 Section 74 of a Book of American Explorers. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Larry Wilson. A Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Book 15, Part 2. The Massachusetts Bay colonists in Salem Harbor. Friday a foggy morning, but after clear and wind calm. We saw many schools of mackerel, infinite multitudes on every side of our ship. The sea was abundantly stored with rockweed and yellow flowers like ghillie flowers. By noon we were within three leagues of Cape Anne, and as we sailed along the coast we saw every hill and dale, and every island full of gay woods and high trees. The nearer we came to the shore, the more flowers in abundance, sometimes scattered abroad, sometimes joined in sheets nine or ten yards long, which we supposed to be brought from the low meadows by the tide. Now what with fine woods and green trees by land, and these yellow flowers painting the sea, made us all desirous to see our new paradise of New England, once we saw such forerunning signal of fertility afar off. Coming near the harbor towards night, we tacked about for sea room. Saturday a foggy morning, but after eight o'clock in the morning very clear. The wind being somewhat contrary at south than by west, we tacked to and again with getting little, but with much ado. About four o'clock in the afternoon having with much pain compassed the harbor, and being ready to enter the same, see how things may suddenly change, there came a fearful gust of wind and rain and thunder and lightning, whereby we were born with no little terror and trouble to our mariners, having very much ado to loose down the sails when the fury of the storm struck us. But God be praised, it lasted but a while, and soon abated again. And hereby the Lord showed us what could have been done with us if it had pleased him. But blessed be God, he soon removed this storm and it was a fair and sweet evening. We had a westerly wind which brought us between five and six o'clock to a fine sweet harbor seven miles from the head point of Cape Anne. This harbor twenty ships may easily ride therein, where there was an island with the four of our men with the boat went and brought back again ripe strawberries and gooseberries and sweet single roses. Thus God was merciful to us in giving us a taste and smell of the sweet fruit as an earnest of his bountiful goodness to welcome us at our first arrival. This harbor was two leagues and something more from the harbor at Nankaki, where our ships were to rest and the plantation has already begun. But because the passage is difficult and night drew on, we put into Cape Anne Harbor. The Sabbath being the first we kept in America, the seventh Lord days after we parted England. Monday we came from Cape Anne to go to Nankaki, the wind northerly. I should have told you before that the planters buying our English colors, the governor sent us shallot with two men to Pilates. These rested the Sabbath with us at Cape Anne. And this day by God's blessing and their directions, we passed the curious and difficult entrance into the large, spacious harbor of Nankaki. And as we passed along it was wonderful to behold so many islands replenished with thick wood and high trees and many fair green pastures. And being come into the harbor we saw the George to our great comfort, there being come on Tuesday which was seven days before us. We rested that night with glad and thankful hearts that God had put an end to our long and tedious journey through the greatest sea in the world. The next morning the governor came aboard to our ships and made his kindly welcome and invited me and my wife to come on shore and take our lodging in his house which we did accordingly. End of Section 74. Section 75 of a book of American explorers. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Larry Wilson. A book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Book 15, Part 3. Fire, Air, Earth, and Water in New England. As described by Francis Higginson, 1629. Letting pass our voyage by sea, we will now begin our discourse on the shore of New England. And because the life and welfare of every creature here below and the commodiousness of the country, whereas such creatures live, doth by the most wise ordering of God's providence, depend next unto himself upon the temperature and disposition of the four elements, earth, water, air, and fire. Therefore I will endeavor to show you what New England is by the consideration of each of these apart and truly endeavor by God's help to report nothing but the naked truth and that both to tell you of the disc commodities as well as of the commodities. Though as the idol proverb is, travelers may lie by authority and so may take too much sinful liberty that way, yet I may say of myself, as once Nehemiah did in another case, shall such a man as I lie? No, verily. Of the earth of New England. It is a land of diverse and sundry sorts all about Massive Thuleet's Bay, and at Charles River is as fat black earth as can be seen anywhere, and in other places you have a clay soil, in other gravel, in other sandy as it is all about our plantation at Salem, for so our town is now named. The form of the earth here, in its superficies of it, is neither too flat in the plainness nor too high in hills, but partakes of both in mediocrity and fit for pasture or for plough or meadow ground as men please to employ it. Though all the country be, as it were, a thick wood for the general, yet in diverse places, there is much ground cleared by the Indians, and especially about the plantation, and I am told that about three miles from us, a man may stand on a little hilly place and see diverse thousands of acres of ground as good as need to be, and not a tree in the same. In our plantation we have already a quart of milk for a penny, but the abundant increase of corn proves this country to be a wonderment. Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty are ordinary here. Yay, Joseph's increase in Egypt is outstripped here with us. Our planters hope to have more than a hundred fold this year, and all this while I am within compass. Will you save two hundred fold and upwards? It is almost incredible what great gains some of our English planters have had by our Indian corn. Credible persons have assured me, and the party himself aboutst the truth of it to me, that of the setting of thirteen gallons of corn he hath had increase of it fifty-two hogsheads. Every hogshead holding seven bushels of London measure, and every bushel was by him sold and trusted to the Indians for so much beaver as was worth eighteen shillings. And so of this thirteen gallons of corn, which was worth six shillings, eight pints, he made about three hundred twenty-seven pounds of it the year following, as by reckoning will appear, where you may see how God blesseth husbandry in this land. There is not such great implentiful ears of corn, I suppose, anywhere else to be found, but in this country being also a variety of colors as red, blue, and yellow, et cetera, and of one corn there springeth four or five hundred, I have sent you many ears of diverse colors that you might see the truth of it. Little children here, by setting of corn, they earn much more than their own maintenance. For beasts there are some bears, and they say some lions also, for they have been seen at Cape Ann. Also here are several sorts of deer, some whereof bring three or four young ones at once, which is not ordinary in England. Also wolves, fox, beavers, martens, great wildcats, and a great beast called a milky, as big as an ox. I have seen the skins of all these beasts since I came to this plantation, accepting lions. Also here are great store of squirrels, some greater and some smaller and 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, of the waters of New England. New England hath water enough, both salt and fresh. The greatest sea in the world, the Atlantic sea, runs all along the coast thereof. There are abundance of islands along the shore, some full of wood and mast to feed swine, and others clear wood and fruitful to bear corn. Also we have store of excellent harbors for ships, as at Cape Ann, and at Massa Thulet's Bay, and at Salem, and at many other places. And they are the better, because for strangers there is very difficult and dangerous passage into them. But unto such as are well acquainted with them, they are easy and safe enough. The abundance of sea fish are almost beyond believing, and sure I should scarce have believed it, except I had seen it with my own eyes. I saw a great store of whales and grampuses, and such abundance of mackerels, that it would astonish one to behold. Likewise codfish, abundance on the coast, and in their season are plentifully taken. There is a fish called a bass, a most sweet and wholesome fish as ever I did eat. It is altogether as good as our fresh salmon, and the season of their coming was begun when we came first to New England in June, and so continued about three months' space. Of this fish are fishers take many hundreds together, which I have seen lying on the shore to my admiration. Yea, their nets ordinarily take more than they are able to haul to land, and for want of boats and men, they are constrained to let a many go after they have taken them. And yet sometimes they fill two boats at a time with them. And besides bass we take plenty of skates and thornback, and abundance of lobsters, and the least boy in the plantation may both catch and eat what he will of them. For my own part I was soon cloied with them. They were so great and fat and luscious. I have seen some myself that have weighed sixteen pound, but others have had diverse times so great lobsters as have weighed twenty-five pound as they assured me. Of the air of New England The temper of the air of New England is one special thing that commends this place. Experienced does manifest that there is hardly a more helpful place to be found in the world that agreeeth better with our English bodies. Many that have been weak and sickly in Old England by coming hither have been thoroughly healed and grown helpful and strong. For here is a most extraordinary clear and dry air that is of a most healing nature. To all such as are of a cold melancholy and dramatic, rheumatic temper of body. None can more truly speak hereof by their own experience than myself. My friends that knew me can well tell how very sickly I have been and continually in physics and that I have not gone without a cup for many years together, neither just leave off the same, have now cast away my cap and do where none at all in the daytime. And whereas before time I clothed myself with double clothes and thick waistcoats to keep warm, even in the summertime, I do now go as thin-clad as any. Besides, I have one of my children that was formerly most lamentably handled with sore breaking out both his hands and feet of the king's evil. But since he came hither he is very well, as ever he was, and there is hope of perfect recovery shortly, even by the very wholesomeness of the air altering, digesting, and drying up the cold and crude humours of the body. And therefore I think it is wise course for all cold complexions to come to take physics in New England. For a sup of New England's air is better than a whole draft of Old England's ale. In the summertime, in the midst of July and August, it is a good deal hotter than in Old England, and in winter, January and February are much colder, so they say. But the spring and autumn are of a middle temper. Fowls of the air are plentiful here, and of all sorts as we have in England, as far as I can learn, and a great many of strange fowls which we know not. Whilst I was writing these things, one of our men brought home an eagle which he had killed in the wood. They say they are good meat. Also, here are many kinds of excellent hawks, both sea hawks and land hawks, and myself walking in the woods with another in company, sprung a partridge so big the heaviness of his body could fly but a little way. They that have killed them say they are as big as our hens. Here are likewise abundance of turkeys often killed in the