Francis Higginson

“ For when you are once parted with England you shall meete neither with taverns nor alehouse, nor butchers, nor grosers, nor apothecaries shops to helpp what things you need, in the midst of the great ocean, nor when you are come to land here are yet neither markets nor fayres to buy what you want. ”

“ The Temper of the Aire of New-England is one speciall thing that commends this place. Experience doth manifest that there is hardly a more healthfull place to be found in the World that agreeth better with our English Bodyes. Many that haue beene weake and sickly in old England, by comming hither hane beene thoroughly healed and growne healthfull and strong. For here is an extraordinarie cleere and dry Aire that is of a most healing nature to all such as are of a Cold, Melancholy, Flegmatick, Reumaticke temper of Body. None can more truly speake hereof by their owne experience then my selfe. ”

“ It becommeth not a Preacher of Truth to be a Writer of Falshood in any degree: and therefore I haue beene carefull to report nothing of New-England but what I haue partly seene with mine owne Eyes, and partly heard and enquired from the Mouthes of verie honest and religious person, who by liuing in the Countrey a good space of time haue had experience and knowledge of the state thereof, & whose testimonies I doe beleeue as my selfe. ”

“ In the Summer time in the midst of Iuly and August it is a good deale hotter then in old England: and in Winter, Ianuary and February [31] are much colder as they say: but the Spring and Autumne are of a middle temper.
Fowles of the Aire are plentifull here, and of all sorts as we haue in England as farre as I can learne, and a great many of strange Fowles which we know not. Whilst I was writing these things, one of our Men brought home an Eagle which he had killed in the Wood: they say they are good meat. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Indeed we that are ministers, and all the rest that were entertained and sent over and maintained by the rest of the company, as their servants, for such a tyme in such employments, all such are to have houses built them of the comyanies charge and no others nor otherwise. They that put money into the stocke, as they do a good worke to helpe forwards so worthy a plantation, so all the gayne they are likely to have, is according to the increase of the stocke at 3 years end, by the trade of beaver, besides the lands which they shall enjoy when they will. ”

“ The greatest Saggamores about vs can not make aboue three hundred Men, and other lesse Saggamores haue not aboue fifteene Subiects, and others neere about vs but two.
Their Subiects about twelue yeeres since were swept away by a great and grieuous Plague that was amongst them, so that there are verie few left to inhabite the Countrey.
The Indians are not able to make vse of the one fourth part of the Land, neither haue they any setled places, as Townes to dwell in, nor any ground as they challenge for their owne possession, but change their habitation from place to place. ”

“ In the Winter time I haue seene Flockes of Pidgeons, and haue eaten of them: they doe fly from Tree to Tree as other Birds doe, which our Pidgeons will not doe in England: they are of all colours as ours are, but their wings and tayles are far longer, and therefore it is likely they fly swifter to escape the terrible Hawkes in this Country. In Winter time this Country doth abound with wild Geese, wild Duckes, and other Sea Fowle, [102] that a great part of winter the Planters haue eaten nothing but roast meate of diuers Fowles which they haue killed. ”

“ Secondly, In the Winter season for two months space the Earth is commonly couered with Snow, which is accompanied with sharp biting Frosts, something more sharpe then is in old England, and therefore are forced to make great Fires. ”

“ Here is good liuing for those that loue good Fires. And although New-England haue no Tallow to make Candles of, yet by the aboundance of the Fish thereof, it can afford Oyle for Lampes. Yea our Pine-Trees that are the most plentifull of all wood, doth allow vs plentie of Candles, which are verie vsefull in a House: and they are such Candles as the Indians commonly vse, hauing no other, and they are nothing else but the wood of the Pine Tree clouen in two little slices something thin, which are so full of the moysture of Turpentine and Pitch, that they burne as cleere as a Torch. ”

“ Little Children here by setting of Corne may earne much more then their owne maintenance.
They haue tryed our English Corne at new Plimmouth Plantation, so that all our seuerall Graines will grow here verie well, and haue a fitting Soyle for their nature.
Our Gouernor hath store of greene pease growing in his garden as good as euer I eat in England.
This Countrey aboundeth naturally with store of rootes of great varietie and good to eat. Our Turnips, Parsnips and Carrots are here both bigger and sweeter [94] then is ordinarily to bee found in England. ”

“ Indeed I thinke New England may boast of this Element more then of all the rest: for though it be here somthing cold in the winter, yet here we haue plentie of Fire to warme vs, and that a great deale cheaper then they sell Billets and Faggots in London: nay, all Europe is not able to afford to make so great Fires as New-England. A poore Seruant here that is to possesse but 50 Acres of Land, may afford to giue more wood for Timber and Fire as good as the world yeelds, then many Noble Men in England can afford to doe. ”

“ Of all trades carpenters are most needful, therefore bring as many as you can. It were a wise course for those of abilityes to joyne together and buy a shipp for the voyage and other merchandize. For the governour would that any man may employ his stocke in what merchandises he please, excepting only beaver skins, which the company of merchants reserve to themselves, and the managing of the publique stocke. ”

“ They doe generally professe to like well of our comming and planting here; partly because there is abundance of ground that they cannot possesse nor make vse of, and partly because our being heere will bee a meanes both of reliefe to them when they want, and also a defence from their Enemies, wherewith (I say) before this Plantation began, they were often indangered.
For their religion, they doe worship two Gods, a good God and an euill God: the good God they call Tantum, and their euill God whom they feare will doe them hurt, they call Squantum. ”

