermore, whereas it hath beene generally reported in many places of England, that the Grasse growes not in those places where it was cut the fore-going yeares, it is a meere falshood; for it growes as well the ensuing Spring as it did before, and is more spiery and thicke, like our English Grasse: and in such places where the Cattle use to graze, the ground is much improved in the Woods, growing more grassie, and lesse weedy. ”

“ Hee will therefore doe more, for in Winter, when there is no greene leaves to be got, he will burne an old one to ashes, and putting those into the water, produce a new greene leafe, which you shall not onely see, but substantially handle and carrie away; and make of a dead snakes skinne a living snake, both to be seene, felt, and heard; this I write but upon the report of the Indians, who confidently affirme stranger things. But to make manifest, that by Gods permission, thorough the Devils helpe, their charmes are of force to produce effects of wonderment ”

“ A certaine man being something distracted, broke away from his Keeper, and running into the Wood, could not bee found with much seeking after; but foure dayes being expired, he returned, to appearance as well in body, as at his egresse, and in minde much better: for a mad man to hit home through the unbeaten Woods, was strange, but to liue without meate or drinke in the deepe of Winter, stranger, and yet returne home bettered, was most strange: but if truth may gaine beleefe, you may behold a more superlative strangenesse. ”

“ The worst that can be sayd against the meddow grounds, is because there is little edish, or after-pasture, which may proceede from the late mowing, more than from any thing else; but though the edish be not worth much, yet is there such plenty of other Grasse and seeding, that there is no want of Winter-fodder till December, at which time men beginne to house their milch-cattle and Calves: Some, notwithstanding the cold of the Winter, have their Young Cattle without doores, giving them meate at morning and evening. ”

“ I dare be bold to affirme it, that I saw not so much raine, raw colds, and misty fogges in foure yeares in those parts, as was in England in the space of foure Moneths the last Winter; yet no man at the yeares end, complained of too much drought, or too little raine. The times of most Raine, are in the beginning of Aprill, and at Michaelmas. The early Springs and long Summers make but short Autumnes and Winters. In the Spring when the Grasse beginnes to put forth, it growes apace, so that where it was all blacke by reason of Winters burnings, in a fortnight there will be Grasse a foote high. ”

“ The Porcupine is a small thing not much unlike a Hedgehog; something bigger, who stands upon his guard and proclaimes a Noli me tangere, to man and beast, that shall approach too neare him, darting his quills into their legges, and hides. The Rackoone is a deepe furred beast, not much unlike a Badger, having a tayle like a Fox, as good meate as a Lambe; there is one of them in the Tower. These beasts in the day time sleepe in hollow trees, in the moone shine night they goe to feede on clammes at a low tide, by the Sea side, where the English hunt them with their dogges. ”

“ Muscles be in great plenty, left onely for the Hogges, which if they were in England would be more esteemed of the poorer sort. Clamms or Clamps is a shel-fish not much unlike a cockle, it lyeth under the sand, every six or seaven of them having a round hole to take ayre and receive water at. When the tide ebs and flowes, a man running over these Clamm bankes will presently be made all wet, by their spouting of water out of those small holes: These fishes be in great plenty in most places of the countrey, which is a great commoditie for the feeding of Swine, both in winter, and Summer ”

“ The place whereon the English have built their Colonies, is judged by those who have best skill in discovery, either to be an Iland, surrounded on the North side with the spacious River Cannada, and on the South with Hudsons River, or else a Peninsula, these two Rivers overlapping one another, having their rise from the great Lakes which are not farre off one another, as the Indians doe certainely informe us. ”

“ We could wish them well mew'd in England; for they make hauocke of Hens, Partridges, Heathcockes, and Duckes; often hindering the Fowler of his long look't for shoote. The Humbird is one of the wonders of the Countrey, being no bigger than a Hornet, yet hath all the demensions of a Bird, as bill, and wings, with quills, spider-like legges, small clawes: For colour, she is as glorious as the Raine-bow; as she flies, she makes a little humming noise like a Humble-bee: wherefore shee is called the Humbird. ”

“ I condemne not such therefore as are now there, and are not able to worke; but I advise for the future those men that are of weake constitutions to keepe at home, if their estates cannot maintaine servants. For all new England must be workers in some kinde: and whereas it hath beene formerly reported that boyes of tenne or a twelve yeares of age might doe much more than get their living, that cannot be, for he must have more than a boyes head, and no lesse than a mans strength, that intends to live comfortably ”

“ For when they change their bare Indian commons for the plenty of Englands fuller diet, it is so contrary to their stomacks, that death or a desperate sicknesse immediately accrews, which makes so few of them desirous to see England. Their swarthinesse is the Sun's livery, for they are borne faire. Their smooth skins proceede from the often anoynting of their bodies with the oyle of fishes, and the fat of Eagles, with the grease of Rackoones, which they hold in summer, the best antidote to keepe their skinne from blistering with the scorching Sunne ”

“ The Stares be bigger than those in England, as blacke as Crowes, being the most troublesome, and injurious bird of all others, pulling up the cornes by the roots, when it is young, so that those who plant by reedy and sedgy places, where they frequent, are much annoyed with them, they being so audacious that they feare not Guns, or their fellowes hung upon poles; but the Corne having a weeke or nine dayes growth is past their spoyling. ”

“ The Wallnut tree is something different from the English Wallnut, being a great deale more tough, and more serviceable, and altogether as heavie: and whereas our Gunnes that are stocked with English Wallnut, are soone broaken and cracked in frost, beeing a brittle Wood; we are driven to stocke them new with the Country Wallnut, which will indure all blowes, and weather; lasting time out of minde. These trees beare a very good Nut, something smaller, but nothing inferiour in sweetnesse and goodnesse to the English Nut, having no bitter pill. ”

“ If a Tree may be judged by his fruite, and dispositions calculated by exteriour actions; then may it be concluded, that these Indians are of affable, courteous, and well disposed natures, ready to communicate the best of their wealth to the mutuall good of one another; and the lesse abundance they have, to manifest their entire friendship; so much the more perspicuous is their love, in that they are as willing to part with their Mite in poverty, as treasure in plenty. ”

“ For the more upland grounds, there be different kinds, in some places clay, some gravell, some a red sand; all which are covered with a black mould, in some places above a foote deepe, in other places not so deepe. There be very few that have the experience of the ground, that can condemne it of barrennesse; although many deeme it barren, because the English use to manure their land with fish, which they doe not because the land could not bring corne without it, but because it brings more with it ”