HISTOEICAL KEFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 687 



veuient for those that belong to the tribe of Zebulon than for those that chose to dwell in the tents of Issachar), whither 

 they removed about the year 1625 ; and after they had made another short trial thereof for about a year's continuance, 

 they removed a third time, down a little lower towards the bottom of the bay, being invited by the accommodations 

 which they either saw or hoped to find on the other side of a creek near by, culled Naumktag, which afforded a con- 

 siderable quantity of planting land near adjoining thereto. 



" Here they took up their station, upon a pleasant and fruitful neck of land, environed with an arm of the sea on 

 each side, in either of which vessels and ships of good burthen might safely anchor. In this place (soon after, by a 

 minister that came with a company of honest planters, called Salem, from that in Psalms Ixxvi, 2) was laid the first 

 foundation on which the nest colonies were built. But the vanishing of all previous attempts did but make 

 way for the settling the Colony of the Massachusetts, and this was the occasion thereof. 



" As some merchants from the west of England had for a long time frequented the parts about Munhiggon for the 

 taking of fish, &c., so did others, especially those of Dorchester, make the like attempt upon the northern promontory 

 of the Massachusetts Bay, in probability first discovered by Captain Smith before or in the year 1G14, and by him 

 named Tragabizauda, for the sake of a. lady from whom he received much favor while he was a prisoner among the 

 Turks ; by whom also the three email islands at the head of the cape were called the Three Turks' Heads. But neitherof 

 them glorying in these Mahometan titles, the promontory willingly exchanged its name for that of Cape Anne, imposed, 

 as is said, by Captain Mason, and which it retaineth to this day, in honor of our famous Queen Anne, the royal consort 

 of King James; anil the three other islands are now known by other uames. 



" Here did the foresaid merchants first erect stages whereon to make their fish, and yearly sent their ships thither 

 for that end for some considerable time, until the fame of the plantation at New Plymouth, with the success thereof, 

 was spread abroad through all the western parts of England ; so far as that it began to revive the hopes of some of 

 those merchants who had not long before adventured their estates to promote so honorable a design as was the plant- 

 ing and peopling this new world; although finding hitherto but small encouragement that way they were ready to 

 withdraw their hands. 



" On this consideration it was that some merchants and other gentlemen about Dorchester did, about the year 

 1624, at the instigation of Mr. White, the famous preacher of that town, upon a common stock, together with those 

 that were coming to make fish, send sundry other persons in order to the carrying on a plantation at Cape Anne, con- 

 ceiving that planting on the land might go on equally with fishing on the sea in those parts of America. Mr. John 

 Tylly and Mr. Thomas Gardener were employed as overseers of that whole business; the first with reference to the 

 fishing, the other with respect to the planting on the mainland, at least for one year's time; at the end of which Mr. 

 White, with the rest of the adventurers, hearing of some religious and well-affected persons that were lately removed 

 out_pf New Plymouth out of dislike of their principles of rigid separation, of which number Mr. Roger Conant was 

 one, a religious, sober, ami prudent gentleman yet surviving about Salem till the year 1680, wherein he furnished his 

 pilgrimage, having a great hand in all these forementioned transactions about Cape Anne they pitched upon him, the 

 said Conaut, for the managing and government of all their affairs at Cape Anne. The information he had of him was 

 from one Mr. Conant, a brother of his, and well known to Mr. White; and he was so well satisfied therein that he 

 engaged Mr. Humphrey, the treasurer of the joint adventurers, to write to him in their names, and to signify that they 

 had chosen him to be their governor in that place, and would commit unto him the charge of all their affairs, as well 

 fishing as planting. Together with him, likewise, 1hey invited Mr. Lyford, lately dismissed from Plymouth, to be the 

 minister of the place, and Mr. Oldham, also discharged on the like account from Plymouth, was invited for them to 

 trade with the Indians. All these three at that time had their dwelling at Nantasket. Mr. Lyford accepted and came 

 along with Mr. Couant. Mr. Oldham liked better to stay where he was for a while and trade for himself, and not 

 become liable to give an account of his gain 01 loss. But after a year's experience, "the adventurers, perceiving their 

 design not like to answer their expectations, at least as to any present advantage, threw all up ; yet were so civil to 

 those that were employed under them as to pay them all their wages, and proffered to transport them back whence 

 they came, if so they desired." * 



WHITE'S ACCOUNT OP THE SETTLEMENT OF CAPE ANN. The following additional account of the first settlement 

 on this Cape is found in a pamphlet entitled "The Planter's Plea," published in 1630, by Rev. John White, of 

 Dorchester, who, with Mr. Humphrey Jackson, were specially interested in the adventure : 



"About 'the year 1623 some western merchants, who had continued a trade of fishing for cod and bartering for 

 furs in those parts for divers years before, conceiving that a colony planted on the coast might further them in their 

 employments, bethought themselves how they might bring that project to effect, and communicated their project to 

 others, alleging the conveniency of compassing their project with a small charge, by the opportunity of their fishing 

 trade, in which they accustomed to double-man their ships, that by the help of many hands they might despatch 

 their voyage and lade their ships with fish while the fishing season lasted, which could not be done with a bare 

 sailing company. Now, it was conceived that, the fishing being ended, the spare men that were above their necessary 

 sailors, might be left behind with provisions for a year, and, when the ship returned the next year, they might assist 

 them in fishing as they had done the former year; and, in the mean time, might employ themselves in building, and 

 planting corn, which, with the provisions of fish, fowl, and venison, that the land yielded, would afford them the 

 chief of their food. This proposition of theirs took so well that it drew on divers persons to join with them in this 

 work; the rather because it was conceived that not .only their own fishermen, but the rest of our nation that went 

 thither on the same errand, might be much advantaged, not only by fresh victual which that colony might spare 

 them in time, but withal, and more, by the benefit of their minister's labors, which they might enjoy during the 

 fishing season ; whereas otherwise, being usually upon these voyages nine or ten months in the year, they were left 



1 Hobbard's Narrative, in YouDg's Chronicle of the First Planters of Mass. Bay Colony. Boston, 1846, pp. 19-26. 



