John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ O fauourable was your most renowned and memorable Brother, Prince Henry, to all generous designes: that in my discouery of Virginia, I presumed to call two namelesse Headlands after my Soueraignes heires, Cape Henry, and Cape Charles. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ But rich men for the most part are growne to that dotage, through their pride in their wealth, as though there were no accident could end it, or their life. And what hellish care do such take to make it their owne miserie, and their Countries spoile, especially when there is most neede of their imployment? ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ It is strange with what small power hee hath raigned in the East Indes; and few will vnderstand the truth of his strength in America: where he hauing so much to keepe with such a pampered force, they neede not greatly feare his furie, in the Bermudas, Virginia, New France, or New England; beyond whose bounds America doth stretch many thousand miles: into the frozen partes whereof one Master Hutson an English Mariner did make the greatest discouerie of any Christian I knowe of, where he vnfortunately died. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ This would so increase our shipping and sailers, and so employ and encourage a great part of our idlers and others that want imployments fitting their qualities at home, where they shame to doe that they would doe abroad; that could they but once taste the sweet fruites of their owne labours, doubtlesse many thousands would be aduised by good discipline, to take more pleasure in honest industrie, then in their humours of dissolute idlenesse. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Heer nature and liberty affords vs that freely, which in England we want, or it costeth vs dearely. What pleasure can be more, then (being tired with any occasion a-shore) in planting Vines, Fruits, or Hearbs, in contriuing their owne Grounds, to the pleasure of their owne mindes, their Fields, Gardens, Orchards, Buildings, Ships, and other works, &c. to recreate themselues before their owne doores, in their owne boates vpon the Sea, where man woman and childe, with a small hooke and line, by angling, may take diuerse sorts of excellent fish, at their pleasures? ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Of woods seeing there is such plenty of all sorts, if those that build ships and boates, buy wood at so great a price, as it is in England, Spaine, France, Italy, and Holland, and all other prouisions for the nourishing of mans life; liue well by their trade: when labour is all required to take those necessaries without any other tax ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ If they punish the drones and sting them steales their labour; then blame not Man. Little hony hath that hiue, where there are more Drones then Bees: and miserable is that Land, where more are idle then well imployed. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ A note for men that haue great spirits, and smal meanes.Who can desire more content, that hath small meanes; or but only his merit to aduance his fortune, then to tread, and plant that ground hee hath purchased by the hazard of his life? If he haue but the taste of virtue, and magnanimitie, what to such a minde can bee more pleasant, then planting and building a foundation for his Posteritie, gotte from the rude earth, by Gods blessing & his owne industrie, without preiudice to any? If hee haue any graine of faith or zeale in Religion, what can hee doe lesse hurtfull to any ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ By which meanes hee diues euen into the verie secret of all his Neighbours, and the most part of the world: and when the Portugale and Spanyard had found the East and West Indies; how many did condemn themselues, that did not accept of that honest offer of Noble Columbus? who, vpon our neglect, brought them to it, perswading our selues the world had no such places as they had found: and yet euer since wee finde, they still (from time to time) haue found new Lands, new Nations, and trades, and still daily dooe finde both in Asia, Africa, Terra incognita, and America ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ For Affrica, had not the industrious Portugales ranged her vnknowne parts, who would haue sought for wealth among those fryed Regions of blacke brutish Negers, where notwithstanding all the wealth and admirable aduentures & endeauours more then 140 yeares, they knowe not one third of those blacke habitations. But it is not a worke for euery one, to manage such an affaire as makes a discouerie, and plants a Colony: It requires all the best parts of Art, Iudgement, Courage, Honesty, Cõstancy, Diligence and Industrie, to doe but neere well. Some are more proper for one thing then another ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Then come you to Accomack, an excellent good harbor, good land; and no want of any thing, but industrious people. After much kindnesse, vpon a small occasion, wee fought also with fortie or fiftie of those: though some were hurt, and some slaine; yet within an houre after they became friendes. Cape Cod is the next presents it selfe: which is onely a headland of high hils of sand, ouergrowne with shrubbie pines, hurts, and such trash; but an excellent harbor for all weathers. