To the Southward of thepoint(upon which are stages for fishermen) lye two small Islands beyond the point, North-eastward runs the RiverSpurwinch.
Four miles fromBlack-point, one mile fromSpurwinch-River Eastward lyethRichmans-Island, whose longitude is 317 degrees 30 seconds, and latitude 43 degrees and 34 minutes, it is three mile in circumference, and hath a passable and gravelly ford on the [p. 202.] North-side, between the main and the Sea at low-water: here are found excellent Whetstones, and here likewise are stages for fishermen.
Nine mile Eastward ofBlack-pointlyeth scatteringly the Town ofCascoupon a large Bay, stored with Cattle, Sheep, Swine, abundance of marsh and Arable land, a Corn-mill or two, with stages for fishermen.
Further East-ward is the Town ofKenebeckseated upon the River.
Further yet East-ward isSagadehock, where there are many houses scattering, and all along stages for fishermen, these too are stored with Cattle and Corn lands.
The mountains and hills that are to be taken notice of, are firstAcomenticushills, betweenKetteryandGorgiana, the high hills ofOssapeyto the West-ward ofSacoRiver,where the princelyPilhanawAyries, the white mountains, to the North-ward ofBlack-point, the highestTerrasseinNew-England, you have the description of it in my Treatise of the rarities ofNew-England.
A Neighbour of mine rashly wandering out after some stray’d Cattle, lost his way, and coming as we conceived by his Relation near to the head spring of some of the branches ofBlack-pointRiver orSaco-River, [p. 203.] light into a Tract of land for God knowes how many miles full of delfes and dingles, and dangerous precipices, Rocks and inextricable difficulties which did justly daunt, yea quite deter him from endeavouring to pass any further: many such like places are to be met with inNew-England.
The ponds or lakes in this province are very large and many, out of which the great Rivers have their original; we read of the lakeBalsenathat is thirty miles about, here are that come very near to it, stored with all sorts of fresh water fish; and if you will believe report, in one of them huge fishes like Whales are to be seen, and some of them have fair Islands in them. Twelve mile fromCasco-bay, and passable for men and horses, is a lake called by theIndiansSebug, on the brink thereof at one end is the famous Rock shap’d like aMoose-DeereorHelk, Diaphanous, and called theMoose-Rock. Here are found stones like Crystal, andLapis SpecularisorMuscoviaglass both white and purple.
On the East-side ofBlack-pointRiver, upon a plain, close to the Sea-bank is a pond two mile in compass, fish it produceth, but those very small and black, and a number of Frogs and Snakes, and much [p. 204.] frequentedby wild-fowl,Ducks,Teal, and wild-Swins, andGeese, especially spring and fall when they pass along to the South-ward, and return again to the North-ward where they breed.
The principal Rivers in the province ofMain, arePascataway-River,York-River,Kenibunck-River, near to this River clay bullets were cast up by a mineral vapour, this River is by the Town ofWells. ThenSaco-River on the East-side of the Town, the shore Rockie all along on both sides, where musick echoes from several places: seven miles up the River is a great fall where abundance ofSalmonandLampronsare taken at the fall; a great way up, the River runs upon the Rock,in rupibus defendendo efficit rivos, he cutteth out Rivers among the Rocks, saithJob, of the Almighty,Job28. 10. A little above the fall is a saw-mill. ThenBlack-point-River divided into many branches; this as most of the Rivers inNew-England, is bar’d with a bank of Sand, where theIndianstakeSturgeonandBasse.Spur-winck-River is next, which by his near approach toBlack-point-River maketh that neck of land almost an Island. Further East-ward isKenebeck-river fifty leagues off ofNew-PlimouthEast-ward, andPechipscutfamous [p. 205.] for multitudes of mighty largeSturgeon. The last river of the province East-ward is the great riverSagadehockwhere SirJohn PophamsColony seated themselves.
The chief harbours areCape-porpus,Winter harbour, in which are some small Islands,Black-point,Richmans-Island,Casco-baythe largest in the province full of Islands.
