152 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Gierke; & are to he .wuld at Ms house callcil the Lodge, in Chancery lane, 

 ouer against Lincolnes June. — 1G16.-' 



[Repriuted in Force's Historical Tracts, vol. ii. Contents, p. 3, Tract 1.] 



" The seasons for fishing approoued. In March, April, May, & halfe 

 June, here is Cod in abundance ; in May, June, July, «S: August, Mullet 

 & Sturgion; whose roes doe make Cauiare & Puttargo. Herring, if 

 any desire them, I liaue taken many out of the bellies of Cods, some in 

 nets ; but the Saluages compare their store in the sea, to the liaires of 

 their heads: & surely there are an incredible abundance upon this 

 Coast. In the end of August, September, October & iJ^ouember, you 

 haue Cod againe to make Cor fish, or Poore John : «& each hundred is 

 as good as two or three hundred in the New-found Land. So that halfe 

 the labor in hooking, splitting, & turning, is saued : & you may haue 

 your fish at what Market you will, before they can have any in New- 

 found Land; Avhere their fishing is chiefly but in June & July: whereas 

 it is heere in March, April, May, September, October, & Noueinber, as 

 is said. So that by reason of this plantation, the Merchants may haue 

 fraught both out & home: which veelds an advantage worth considera- 

 tion." 



" The Mullets heere are iu that abundance, you may take them with 

 uets, sometimes by hundreds, where at Cape hlanlc they hooke them ; 

 yet those but one foot & a halfe iu length ; these two, three, or foure, 

 as oft I have measured: much Salmon some haue found vp the Kiuers, 

 as they haue passed : & heer the ayre is so temperate, as all these at 

 any time may well be preserued.*' ( Vol. 11, p. 10, Tract 1.) 



" Of Beuers, Otters, Martins, Blacke Foxes, & Furres of price, may 

 yearely be had or 7,000 : Sc if the trade of the French were preueuted, 

 many more : 25,000 this yeare were brought from those i^orthern parts 

 into France ; of which trade we may haue as good part as the French, 

 if we take good courses." ( Vol. II, p. 12, Tract 1.) 



Woods. — " The cheefe headlands are onelv Cape Tragahigzanda & 

 Cape Cod:' 



" Oke, is the chiefe wood ; of which there is great difference in re- 

 gard of the soyle where it groweth : firre, pyne, walnut, chesnut, birch, 

 ash, eline, cypresse, ceder, mulberrie, i)lumtree, hazell, saxefrage, & 

 many other sorts." 



Birds. — " Eagles, Gripes, diuerse sorts of Haukes, Cranes, Geese, 

 Brants, Cormorauts, Ducks, Sheldrakes, Teale, Meawes, Guls, Turkies, 

 Diue-doppers, & many other sorts, whose names I knowe not." 



Fishes. — " Whales, Grampus, Porkpisces, Turbut, Sturgiou, Cod, 

 Hake, Haddock, Cole, Cusk, or small Ling, Shark, Mackerrell, Herring, 

 Mullet, Base, Pinacks, Cunuers, Pearch, Eels, Crabs, Lobsters, Muskles, 

 Wilkes, Oysters, & diuerse others, &c." ( Vol. II, p. IQ, Tract 1.) 



Beasts. — " Moos, a beast bigger than a Stagge ; Deere, red, «& 

 Fallow ; Beuers, Wolues, Foxes, both blacke «& other ; Aroughconds, 

 Wild-cats, Beares, Otters, Martins, Fitches, Musquassus, & diuerse 

 sorts of vermine, whose names I know not. All these & diuerse other 

 good things do heere, for want of vse, still increase, & decrease with 

 little diminution, whereby they growe to that abundance. You shall 

 scarce finde any Baye, Shallow Shore, or Coue of sand, where you may 

 not take mauy Clampes, or Lobsters, or both at your pleasure, & in 

 many places lode your boat if you please; Nor lies where you finde 

 uot fruits, birds, crabs, & muskles, or all of them, for taking, at lowe 

 water. And iu the harbors we frequented a little boye might take of 



