718 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



"After such travail and turmoil and debates which they went through, things were gotten ready for their depar- 

 ture from Leyden. A small ship was provided in Holland, of about 60 tons, which was intended, as to serve to trans- 

 port some of them over the seas, so to stay in tlie country and to tend upon fishing and such other affairs as might be 

 for the good and benefit of the whole, when they should come to the place intended. Another was hired at London, 

 of burden about nine score, and all other things got in a readiness." 1 



THE COLONISTS LAND AT PLYMOUTH. Although the original plan of the Plymouth settlers had been to land at 

 some point farther south, yet they were led by circumstances to decide upon Massachusetts, and in December, 16:20, 

 made a laudiug at Cape Cod, and later at Plymouth, where they found a good harbor, which they surveyed and de- 

 scribed to be " in the shape of a fish-hook ; a good harbor for shipping, larger than that of Cape Cod ; containing two 

 small islands without inhabitants, innumerable store of fowls, different sorts offish, besides shell-fish in abundance." 2 



The inclemency of the season was not at all favorable for fishing, and as the newcomers were not well provided 

 with provisions, they would have suffered much had it not been for the kindly assistance of the Indians, who instructed 

 them in their methods of fishing and planting. Early in the mouth of January, 1621, " one of the sailors found alive 

 upon the shore a herring, which the master had to his supper ; which put us in hope of fish, but as yet we had got 

 but one cod ; we wanted small hooks." 3 



THE KETURN OF THE MAYFLOWER To ENGLAND. Phineas Pratt, in his manuscript narrative, written iu 1G62, says: 

 "Thay r Shipp [Mayflower, 16:20] being reterned & safely Arived in Eiugland, those Gentlemen & Marcheuts, y l had 

 vudertakeu to supply y nl w th things nesasary, vnderstauding y' many of y m weare sick & some ded, maed hast to 

 send a ship w' h many things nesasary ; but so i. Indescret man, hoping to iucoridg thay r freinds to Come to y m , writ 

 Letters Couseruing y e great plenty of flish fowlo and deare, not considering y< y wild Salvages weare many times 

 huugrye, y* have a better scill to catch such things then Eiuglish men have." 4 



FREE LIBERTY TO FISH. The first Plymouth patent, made Juue 1,16:21, has this item concerning the fisheries ; 

 "Together with free libtie to fishe in and vpou the Coast of Now England and in all havens ports and creekes there - 

 vnto belonging. And it shalbe lawfull for the said Vudertakes & Planters, their heires & successo's freely to truck 

 trade & traffiq with the Salvages iu New England or neighboring thereabout at their wills &. pleasures without 

 lett or disturbance [As also to have libtie to hunt hauke fish or fowle iu any place or places not now or hereafter by 

 the English inhabited.]" 



ABUNDANCE OF FISH. A letter of William Hilton's in Smith's New England Trials, printed iu 1022, describing 

 Plymouth, says there are " Many great Lakes abounding with Fish, Fowle, Beuers, and Otters. The Sea affords vs as- 

 great Plenty of all excellent Sorts of Sea-Fish, as the Riuers and lies doth Varietio of Wild Fowle of most vsefull 

 Sorts." G 



FISH L'SED AS MANURE. Governor Bradford, in his History of the Colony, says: "Afterwards they (as many as 

 were able) began to plant ther come, in whrch servise Squauto stood them in great stead, showing them both y e manes 

 how to set it, and after how to dress & tend it. Also he tould them excepte they gott fish & set with it (iu these old 

 grounds) it would come to nothing, and he showed them y' in y e middle of Aprill they should have store enough come 

 up y c brooke, by which they begane to build, and taught them how to take it, and wher to get other provisions nec- 

 essary for them ; all of which they for. ml true by triall and experience." 7 



l.niisTKKS, SHAD-SPAWN, ETC. A journal of one of the colonists for the year 16?1 says: "We set forward the 

 10th of June, about nine in the morning [Mr. Prince thinks this is a mistake, and that it ought to h.ivc lieeu the 3d 

 of July], our guide, Tisquautum, resolving that night to rest at Namasket | i. e., Middleborough. H.] a town under 

 Massasoit, and conceived by us to be very near, because the inhabitants flocked so thick ou every slight occasion among 

 us; but we found it to be 15 English miles. On the way we found teu or twelve men, women, and children, which 

 had pestered us till we were weary of them, perceiving that (as the manner of them all is) where victual is easiest to 

 be got there they live, especially in the summer ; by reason whereof, our bay affording many lobsters, they resort every 

 spring-tide thither, and now returned with us to Namasket. Thither we came about three in the afternoon, the 

 inhabitants entertaining us with joy iu the best manner they could, giving 113 a ki-ncl of bread called by them Mazium, 

 and the spawn of shads, which then they got in abundance, insomuch as they gave us spoons to eat them; with these 

 they boiled musty acorns, but of the shads we eat heartily. They desired oue of our men to shoot at a ero\v, com- 

 plaining what damage they sustained in their corn by them ; who, shooting and killing, they much admired it, as 

 other shots on other occasions. 



"After this, Tisquantum told us we should hardly in one day reach Pakanokick (the same as Pokauoket), moving 

 us to go 8 miles farther, where we should find more store and better victuals. Being willing to hasten our journey, 

 we went, and came thither at sunsetting, where we found many of the men of Namasket fishing at a weir which 

 they had made on a river which belonged to them, where they caught abundance of bass. These welcomed us also, 

 gave us of their fish, and we them of our victuals, not doubting but we should have enough wherever we came." 8 



FISHING IN 16-J1. Governor Bradford states that in September, Ib'vJl, " They begane now to gather in y e small 

 harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & 

 strenght, and had all tilings iu good plenty; for as some were, thus imployed iu affairs abroad, others were eseersised 

 in lulling, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which j e tooke good good store, of which every family had their 



1 Young's Chrouifk-s of the Pilgrim Fathers. Boston, 1841, p. 80. 6 Ibid., vol. ii, 41h series, pp. 100, 161. 



'BelUu.ip's Americau Biography. New Tork, 18-10, vol. ii, p. 32!. 'Hazard's " St.nte rui'fi-.-." Philadelphia, 1792, vol. i, p. 120. 



3 Young, op. cit., p. 171. 7 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 4th series, p. 100. 



' Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iv, 4th series, p 477. Belknap, op cit., vol. iii, p. 86. 



