Chapter III: Part 3

_Sarsaparilla_ or roughbind-weed (as some describe it) the leaves and whole bind set with thorns, of this there is store growing upon the banks of Ponds. See the rarities of _New-England_. The leaves of the _Sarsaparilla_ there described pounded with Hogs grease and boiled to an unguent, is excellent in the curing of wounds.

Live for ever, it is a kind of _Cud-weed_, [p. 78.] flourisheth all summer long till cold weather comes in, it growes now plentifully in our _English_ Gardens, it is good for cough of the lungs, and to cleanse the breast taken as you do Tobacco; and for pain in the head the decoction, or the juice strained and drunk in Bear, Wine, or Aqua vitæ, killeth worms. The Fishermen when they want Tobacco take this herb being cut and dryed.

_Lysimachus_ or Loose-strife: there are several kinds, but the most noted is the yellow _Lysimachus_ of _Virginia_, the root is longish and white, as thick as ones thumb, the stalkes of an overworn colour, and a little hairie, the middle vein of the leaf whitish, the Flower yellow and like Primroses, and therefore called Tree-primrose, growes upon seedie vessels, _&c._ The first year it growes not up to a stalke, but sends up many large leaves handsomely lying one upon another, Rose fashion, Flowers in _June_, the seed is ripe in _August_, this as I have said is taken by the _English_ for Scabious.

St. _John’s_ wort, it preserveth Cheese made up in it, at Sea.

Spurge or Wolfes milch there are several sorts.

_Avens_, or herb-bennet; you have an account of it in _New-Englands_ rarities, but one [p. 79.] thing more I shall add, that you may plainly perceive a more masculine quality in the plants growing in _New-England_. A neighbour of mine in Hay-time, having overheat himself, and melted his grease, with striving to outmowe another man, fell dangerously sick, not being able to turn himself in his bed, his stomach gon, and his heart fainting ever and anon; to whom I administered the decoction of _Avens_-Roots and leaves in water and wine, sweetning it with Syrup of Clove-Gilliflowers, in one weeks time it recovered him, so that he was able to perform his daily work, being a poor planter or husbandman as we call them.

Red-Lilly growes all over the Countrey amongst the bushes. Mr. _Johnson_ upon _Gerard_ takes the Tulip to be the Lilly of the field mentioned by our Saviour, Matth. 6. 28, 29. _Ac de vestitu quid soliciti estis? discite quomodo lilia agrorum augescant: non fatigantur, neque nent, sed dico vobis, ne Solomonem quidem cum universa gloria sic amictum fuisse ut unum ex istis._ Solomon _in all his Royalty was not like one of them. His reasons are, first from the shape, like a lilly; The second, because those places where our Saviour was conversant they grow wild in the fields. Third, the infinite variety of the_ [p. 80.] _colours. The fourth and last reason, the wondrous beautie and mixture of these Flowers._

Water-lillys; the black roots dryed and pulverized, are wondrous effectual in the stopping of all manner of fluxes of the belly, drunk with wine or water.

_Herba-paris_, one berry, herb true love, or four-leaved night-shade, the leaves are good to be laid upon hot tumours.

_Umbilicus veneris_, or _New-England_ daisie, it is good for hot humours, _Erisipelas_, St. _Anthonie’s_ fire, all inflammations.

_Glass-wort_, a little quantity of this plant you may take for the Dropsie, but be very careful that you take not too much, for it worketh impetuously.

Water-plantane, called in _New-England_ water Suck-leaves, and Scurvie-leaves, you must lay them whole to the leggs to draw out water between the skin and the flesh.

_Rosa-solis_, Sun-dew, moor-grass, this plant I have seen more of, than ever I saw in my whole life before in _England_, a man may gather upon some marish-grounds an incredible quantity in a short time; towards the middle of _June_ it is in its season, for then its spear is shot out to its length, of which they take hold and pull the whole plant up by the roots from the moss with ease.

[p. 81.] _Amber_-greese I take to be a Mushroom, see the rarities of _New-England_. Monardus _writeth that_ Amber_-greese riseth out of a certain clammy and bituminous earth under the Seas, and by the Sea-side, the billows casting up part of it a land, and fish devour the rest; Some say it is the seed of a Whale, others, that it springeth from fountains as pitch doth, which fishes swallow down; the air congealeth it._ And sometimes it is found in the crevises and corners of Rocks.

_Fuss-balls_, _Mullipuffes_ called by the Fishermen Wolves-farts, are to be found plentifully, and those bigger by much than any I have seen in _England_.

_Coraline_ there is infinite store of it cast upon the shore, and another plant that is more spinie, of a Red colour, and as hard as Corral. _Coraline_ laid to the gout easeth the pain.

Sea-Oake or wreach, or Sea-weed, the black pouches of Oar-weed dryed and pulverized, and drunk with White-wine, is an excellent remedy for the stone.

I will finish this part of my relation concerning plants, with an admirable plant for the curing and taking away of Corns, which many times sore troubleth the Traveller: it is not above a handful high; the little branches are woodie, the leaves like [p. 82.] the leaves of Box, but broader and much thicker, hard and of a deep grass-green colour; this bruised or champt in the mouth and laid upon the Corn will take it away clean in one night. And observe all _Indian_ Trees and plants, their Roots are but of small depth, and so they must be set.

Of Beasts of the earth there be scarce 120 several kinds, and not much more of the Fowls of the Air, is the opinion of some Naturalists; there are not many kinds of Beasts in _New-England_, they may be divided into Beasts of the Chase of the stinking foot, as _Roes_, _Foxes_, _Jaccals_, _Wolves_, _Wild-cats_, _Raccons_, _Porcupines_, _Squncks_, _Musquashes_, _Squirrels_, _Sables_, and _Mattrises_; and Beasts of the Chase of the sweet foot, _Buck_, Red _Dear_, Rain-_Dear_, _Elke_, _Marouse_, _Maccarib_, _Bear_, _Beaver_, _Otter_, _Marten_, _Hare_.

