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at the least, of which twenty miles is the most gives entrance
into the Bay of Chisapeak, where is the London plantation;
within which is a country (as you may perceive by the de-
scription in a book and map printed in my name of that
little I there discovered) may well suffice three hundred
thousand people to inhabit. And southward adjoineth that
part discovered at the charge of Sir Walter Rawley, by Sir
Ralph Lane and that learned mathematician, Mr. Thomas
Heryot. Northward, six or seven degrees, is the river
Sagadahock, where was planted the western colony by that
honorable patron of virtue, Sir John Popham, Lord Chief
Justice of England. There is also a Relation printed by
Captain Bartholomew Gosnould, of Elizabeth's Isles, and
another by Captain Waymoth, of Pemmaquid. From all
these diligent observers, posterity may be bettered by the
fruits of their labors. But for divers others that long before
and since have ranged those parts, within a kenning some-
times of the shore, some touching in one place, some in
another, I must entreat them pardon me for omitting them,
or if I offend in saying that their true descriptions are con-
cealed or never well observed, or died with the authors, so
that the coast is yet still but even as a coast unknown and
undiscovered. I have had six or seven several plots of those
northern parts, so unlike each to other, and most so differ-
ing from any true proportion or resemblance of the country,
as they did me no more good than so much waste paper,
though they cost me more. It may be it was not my chance
to see the best; but lest others may be deceived as I was,
or through dangerous ignorance hazard themselves as I did,
I have drawn a map* from point to point, isle to isle, and
harbor to harbor, with the soundings, sands, rocks and land-
marks as I passed close aboard the shore in a little boat;
although there be many things to be observed which the
haste of other affairs did cause me omit; for, being sent
more to get present commodities than knowledge by dis-
coveries for any future good, I had not power to search as I
would; yet it will serve to direct any shall go that
ways

to safe harbors and the salvages' habitations. What mer-
chandise and commodities for their labor they may find, this
following discourse shall plainly demonstrate.

[* This map may be seen in the third volume of our Collections, third series. Publishing Committee.]

Thus you may see, of this two thousand miles more than half is yet unknown to any purpose; no, not so much as the borders of the sea are yet certainly discovered. As for the goodness and true substances of the land, we are for most part yet altogether ignorant of them, unless it be those parts about the Bay of Chisapeack and Sagadahock. But only here and there we touched or have seen a little the edges of those large dominions, which do stretch themselves into the main, God doth know how many thousand miles, whereof we can yet no more judge than a stranger that saileth betwixt England and France can describe the harbors and dangers by landing here or there in some river or bay, tell thereby the goodness and substances of Spain, Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Hungaria, and the rest. By this you may perceive how much they err, that think every one which hath been at Virginia understandeth or knows what Virginia is, or that the Spaniards know one half quarter of those territories they possess; no, not so much as the true circumference of Terra Incognita, whose large dominions may equalize the greatness and goodness of America, for any thing yet known. It is strange with what small power he hath reigned in the East Indies; and few will understand the truth of his strength in America, where he having so much to keep with such a pampered force, they need not greatly fear his fury in the Bermudas, Virginia, New France or New-England, beyond whose bounds America doth stretch many thousand miles; into the frozen parts whereof one Master Hutson, an English mariner, did make the greatest discovery of any Christian I know of, where he unfortunately died. For Africa, had not the industrious Portugals ranged her unknown parts, who would have sought for wealth among those fried regions of black brutish negroes, where, notwithstanding all the wealth and admirable adventures and endeavors more than one hundred and forty years, they know not one third of those black habitations? But it is not a work for every one to manage such an affair as makes a discovery and plants a colony. It requires all the best parts of art, judgment, courage, honesty, constancy, diligence and industry to do but near well. Some are more proper for one thing than another, and therein are to be employed; and nothing breeds more confusion than misplacing and misemploying men in their undertakings. Colum

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bus, Cortez, Pitzara, Soto, Magellanes and the rest, served more than a prenticeship to learn how to begin their most memorable attempts in the West Indies; which, to the wonder of all ages, successfully they effected, when many hundreds of others, far above them in the world's opinion, being instructed but by relation, came to shame and confusion in actions of small moment, who doubtless in other matters were both wise, discreet, generous and courageous. I say not this to detract any thing from their incomparable merits, but to answer those questionless questions that keep us back from imitating the worthiness of their brave. spirits that advanced themselves from poor soldiers to great captains, their posterity to great lords, their king to be one of the greatest potentates on earth, and the fruits of their labors his greatest glory, power and renown.

That part we call New-England is betwixt the degrees of forty-one and forty-five; but that part this discourse speaketh of, stretcheth but from Pennobscot to Cape Cod, some seventy-five leagues by a right line distant each from other, within which bounds I have seen at least forty several habitations upon the seacoast, and sounded about twenty-five excellent good harbors, in many whereof there is anchorage for five hundred sail of ships of any burthen, in some of them for five thousand; and more than two hundred isles overgrown with good timber of divers sorts of wood, which do make so many harbors as requireth a longer time than I had to be well discovered.

