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                                  NEW
                                ENGLANDS
                               PROSPECT.

                   A true, lively, and experimentall
                 description of that part of _America_,
                      commonly called NEW ENGLAND:
                discovering the state of that Countrie,
                   both as it stands to our new-come
                   _English_ Planters; and to the old
                          Native Inhabitants.

              Laying downe that which may both enrich the
                knowledge of the mind-travelling Reader,
                     or benefit the future Voyager.

                            By WILLIAM WOOD.

                             [Illustration]

   Printed at _London_ by _Tho. Cotes_, for _Iohn Bellamie_, and are
   to be sold at his shop, at the three Golden Lyons in _Corne-hill_,
                   neere the _Royall Exchange_. 1634.

------------------------------------------------------------------------




                             [Illustration]

                       To the Right Worshipfull,
                        my much honored Friend,
                          Sir WILLIAM ARMYNE,
                          Knight and Baronet.


          Noble Sir.

The good assurance of your native worth, and thrice generous
disposition, as also the continuall manifestation of your bounteous
favour, and love towards my selfe in particular, hath so bound my
thankfull acknowledgement, that I count it the least part of my service
to present the first fruites of my farre-fetcht experience, to the
kinde acceptance of your charitable hands: well knowing that though
this my worke, owne not worth enough to deserve your patronage, yet
such is your benigne humanity, that I am confident you will daigne it
your protection, under which it willingly shrowdes it selfe. And as it
is reported of that man whose name was _Alexander_, being a cowardly
milke-sop by nature, yet hearing of the valiant courage of that
magnificent _Hero_, _Alexander_ the Great, whose name hee bore, he
thenceforth became stout and valorous; and as he was animated by having
the very name of puissant _Alexander_; so shall these my weake and
feble labours, receive life and courage by the patronage of your much
esteemed selfe; whereby they shall bee able to out-face the keenest
fanges of a blacke mouth'd _Momus_. For from hence the world may
conclude, that either there was some worth in the booke, that caused so
wise a person to looke upon it, and to vouchsafe to owne it, or else if
they suppose that in charity he fosterd it, as being a poore helpelesse
brat, they may thence learne to do so likewise. If here I should take
upon me the usuall straine of a soothing Epistolizer, I should (though
upon better grounds than many) sound forth a full mouth'd encomiasticke
of your incomparable worth: but though your deserts may justly
challenge it, yet I know your vertuous modesty would not thanke me for
it; and indeed your owne actions are the best _Heralds_ of your owne
praise, which in spite of envy it selfe must speake you Wise, and truly
Noble: and I for my part, if I may but present any thing, which either
for its profit or delight may obtaine your favourable approbation, I
have already reaped the harvest of my expectation; onely I must desire
you to pardon my bold presumption, as thus to make your well deserving
name, the frontispeece to so rude and ill deserving frame. Thus wishing
a confluence of all blessings both of the throne, and foot-stoole, to
be multiplied upon your selfe, and your vertuous Consort, my very good
Lady, together with all the Stemmes of your Noble family, I take my
leave and rest,

                                                 _Your Worships to serve
                                                 and be commanded_,
                                                                   W. W.

------------------------------------------------------------------------




                             [Illustration]

                             To the Reader.

          Courteous Reader,

_Though I will promise thee no such voluminous discourse, as many have
made upon a scanter subject, (though they have travailed no further
than the smoake of their owne native chimnies) yet dare I presume to
present thee with the true, and faithfull relation of some few yeares
travels and experience, wherein I would be loath to broach any thing
which may puzzle thy beleefe, and so justly draw upon my selfe, that
unjust aspersion commonly laid on travailers; of whom many say, They
may lye by authority, because none can controule them; which Proverbe
had surely his originall from the sleepy beleefe of many a home-bred
Dormouse, who comprehends not either the raritie or possibility of
those things he sees not, to whom the most classicke relations seeme
riddles, and paradoxes: of whom it may be said as once of _Diogenes_,
that because he circled himselfe in the circumference of a tubbe, he
therefore contemned the Port and Pallace of _Alexander_, which he knew
not. So there is many a tub-brain'd Cynicke, who because any thing
stranger than ordinary, is too large for the straite hoopes of his
apprehension, he peremptorily concludes it is a lye: But I decline this
sort of thicke-witted readers, and dedicate the mite of my endeavours
to my more credulous, ingenious, and lesse censorious Country-men, for
whose sake I undertooke this worke; and I did it the rather, because
there hath some relations heretofore past the Presse, which have beene
very imperfect; as also because there hath beene many scandalous and
false reports past upon the Country, even from the sulphurious breath
of every base ballad-monger: wherefore to perfect the one, and take off
the other, I have laid downe the nature of the Country, without any
partiall respect unto it, as being my dwelling place where I have lived
these foure yeares, and intend God willing to returne shortly againe;
but my conscience is to me a thousand witnesses, that what I speake is
the very truth, and this will informe thee almost as fully concerning
it, as if thou wentest over to see it. Now whereas I have written the
latter part of this relation concerning the _Indians_, in a more light
and facetious stile, than the former; because their carriage and
behaviour hath afforded more matter of mirth, and laughter, than
gravity and wisedome; and therefore I have inserted many passages of
mirth concerning them, to spice the rest of my more serious discourse,
and to make it more pleasant. Thus thou mayest in two or three houres
travaile over a few leaves, see and know that, which cost him that writ
it, yeares and travaile, over Sea and Land before he knew it; and
therefore I hope thou wilt accept it; which shall be my full reward, as
it was my whole ambition, and so I rest,_

                                              Thine bound in what I may,
                                                                 _W. W._

------------------------------------------------------------------------




                             [Illustration]

                    To the Author, his singular good
                     Friend, M^r. _William Wood_.


         _Thanks to thy travell, and thy selfe, who hast
         Much knowledge in so small roome, comptly plac't,
         And thine experience thus a Mount do'st make,
         From whence we may _New Englands Prospect_ take,
         Though many thousands distant: wherefore thou
         Thy selfe shalt sit upon mount _Praise_ her brow.
         For if the man that shall the short cut find
         Vnto the _Indies_, shall for that be shrin'd;
         Sure thou deservest then no small prayse, who,
         So short cut to _New England_ here dost show;
         And if then this small thankes, thou getst no more,
         Of thankes I then will say the world's growne poore._

                                                                   S. W.




                               The Table.


            Part. 1.                                 _Page._

            _Chap._ 1. Of the Situation, Bayes,            1
            Havens, and Inlets.

            _Chap._ 2. Of the seasons of the yeare,        3
            Winter and Summer, together with the
            heat, cold, snow, raine, and the effects
            of it.

            _Chap._ 3. Of the Climate, length, and         8
            shortnesse of day and night, with the
            suiteablenesse of it to English bodies
            for health and sicknesse.

            _Chap._ 4. Of the nature of the Soyle.        10

            _Chap._ 5. Of the Hearbs, Fruits, Woods,      13
            Waters, and Minerals.

            _Chap._ 6. Of the Beasts that live on         18
            the land.

            _Chap._ 7. Beasts living in the water.        24

            _Chap._ 8. Of the Birds and Fowles both       26
            of land and water.

            _Chap._ 9. Of Fish.                           32

            _Chap._ 10. Of the severall plantations       36
            in particular.

            _Chap._ 11. Of the evils, and such            44
            things as are hurtful in the plantation.

            _Chap._ 12. What provision is to be made      49
            for a Iourney at Sea, and what to carry
            with us for our use at Land.


            Part. 2.                                 _Page._

            _Chap._ 1. Of the Connectacuts,               56
            Mowhacks, or such Indians as are West-
            ward.

            _Chap._ 2. Of the Tarrenteenes or the         60
            Indians inhabiting East-ward.

            _Chap._ 3. Of the Pequants and                61
            Narragansets, inhabiting South-ward.

            _Chap._ 4. Of the Aberginians or Indians      62
            North-ward.

            _Chap._ 5. Of their Apparell, Ornaments,      64
            Paintings, &c.

            _Chap._ 6. Of their diet, cookery, &c.        65

            _Chap._ 7. Of their dispositions and          69
            good qualifications, as friendship, &c.

            _Chap._ 8. Of their hardinesse.               75

            _Chap._ 9. Of their wondring at the           77
            first view of any strange invention.

            _Chap._ 10. Of their Kings governement,       79
            and Subiects obedience.

            _Chap._ 11. Of their Mariages, &c.            81

            _Chap._ 12. Of their worship, &c.            