The _Roe_ a kind of Deer, and the fleetest Beast upon earth is here to be found, and is good venison, but not over fat.

The _Fox_, the male is called a dog-fox, the female a bitch-fox, they go a clicketing the beginning of the spring, and bring forth their Cubs in _May_ and _June_. There are two or three kinds of them; one a great yellow _Fox_, another grey, who will climb up into Trees; the black _Fox_ is of much esteem. _Foxes_ and _Wolves_ are usually hunted [p. 83.] in _England_ from _Holy-Rood_ day, till the _Annunciation_. In _New-England_ they make best sport in the depth of winter; they lay a sledg-load of Cods-heads on the other side of a paled fence when the moon shines, and about nine or ten of the clock the _Foxes_ come to it, sometimes two or three, or half a dozen, and more; these they shoot, and by that time they have cased them, there will be as many; So they continue shooting and killing of _Foxes_ as long as the moon shineth; I have known half a score kill’d in one night. Their pisles are bonie like a doggs, their fat liquified and put into the ears easeth the pain, their tails or bushes are very fair ones and of good use, but their skins are so thin (yet thick set with deep furr) that they will hardly hold the dressing.

_Jaccals_ there be abundance, which is a Creature much like a _Fox_, but smaller, they are very frequent in _Palæstina_, or the _Holy-land_.

The _Wolf_ seeketh his mate and goes a clicketing at the same season with _Foxes_, and bring forth their whelps as they do, but their kennels are under thick bushes by great Trees in remote places by the swamps, he is to be hunted as the _Fox_ from _Holy-rood_ day till the _Annunciation_. But there [p. 84.] they have a quicker way to destroy them. See _New-Englands_ rarities. They commonly go in routs, a rout of _Wolves_ is 12 or more, sometimes by couples. In 1664. we found a _Wolf_ asleep in a small dry swamp under an Oake, a great mastiff which we had with us seized upon him, and held him till we had put a rope about his neck, by which we brought him home, and tying of him to a stake we bated him with smaller Doggs, and had excellent sport; but his hinder legg being broken, they knockt out his brains. Sometime before this we had an excellent course after a single _Wolf_ upon the hard sands by the Sea-side at low water for a mile or two, at last we lost our doggs, it being (as the _Lancashire_ people phrase it) twi-light, that is almost dark, and went beyond them, for a mastiff-bitch had seized upon the _Wolf_ being gotten into the Sea, and there held him, till one went in and led him out, the bitch keeping her hold till they had tyed his leggs, and so carried him home like a Calf upon a staff between two men; being brought into the house they unbound him and set him upon his leggs, he not offering in the least to bite, or so much as to shew his teeth, but clapping his stern betwixt his leggs, and leering towards the door would willingly have had his liberty, [p. 85.] but they served him as they did the other, knockt his brains out, for our doggs were not then in a condition to bate him; their eyes shine by night as a Lanthorn: the Fangs of a _Wolf_ hung about childrens necks keep them from frighting, and are very good to rub their gums with when they are breeding of Teeth, the gall of a _Wolf_ is Soveraign for swelling of the sinews; the fiants or dung of a _Wolf_ drunk with white-wine helpeth the _Collick_.

The _Wild-cat_, _Lusern_ or _luceret_, or Ounce as some call it, is not inferiour to Lamb, their grease is very soveraign for lameness upon taking cold.

The _Racoon_ or _Rattoon_ is of two sorts, gray _Rattoons_, and black _Rattoons_, their grease is soveraign for wounds with bruises, aches, streins, bruises; and to anoint after broken bones and dislocations.

The _Squnck_ is almost as big as a _Racoon_, perfect black and white or pye-bald, with a bush-tail like a _Fox_, an offensive Carion; the Urine of this Creature is of so strong a scent, that if it light upon any thing, there is no abiding of it, it will make a man smell, though he were of _Alexanders_ complexion; and so sharp that if he do but whisk his bush which he pisseth upon in the face of a dogg hunting of him, and that [p. 86.] any of it light in his eyes it will make him almost mad with the smart thereof.

The _Musquashes_ is a small Beast that lives in shallow ponds, where they build them houses of earth and sticks in shape like mole-hills, and feed upon _Calamus Aromaticus_: in _May_ they scent very strong of Muske; their furr is of no great esteem; their stones wrapt up in Cotten-wool will continue a long time, and are good to lay amongst cloths to give them a grateful smell.

The _Squirril_, of which there are three sorts, the mouse-squirril, the gray squirril, and the flying squirril, called by the _Indian_ _Assapanick_. The mouse-squirril is hardly so big as a Rat, streak’d on both sides with black and red streaks, they are mischievous vermine destroying abundance of Corn both in the field and in the house, where they will gnaw holes into Chests, and tear clothes both linnen and wollen, and are notable nut-gathers in _August_; when hasel and filbert nuts are ripe you may see upon every Nut-tree as many mouse-squirrils as leaves; So that the nuts are gone in a trice, which they convey to their Drays or Nests. The gray squirril is pretty large, almost as big as a Conie, and are very good meat: in some parts of the Countrie there are many of them. The flying squirril is so called, [p. 87.] because (his skin being loose and large) he spreads it on both sides like wings when he passeth from one Tree to another at great distance. I cannot call it flying nor leaping, for it is both.

The _Mattrise_ is a Creature whose head and fore-parts is shaped somewhat like a Lyons, not altogether so big as a house-cat, they are innumerable up in the Countrey, and are esteemed good furr.

The _Sable_ is much of the size of a _Mattrise_ perfect black, but what store there is of them I cannot tell, I never saw but two of them in Eight years space.

The _Martin_ is as ours are in _England_, but blacker, they breed in holes which they make in the earth like Conies, and are innumerable, their skins or furr are in much request.

The _Buck_, _Stag_, and _Rain-Dear_ are Creatures that will live in the coldest climates, here they are innumerable, bringing forth three _Fawns_ or _Calves_ at a time, which they hide a mile asunder to prevent their destruction by the _Wolves_, wild-_Cats_, _Bears_, and _Mequans_: when they are in season they will be very fat; there are but few slain by the _English_. The _Indians_ who shoot them, and take of them with toyls, bring them in [p. 88.] with their suet, and the bones that grow upon _Stags-Hearts_.