woods, far greater than our English turkeys, and exceeding fat, sweet, and fleshy. For here they have abundance of feeding all the year long, as strawberries in summer all places are full of them, and all manner of berries and fruits. In the wintertime I have seen flocks of pigeons and have eaten of them. They do fly from tree to tree as other birds do, which our pigeons will not do in England. They are of all colors as ours are, but their wings and tails are much longer, and therefore it is likely they fly swifter to escape the terrible hawks in this country. In wintertime this country doth abound in wild geese, wild ducks, and other sea fowl that a great part of winter the planters have eaten nothing but roast meat of diverse fowls which they have killed. Of the fire of New England. Thus you have heard of earth, water, and air of New England. Now maybe you expect something to be said of the fire proportionable to the rest of the elements. Indeed I think New England may boast of this element more than of all the rest. For though it be here somewhat cold in the winter, yet here we have plenty of fire to warm us, and that a great deal cheaper than they sell billets and faggots in London. Nay, all Europe is not able to afford to make so great fires as New England. A poor servant here, that is to possess but fifty acres of land, may afford to give more wood for timber and fire as good as the world yields, than many noblemen in England can afford to do. Here is good living for those that love good fires. And although New England have no tallow to make candles of, yet by the abundance of the fish thereof, it can afford oil for lamps. Nay, our pine trees that are most plentiful in all wood doth allow us plenty of candles which are very useful in a house. And they are such candles as the Indians commonly use, having no other. And they are nothing else but the wood of the pine tree, cloven in two little slices something thin, which are so full of turpentine and pitch that they burn as clear as a torch. I have sent you some of them that you may see the experience of them. New England's Disk Commodities. Thus of New England's Commodities. Now I will tell you of some Disk Commodities that are here to be found. First in the summer season, for these three months, June, July, and August, we are troubled much with little flies called mosquitoes, being the same they are troubled with hens. And they are nothing but gnats which, except they be smoked out of their houses, are troublesome in the night season. Secondly in the winter season, for two months space, the earth is commonly covered with snow which is accompanied with sharp biting frosts something more sharp than is in old England and therefore are forced to make great fires. Thirdly, this country being full of woods and wilderness, doth also much abound with snakes and serpents of strange colors and huge greatness. Yea, there are some serpents called rattlesnakes that have rattles in their tails that will not fly from a man as others will, but will fly upon him and sting him so mortally that he will die within a quarter of an hour except the party's dinged have about him some of the root of an herb called snakeweed to bite on. And then he shall receive no harm. But yet seldom falls it out that any hurt is done by these. About three years since an ending was stung to death by one of them. But we heard of none since that time. Fourthly and lastly, here wants as yet the good company of honest Christians to bring with them horses kind and cheap to make use of this fruitful land. Great pity it is to see so much good ground for corn and for grass as any under the heavens to lie altogether rather unoccupied when so many honest men and their families in old England through the populousness thereof do make very hard shift to live one by the other. End of section 75 Section 76 of a book of American explorers. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Larry Wilson. A book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Book 15, Part 4 A Sea Adventure of the Puritan Colonists. Governor John Winthrop with a large number of colonists sailed from England in April 1630. Seventeen vessels came to the Massachusetts colony that year bringing nearly a thousand people. England was then at war with Spain and many Spanish cruisers made their rendezvous at Dunkirk and other ports in the Spanish Netherlands whence they were called Dunkirkers. April 9th In the morning we decried from the top eight sail a stern of us whom Captain Lowe told us he had seen at Dunn knows in the evening. We supposing they might be Dunkirkers, our captain caused the gun room and gun deck to be cleared. The hammocks were taken down our ordnance loaded and our powder chests and fireworks made ready and our landsmen quartered among the seamen and twenty-five of them appointed for muskets and every man written down for his quarter. The wind continued north with fair weather and afternoon it calmed and we still saw those eight ships to stand toward us. Having more wind than we they came up a pace when the masters of our consorts were more occasioned to think they might be Dunkirkers where we were told at Yarmouth that there were ten sail of them waiting for us. Whereupon we all prepared to fight with them and took down some cabins which were in the way of our ordnance and out of every ship were thrown such bed matters as were subject to take fire and we heaved out our long boats and put up our waste cloths and drew forth our men and them with muskets and other weapons and instruments for fireworks and for an experiment our captain shot a ball of wildfire fastened to an arrow out of a crossbow which burnt in the water a good time. The lady Arbella and the other women and children were removed into the lower deck that they might be out of danger all things being thus fitted we went to prayer upon the upper deck it was much to see how cheerful and comfortable the company appeared not a woman or child that showed fear though all did apprehend the danger to have been great if things had proved as