ABUNDANCE OF FISH ON NEW ENGLAND COAST. 153 



Ciiuners, & Pinacks, & such delicate fish, at the Ship's steroe, more than 

 sixe or teuiie can eate iu a daie; but with a castinf»-uet, thousands 

 wlieu wee pleased: & scarce any place, but Cods, Oiiske, Holybiit, 

 Mackerell, Scate, or such like, a man ma^^ take with a hooke or line 

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

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

 tish, as many as his i^et 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 pretty sport, to pull vi3 two pence, six pence, and 

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

 iisher, 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 Englcuul they will giue more than 

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

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

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

 11^ p. 21, Tract 1.) 



'''New England? s Trials. Declaring the successe of 80 ships employed 

 thither icitliin these eight yeares ; and the benefit of that Country by ^eg and 

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

 60 icealiemen iyi the yeare 1620. And how to build a Fleets of good tihippes 

 to mahe a little Nauie Boy all. Written by Captain John Sniith, some- 

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

 Edition. London: Printed by William lones. — 1622." 



[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 T^ird of March, & arriued in ^ew 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 

 information had assured me & my adventurers, (bat those things 

 failed.) So having but fortie-iive men & boyes, w^e built seven boates, 

 37 did fish 5 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 Martini & as many Otters. 40,000 of drie fish w^e sent for Spaine 

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

 of July, & arriued safe with my company the latter end of August." 

 {Vol. II, p. 9, Tract 2.) 



" 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 & profitable : no place 

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

 you 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. The sea 

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

 & lies doth varietie of wilde fowle of most vsefuU 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 afiirm that haue bin there now neare 2 