The _Moose_ or _Elke_ is a Creature, or rather if you will a Monster of superfluity; a full grown _Moose_ is many times bigger than an _English_ Oxe, their horns as I have said elsewhere, very big (and brancht out into palms) the tips whereof are sometimes found to be two fathom asunder, (a fathom [p. 89.] is six feet from the tip of one finger to the tip of the other, that is four cubits,) and in height from the toe of the fore-foot, to the pitch of the shoulder twelve foot, both which hath been taken by some of my _sceptique_ Readers to be monstrous lyes. If you consider the breadth that the beast carrieth, and the magnitude of the horns, you will be easily induced to contribute your belief.

What would you say, if I should tell you that in _Greenland_ there are _Does_ that have as large horns as _Bucks_, their brow Antlers growing downwards beyond their _Musles_, and broad at the end wherewith they scrape away the snow to the grass, it being impossible for them other-wayes to live in those cold Countries; the head of one of these _Does_ was sometime since nailed upon a sign-post in _Charter-house-lane_, and these following verses written upon a board underneath it.

_Like a_ Bucks_-head I stand in open view,
And yet am none; nay, wonder not, ’tis true;
The living Beast that these fair horns did owe
Well known to many, was a_ Green-land Doe
_The proverb old is here fulfill’d in me,
That every like is not the same you see._

And for their height since I came into _England_ I have read Dr. _Scroderns_ his Chymical dispensatory translated into _English_ by Dr. _Rowland_, where he writes _that when he lived in_ Finland _under_ Gustavus Horn, _he saw an_ Elke _that was killed and presented to_ Gustavus _his Mother, seventeen spans high_. Law you now Sirs of the Gibing crue, if you have any skill in mensuration, tell me what difference there is between Seventeen spans and twelve foot. There are certain transcendentia in every Creature, which are the indelible Characters of God, and which discover God; There’s a prudential for you, as _John Rhodes_ the Fisherman used to say to his mate, _Kitt Lux_. But to go on with the _Moose_; they are accounted a kind of Deer, and have three _Calves_ at a time, which they hide a mile asunder too, as other Deer do, their skins make excellent Coats for Martial men, their sinews which are as [p. 90.] big as a mans finger are of perdurable toughness and much used by the _Indians_, the bone that growes upon their heart is an excellent Cordial, their bloud is as thick as an _Asses_ or _Bulls_ who have the thickest bloud of all others, a man the thinnest. To what age they live I know not, certainly a long time in their proper climate. _Some particular living Creatures cannot live in every particular place or region, especially with the same joy and felicity as it did where it was first bred, for the certain agreement of nature that is between the place and the thing bred in that place: As appeareth by_ Elephants_, which being translated and brought out of the Second or Third Climate, though they may live, yet will they never ingender or bring forth young._ So for plants, Birds, _&c._ Of both these Creatures, some few there have been brought into _England_, but did not long continue. Sir _R. Baker_ in his Chronicle tells us of an _Elephant_ in _Henry_ the Thirds Raign, which he saith was the first that was ever seen there, which as it seems is an error, unless he restrain it to the _Norman’s_ time. For Mr. _Speed_ writeth that _Claudius Drusius_ Emperour of _Rome_ brought in the first in his Army; the bones of which digg’d up since are taken for Gyants bones. As for the _Moose_ the first that was seen in _England_, [p. 91.] was in King _Charles_ the First Raign; thus much for these magnals amongst the Creatures of God to be wondered at, the next beast to be mentioned is

The _Maurouse_, which is somewhat like a _Moose_, but his horns are but small, and himself about the size of a _Stag_, these are the Deer that the flat-footed _Wolves_ hunt after.

The _Maccarib_ is a Creature not found that ever I heard yet, but upon _Cape-Sable_ near to the _French_ plantations.

The _Bear_ when he goes to mate is a terrible Creature, they bring forth their Cubs in _March_, hunted with doggs they take a Tree where they shoot them, when he is fat he is excellent Venison, which is in _Acorn_ time, and in winter, but then there is none dares to attempt to kill him but the _Indian_. He makes his Denn amongst thick Bushes, thrusting in here and there store of _Moss_, which being covered with snow and melting in the day time with heat of the Sun, in the night is frozen into a thick coat of Ice; the mouth of his Den is very narrow, here they lye single, never two in a Den all winter. The _Indian_ as soon as he finds them, creeps in upon all four, seizes with his left hand upon the neck of the sleeping _Bear_, drags him to the mouth of [p. 92.] the Den, where with a club or small hatchet in his right hand he knocks out his brains before he can open his eyes to see his enemy. But sometimes they are too quick for the _Indians_, as one amongst them called black Robin lighting upon a male _Bear_ had a piece of his buttock torn off before he could fetch his blow: their grease is very soveraign. One Mr. _Purchase_ cured himself of the _Sciatica_ with _Bears_-greefe, keeping some of it continually in his groine. It is good too for swell’d Cheeks upon cold, for Rupture of the hands in winter, for limbs taken suddenly with _Sciatica_, _Gout_, or other diseases that cannot stand upright nor go, bed-rid; it must be well chaft in, and the same cloth laid on still; it prevents the shedding of the hair occasioned by the coldness of winters weather; and the yard of a _Bear_ which as a Doggs or Foxes is bonie, is good for to expell Gravel out of the kidneys and bladder, as I was there told by one Mr. _Abraham Philater_ a _Jersey-man_.

