Of the Situation, Bayes, Havens, and Inlets.

Or as much as the Kings most excellent Majefty hath beene graciously pleafd by the grant of his Letters Patents, at first to give life to the Plantations of New England, and hath dayly likewise by his Favours and Royall protection cherished their growing hopes; whereby many of his Majefties faithfull Subiects haue beene imboldned to venture perfons, ftates, and indeavours, to the inlargement of his Dominions in that Westerne Continent: Wherefore I thought fit (for the further encouragement of thofe that hereafter, either by Purse, or Perfon fhall helpe forward the Plantation,) to fet forth these few obfervations out of my perfonall and experimentall knowledge.

The place whereon the English have built their Colonies, is judged by those who have beft skill in difcovery, either to

B

be

be an Iland, furrounded on the North-fide with the spacious River Cannada, and on the South with Hudsons River, or elfe a Peninfula, thefe two Rivers overlapping one another, having their rife from the great Lakes which are not farre off one another, as the Indians doe certainely informe us. But it is not my intent to wander far from our Patent; wherefore I referre you to the thrice memorable discoverer of those parts, Captaine Smith, who hath likewise fully defcribed the Southerne and North-eaft part of New England, with the noted head-lands, Capes, Harbours, Rivers, Ponds, and Lakes, with the nature of the Soyle, and commodities both by Sea and Land, &c. within the degrees of fourty one and fourty five.

The Bay of Massachusets lyeth under the degree of fourty two and fourty three, bearing South-weft from the Lands end of England: at the bottome whereof are fituated most of the English plantations: This Bay is both safe, spacious, and deepe, free from fuch cockling Seas as runne upon the Coaft of Ireland, and in the Channels of England: there be no ftiffe running Currents, or Rockes, Shelves, Barres, Quickfands. The Mariners having fayled two or three Leagues towards the bottome, may behold the two Capes embracing their welcome Ships in their Armes, which thrust themselves out into the Sea in forme of a halfe-moone, the furrounding fhore being high, and fhewing many white Cliffes in a moft pleasant prospect with divers places of low land, out of which divers Riuers vent themselves into the Ocean, with many openings, where is good Harbouring for Ships of any burthen; fo that if an unexpected storme or croffe winde fhould barre the Marriner from recovering his defired Port, he may reach other Harbours, as Plimmouth, Cape Ann, Salem, Marvill Head; all of which afford good ground for Anchorage, being likewife land-lockt from Winde and Seas. The chiefe and ufuall Harbour, is the ftill Bay of Massachufets, which is clofe aboard the planta

tions, in which most of our fhips come to anchor, being the nearest their mart, and usuall place of landing of Paffengers; it is a safe and pleasant Harbour within, having but one common and fafe entrance, and that not very broad, there scarce being roome for 3. Ships to come in board and board at a time, but being once within, there is roome for the Anchorage of 500. Ships.

This Harbour is made by a great company of Ilands, whofe high Cliffes fhoulder out the boiftrous Seas, yet may easily deceiue any unskilfull Pilote; prefenting many faire openings and broad founds, which afford too shallow waters for any Ships, though navigable for Boates and fmall pinnaces. The entrance into the great Haven is called Nantafcot; which is two leagues from Boston; this place of it felfe is a very good Haven, where Ships commonly caft Anchor, untill Winde and Tyde ferve them for other places; from hence they may fayle to the River of Wefagufcus, Naponfet, Charles River, and Misticke River, on which Rivers bee feated many Townes. In any of these fore-named harbours, the Sea-men having spent their old ftore of Wood and Water, may haue fresh fupplies from the adjacent Ilands, with good timber to repaire their weather-beaten Ships: Here likewife may be had Mafts or Yards, being ftore of fuch Trees as are usefull for the fame purpose.

CHAP. I I.

Of the Seafons of the yeare, Winter and Summer, together with the Heate, Cold, Snow, Raine, and the effects of it.

Fo

Or that part of the Countrey wherein most of the English have their habitations: it is for certaine the beft ground and sweetest Climate in all those parts, bearing the name of New England, agreeing well with the

temper

temper of our English bodies, being high land, and sharpe Ayre, and though most of our English Townes border upon the Sea-coaft, yet are they not often troubled with Mifts, or unwholfome fogges, or cold weather from the Sea, which lies Eaft and South from the Land. And whereas in England most of the cold windes and weathers come from the Sea, and thofe fituations are counted most unwholesome, that are neare the Sea-coaft, in that Countrey it is not fo, but otherwife; for in the extremity of Winter, the North-east and South winde comming from the Sea, produceth warme weather, and bringing in the warme-working waters of the Sea, loofneth the frozen Bayes, carrying away their Ice with their Tides, melting the Snow, and thawing the ground; onely the North-west winde comming over the Land, is the cause of extreame cold weather, being alwaies accompanied with deepe Snowes and bitter Froft, fo that in two or three dayes the Rivers are passable for horse and man. But as it is an Axiome in Nature, Nullum violentum eft perpetuum, No extreames laft long, fo this cold winde blowes feldome above three dayes together, after which the weather is more tollerable, the Aire being nothing fo sharpe, but peradventure in foure or five dayes after this cold meffenger will blow a fresh, commanding every man to his house, forbidding any to out-face him without prejudice to their nofes: but it may be objected that it is too cold a Countrey for our English men, who have beene accustomed to a warmer Climate, to which it may be answered, (Igne levatur hyems) there is Wood good ftore, and better cheape to build warme houses, and make good fires, which makes the Winter leffe tedious; and moreover, the extremity of this cold weather lafteth but for two Months or ten weekes, beginning in December, and breaking up the tenth day of February; which hath beene a paffage very remarkeable, that for ten or a dozen yeares the weather

hath

hath held himfelfe to his day, unlocking his ycie Bayes and Rivers, which are never frozen againe the fame yeare, except there be fome fmall froft until the middle of March. It is obferved by the Indians that every tenth yeare there is little or no Winter, which hath beene twice obferved of the English; the yeare of new Plymouth mens arrivall was no Winter in comparison; and in the tenth yeare after likewife when the great company fettled themselves in Maffachufets Bay, was a very milde season, little Frost, and leffe Snow, but cleare ferene weather, few North-west winds, which was a great mercy to the English comming over fo rawly and uncomfortably provided, wanting all utenfils and provifions which belonged to the well being of Planters: and whereas many died at the beginning of the plantations, it was not because the Country was unhealthfull, but because their bodies were corrupted with fea-diet, which was naught, their Beefe and Porke being tainted, their Butter and Cheese corrupted, their Fish rotten, & voyage long, by reafon of croffe Windes, fo that winter approaching before they could get warme houses, and the fearching fharpnes of that purer Climate, creeping in at the crannies of their crazed bodies, caufed death and fickneffe; but their harmes having taught future voyagers more wifedome, in fhipping good provifion for Sea, and finding warme houses at landing, finde health in both. It hath bin obferved, that of five or fixe hundred paffengers in one yeare, not above three have died at Sea, having their health likewife at Land. But to returne to the matter in hand, dayly obfervations makes it apparant, that the peircing cold of that Country produceth not fo many noyfome effects, as the raw winters of England. In publike affemblies it is ftrange to heare a man fneeze or cough as ordinarily they doe in old England: yet not to fmother any thing, left you judge me too partiall in reciting good of the Countrey, and not bad; true it is, that

fome