FromSagadehocktoNova-Scotiais called the Duke ofYorkesprovince, herePemmaquid,Montinicus,Mohegan,apeanawhagen, where Capt.Smithfisht forWhales;Muscataquid, all fill’d with dwelling houses and stages for fishermen, and have plenty of Cattle, arable land and marshes.
Nova Scotiawas sold by the LordStarlingto theFrench, and is now wholly in their possession.
Now we are come toNew-found-land, which is over against the gulf of St.Lawrence, an Island near as spacious asIreland, and lyeth distant from the Continent as far asEnglandis from the nearest part ofFrance, and near half the way betweenIrelandandVirginia, its longitude is 334 degrees 20 seconds, and North latitude 46 degrees 30 minutes, or as others will 53 minutes.The longitude of places are uncertainly reported, but in latitudes most agree.[p. 206.]Longitude is the distance of the meridian of any place from the meridian which passeth over the Isles ofAzores,where the beginning of longitude is said to be. The meridian is a great circle dividing the Equinoctial at right Angles into two equal parts, passing also through both the Poles, and the Zenith, to which circle the Sun coming twice every 24 hours, maketh the middle of the day, and the middle of the night. Every place hath a several meridian, but they all meet in the poles of the world. Latitude is counted from the Equinoctial to the end of 30 degrees on each side thereof. The Equinoctial is a great circle imagined in the Heavens, also dividing the heavens into two equal parts, and lying just in the middle betwixt the two poles, being in compass from West to East, 360 degrees, every degree thereof on the terrestrial Globe valuing20 English miles, [leagues?] or 60 miles.
Into the Bay of St.Lawrencethe River of St.LawrenceorCanadadisimbogues it self, a River far exceeding any River in the elder world, thirty or forty mile over at the mouth, and in the Channel one hundred fathom deep; it runs on the back-side ofNew-EnglandandVirginia: theFrench(it is said) have gone up six weeks voyage in it, and have not yet discovered the spring-head: the longitude is 334 degrees [p. 207.] 11 seconds, in 50 degrees 21 minutes of North latitude. This may satisfie a modest Reader, and I hope yield no offence to any. I shall onely speak a word or two of the people in the province ofMainand the Dukes province, and so conclude.
The people in the province ofMainmay be divided into Magistrates, Husbandmen, or Planters, and fishermen; of the Magistrates some be Royalists, the rest perverse Spirits, the like are the planters and fishers, of which some be planters and fishers both, others meer fishers.
Handicrafts-men there are but few, the Tumelor or Cooper, Smiths and Carpenters are best welcome amongst them, shop-keepers there are none, being supplied by theMassachusetsMerchants with all things they stand in need of, keeping here and there fair Magazines stored withEnglishgoods, but they set excessive prices on them, if they do not gainCent per Cent, they cry out that they are losers, henceEnglishshooes are sold for Eight and Nine shillings a pair, worsted stockins of Three shillings six pence a pair, for Seven and Eight shillings a pair, Douglass that is sold inEnglandfor one or two and twenty pence an ell, for four shillings a yard, Serges of two shillings or three shillings a yard, for Six and Seven [p. 208.] shillings a yard, and so all sorts of Commodities both for planters and fishermen, as Cables, Cordage,Anchors, Lines, Hooks, Nets, Canvas for sails,&c.Bisket twenty five shillings a hundred, Salt at an excessive rate, pickled-herrin for winter bait Four and five pound a barrel (with which they speed not so well as the waggish lad atCape-porpus, who baited his hooks with the drown’dNegro’sbuttocks) so for Pork and Beef.
The planters are or should be restless pains takers, providing for their Cattle, planting and sowing of Corn, fencing their grounds, cutting and bringing home fuel, cleaving of claw-board and pipe-staves, fishing for fresh water fish and fowling takes up most of their time, if not all; the diligent hand maketh rich, but if they be of a droanish disposition as some are, they become wretchedly poor and miserable, scarce able to free themselves and family from importunate famine, especially in the winter for want of bread.