The _Beaver_ or Pound-dog is an Amphibious Creature, lives upon the land as well as in the water. I suppose they feed upon fish, but am sure that the Bark of Trees is also their food; there is an old proverbial saying, _sic me jubes quotidie, ut fiber salicem_: you love me as the _Beaver_ doth the willow; [p. 93.] who eateth the Bark and killeth the Tree. They will be tame, witness the _Beaver_ that not long since was kept at _Boston_ in the _Massachusets-Bay_, and would run up and down the streets, returning home without a call. Their skins are highly valued, and their stones are good for the palsie, trembling, and numbness of the hands, boiling of them in Oyl of _Spike_, and anointing the sinews in the neck. If you take of _Castorium_ two drams, of womans hair one dram, and with a little Rozen of the _Pine_-Tree, make it up into pills as big as Filberts and perfume a woman in a fit of the mother with one at a time laid upon coals under her nostrils, it will recover her out of her fit. The grease of a _Beaver_ is good for the Nerves, Convulsions, Epilepsies, Apoplexies _&c._ The tail as I have said in another Treatise, is very fat and of a masculine vertue, as good as _Eringo’s_ or _Satyrion_-Roots.

The _Otter_ or River-_Dog_ is Amphibious too, he hunteth for his kind in the spring, and bringeth forth his whelps as the _Beaver_ doth, they are generally black, and very numerous, they are hunted in _England_ from _Shrovetide_ untill _Midsummer_, but in _New-England_ they take them when they can. The skin of an _Otter_ is worth Ten Shillings, [p. 94.] and the Gloves made thereof are the best fortification for the hands against wet weather that can be thought of, the furr is excellent for muffs, and is almost as dear as _Beaver_, the grease of an _Otter_ will make fish turn up their bellies, and is of rare use for many things.

The _Hare_, I have no more to write of them than that they kindle in hollow Trees. What else concerns him, or any of the fore-mentioned Creatures you have in my _New-Englands_ rarities, to which I refer you.

The _Porcupine_ likewise I have treated of, only this I forgot to acquaint you with, that they lay Eggs, and are good meat.

The last kind of Beasts are they that are begot by equivocal generation, as _Mules_ and several others, that when the Beasts were brought by the Almighty Creator to _Adam_, who gave them names, were not then in _rerum natura_. Of these there are not many known in _New-England_. I know but of one, and that is the _Indian_ dog begotten betwixt a _Wolf_ and a _Fox_, or between a _Fox_ and a _Wolf_, which they made use of, taming of them, and bringing of them up to hunt with, but since the _English_ came amongst them they have gotten store of our dogs, which they bring up and keep in as much subjection as they do their webbs.

[p. 95.] Of birds there are not many more than 120 kinds as our Naturalists have conjectured, but I think they are deceived; they are divided into land-birds and water-birds, the land-birds again into birds of prey, birds for meat, singing-birds and others.

The _Pilhannaw_ is the King of Birds of prey in _New-England_, some take him to be a kind of _Eagle_, others for the _Indian-Ruck_ the biggest Bird that is, except the _Ostrich_. One Mr. _Hilton_ living at _Pascataway_, had the hap to kill one of them: being by the Sea-side he perceived a great shadow over his head, the Sun shining out clear, calling up his eyes he saw a monstrous Bird soaring aloft in the air, and of a sudden all the _Ducks_ and _Geese_, (there being then a great many) dived under water, nothing of them appearing but their heads. Mr. _Hilton_ having made readie his piece, shot and brought her down to the ground, how he disposed of her I know not, but had he taken her alive & sent her over into _England_, neither _Bartholomew_ nor _Sturbridge_-Fair could have produced such another sight.

_Hawkes_ there are of several kinds, as _Goshawkes_, _Falcons_, _Laniers_, _Sparrow-hawkes_, and a little black _hawke_ highly prized by the _Indians_ who wear them on their [p. 96.] heads, and is accounted of worth sufficient to ransome a _Sagamour_: they are so strangely couragious and hardie, that nothing flyeth in the Air that they will not bind with. I have seen them tower so high, that they have been so small that scarcely could they be taken by the eye. _Hawkes_ grease is very good for sore eyes.

The _Osprey_ I have treated of. There is a small Ash-colour Bird that is shaped like a _Hawke_ with talons and beak that falleth upon _Crowes_, mounting up into the Air after them, and will beat them till they make them cry.

The _Vulture_ or _Geire_, which is spoken of in _Levit._ 11. 14. and called a _Gripe_, their skins are good to line doublets with, and the bones of their head hung about the neck helpeth the head-ach.

The _Gripe_; see _New Englands_ rarities, and for the _Turkie_-buzzard.

The _Owl_ the most flagging Bird that is, of which there are three sorts, a great grey _Owl_ with ears, a little grey _Owl_, and a white _Owl_, which is no bigger than a _Thrush_. _Plinie_ writes that the brains of an _Owl_ asswageth the pain & inflammation in the lap of the ear. And that Eggs of an _Owl_ put into the liquour that a tospot useth to be drunk with, will make him loath drunkenness [p. 97.] ever after. But now peradventure some will say, what doth this man mean to bring _Owls_ to _Athens_? verily Sirs I presume to say, had I brought over of the little white _Owls_ they would have been acceptable, they are good mousers, and pretty Birds to look upon; the _Athenians_, no question are better imployed than to take notice of my _Owls_, poor ragged Birds they are and want those glittering golden feathers that _Draiton’s Owl_ is adorned with, yet they are somewhat of that nature; if an _Athenian_ chance in this season of divertisement to cast an eye upon them I shall be glad, but more glad if he vouchsafe to prune and correct their feathers, which I confess are discomposed for want of Art; plain Birds they are, and fit for none but plain men to manage. Sirs do not mistake me, there’s no man living honours an _Athenian_ more than I do, especially where I perceive great abilities concomiting with goodness of nature: A good nature (saith Mr. _Perkins_) is the Character of God, and God is the father of learning, knowledge, and every good gift, and hath condescended to become a School-master to us poor mortals, furnishing of us with Philosophy, Historie, Divinity by his holy Scriptures, which if we diligently learn and practise, we shall in [p. 98.] time be brought into his Heavenly Academy, where we shall have fulness and perfection of knowledge eternally. But there are a Generation of men and women in this prophane age that despise Gods learning and his Ushers to the _Athenians_, choosing to wallow in the pleasures of sin for a season. I shall conclude this excursion, with that which a Poet writ sometime since, and then return to the trimming of my _Owl_.

