158 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



parts: they have bin measured IS. & 19. inches in length & seaven 

 breadth : & are taken ^yith a drayle, (as boats use to pass to & froe at 

 Sea on businesse) in very greate Quantities all along the Coaste." 



"The Fish is good, salted; for store against the winter, as well as 

 fresh, & to be accounted a good commodity." 



" The Sturgeon in England is regalis piscis, every man in New England 

 may catch what he will, there are multitudes of them, & they are much 

 fatter than those that are brought into England from other parts, in so 

 much as by reason of their fatnesse, they do liot look white, but yellow, 

 which made a cook presume they were not so good as them of Roushea: 

 silly fellow that could not understand that it is the nature of fish salted, 

 or pickelled, the fatter the yellower being best to preserve." 



" Of Salmons there is a great abundance: & these maybe allowed for 

 a commodity, and placed in the catallogue." 



" Of Herrings, there is great store, fat, and faire; & (to my minde) as 

 good as any I have scene, & these may be i^reserved, and made a good 

 commodity at the Canaries." 



" Of Eeles there is abundance, botli in the Saltwaters & in the fresh : 

 & the fresh water Eele there (if I may take the judgment of a London 

 Fishmonger) is the best that hee hath found in his lifetime. I have with 

 jieele potts found my howsehold, (being nine persons, besides doggs) with 

 them : taking them every tide, (for 4. moneths space) & preserving of 

 them for winter store; & these may prove a good commodity." 



" Of Smelts there is such abundance, that the Salvages doe take them 

 up the rivers with baskets, like sives." 



" There is a Fish (by some called shadds, by some allizes^) that at the 

 spring of the yeare, passe up the rivers to spaune in the ponds ; & are 

 taken in such multitudes in every river, that hath a pond at the end, 

 that the inhabitants doung their grounds'with them. You may see in 

 one to\vn.shi[) a hundred acres togetlier, set with these Fish, every acre 

 taking 1,000 of them : & an acre thus dressed will produce & yeald so 

 much corne as 3. acres without Fish : & (least any Virgiuea man would 

 inferre hereupon, that the ground of New England is barren, because they 

 use no fish in setting their corne, I desire them to be remembered, the 

 cause is plain in Virginea) they have it not to sett. But this practice 

 is onely for the Indian Maize (which must be set by hands) not for English 

 graine: & this is, therefore, a commodity there. 



" There is a hirge sized fish called Uallibut, or Turbut : some are taken 

 so bigg that two men have much a doe to hall them into the boate; 

 but there is such plenty, that the fisher men onely eate the heads & 

 finnes, and thow away the bodies: such in Paris would j'eeld o. or 6. 

 crownes a peece: and this is no discommodity." 



"There are excellent Plaice & easily taken. They (at flowing 

 water) do almost come ashore, so that one may stepp but halfe a foote 

 deepe, & pick them up on the sands : & this may pass with some 

 allowance." 



" Hake is a dainty white fish, & excellent vittell fresh.; and may 

 passe with other commodities, because there are multitudes." 



"There are greats store of Pilchers: at Michelmas, in many places, I 

 have scene the Oormerants in length 3. miles feeding upon the Sent." 



" Lobsters are there infinite in store in all parts of the land, «& very 

 excellent. The most use that I made of them, in 5. yeares after I came 

 there was but to baite my Hooke for to catch Basse, I had bin so cloyed 

 with them the first day I went a shore." 



i^lewives, (S. F. B.) 