“ Before you come be carefull to be strongly instructed what things are fittest to bring with you for your more comfortable passage at sea, as also for your husbandrey occasions when you come to the land. ”

“ We haue great Ordnance, wherewith wee doubt not but wee shall fortifie our selues in a short time to keepe out a potent Aduersary. But that which is our greatest comfort, and meanes of defence aboue all other, is, that we haue here the true Religion and holy Ordinances of Almightie God taught amongst vs: Thankes be to God, wee haue here plenty of Preaching, and diligent Catechizing, with strickt and carefull exercise, and good and commendable orders to bring our People into a Christian conuersation with whom wee haue to doe withall. ”

“ Fourthly and lastly, Here wants as it were good company of honest Christians to bring with them Horses, Kine and Sheepe to make vse of this fruitfull Land: great pitty it is to see so much good ground for Corne & for Grasse as any is vnder the Heauens, to ly altogether vnoccupied, when so many honest Men and their Families in old England through the populousnesse thereof, do make very hard shift to liue one by the other.
Now, thus you know what New-England is, as also with the commodities and discommodities thereof: now I will shew you a little of the Inhabitants thereof, and their gouernment. ”

“ It is thought here is good Clay to make Bricke and Tyles and Earthen-Pots as needs to be. At this instant we are setting a Bricke-Kill on worke to make Brickes and Tyles for the building of our Houses. For Stone, here is plentie of Slates at the Ile of Slate Masathulets Bay, and Lime-stone, Free-stone, and Smooth-stone, and Iron-stone, and Marble-stone also in such store, that we haue great Rockes of it, and a Harbour hard by. Our Plantation is from thence called Marble-harbour. ”

“ Countrey is of an excellent temper for the making of Salt: for since our comming our Fishermen haue brought home very good Salt which they found candied by the standing of the Sea water and the heat of the Sunne, vpon a Rocke 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 Feete and cleauing to their Shooes. ”

“ The Men for the most part liue idely, they doe nothing but hunt and fish: their wiues set their Corne and doe all their other worke. They haue little Houshold stuffe, as a kettle, and some other Vessels like Trayes, Spoones, Dishes and Baskets.
Their Houses are verie little and homely, being made with small Poles pricked into the ground, and so bended and fastned at the tops, and on the sides they are matted with Boughes and couered on the Roofe with Sedge and old Mats, and for their beds that they take their rest on, they haue a Mat. ”

“ Secondly all other churches of Europe are brought to desolacon, & it may be justly feared yt ye like judgmt is coming vpon vs: & who knowes but yt God hath provided this place to be a refuge for many whom hee meanes to saue out of ye generall destruction.
Thirdly the land growes weary of her inhabitants, so that man wch is ye most precious of all creatures is here more vyle [42] & base then ye earth they tread upon; so as children neighbours & friends especially of ye poore, are counted ye greatest burdens, wch if things were right would be ye highest earthly blessings. ”

“ Therefore I will endeauour to shew you what New-England is by the consideration of each of these apart, and truly endeauour by Gods helpe to report nothing but the naked truth and that both to tell you of the discommodities as well as of the commodities, though as [22] the idle Prouerbe is, Trauellers may lye by authoritie, and so may take too much sinfull libertie that way. Yet I may say of my selfe as once Nehemiah did in another case: Shall such a Man as I lye? ”

“ It is scarce to be beleeued how our Kine and Goats, Horses and Hogges doe thriue and prosper here and like well of this Countrey.
In our Plantation we haue already a quart of Milke for a penny: but the aboundant encrease of Corne proues this Countrey to bee a wonderment. Thirtie, fortie, fiftie, sixtie are ordinarie here: yea Joseph’s encrease in Ægyt is out-stript here with vs. Our planters hope to haue more then a hundred fould this yere: and all this while I am within compasse ”

“ THE copany of New England consisting of many worthy gentlemen in ye citty of London, Dorcester & other places, ayming at ye glory of God, ye propagacon of ye gospell of Christ, ye conversio of ye Indians, & ye enlargemt of ye Kings maties dominions in America, & being authorised by his royall letters patents for yt end, at their very great costs & chardgs furnished 5 Ships to go to new England, for ye further setling of ye English plantacon yt yy had already begun there. ”

“ For their Statures, they are a tall and strong limmed People, their colours are tawny, they goe naked, saue onely they are in part couered with Beasts Skins on one of their Shoulders, and weare something before their Priuities: their Haire is generally blacke, and cut before like our Gentlewomen, and one locke longer then the rest, much like to our Gentlemen, which fashion I thinke came from hence into England. ”

“ And ever and anon we saw divers kynds of fishes sporting in the great waters, great grampuses and huge whales going by companies and puffing up water-streames. Those that love their owne chimney corner, and dare not go farre beyond their owne townes end shall neever have the honour to see these wonderfull workes of Almighty God. ”

“ Thirdly, This Countrey being verie full of Woods and Wildernesses, doth also much abound with Snakes and Serpents of strange colours and huge greatnesse: yea there are some Serpents called Rattle Snakes, that haue Rattles in their Tayles that will not flye from a Man as others will, but will flye vpon him and sting him so mortally, that he will dye within a quarter of an houre after, except the partie stinged haue about him some of the root of an Hearbe called Snake weed to bite on, and then he shall receiue no harme: but yet seldome falles it out that any hurt is done by these. ”