ABUNDANCE OF FISH ON NEW ENGLAND COAST. 153 



Ciinners, & Pinacks, & such delioate fish, at tlie Ship's sterue, more than 

 sixe or teiiiie can eate in a daie ; bnt witli a castino-net, thousands 

 wlien wee pleased : & scarce any phice, but Cods, Cuske, Holybut, 

 ]\Iackerell, Scate, or such like, a man may take with a hooke or line 

 what he will. And, in diuerse sandy Bales, a man may draw with a net 

 great store of Mullets, Bases, & diuerse other sorts of such excellent 

 fish, as many as his i«ret can drawe on shore: no Riuer where there is 

 not plentie of Sturgion, or Salmon, or both ; all which are to be had in 

 abundance obseruing but their seasons." {Vol. II, p. 17, Tract 1.) 



"And is it not ])retty sport, to pull vp two pence, six pence, and 

 twelue pence, as fast as you can hale & veare a line ? He is a very bad 

 fisher, cannot kill in one day with his hooke & line, one, two, or three 

 hundred Cods: which dressed & dryed, if they be sould there for ten 

 shillings the hundred, though in EngJand they will giue more than 

 twenties may not both the seruant, the master, «& marchant, be well 

 content with this gaine ? If a man worke but three days in seauen, he 

 may get more then hee can spend, vnlesse he will be excessiue." ( Vol. 

 II, p. '21, Tract 1.) 



^- New EnglaiuVs Trials. Declaring the successe of SO ships employed 

 thither within these eight yeures ; and the benefit of that Country hy SSea and 

 Land. ^Yith the present estate of that happie Plantation, begun but by 

 GO iveaJcemen in the yearc lOUO. And how to build a Fleete of good Shippes 

 to nialce a little Nauie lioyalL Written by Captain John iSniith, some- 

 times Gouernour of Virginia, & Admirall of New England. The Second 

 Edition. London: Printed by William lones. — 1(»22." 



[Force's Historical Tracts, vol. II, Tract 2.J 



" With two ships sent out at the charge of Captain Marmaduke Roy- 

 don, Captain George Langam, M. John Buley, & W. Skelton, I went 

 fro the Downes the third of March, & arriued in New England the 

 last of April, where I was to haue stayed but with ten men to keep pos- 

 session of those large territories. Had the whales proued, as curious 

 infornmtion had assured me & my adventurers, (but those things 

 failed.) So having but fortie-flve men & boyes, we built seven boates, 

 37 did fish ; myself with eight others ranging the coast, I took a plot of 

 what I could see, got acquaintance of the inhabitants ; 1,100 Beuer skins, 

 100 Martins & as many Otters. 40,000 of drie fish we sent for Spaine 

 with the salt fish, traine oile & Furres. I returned for England the 18 

 of Julv, & arriued safe with my companv the latter end of August." 

 {Vol. il, p. 9, Tract L'.) 



" The country very pleasant & temperate, yeelding of it self great store 

 of fruites, as vines of diners sorts in great abundance; there is likewise 

 walnuts, chesnuts, small nuts & plums, with much varietie of flowers, 

 rootes, & herbs, no lesse pleasant then wholsome & pi'otitable : no i)lace 

 hath more goose-berries & straw-berries, nor better, Timber of all sorts 

 yon haue in England, doth couer the Land, that affoords beasts of diners 

 sorts, & great flocks of Turkies, Quailes, Pigeons & Partriges: many 

 great lakes abounding with fish, fowle, Beuers & Otters. Tlie sea 

 aifoords vs as great plenty of all excellent sorts of sea-fish as the riuers 

 »& lies doth varietie of wilde fowle of most vsefull sorts." ( Vol. II, p>- 

 14, Tract 2.) 



" What is already writ of the healthfulnesse of the aire, the richnesse 

 of the soile, the goodnes of the woods, the abundance of fruits, fish, & 

 fowle in their season, they stil aftirm that haue bin there now ueare 2 