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ It is strange to see what great aduentures the hopes of setting forth men of war to rob the industrious innocent, would procure; or such massie promises in grosse: though more are choked then well fedde with such hastie hopes. But who doth not know that the poore Hollanders, chiefly by fishing,The Hollanders fishing. at a great charge and labour in all weathers in the open Sea, are made a people so hardy, and industrious? ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Ranging the coast in a small boat, wee got for trifles neer 1100 Beuer skinnes, 100 Martins, and neer as many Otters; and the most of them within the distance of twenty leagues. We ranged the Coast both East and West much furder; but Eastwards our commodities were not esteemed, they were so neare the French who affords them better: and right against vs in the Main was a Ship of Sir Frances Popphames, that had there such acquaintance, hauing many yeares vsed onely that porte, that the most parte there was had by him. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ And who is he hath iudgement, courage, and any industrie or qualitie with vnderstanding, will leaue his Countrie, his hopes at home, his certaine estate, his friends, pleasures, libertie, & the preferment sweete England doth afford to all degrees, were it not to aduance his fortunes by inioying his deserts? whose prosperitie once appearing, will incourage others: but it must be cherished as a childe, till it be able to goe, and vnderstand it selfe ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Imployment for poore people and fatherlesse children.Now, young boyes and girles Saluages, or any other, be they neuer such idlers, may turne, carry, and return fish, without either shame, or any great paine: hee is very idle that is past twelue yeares of age and cannot doe so much: and she is very olde, that cannot spin a thred to make engines to catch them. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ For hunting also: the woods, lakes, and riuers, affoord not onely chase sufficient, for any that delights in that kinde of toyle, or pleasure; but such beasts to hunt, that besides the delicacy of their bodies for food, their skins are so rich, as may well recompence thy dayly labour, with a Captains pay. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Therefore I conclude, if the heart and intralls of those Regions were sought: if their Land were cultured, planted and manured by men of industrie, iudgement, and experience; what hope is there, or what neede they doubt, hauing those aduantages of the Sea, but it might equalize any of those famous King domes, in all commodities, pleasures, and conditions? seeing euen the very edges doe naturally afford vs such plenty, as no ship need returne away empty: and onely vse but the season of the Sea, fish will returne an honest gaine, beside all other aduantages ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ The Sea Coast as you passe, shewes you all along large corne fields, and great troupes of well proportioned people: but the French hauing remained heere neere sixe weekes, left nothing, for vs to take occasion to examine the inhabitants relations, viz. if there be neer three thousand people vpon these Iles; and that the Riuer doth pearce many daies iourneies the intralles of that Countrey. We found the people in those parts verie kinde; but in their furie no lesse valiant. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Besides these reasons, mine owne eyes that haue seene a great part of those Cities and their Kingdomes, as well as it, can finde no aduantage they haue in nature, but this, They are beautified by the long labour and diligence of industrious people and Art. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ And in the harbors we frequented, a little boye might take of Cunners, and Pinacks, and such delicate fish, at the ships sterne, more then sixe or tenne can eate in a daie; but with a casting net, thousands when wee pleased: and scarce any place, but Cod, Cuske, Holybut, Mackerell, Scate, or such like, a man may take with a hooke or line what he will. And, in diuerse sandy Baies, a man may draw with a net great store of Mullets, Bases, and diuerse other sorts of such excellent fish, as many as his Net can drawe on shore: no Riuer where there is not plentie of Sturgion, or Salmon, or both ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ It is strange we should be so dull, as not maintaine that which wee haue, and pursue that wee knowe. Surely I am sure many would taste it ill, to bee abridged of the titles and honours of their predecessors: when if but truely they would iudge themselues; looke how inferior they are to their noble vertues, so much they are vnworthy of their honours and liuings: which neuer were ordained for showes and shadowes, to maintaine idlenesse & vice; but to make them more able to abound in honor, by heroycall deeds of action, iudgement, pietie, and vertue. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ In Asia also, in the same latitude, are the temperatest parts of Natolia, Armenia, Persia, and China, besides diuers other large Countries and Kingdomes in these most milde and temperate Regions of Asia. Southward, in the same height, is the richest of golde Mynes, Chily and Baldiuia, & the mouth of the great Riuer of Plate, &c: for all the rest of the world in that height is yet vnknown. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ If a man worke but three dayes in seauen, he may get more then hee can spend, vnlesse he will be excessiue. Now that Carpenter, Mason, Gardiner, Taylor, Smith, Sailer, Forgers, or what other, may they not make this a pretty recreation though they fish but an houre in a day, to take more then they eate in a weeke? ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ If these I say can gaine, and the Saylers liue going for shares, lesse then the third part of their labours, and yet spend as much time in going and comming, as in staying there, so short is the season of fishing; why should wee more doubt, then Holland, Portugale, Spaniard, French, or other, but to doe much better then they, where there is victuall to feede vs, wood of all sorts, to build Boats, Ships, or Barks; the fish at our doores, pitch, tarre, masts, yards, and most of other necessaries onely for making? ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Westward of this Riuer, is the Countrey of Aucocisco, in the bottome of a large deepe Bay, full of many great Iles, which diuides it into many good harbours. Sowocotuck is the next, in the edge of a large sandy Bay, which hath many Rocks and Iles, but few good harbours, but for Barks, I yet know. But all this Coast to Pennobscot, and as farre I could see Eastward of it is nothing but such high craggy Cliffy Rocks & stony Iles that I wondered such great trees could growe vpon so hard foundations. It is a Countrie rather to affright, then delight one. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Thus, though all men be not fishers: yet all men, whatsoeuer, may in other matters doe as well. For necessity doth in these cases so rule a Commonwealth, and each in their seuerall functions, as their labours in their qualities may be as profitable, because there is a necessary mutuall vse of all. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ And what haue euer beene the workes of the greatest Princes of the earth, but planting of countries, and ciuilizing barbarous and inhumane Nations, to ciuilitie and humanitie? whose eternall actions, fill our histories. Lastly, the Portugales, and Spanyards: whose euerliuing actions, before our eyes will testifie with them our idlenesse, and ingratitude to all posterities, and the neglect of our duties in our pietie and religion we owe our God, our King, and Countrie; and of want charity to those poore saluages, whose Countrie wee challenge, vse and possesse ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ The particular staple commodities that may be had.And whereas it is said, the Hollanders serue the Easterlings themselues, and other parts that want, with Herring, Ling, and wet Cod; The Easterlings, a great part of Europe, with Sturgion and Cauiare; Cape-blanke, Spaine, Portugale, and the Leuant, with Mullet, and Puttargo; New found Land, all Europe, with a thin Poore Iohn: yet all is so ouerlaide with fishers, as the fishing decayeth, and many are constrained to returne with a small fraught. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ What gaines might be raised if this were followed (when there is but once men to fill your store houses, dwelling there, you may serue all Europe better and farre cheaper, then can the Izeland fishers, or the Hollanders, Cape blank, or New found Land: who must be at as much more charge, then you) may easily be coniectured by this example. An example of the gains vpon euery yeare or six monethes returne.2000. pound will fit out a ship of 200. & 1 of a 100 tuns: If the dry fish they both make, fraught that of 200. and goe for Spaine, sell it but at ten shillings a quintall ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ Now he knowes little, that knowes not England may well spare many more people then Spaine, and is as well able to furnish them with all manner of necessaries. And seeing, for all they haue, they cease not still to search for that they haue not, and know not ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ And what sport doth yeeld a more pleasing content, and lesse hurt or charge then angling with a hooke, and crossing the sweete ayre from Ile to Ile, ouer the silent streames of a calme Sea? wherein the most curious may finde pleasure, profit, and content. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ He is a very bad fisher, can not kill in one day with his hooke and line, one, two, or three hundred Cods: which dressed and dryed, if they be sould there for ten shillings the hundred, though in England they will giue more then twentie ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ The successe of my vice Admirall and the foure ships of London, from New England.So, that vpon the returne of my Vice admirall that proceeded on her voyage when I spent my masts, from Plimouth this yeare are gone foure or fiue saile: and from London as many; onely to make voyages of profit: where the Englishmen haue yet beene, all their returnes together (except Sir Fr. Popphames) would scarce make one a sauer of neere a douzen I could nominate; though there be fish sufficient, as I perswade my selfe, to fraught yearely foure or fiue hundred sayle, or as many as will goe. ”
John Smith, A Description of New England (1616)
“ I am not the first hath beene betrayed by Pirats: And foure men of warre, prouided as they were, had beene sufficient to haue taken Sampson, Hercules, and Alexander the great, no other way furnisht then I was. I knowe not what assurance any haue do passe the Seas, Not to bee subiect to casualty as well as my selfe: but least this disaster may hinder my proceedings, or ill will (by rumour) the behoofefull worke I pretend ”
