ABUNDANCE OF FISH ON NEW ENGLAND COAST. 159 



" This being knowne, they shall passe for a commodity to the inhab- 

 itants ; for the Salvages will meete 500, or 1,000, at a place where Lob- 

 sters come in with the tyde, to eate, & save dried for Store, abiding in 

 that place, feasting & sporting a moneth or 6. weekes together." 



" There are greate store of oysters in the entrance of all Rivers ; they 

 are not round, as those of England, but excellent fat, and all good. I 

 have seene an Oyster bank a mile at length." 



"Mustles there are infinite store, I have often gon to Wassaguscus ; 

 where were excellent Mustles to eate (for variety) the fish is so fat & 

 large." 



" Clames is a shellfish, which I have seene sold, in Westminster for 12. 

 pe. the skore. These our swine feede upon ; & of them there is no 

 want, every shore is full, it makes the swine proove exceedingly, 

 they will not faile at low water te be with them. The Salvages are 

 much taken with the delight of this fishe ; & are not cloyed (notwith- 

 standing the plenty) for our swine we fiud it a good commodity/ 7 



" Raser fishes there are. Freeles there are, Cockles, and Scallopes, 

 & divers other sorts of shellfishe, very good foode." 



"There are, in the rivers and ponds, very excellent Trouts, Oarpes, 

 Breames, Pikes, Roches, Perches, Tenches, Eeles, and other fishes such 

 as Engiand doth afford, & as good, for variety ; yea many of them 

 much better j & the natives of the inland parts doe buy hookes of 

 us to catch them with, & I have kuowne the time, that a Trout's hooke 

 hath yielded a beaver skinne, which hath bin a good commodity to 

 those that have bartered them away." 



" New England's Plantation, or a sliort & true description of the Com- 

 modities & Discommodities of that Countrey. Written by a reverend 

 Diuine [Mr. Higgeson] now there resident. London. Printed by T. (J. 

 .& B. C. for Michael Sparlce, dwelling at the signe of the Blue Bible in 

 Greene Arbor in the little Old Bailey, 1630." 



[Force's Historical Tracts. Vol. I, Tract XII : also, collections of Massachusetts His- 

 torical Society for the year 1792. Vol. 1. Boston : 1808.] 



" For Beasts there are some Beares, & they say some Lyons also ; 

 for they have been seen at Cape Anne. Also here are severall sorts of 

 Deere, some whereof bring three or foure young ones at once, which is 

 not ordinarie in England. Also Wolues, Foxes, Beauers, Otters, Mar- 

 tins, great wild Cats, and a great Beast called a Molke as bigge as an 

 Oxe. I have seen the skins of all these Beasts since I came to this 

 Plantation excepting Lyons. Also here are great Store of Squerrels, 

 some greater, & some smaller & lesser : there are some of the lesser 

 sort, they tell me, that by a certain Skin will fly from Tree to Tree 

 though they stand far distant." (P. 8.) 



" Neiv England hath Water enough both salt & fresh, the greatest Sea 

 in the World, the Atlanticke Sea runs all along the Coast thereof. There 

 are aboundance of Islands along the Shore, some full of Wood & Mast 

 to feed Swine ; & others cleere of Wood, & fruitful to beare Corne. 

 Also we haue store of excellent harbours for Ships, as at Cape Anne, 

 & at Masathulets Bay, & at Salem, & at many other places : & they are 

 the better because for Strangers there is a verie difficult & dangerous 

 X^assage into them, but unto such as are well acquainted with them, they 

 are easie & safe enough. The aboundance of Sea-Fish are almost 



