Of the Climate, length, and shortnesse of day and night, with the suiteablenesse of it to English bodies for health and sicknesse.
The Countrey being nearer the Equinoctiall than England, the dayes and nights be more equally divided. In Summer the dayes be two houres shorter, and likewise in Winter two houres longer than in England. In a word, both Summer and Winter is more commended of the English there, than the Summer Winters, and Winter Summers of England; and who is there that could not wish, that Englands Climate were as it hath beene in quondam times, colder in Winter, and hotter in Summer? or who will condemne that which is as England hath beene? Virginia having no Winter to speake of, but extreame hot Summers, hath dried up much English blood, and by pestiferous diseases swept away many lusty bodies, changing their complexion not into swarthinesse, but into Palenesse; so that when as they come for trading into our parts, wee can know many of them by their faces. This alteration certainely comes not from any want of victuals or necessary foode, for their soyle is very fertile and pleasant, yeelding both Corne and Cattle plenty, but rather from the Climate, which indeede is found to be hotter than is suiteable to an ordinary English constitution.
In New England both men and women keepe their naturall complexions, in so much as Sea men wonder when they arrive in those parts, to see their Countrey-men so fresh and ruddy: If the Sunne doth tanne any, yet the Winters cold restores them to their former complexion; and as it is for the outward complexion, so it is for the inward constitution; not very many being troubled with inflammations, or such diseases as are encreased by too much heate: and whereas I say, not very many, yet dare I not exclude any; for death being certaine to all, in all Nations there must be something tending to death of like certainty. The soundest bodies are mortall and subject to change, therefore fall into diseases, and from diseases to death. Now the two chiefe messengers of mortality, be Feavers and Callentures; but they be easily helpt, if taken in time, and as easily prevented of any that will not prove a meere foole to his body. For the common diseases of England, they be strangers to the English now in that strange Land. To my knowledge I never knew any that had the Poxe, Measels, Greene-sicknesse, Head-aches, Stone, or Consumptions, &c. Many that have come infirme out of England, retaine their old grievances still, and some that were long troubled with lingering diseases, as Coughs of the lungs, Consumptions, &c. have beene restored by that medicineable Climate to their former strength and health. God hath beene pleased so to blesse men in the health of their bodies, that I dare confidently say it, out of that Towne from whence I came, in three yeares and a halfe, there dyed but three, one of which was crazed before he came into the Land; the other were two Children borne at one birth before their time, the Mother being accidentally hurt. To make good which losses, I have seene foure Children Baptized at a time, which wipes away that common aspersion, that women have no Children, being a meere falsity, there being as sweete lusty Children as in any other Nation, and reckoning so many for so many, more double births than in England; the women likewise having a more speedy recovery, and gathering of strength after their delivery than in England.
The last Argument to confirme the healthfulnesse of the Countrey, shall be from mine owne experience, who although in England I was brought up tenderly under the carefull hatching of my dearest friends, yet scarce could I be acquainted with health, having beene let blood sixe times for the Pleurisie before I went; likewise being assailed with other weakning diseases; but being planted in that new Soyle and healthfull Ayre, which was more correspondent to my nature, (I speake it with praise to the mercifull God) though my occasions have beene to passe thorow heate and cold, wet, and dry, by Sea and Land, in Winter and Summer, day by day, for foure yeares together, yet scarse did I know what belonged to a dayes sicknesse.
Chap. IIII.
Of the nature of the Soyle.
The Soyle is for the generall a warme kinde of earth, there being little cold-spewing land, no Morish Fennes, no Quagmires, the lowest grounds be the Marshes, over which every full and change the Sea flowes: these Marshes be rich ground, and bring plenty of Hay, of which the Cattle feed and like, as if they were fed with the best up-land Hay in New England; of which likewise there is great store which growes commonly betweene the Marshes and the Woods. This Medow ground lies higher than the Marshes, whereby it is freed from the over-flowing of the Seas; and besides this, in many places where the Trees grow thinne, there is good fodder to be got amongst the Woods. There be likewise in divers places neare the plantations great broad Medowes wherein grow neither shrub nor Tree, lying low, in which Plaines growes as much grasse, as may be throwne out with a Sithe, thicke and long, as high as a mans middle; some as high as the shoulders, so that a good mower may cut three loads in a day. But many object, this is but a course fodder: True it is, that it is not so fine to the eye as English grasse, but it is not sowre, though it grow thus ranke; but being made into Hay, the Cattle eate it as well as it were Lea-hay and like as well with it; I doe not thinke England can shew fairer Cattle either in Winter, or Summer, than is in those parts both Winter and Summer; being generally larger and better of milch, and bring forth young as ordinarily as Cattle doe in England, and have hitherto beene free from many diseases that are incident to Cattle in England.
To returne to the Subject in hand, there is so much hay-ground in the Countrey, as the richest voyagers that shall venture thither, neede not feare want of fodder, though his Heard increase into thousands, there being thousands of Acres that yet was never medled with. And whereas it hath beene reported, that some hath mowne a day for halfe of a loade of Hay: I doe not say, but it may be true, a man may doe as much, and get as little in England, on Salisbury Plaine, or in other places where Grasse cannot be expected: So Hay-ground is not in all places in New England: Wherefore it shall behoue every man according to his calling, and estate, to looke for a fit situation at the first, and if hee be one that intends to live on his stocke, to choose the grassie Vallies before the woody Mountaines. Furthermore, whereas it hath beene generally reported in many places of England, that the Grasse growes not in those places where it was cut the fore-going yeares, it is a meere falshood; for it growes as well the ensuing Spring as it did before, and is more spiery and thicke, like our English Grasse: and in such places where the Cattle use to graze, the ground is much improved in the Woods, growing more grassie, and lesse weedy. The worst that can be sayd against the meddow grounds, is because there is little edish, or after-pasture, which may proceede from the late mowing, more than from any thing else; but though the edish be not worth much, yet is there such plenty of other Grasse and seeding, that there is no want of Winter-fodder till December, at which time men beginne to house their milch-cattle and Calves: Some, notwithstanding the cold of the Winter, have their Young Cattle without doores, giving them meate at morning and evening. For the more upland grounds, there be different kinds, in some places clay, some gravell, some a red sand; all which are covered with a black mould, in some places above a foote deepe, in other places not so deepe. There be very few that have the experience of the ground, that can condemne it of barrennesse; although many deeme it barren, because the English use to manure their land with fish, which they doe not because the land could not bring corne without it, but because it brings more with it; the land likewise being kept in hart the longer: besides, the plenty of fish which they have for little or nothing, is better so used, than cast away; but to argue the goodnesse of the ground, the Indians who are too lazie to catch fish, plant corne eight or ten yeares in one place without it, having very good crops. Such is the rankenesse of the ground that it must bee sowne the first yeare with Indian Corne, which is a soaking graine, before it will be fit for to receive English seede. In a word, as there is no ground so purely good, as the long forced and improoved grounds of England, so is there none so extreamely bad as in many places of England, that as yet have not beene manured and improved; the woods of New England being accounted better ground than the Forrests of England or woodland ground, or heathy plaines.
For the naturall soyle, I preferre it before the countrey of Surry, or Middlesex, which if they were not inriched with continuall manurings, would be lesse fertile than the meanest ground in New England; wherefore it is neyther impossible, nor much improbable, that upon improvements the soile may be as good in time as England. And whereas some gather the ground to be naught, and soone out of hart, because Plimouth men remove from their old habitations, I answer, they do no more remove from their habitation, than the Citizen which hath one house in the Citty & another in the Countrey, for his pleasure, health, & profit. For although they have taken new plots of ground, and built houses upon them, yet doe they retaine their old houses still, and repaire to them, every Sabbath day; neyther doe they esteeme their old lots worse than when they first tooke them: what if they doe not plant on them every yeare? I hope it is no ill husbandry to rest the land, nor is alwayes that the worst that lies sometimes fallow. If any man doubt of the goodnesse of the ground, let him comfort himselfe with the cheapenesse of it; such bad land in England I am sure wil bring in store of good monie. This ground is in some places of a soft mould, and easie to plow; in other places so tough and hard, that I have seene ten Oxen toyled, their Iron chaines broken, and their Shares and Coulters much strained: but after the first breaking up it is so easie, that two Oxen and a Horse may plow it; there hath as good English Corne growne there, as could be desired; especially Rie and Oates, and Barly: there hath beene no great tryall as yet of Wheate, and Beanes; onely thus much I affirme, that these two graines grow well in Gardens, therefore it is not improbable, but when they can gather seede of that which is sowne in the countrey, it may grow as well as any other Graine: but commonly the seede that commeth out of England is heated at Sea, and therefore cannot thrive at land.