A

The Soyle.

CHAP. IX.

A Perspective to view the Country by.

S for the Soyle, I may be bould to commend the fertility thereof, and preferre it before the Soyle of England, (our Native Country) and I neede not to produce more then one argument for proffe thereof, because it is so infallible.

The grouth of
Hempe.

Hempe is a thing by Husband men in generall ageed upon, to prosper best, in the most fertile Soyle and experience hath taught this rule, that Hempe seede prospers so well in New England, that it shewteth up to be tenne foote high and tenne foote and a halfe, which is twice so high as the ground in old England produce it, which argues New England the more fertile of the two.

The aire.

As for the aire, I will produce but one proffe for the maintenance of the excellency thereof; which is so generall, as I assure myselfe it will suffice.

No cold Cough

or murre.

No man living there; was ever knowne to be troubled with a cold, a cough, or a murre, but many men comming sick out of Virginea to New Canaan, have instantly recovered with the helpe of the purity of that aire; no man ever surfeited himselfe either by eating or drinking.

The plenty of

the Land.

As for the plenty of that Land, it is well knowne that no part of Asia, Affrica, or Europe; affordeth deare that doe bring forth any more then one single faune; and in New Canaan the Deare are accustomed to bring forth 2. and 3. faunes at a time.

Besides there are such infinite flocks of Fowle, and Multitudes of fish both in the fresh waters, and also on the Coast, that the like hath not else where bin discovered by any traveller. The windes there are not so violent as in England; which is prooved by the trees that grow in the face of the winde by the Sea Coast, for there they doe, not lean from the winde as they doe in England, as we have heard before.

Windes.

Raine.

of

my

The Coast.

The Raine is there more moderate then in England, which thing I have noted in all the time residence to be so.

The Coast is low Land, and not high Land: and hee is of a weake capacity that conceaveth otherwise of it, because it cannot be denied, but that boats

may come a ground in all places along the Coast, and especially within the Compas of the Massachusets patent, where the prospect. is fixed.

The Harboures are not to be bettered, for safety, Harboures. and goodnesse of ground, for ancorage, and (which

Scituation.

is worthy observation ;) shipping will not there be furred, neither are they subject to wormes, as in Virginea, and other places. Let the Scituation also of the Country be considered (together with the rest, which is discovered in the front of this abstract,) and then I hope no man will hold this land unworthy to be intituled by the name of the second Canaan.

The Nomination.

And since the Seperatists, are desirous to have the denomination thereof, I am become an humble Suter on their behalfe for your consents (courteous Readers) to it, before I doe shew you what Revels they have kept in New Canaan.

CHAP. X.

Of the Great Lake of Erocoise in New England, and the commodities thereof.

W

Estwards from the Massachussets bay (which lyeth

in 42. Degrees and 30. Minutes of Northern latitude) is scituated a very spacious Lake (called of the Natives the Lake of Erocoise) which is farre more excellent then the Lake of Genezereth in the Country of Palestina, both in respect of the greatnes and properties thereof; and likewise of the manifould commodities it yealdeth: the circumference of which Lake is reputed to be 240. miles at the least and it is distant from the Massachussets bay 300. miles, or there abouts: wherein are very many faire Islands, where innumerable flocks. of severall sorts of Fowle doe breede, Swannes, Fowle innumeraGeese, Ducks, Widgines, Teales, and other water ble.

Fowle.

There are also more abundance of Beavers, Deare, and Turkies breed about the part of that lake, then in any place in all the Country of New England; and also such

multitudes of fish, (which is a great part of the Multitudes of foode, that the Beavers live upon,) that it is a thing

to be admired at: So that about this Lake, is the principallst place for a plantation in all New Ca- The prime place naan, both for pleasure and proffit.

of New Canaan.

Here may very many brave Townes and Citties be erected which may have intercourse one with another by water, very commodiously and it is of many men of good judgement, accounted the prime seate for the Metropolis of New Canaan, From this Lake Northwards is derived the famous River of Canada, (so named of Monsier de Cane a French So named of Mon- Lord, that first planted a Colony of French in sier de Cane.. America, there called Nova Francia, from whence Captaine Kerke of late, by taking that plantation, brought home in one shipp (as a Seaman of his Company, reported in my hearing) 25000. Beaver skinnes.

And from this Lake Southwards, trends that goodly River called of the Natives Patomack, which dischardgPatomack. eth herselfe in the parts of Virginea, from whence it is navigable by shipping of great Burthen up to the Falls (which lieth in 41. Degrees, and a halfe of North latitude :) and from the Lake downe to the Falls by a faire current. This River is navigable for vessels of good Burthen; and thus much hath often bin related by the Natives, and is of late found to be certaine.

Beasts as bigg as

Cowes.

They have also made description of great heards Great heards of of well growne beasts, that live about the parts of this Lake, such as the Christian world (untill this discovery) hath not bin acquainted with. These beasts are of the bignesse of a Cowe, their Flesh being very good foode, their hides good lether, their fleeces very usefull, being a kinde of wolle, as fine almost as the wolle of the Beaver, and the Salvages doe make garments thereof.

It is tenne yeares since first the relation of these things came to the eares of the English: at which time wee were but slender proficients in the language of the Natives, and they, (which now have attained to more perfection of English, could not then make us rightly apprehend their meaninge.

Wee supposed, when they spake of Beasts thereabouts as high as men, they have made report of men all over hairy like Beavers, in so much as we questioned them, whether they eate of the Beavers, to which they replyed Matta, (noe) saying they were almost Beavers Brothers. This relation at that time wee concluded to be fruitles, which since, time hath made more apparent.

"

About the parts of this Lake may be made a very greate Commodity by the trade of furres, to inrich those that shall plant there; a more compleat discovery of those parts: is (to my knowleadge) undertaken by Henry loseline Esquier sonne of Sir Thomas Joseline of Kent Knight, by the approbation and

Henry Ieseline' employed for dis

appointement of that Heroick and very good Common wealths man Captaine Iohn Mason Esquier, a true foster Father and lover of vertue, (who at his owne chardge) hath fitted Master Ioseline and imployed covery. him to that purpose, who no doubt will performe as much as is expected, if the Dutch (by gettinge into those parts before him, doe not frustrate his so hopefull and laudable designes.

It is well knowne, they aime at that place, and have a possibility to attaine unto the end of their desires therein, by meanes, if the River of Mohegan, which of the English is named Hudsons River (where the Dutch have setled: to well fortified plantations already. If that River be derived from the Lake as our Country man in his prospect affirmes it to be, and if they get and fortifie this place also, they will gleane away the best of the Beaver both from the French and the English, who have hitherto lived wholely by it, and very many old planters have gained good estates out of small beginnings by meanes thereof. And it is well knowne to some of our Nation that have lived in the Dutch plantation: that the Dutch have gained by Beaver 20000. pound a yeare.

The Dutch have a great trade of Beaver in Hudsons River.

The Salvages make report of 3. great Rivers that issue out of this Lake 2. of which are to us knowne, the one to be Patomack, the other Canada, and why may not the third be found there likewise, which they describe to trend westward, which is conceaved to discharge herselfe into the South Sea. The Salvages affirme that they have seene shipps in this Lake with 4. Masts which have taken from thence for their ladinge earth, that is conjectured to be some minerall stuffe.

:

Passage to the
East Indies.

There is probability enough for this, and it may well be thought, that so great a confluxe of waters as are there gathered together, must be vented by some great Rivers and that if the third River (which they have made mention of) proove to be true as the other two have done: there is no doubt but that the passage to the East India, may be obtained, without any such daingerous and fruitlesse inquest by the Norwest, as hetherto hath bin endeavoured: And there is no Traveller of any resonable capacity, but will graunt, that about this Lake must be innumerable springes, and by that meanes many fruitfull, and pleasant pastures all about it, It hath bin observed that the inland part (witnes Neepnet) are more pleasant and fertile then the borders of the Sea coaste. And the Country about Erocoise is (not without good cause) compared to Delta the most fertile

parte

The Country of Erocois as fertile

gypt.

as Delta in E- in all Egypt, that aboundeth with Rivers and Rivalets derived from Nilus fruitfull channell, like vaines from the liver, so in each respect is this famous Lake of Erocoise.

Ad therefore it would be adjudged an irreparable oversight to protract time, and suffer the Dutch (who are but intruders upon his Majesties most hopefull Country of New England) to possesse themselves of that so plesant and commodious Country of Erocoise before us: being (as appeareth) the principall part of all New Canaan for plantation, and not elsewhere to be paralelld in all the knowne world.