They have a custom of taking Tobacco, sleeping at noon, sitting long at meals some-times four times in a day, and now and then drinking a dram of the bottle extraordinarily: the smoaking of Tobacco, if moderately used refresheth the weary much, and so doth sleep.
[p. 209.]A Traveller five hours doth craveTo sleep, a Student seven will have,And nine sleeps every Idle knave.
[p. 209.]A Traveller five hours doth craveTo sleep, a Student seven will have,And nine sleeps every Idle knave.
[p. 209.]A Traveller five hours doth crave
To sleep, a Student seven will have,
And nine sleeps every Idle knave.
The Physitian allowes but three draughts at a meal, the first for need, the second for pleasure, and the third for sleep; but little observed by them, unless they have no other liquor to drink but water. In some places where the springs are frozen up, or at least the way to their springs made unpassable by reason of the snow and thelike, they dress their meat inAqua Cælestis, i. e. melted snow, at other times it is very well cook’t, and they feed upon (generally) as good flesh, Beef, Pork, Mutton, Fowl and fish as any is in the whole world besides.
Their Servants which are for the most partEnglish, when they are out of their time, will not work under half a Crown a day, although it be for to make hay, and for less I do not see how they can, by reason of the dearness of clothing. If they hire them by the year, they pay them Fourteen or Fifteen pound, yea Twenty pound at the years end in Corn, Cattle and fish: some of these prove excellent fowlers, bringing in as many as will maintain their masters house; besides the profit that accrews by their feathers, [p. 210.] They use (when it is to be had) a great round shot, calledBarstableshot, (which is best for fowl) made of a lead blacker than our common lead, to six pound of shot they allow one pound of powder, Cannon powder is esteemed best.
The fishermen take yearly upon the coasts many hundred kentals of Cod, hake, haddock, polluck&c.which they split, salt and dry at their stages, making three voyages in a year. When they share their fish (which is at the end of every voyage) they separate the best from the worst, the first they call Merchantable fish, being sound, full grown fish and well made up, which is known when it is clear like a Lanthorn horn and without spots; the second sort they call refuse fish, that is such as is salt burnt, spotted, rotten, and carelesly ordered: these they put off to theMassachusetsMerchants; the merchantable for thirty and two and thirty ryals a kental, (a kental is an hundred and twelve pound weight) the refuse for Nine shillings andTen shillings a kental, the Merchant sends the merchantable fish toLisbonne,Bilbo,Burdeaux,Marsiles,Talloon,Rochel,Roan, and other Cities ofFrance, to theCanarieswith claw-board and pipe-staves which is there and at theCharibsa prime Commodity: the refuse fish they put [p. 211.] off at theCharib-Islands,Barbadoes,Jamaica, &c. who feed theirNegroeswith it.
To every Shallop belong four fishermen, a Master or Steersman, a Midship-man, and a Foremast-man, and a shore man who washes it out of the salt, and dries it upon hurdles pitcht upon stakes breast high and tends their Cookery; these often get in one voyage Eight or Nine pound a man for their shares, but it doth some of them little good, for the Merchant to increase his gains by putting off his Commodity in the midst of their voyages, and at the end thereof comes in with a walking Tavern, a Bark laden with the Legitimate bloud of the rich grape, which they bring fromPhial,Madera,Canaries, withBrandy,Rhum, theBarbadoes strong-water, andTobacco, coming ashore he gives them a taster or two, which so charms them, that for no perswasions that their imployers can use will they go out to Sea, although fair and seasonable weather, for two or three days, nay sometimes a whole week till they are wearied with drinking, taking ashore two or three Hogsheads ofWineandRhumto drink off when the Merchant is gone. If a man of quality chance to come where they are roystering and gulling inWinewith a dear felicity, he must be sociable andRoly-polywith them, taking off [p. 212] their liberal cups as freely, or else be gone, which is best for him, for whenWinein their guts is at full Tide, they quarrel, fight anddo one another mischief, which is the conclusion of their drunken compotations. When the day of payment comes, they may justly complain of their costly sin of drunkenness, for their shares will do no more than pay the reckoning; if they save a Kental or two to buy shooes and stockins, shirts and wastcoats with, ’tis well, other-wayes they must enter into the Merchants books for such things as they stand in need off, becoming thereby the Merchants slaves, & when it riseth to a big sum are constrained to mortgage their plantation if they have any, the Merchant when the time is expired is sure to seize upon their plantation and stock of Cattle, turning them out of house and home, poor Creatures, to look out for a new habitation in some remote place where they begin the world again. The lavish planters have the same fate, partaking with them in the like bad husbandry, of these the Merchant buys Beef, Pork, Pease, Wheat andIndianCorn, and sells it again many times to the fishermen. Of the same nature are the people in the Dukes province, who not long before I left the Countrey petitioned the Governour and Magistrates in [p. 213.] theMassachusetsto take them into their Government, Birds of a feather will ralley together.