_Say thou pour’st them Wheat,
And they would_ Acorns _eat;
’Twere simple fury in thee still to wast
Thy self, on them that have no tast;
No, give them draff their fill,
Husks, Grains and swill;
They that love Lees and leave the lustie Wine,
Envy them not, their palats with the Swine._

The _Raven_ is here numerous and Crowes, but _Rooks_, _Danes_, _Popinjaes_, _Megpies_ there be none. It is observed that the female of all Birds of prey and Ravin is ever bigger than the male, more venturous, hardy, and watchful: but such Birds as do not live by prey and Ravin, the male is more large than the female. So much for Birds of prey, the next are Birds for the dish, and the first of these is,

[p. 99.] The _Turkie_, which is in _New-England_ a very large Bird, they breed twice or thrice in a year, if you would preserve the young Chickens alive, you must give them no water, for if they come to have their fill of water they will drop away strangely, and you will never be able to rear any of them: they are excellent meat, especially a _Turkie-Capon_ beyond that, for which Eight shillings was given, their Eggs are very wholesome and restore decayed nature exceedingly. But the _French_ say they breed the Leprosie; the Indesses make Coats of _Turkie_-feathers woven for their Children.

The _Partridge_ is larger than ours, white flesht, but very dry, they are indeed a sort of _Partridges_ called _Grooses_.

The _Pidgeon_, of which there are millions of millions, I have seen a flight of _Pidgeons_ in the spring, and at _Michaelmas_ when they return back to the Southward for four or five miles, that to my thinking had neither beginning nor ending, length nor breadth, and so thick that I could see no Sun, they joyn Nest to Nest, and Tree to Tree by their Nests many miles together in _Pine_-Trees. But of late they are much diminished, the _English_ taking them with Nets. I have bought at _Boston_ a dozen of _Pidgeons_ ready pull’d and garbidgd for three pence, [p. 100.] Ring-_Doves_ they say are there too, but I could never see any.

The _Snow_-Bird is like a _Chaf-Finch_, go in flocks and are good meat.

The singing Birds are _Thrushes_ with red breasts, which will be very fat and are good meat, so are the _Thressels_, _Filladies_ are small singing Birds, _Ninmurders_ little yellow Birds. _New-England_ Nightingales painted with orient colours, black, white, blew, yellow, green and scarlet, and sing sweetly, _Wood-larks_, _Wrens_, _Swallows_, who will sit upon Trees, and _Starlings_ black as _Ravens_ with scarlet pinions; other sorts of Birds there are, as the _Troculus_, _Wag-tail_, or _Dish-water_, which is here of a brown colour, _Titmouse_ two or three sorts, the Dunneck or hedge-_Sparrow_ who is starke naked in his winter nest. The golden or yellow hammer, a Bird about the bigness of a _Thrush_ that is all over as red as bloud, Wood-_Peckers_ of two or three sorts, gloriously set out with variety of glittering colours. The _Colibry_, _Viemalin_, or rising or waking Bird, an Emblem of the Resurrection, and the wonder of little Birds.

The water-fowl are these that follow, _Hookers_ or wild-_Swans_, _Cranes_, _Geese_ of three sorts, grey, white, and the brant _Goose_, the first and last are best meat, the white are [p. 101.] lean and tough and live a long time; whereupon the proverb, Older than a white _Goose_; of the skins of the necks of grey _Geese_ with their Bills the _Indians_ makes Mantles and Coverlets sowing them together and they shew prettily. There be four sorts of _Ducks_, a black _Duck_, a brown _Duck_ like our wild _Ducks_, a grey _Duck_, and a great black and white _Duck_, these frequent Rivers and Ponds; but of _Ducks_ there be many more sorts, as _Hounds_, old _Wives_, _Murres_, _Doies_, _Shell-drakes_, _Shoulers_ or _Shoflers_, _Widgeons_, _Simps_, _Teal_, Blew wing’d, and green wing’d, Divers or _Didapers_, or _Dip-chicks_, _Fenduck_, _Duckers_ or _Moorhens_, _Coots_, _Pochards_, a water-fowl like a _Duck_, _Plungeons_, a kind of water-fowl with a long reddish Bill, _Puets_, _Plovers_, _Smethes_, _Wilmotes_, a kind of _Teal_, _Godwits_, _Humilities_, _Knotes_, _Red-Shankes_, _Wobbles_, _Loones_, _Gulls_, white _Gulls_, or Sea-_Cobbs_, _Caudemandies_, _Herons_, grey _Bitterns_, _Ox-eyes_, _Birds_ called _Oxen_ and _Keen_, _Petterels_, _Kings fishers_, which breed in the spring in holes in the Sea-banks, being unapt to propagate in Summer, by reason of the driness of their bodies, which becomes more moist when their pores are closed by cold. Most of these Fowls and Birds are eatable. There are little Birds that frequent the Sea-shore in flocks called _Sanderlins_, [p. 102.] they are about the bigness of a _Sparrow_, and in the fall of the leaf will be all fat; when I was first in the Countrie the _English_ cut them into small pieces to put into their Puddings instead of suet, I have known twelve score and above kill’d at two shots. I have not done yet, we must not forget the _Cormorant_, _Shape_ or _Sharke_; though I cannot commend them to our curious palats, the _Indians_ will eat them when they are fley’d, they take them prettily, they roost in the night upon some Rock that lyes out in the Sea, thither the _Indian_ goes in his Birch-_Canow_ when the Moon shines clear, and when he is come almost to it, he lets his _Canow_ drive on of it self, when he is come under the Rock he shoves his Boat along till he come just under the _Cormorants_ watchman, the rest being asleep, and so soundly do sleep that they will snore like so many Piggs; the _Indian_ thrusts up his hand of a sudden, grasping the watchman so hard round about his neck that he cannot cry out; as soon as he hath him in his _Canow_ he wrings off his head, and making his _Canow_ fast, he clambreth to the top of the Rock, where walking softly he takes them up as he pleaseth, still wringing off their heads; when he hath slain as many as his _Canow_ can carry, he gives a shout [p. 103.] which awakens the surviving _Cormorants_, who are gone in an instant.