might well be expected for there had been eight against four and the least of the enemy ships were reported to carry thirty brass pieces and our trust was in the lord of hosts and the courage of our captain and his care and diligence did much encourage us it was now about one o'clock ships seemed to be within a league of us therefore our captain because he would show he was not afraid of them and that he might see the issue before night should overtake us tacked about and stood to meet them and when we came near we perceived them to be our friends the little Neptune a ship of some twenty pieces of ordnance and her two consorts bound for the Straits a ship of flushing and a Frenchman and three other English ships bound for Canada and Newfoundland so when we drew near every ship as they met saluted each other and the musketeers discharged their small shot and so God be praised our fear and danger was turned into mirth and friendly entertainment End of Section 76 Section 77 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Larry Wilson A Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson Book 15 Part 5 Governor Winthrop's Night Out of Doors The Governor being at his farmhouse at Mystic walked out after supper and took a piece in his hand and told him to close and he might see a wolf for they came daily about the house and killed some swine and calves et cetera and being about half a mile off it grew suddenly dark so as in coming home he mistook his path and went till he came to a little house of Sagamore John which stood empty there he stayed and having a piece of match in his pocket for he always carried about him he made a good fire near the house and laid down upon some old mats which he found there and so spent the night sometimes walking by the fire sometimes singing psalms and sometimes getting wood but could not sleep it was through God's mercy a warm night but a little before day it began to rain and having no cloak he made shift by a long pole to climb up into the house in the morning there came thither Indian Squaw but perceiving her before she had opened the door he barred her out yet she stayed there a great while essaying to get in and at last she went away and he returned a safe home his servants having been much perplexed for him and having walked about and shot off pieces and hallowed in the night but he heard them not into section 77 section 78 a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Larry Wilson a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 15 part 6 the privations of the Puritans now coming into this country I founded a vacant a vacant wilderness in respect of English there were indeed some English at Plymouth and Salem and some few at Charlestown who were very destitute when we came ashore and planting time being passed shortly after provision was not to be had for money I wrote to my friends, namely to my dear father to send me some provision which accordingly he did and also gave order to one of his neighbors to supply me with what I needed he being a seaman who coming hither supplied me with diverse things fish was a good help to me and others red was so very scarce that sometimes I thought the very crusts of my father's table would have been very sweetened to me and when I could have a meal of water and salt boiled together it was so good who could wish better in our beginning many were in great straits for want of provision for themselves and their little ones oh the hunger that many suffered and saw no hope in an eye of reason to be supplied only by clams and mussels and fish we did quickly build boats and some went to fishing but bread was with many a very scarce thing and flesh of all kind a scarce and in those days our straits though I cannot say God sent a raven to feed us as he did the prophet Elijah yet this I can say to the praise of God's glory that he sent not only poor ravenous Indians who came with their baskets of corn on their backs to trade with us which was a good supply to many but also sent ships from Holland and Ireland with provisions an Indian corn from Virginia to supply the wants of his dear servants in this wilderness both for food and raiment and when people's wants were great not only in one town such was the godly wisdom, care and prudence not selfishness but self-denial of our Governor Winthrop and his assistants that when a ship came laden with provisions they did order that the whole cargo should be brought for a general stock and so accordingly it was and distribution was made to every town as every man had needed thus God was pleased to care for his people in times of straits and to fill his servants with food and gladness then did all the servants of God bless his holy name and love one another with pure hearts fervently in those days God did cause his people to trust in him and to be contented with mean things it was not accounted a strange thing in those days to drink water and to eat samp or harmony without butter or milk indeed it would have been a strange thing to see a piece of roast beef though it was not very long before there was roast goat after the first winter we were very healthy though some of us had no great store of corn the Indians did sometimes bring corn and truck with us for clothing and knives and once I had a peck of corn or thereabouts for a little puppy dog frost fish mussels and clams were a relief to many if our provision be better now than it was then let us not children take heed that you do not forget the Lord our God you have better food and raiment than was in former times but have you better hearts than your forefathers had if so rejoice in that mercy and let New England then shout for joy sure all the people of God in other parts of the world that shall hear that the children and grandchildren of the first planters of New England have better hearts and are more heavenly than their predecessors they will doubtless greatly rejoice and will say this is the generation whom the Lord hath blessed End of Section 78 End of a Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson