The first of these that I shall relate of, though last in possession of the English, is now our most Southerly Colony, and next [p. 153.] adjoyning to Mary-land, scil. the Manadaes or Manahanent lying upon the great River Mohegan, which was first discovered by Mr. Hudson, and sold presently by him to the Dutch without Authority from his Soveraign the King of England, Anno 1608. The Dutch in 1614 began to plant there, and call’d it New-Netherlands, but Sir Samuel Argal Governour of Virginia routed them, the Dutch after this got leave of King James to put in there for fresh water in their passage to Brasile, and did not offer to plant until a good while after the English were settled in the Countrey. In Anno 1664 his Majestie Charles the Second sent over four worthie Gentlemen Commissioners to reduce the Colonies into their bounds, who had before incroached upon one another, who marching with Three hundred red-Coats to Manadaes or Manhataes took from the Dutch their chief town then called New-Amsterdam, now New York; the Twenty ninth of August turn’d out their Governour with a silver leg, and all but those that were willing to acknowledge subjection to the King of England, suffering them to enjoy their houses and estates as before. Thirteen days after Sir Robert Carr took the Fort and Town of Aurania now called Albany; and Twelve days after that, the Fort and Town [p. 154.] of Awsapha, then De-la-ware Castle, man’d with Dutch and Sweeds. So now the English are masters of three handsome Towns, three strong Forts and a Castle, not losing one man. The first Governour of these parts for the King of England was Colonel Nicols, a noble Gentleman, and one of his Majesties Commissioners, who coming for England in Anno Dom. 1668 as I take it, surrendered the Government to Colonel Lovelace.
The Countrey here is bless’d with the richest soil in all New-England, I have heard it reported from men of Judgement and Integrity, that one Bushel of European-Wheat hath yielded a hundred in one year. Their other Commodities are Furs, and the like.
New-York is situated at the mouth of the great River Mohegan, and is built with Dutch Brick alla-moderna, the meanest house therein being valued at One hundred pounds, to the Landward it is compassed with a Wall of good thickness; at the entrance of the River is an Island well fortified, and hath command of any Ship that shall attempt to pass without their leave.
Albany is situated upon the same River on the West-side, and is due North from New-York somewhat above Fifty miles.
[p. 155.] Along the Sea-side Eastward are many English-Towns, as first Westchester, a Sea-Town about Twenty miles from New-York; to the Eastward of this is Greenwich, another Sea-Town much about the same distance; then Chichester, Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, all Sea-Towns twenty and thirty mile distant from one another, twenty miles Eastward of Milford is Newhaven the Metropolis of the Colony begun in 1637. One Mr. Eaton being there Governour: it is near to the shoals of Cape Cod, and is one of the four united Colonies.
The next Sea-Town Eastward of Newhaven is called Guilford about ten mile, and I think belonging to that Colony.
From Guilford to Connecticut-River, is near upon twenty miles, the fresh River Connecticut bears the name of another Colony begun in the year 1636 and is also one of the four united Colonies. Upon this River are situated 13 Towns, within two, three & four miles off one another. At the mouth of the River, on the West-side is the Lord-Say, and Brooks fort, called Saybrook-fort. Beyond this Northward is the Town of Windsor, then Northampton, then Pinsers-house. On the Eastside of the River, Hartford, about it low land well stored with meadow and very fertile. Wethersfield is [p. 156.] also situated upon Connecticut-River and Springfield; but this Town although here seated is in the jurisdiction of the Mattachusets, and hath been infamous by reason of Witches therein. Hadley lyes to the Northward of Springfield. New-London which I take to be in the jurisdiction of this Coloney is situated to the Eastward of Connecticut-River by a small River, and is not far from the Sea. From Connecticut-River long-Island stretcheth it self to Mohegan one hundred and twenty miles, but it is but narrow and about sixteen miles from the main; the considerablest Town upon it is Southampton built on the Southside of the Island towards the Eastern end; opposite to this on the Northernside is Feversham, Westward is Ashford, Huntingdon, &c. The Island is well stored with Sheep and other Cattle, and Corn, and is reasonable populous. Between this Island and the mouth of Connecticut-River lyeth three small Islands, Shelter-Island, Fishers-Island, and the Isle of Wight. Over against New-London full South lyeth Block Island.
The next place of note on the Main is Narragansets-Bay, within which Bay is Rhode Island a Harbour for the Shunamitish Brethren, as the Saints Errant, the Quakers who are rather to be esteemed Vagabonds, than Religious persons, &c.
[p. 157.] At the further end of the Bay by the mouth of Narragansets-River, on the South-side thereof was old Plimouth plantation Anno 1602. Twenty mile out to Sea, South of Rhode-Island, lyeth Martins vineyard in the way to Virginia, this Island is governed by a discreet Gentleman Mr. Mayhew by name. To the Eastward of Martin’s vinyard lyeth Nantocket-Island, and further Eastward Elizabeths-Island, these Islands are twenty or thirty mile asunder, and now we are come to Cape-Cod.
Cape-Cod was so called at the first by Captain Gosnold and his Company Anno Dom. 1602, because they took much of that fish there; and afterward was called Cape-James by Captain Smith: the point of the Cape is called Point-Cave and Tuckers Terror, and by the French and Dutch Mallacar, by reason of the perillous shoals. The first place to be taken notice of on the South-side of the Cape is Wests-Harbour, the first Sea-Town Sandwich formerly called Duxbury in the Jurisdiction of New-Plimouth. Doubling the Cape we come into the great Bay, on the West whereof is New-Plimouth-Bay, on the South-west-end of this Bay is situated New Plimouth, the first English-Colony that took firm possession in this Countrey, which was in 1620, and the first Town built [p. 158.] therein, whose longitude is 315 degrees, in latitude 41 degrees and 37 minutes, it was built nine years before any other Town, from the beginning of it to 1669 is just forty years, in which time there hath been an increasing of forty Churches in this Colony (but many more in the rest,) and Towns in all New-England one hundred and twenty, for the most part along the Sea-Coasts, (as being wholsomest) for somewhat more than two hundred miles: onely on Connecticut-River (as I have said) is thirteen Towns not far off one another.