The next Creatures that you are to take notice of, are they that live in the Element of water. _Pliny_ reckons them to be of 177 kinds, but certainly if it be true that there is no Beast upon Earth, which hath not his like in the Sea, and which (perhaps) is not in some part parallel’d in the plants of the Earth; we may by a diligent search find out many more: of the same opinion is the Poet, who saith that it is

_Affirm’d by some that what on Earth we find,
The Sea can parallell in shape and kind._

Divine _Dubertus_ goes further.

_You Divine wits of elder dayes, from whom
The deep invention of rare works hath come,
Took you not pattern of our chiefest Tooles
Out of the lap of_ Thetis, _Lakes, and Pools?
Which partly in the Waves, part on the edges
Of craggy Rocks, among their ragged sedges,
Bring forth abundance of Pins, Spincers, spokes,
Pikes, piercers, needles, mallets, pipes & yoaks,
Oars, sails & swords, saws, wedges, razors, rammers,
Plumes, cornets, knives, wheels, vices, horns and hammers._

[p. 104.] Psalm 104.25, 26. _In ipso mari magno & spatioso, illic reptilia sunt atque innumera animantia parva cum magnis. Illic navea ambulant; balæna quam formasti ludendo in eo._

And as the females amongst Beasts and Birds of prey for form and beautie surpass the males, so do they especially amongst fishes; and those I intend to treat of, I shall divide into salt-water fish, and fresh-water fish.

The Sea that _Piscina mirabilis_ affords us the greatest number, of which I shall begin first with the Whale a regal fish, as all fishes of extraordinary size are accounted, of these there are (as I have said in another place) seven kinds, the Ambergreese-_Whale_ the chiefest. _Anno Dom._ 1668 the 17 of _July_ there was one of them thrown up on the shore between _Winter-harbour_ and _Cape-porpus_, about eight mile from the place where I lived, that was five and fifty foot long. They are Creatures of a vast magnitude and strength. The Royal Psalmist, in the 148 psalm, and the 7 verse, _makes mention of them_. _Laudate Jehovam terrestria; Cete (Dracones as some translate it) & omnes abyssi. And Moses in his history of_ Job, Job 41. 1. _An extrahas balænam hamo_, &c. [p. 105.] _Whereby the subtlety of the Devil is shewed, as also, the greatness and brutishness of the Devil by the Elephant, in the_ 10 _verse of the foregoing Chapter. In the book of_ Jonas _prophecies we read of a great fish_, Jonah 1. 17. _Pararat autem Jehova piscem magnum, qui obsorberet Jonam. But whether this were a Whale or not is questioned by some. In the head (saith Mr._ Parkinson _the Herbalist) of one only sort of Whale-fish is found that which is called_ sperma Cæti, _it lyes in a hole therein, as it were a Well, taken out and prest that the oyl may come out, the substance is that we use for_ sperma Cæti, _and hath little or no smell, the oyl smells strong. See the rarities of_ New-England.

The _Sea-hare_ is as big as _Grampus_ or _Herrin-hog_, and as white as a sheet; There hath been of them in _Black-point_-Harbour, & some way up the river, but we could never take any of them, several have shot sluggs at them, but lost their labour.

The _Sturgeon_ is a Regal fish too, I have seen of them that have been sixteen foot in length: of their sounds they make _Isinglass_, which melted in the mouth is excellent to seal letters.

_Sharkes_ there are infinite store, who tear the Fishermens nets to their great loss and hinderance; they are of two sorts, one flat [p. 106.] headed, the other long-snouted, the pretious stone in their heads (soveraign for the stone in a man) so much coveted by the travelling Chirurgeon is nought else but the brains of the flat-headed _Sharke_. With these we may joyn the Dog-fish or Thorn-hound, who hath two long sharp prickles on his back.

The _Sea-horse_ or _Morse_ is a kind of monster-fish numerous about the Isle of _Sables_, i. e. The sandy Isle. An Amphibious Creature kill’d for their Teeth and Oyl, never brings forth more than two at a birth; as also doth the Soil and Manate or Cow-fish which is supposed to be the Sea-monster spoken of by _Jeremy_, _Lament._ 4. 3. _Etiam phocæ præbent mammam, lactant catulos suos; So the Latins render it_, phoca _a Sea-Calf or Soil_.

The small _Sword-fish_ is very good meat, the _Sea-bat_ or _Sea-owl_ a kind of flying fish.

_Negroes_ or _Sea-Devils_ a very ugly fish, having a black scale, there are three sorts of them, one a hideous fish, another about two foot long; of these I have seen store in _Black-point_ Harbour in the water, but never attempted to take any of them.

_Squids_ a soft fish somewhat like a cudgel, their horns like a _Snails_, which sometimes are found to be of an incredible length, [p. 107.] this fish is much used for bait to catch a _Cod_, _Hacke_, _Polluck_, and the like Sea-fish.

The _Dolphin_, _Bonito_, or _Dozado_, the ashes of their teeth mixed with honey, is good to asswage the pain of breeding teeth in Children.

The _Sea-bream_, _Dorado_, or _Amber-fish_, they follow ships as doth the _Dolphin_, and are good meat.

The _Mackarel_, of which there is choicefull plenty all summer long, in the spring they are ordinarily 18 inches long, afterwards there is none taken but what are smaller.

The _Liver-fish_ like a _Whiting_.

The _Herrin_ which are numerous, they take of them all summer long. In _Anno Dom._ 1670. they were driven into _Black-point_ Harbour by other great fish that prey upon them so near the shore, that they threw themselves (it being high water) upon dry land in such infinite numbers that we might have gone up half way the leg amongst them for near a quarter of a mile. We used to qualifie a pickled _Herrin_ by boiling of him in milk.

The _Alewife_ is like a _herrin_, but has a bigger bellie therefore called an _Alewife_, they come in the end of _April_ into fresh [p. 108.] Rivers and Ponds; there hath been taken in two hours time by two men without any Weyre at all, saving a few stones to stop the passage of the River, above ten thousand. The _Italian_ hath a proverb, that he that hath seen one miracle will easily believe another; but this relation far from a miracle will peranter meet, instead of a belief with an Adulterate construction from those that are somewhat akin to St. _Peters_ mockers, such as deny the last judgement. I have known in _England_ 9 score and 16 _Pikes_ and _Pickarel_ taken with three Angles between the hours of three and ten in the morning, in the River _Owse_ in the Isle of _Ely_, three quarters of a yard long above half of them; they make red _Alewives_ after the same manner as they do _herrins_ and are as good.

The _Basse_ is a salt water fish too, but most an end taken in Rivers where they spawn, there hath been 3000 _Basse_ taken at a set, one writes that the fat in the bone of a _Basses_ head is his brains which is a lye.

The _Salmon_ likewise is a Sea-fish, but as the _Basse_ comes into Rivers to spawn, a _Salmon_ the first year is a _Salmon-smelt_; The second a _Mort_; The third a _Spraid_; The fourth a _Soar_; The fifth a _Sorrel_; The sixth [p. 109.] a _forket tail_; and the seventh year a _Salmon_. There are another sort of _Salmon_ frequent in those parts called white _Salmons_.

_Capeling_ is a small fish like a smelt.

The _Turtle_ or _Tortoise_ is of two sorts Sea-_Turtles_ and land-_Turtles_: of Sea-_Turtles_ there are five sorts, of land-_Turtles_ three sorts, one of which is a right land-_turtle_ that seldom or never goes into the water, the other two being the River-_Turtle_, and the pond-_Turtle_: there are many of these in the brooke _Chyson_ in the _Holy land_. The ashes of a Sea-_Turtle_ mixt with oyl or _Bears_-grease causeth hair to grow: the shell of a land-_Turtle_ burnt and the ashes dissolved in wine and oyl to an unguent healeth chaps and sores of the feet: the flesh burnt and the ashes mixt with wine and oyl healeth sore legs: the ashes of the burnt shell and the whites of eggs compounded together healeth chaps in womens nipples; and the head pulverized with it prevents the falling of the hair, and will heal the Hemorrhoids, first washing of them with white-wine, and then strewing on the powder.

_Lobster_, which some say is at first a _whelk_, I have seen a _Lobster_ that weighed twenty pound, they cast their shell-coats in the spring, and so do _Crabs_; having underneath a thin red skin which growes thicker and [p. 110.] hard in short time. The _Indians_ feed much upon this fish, some they rost, and some they dry as they do _Lampres_ and _Oysters_ which are delicate breakfast meat so ordered, the _Oysters_ are long shell’d, I have had of them nine inches long from the joynt to the toe, containing an _Oyster_ like those the Latines called _Tridacuan_ that were to be cut into three pieces before they could get them into their mouths, very fat and sweet.

The _Muscle_ is of two sorts, Sea-_muscles_ in which they find Pearl and river-_muscles_. Sea-_muscles_ dryed and pulverized and laid upon the sores of the _Piles_ and _hemorrhoids_ with oyl will perfectly cure them.

The _Whore_ is a shell-fish, the shells are called whores-eggs, being fine round white shells, in shape like a _Mexico_ pompion, but no bigger than a good large Hens-egg; they are wrought down the sides with little knobs and holes very prettily, but are but thin and brittle.

The _Perriwig_ is a shell-fish that lyeth in the Sands flat and round as a shovel-board piece and very little thicker; these at a little hole in the middle of the shell thrust out a cap of hair, but upon the least motion of any danger it drawes it in again.

_Trouts_ there be good store in every brook, ordinarily two and twenty inches [p. 111.] long, their grease is good for the _Piles_ and _clifts_.

The _Eal_ is of two sorts, salt-water _Eals_ and fresh-water _Eals_; these again are distinguished into yellow bellied _Eals_ and silver bellied _Eals_; I never eat better _Eals_ in no part of the world that I have been in, than are here. They that have no mind or leasure to take them, may buy of an _Indian_ half a dozen silver bellied _Eals_ as big as those we usually give 8 pence or 12 pence a piece for at _London_, for three pence or a groat. There is several wayes of cooking them, some love them roasted, others baked, and many will have them fryed; but they please my palate best when they are boiled, a common way it is to boil them in half water, half wine with the bottom of a manchet, a fagot of Parsley, and a little winter savory, when they are boiled they take them out and break the bread in the broth, and put to it three or four spoonfuls of yest, and a piece of sweet butter, this they pour to their _Eals_ laid upon sippets and so serve it up. I fancie my way better which is this, after the _Eals_ are fley’d and washt I fill their bellies with Nutmeg grated and Cloves a little bruised, and sow them up with a needle and thred, then I stick a Clove here and there in their sides about an inch asunder, [p. 112.] making holes for them with a bodkin, this done I wind them up in a wreath and put them into a kettle with half water and half white wine-vinegar, so much as will rise four fingers above the _Eals_, in midst of the _Eals_ I put the bottom of a penny white loaf, and a fagot of these herbs following, Parsley one handful, a little sweet Marjoram, Peniroyal and Savory, a branch of Rosemary, bind them up with a thred, and when they are boiled enough take out the _Eals_ and pull out the threds that their bellies were sowed up with, turn out the Nutmeg and Cloves, put the _Eals_ in a dish with butter and vinegar upon a chafing-dish with coals to keep warm, then put into the broth three or four spoonfuls of good Ale-yeast with the juice of half a Lemmon; but before you put in your yeast beat it in a porringer with some of the broth, then break the crust of bread very small and mingle it well together with the broth, pour it into a deep dish and garnish it with the other half of the Lemmon, and so serve them up to the Table in two dishes.