The principal habitation northward we were at, was Pennobscot; southward along the coast and up the rivers we found Mecadacut, Segocket, Pemmaquid, Nusconcus, Kenebeck, Sagadahock, and Aumoughcawgen. And to those countries belong the people of Segotago, Paghhuntanuck, Pocopassum, Taughtanakagnet, Warbigganus, Nassaque, Masherosqueck, Wawrigweck, Moshoquen, Wakcogo, Pasharanack, &c. To these are allied the countries of Aucocisco, Accominticus, Passataquack, Aggawom, and Naemkeck. All these, I could perceive, differ little in language, fashion or government. Though most be lords of themselves, yet they hold the Bashabes of Pennobscot the chief and greatest amongst them.

The next I can remember by name are Mattahunts, two pleasant isles of groves, gardens, and corn-fields a league in

the sea from the main. Then Totant, Massachuset, Pocapawmet, Quonahassit, Sagoquas, Nahapassumkeck, Topeent, Seccasaw, Tothect, Nasnocomacack, Accomack, Chawum. Then Cape Cod, by which is Pawmet and the isle Nawset, of the language and alliance of them of Chawum. The others are called Massachusets, of another language, humor and condition. For their trade and merchandise, to each of their habitations they have divers towns and people belonging; and by their relations and descriptions, more than twenty several habitations and rivers that stretch themselves far up into the country, even to the borders of divers great lakes, where they kill and take most of their beavers and otters. From Pennobscot to Sagadahock this coast is all mountainous and isles of huge rocks, but overgrown with all sorts of excellent good woods for building houses, boats, barques or ships; with an incredible abundance of most sorts of fish, much fowl, and sundry sorts of good fruits for man's use.

Betwixt Sadagahock and Sowocatuck there is but two or three sandy bays, but betwixt that and Cape Cod very many. Especially the coast of the Massachusets is so indifferently mixed with high clay or sandy cliffs in one place, and then tracts of large long ledges of divers sorts, and quarries of stones, in other places so strangely divided with tinctured veins of divers colors, as, free-stone for building, slate for tiling, smooth stone to make furnaces and forges for glass or iron, and iron ore sufficient conveniently to melt in them. But the most part so resembleth the coast of Devonshire, I think most of the cliffs would make such limestone. If they be not of these qualities, they are so like they may deceive a better judgment than mine. All which are so near adjoining to those other advantages I observed in these parts, that if the ore prove as good iron and steel in those parts as I know it is within the bounds of the country, I dare engage my head (having but men skilful to work the simples there growing) to have all things belonging to the building and the rigging of ships of any proportion, and good merchandise for the freight, within a square of ten or fourteen leagues; and were it for a good reward, I would not fear to prove it in a less limitation.

And surely by reason of those sandy cliffs, and cliffs of rocks, both which we saw so planted with gardens and cornfields, and so well inhabited with a goodly, strong and well.

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proportioned people, besides the greatness of the timber growing on them, the greatness of the fish, and the moderate temper of the air (for of twenty-five not any was sick, but two that were many years diseased before they went, notwithstanding our bad lodging and accidental diet) who can but approve this a most excellent place, both for health and fertility? And of all the four parts of the world that I have yet seen, not inhabited, could I have but means to transport a colony, I would rather live here than any where. And if it did not maintain itself, were we but once 'indifferently well fitted, let us starve.

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The main staple, from hence to be extracted for the present to produce the rest, is fish; which, however it may seem a mean and a base commodity, yet who will but truly take the pains and consider the sequel, I think will allow it well worth the labor. It is strange to see what great adventures the hopes of setting forth men of war to rob the industrious innocent would procure, or such massy promises in gross; though more are choked than well fed with such hasty hopes. But who doth not know that the poor Hollanders, chiefly by fishing, at a great charge and labor in all weathers in the open sea, are made a people so hardy and industrious? and by the vending this poor commodity to the Easterlings for as mean, which is wood, flax, pitch, tar, rosin, cordage and such like (which they exchange again to the French, Spaniards, Portugales and English, &c., for what they want)-are made so mighty, strong and rich, as no state but Venice, of twice their magnitude, is so well furnished with so many fair cities, goodly towns, strong fortresses, and that abundance of shipping and all sorts of merchandise, as well of gold, silver, pearls, diamonds, precious stones, silks, velvets, and cloth of gold, as fish, pitch, wood, or such gross commodities? What voyages and discoveries, east and west, north and south, yea about the world, make they? What an army, by seå and land, have they long maintained in despite of one of the greatest princes of the world? And never could the Spaniard, with all his mines of gold and silver, pay his debts, his friends and army half so truly as the Hollanders still have done by this contemptible trade of fish. Divers (I know) may allege many other assistances; but this is their mine, and the sea the source of those silvered streams of all their virtue, which

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