6 EARLY QUARANTINE ARRANGEMENTS OF SALEM. 



October, a vessel of 200 tons, built here during the sum- 

 mer and laden with pipe-staves and other merchandise, 

 sailed for Fayal ; in 1643, Salem was trading with the 

 mother country, Bermuda, Virginia, Barbadoes, Tortuga, 

 and the Leeward Islands ; in 1645, a commercial agent for 

 the town at Barbadoes had been proposed in the town 

 meeting, and in March, 1647-8, appear the first Quaran- 

 tine Regulations. 



Of these, Gov. Winthrop in his journal says: "It 

 pleased the Lord to open to us a trade with Barbados and 

 other Islands in the West Indies, which as it proved 

 gainful, so the commodities we had in exchange there for 

 our cattle and provisions, as sugar, cotton, tobacco and 

 indigo, were a good help to discharge our engagements 

 in England. And this summer there was so great a 

 drouth, as their potatoes and corn, etc., were burnt up; 

 and divers London ships which rode there were so short 

 of provisions as if our vessels had not supplied them, 

 they could not have returned home ; which was an ob- 

 servable providence, that whereas many of the London 

 seamen were wont to despise New England, as a poor, 

 barren country, should now be relieved by our plenty. 



" After the great dearth of victuals in these islands fol- 

 lowed presently a great mortality (whether it were the 

 plague, or pestilent fever, it killed in three days) that 

 in Barbadoes there died six thousand, and in Chris- 

 topher's, of English and French near as many, and in 

 other islands proportionable. The report of this coming 

 to us by a vessel which came from Fayal, the court pub- 

 lished an order that all vessels which should come from 

 the West Indies, should stay at the castle, and not come 

 on shore nor put any goods on shore, without license 

 of three of the council, on pain of one hundred pounds. 

 Nor any to go aboard &c except they continued there &c 



