ABUNDANCE OF FISH ON NEW ENGLAND COAST. 153 



dinners, & Pinacks, & such delicate fish, at the Ship's sterne, more than 

 sixe or tenne can eate in a dale ; but with a casting-net, thousands 

 when wee pleased: & scarce any place, but Cods, Ouske, Holybut, 

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

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

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

 fish, as many as his Net can drawe on shore : no Biuer 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 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 England they will gine 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 England's Trials. Declaring the successe of SO ships employed 

 thither within these eight yeares ; and the benefit of that Country by Sea and 

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

 60 weakemen in the yeare 1620. And hoio to build a Fleete of good Shippes 

 to malte a little Nauie Roy all. Written by Captain John Smith, 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 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 

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

 failed.) So having but fortie-five 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 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 diuers 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 diuers 

 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 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 affirm that haue bin there now neare 2 