Anno Dom.1671. The year being now well spent, and the Government of the province turned topsiturvy, being heartily weary and expecting the approach of winter, I took my leave of my friends atBlack-point. And on the 28 ofAugustbeing Monday I shipt my self and my goods aboard of a shallop bound forBoston: towards Sun-set, the wind being contrary, we put intoGibbonshis Island, a small Island inWinter-harbourabout two leagues fromBlack-pointWest-ward, here we stayed till the 30. day being Wednesday, about nine of the clock we set sail, and towards Sun-set came up withGorgiana, the 31 day being Thursday we put intoCape-Ann-harbour about Sun-set.Septemberthe 1 being Saturday in the morning before day we set sail and came toBostonabout three of the clock in the afternoon, where I found the Inhabitants exceedingly afflicted with griping of the guts, and Feaver, and Ague, and bloudy Flux.
The Eight day ofOctoberbeing Wednesday, I boarded the new-Supply ofBoston120 Tun, a ship of better sail than defence, her Guns being small, and for salutation only, the Master Capt.Fairweather, her [p. 214.] sailers 16. and as many passengers. Towards night I returned toBostonagain, the next day being Thanksgiving day, on Fryday the Tenth day we weighed Anchor and fell down toHull.
The 12 and 13 day about 20 leagues fromCape-Sablea bitter storm took us, beginning at seven of the clock at night, which put us in terrible fear of being driven upon theCape, or the Island ofSableswhere many a tall ship hath been wrackt.
Novemberthe One and twenty about two of the clock afternoon we saw within kenning before us thick clouds, which put us in hope of land, theBosonbrings out his purse, into which the passengers put their good will, then presently he nails it to the main-mast, up go the boyes to the main-mast-top sitting there like so manyCrowes, when after a while one of them cryes out land, which was glad tidings to the wearied passengers, the boyes descend, and the purse being taken from the mast was distributedamongst them, the lad that first descryed land having a double share: about three of the clockScillywas three leagues off.
The four and twentieth day we came toDeal, from thence the 25. toLee, the 26. being Sunday we steemed the Tide toGravesend, about two of the clock [p. 215.] afternoon. The 27 we came up withWollichwhere I landed and refresht my self for that night, next day I footed it four or five miles toBexleyinKentto visit a near kinsman, the next day proved rainie, the 30 day being Fryday my kinsman accommodated me with a Horse and his man toGreenwich, where I took a pair of Oars and went aboard our Ship then lying beforeRadcliff, here I lay that night. Next day being Saturday, and the first ofDecemberI cleared my goods, shot the bridge and landed at theTempleabout seven of the clock at night, which makes my voyage homeward 7 weeks and four days, and from my first setting out fromLondonto my returning toLondonagain Eight years Six moneths and odd days.
Now by the merciful providence of the Almighty, having perform’d Two voyages to the North-east parts of the Western-world, I am safely arrived in my Native Countrey; having in part made good theFrenchproverb, Travail where thou canst, but dye where thou oughtest, that is, in thine own Countrey.
FINIS.