The _Frost fish_ is little bigger than a _Gudgeon_ and are taken in fresh brooks; when the waters are frozen they make a hole in the Ice about half a yard or yard wide, to which the fish repair in great numbers, where with [p. 113.] small nets bound to a hoop about the bigness of a firkin-hoop with a staff fastned to it they lade them out of the hole. I have not done with the fish yet, being willing to let you know all of them that are to be seen and catch’d in the Sea and fresh waters in _New-England_, and because I will not tire your patience overmuch, having no occasion to enlarge my discourse, I shall only name them and so conclude.

_Aleport_
_Albicore_
_Barracha_
_Barracontha_
_Blew-fish_
_Bull-head_
_Bur-fish_
_Cat-fish_
_Cony-fish_
_Cusk_
_Clam_
_Rock-Cod_
_Sea-Cod_
_divers kinds of Crabs_
_Sea-Cucumber_
_Cunner_
_Sea-Darts or Javelins_
_Flail-fish_
_Flounder or Flowke_
_Flying-fish_
_several kinds Sea-Flea_
_Grandpisse_
_Hake_
_Haddock_
_Horse-foot_
_Hallibut_
_Hen-fish_
_Lampre_
_Limpin_
_Lumpe_
_Maid_
_Monk-fish_
_Sea-mullet_
_Nun-fish_
_Perch_
_Polluck_
_Periwincle_
_Pike_
_Pilat-fish_
_Plaice_
_Porpisse_
_Prawne_
_Purple-fish_
_Porgee_
_Remora_
_Sea-Raven_
_Sail-fish_
_Scallop_
[p. 114.] _Scate_
_Stingray_
_Sculpin_
_Shadd_
_Spurlin_
_Sheath-fish_
_Smelt_
_Shrimps_
_Sprates_
_Star-fish_
_Swordfish_
_Thornback_
_Turbet_
_The Ulatife or saw-fish_
_Sea-Urchin_
_Sea-Unichorn_

The fish are swum by, and the Serpents are creeping on, terrible creatures, carrying stings in their tails. That will smart worse than a _Satyrs_ whip, though it were as big as Mr. _Shepperds_ the mad Gentleman at _Milton-Mowbrayes Constantinus Lasculus_.

The chief or Captain of these is the Rattle-snake described already in my Journal, in some places of the Countrey there are none as at _Plimouth_, _New-town_, _Nahant_ and some other places, they will live on one side of the River, and but swimming over and coming into the woods dye immediately.

The fat of a Rattle-snake is very Soveraign for frozen limbs, bruises, lameness by falls, Aches, Sprains. The heart of a Rattle-snake dried and pulverized and drunk with wine or beer is an approved remedy against the biting and venome of a Rattle-snake. Some body will give me thanks for [p. 115.] discovering these secrets and the rest; _Non omnibus omnia conveniant_.

The _Snake_ of which there are infinite numbers of various colours, some black, others painted with red, yellow and white, some again of a grass-green colour powdered all over as it were with silver dust or _Muscovie_-glass. But there is one sort that exceeds all the rest, and that is the Checkquered snake, having as many colours within the checkquers shaddowing one another, as there are in a Rainbow. There are two sorts of snakes, the land-snake and the water-snake; the water-snake will be as big about the belly as the Calf of a mans leg; I never heard of any mischief that snakes did, they kill them sometimes for their skins and bones to make hatbands off, their skins likewise worn as a Garter is an excellent remedie against the cramp. I have found of the skins that they cast in woods in some quantity, they cast not their very skins, but only the superfluous thin skin that is upon the very skin, for the very skin is basted to the flesh, so Lobsters and Crabs.

The Earth-worm, these are very rare and as small as a horse hair, but there is a Bug that lyes in the earth and eateth the seed, that is somewhat like a Maggot of a white colour with a red head, and is about [p. 116.] the bigness of ones finger and an inch or an inch and half long. There is also a dark dunnish Worm or Bug of the bigness of an Oaten-straw, and an inch long, that in the spring lye at the Root of Corn and Garden plants all day, and in the night creep out and devour them; these in some years destroy abundance of _Indian_ Corn and Garden plants, and they have but one way to be rid of them, which the _English_ have learnt of the _Indians_; And because it is somewhat strange, I shall tell you how it is, they go out into a field or garden with a Birchen-dish, and spudling the earth about the roots, for they lye not deep, they gather their dish full which may contain about a quart or three pints, then they carrie the dish to the Sea-side when it is ebbing-water and set it a swimming, the water carrieth the dish into the Sea and within a day or two if you go into your field you may look your eyes out sooner than find any of them.

_Sow-bugs_ or _Millipedes_ there be good store, but none of that sort that are blew and turn round as a pea when they are touched; neither are there any _Beetles_ nor _Maple-bugs_, but a stinking black and red _Bug_ called a _Cacarooch_ or _Cockroach_, and a little black _Bug_ like a _Lady-cow_ that breeds in skins and furrs and will eat them to their [p. 117.] utter spoil. Likewise there be infinite numbers of _Tikes_ hanging upon the bushes in summer time that will cleave to a mans garments and creep into his Breeches eating themselves in a short time into the very flesh of a man. I have seen the stockins of those that have gone through the woods covered with them. Besides these there is a _Bug_, but whether it be a Native to the Countrie or a stranger I cannot say: Some are of opinion that they are brought in by the Merchant with Spanish goods, they infest our beds most, all day they hide themselves, but when night comes they will creep to the sleeping wretch and bite him worse than a flea, which raiseth a swelling knub that will itch intolerably, if you scratch it waxeth bigger and growes to a scab; and if you chance to break one of the _Bugs_ it will stink odiously: they call them _Chinches_ or _Wood-lice_, they are fat, red and in shape like a _Tike_ and no bigger. There are also Palmer-worms which is a kind of Catterpiller, these some years will devour the leaves of Trees leaving them as naked almost as in winter, they do much harm in the _English_ Orchards. Of _Snails_ there are but few, and those very little ones, they lye at the Roots of long grass in moist places, and are no where else to be found. [p. 118.] Spiders and Spinners there be many, the last very big and of several colours.