First, in the Summer season for these three months, June, July, and August, we are troubled much with little Flyes called Musketoes, being the same they are troubled with in Lincolneshiere and the Fens: and they are nothing but Gnats, which except they bee smoked out of their houses are troublesome in the night season.
Secondly, in the Winter season for two months space, the earth is commonly couered with Snow, which is accompanied with sharp biting Frosts, something more sharpe then is in old England, and therefore are forced to make great Fires.
Thirdly, the countrey being very full of Woods, and Wildernesses, doth also much abound with Snakes and Serpents of strange colours, and huge greatnesse: yea there are some Serpents called Rattlesnakes that haue Rattles in their Tailes, that will not fly from a man as others will, but will flye vpon him and sting him so mortally, that hee will dye within a quarter of an houre after, except the partie stinged haue about him some of the root of an Hearbe called Snake-weed to bite on, and then hee shall receiue no harme: but yet seldome falles it out that any hurt is done by these. About three yeares since, an Indian was stung to death by one of them, but wee heard of none since that time.
Fourthly and lastly, Here wants as it were good company of honest Christians to bring with them Horses, Kine and Sheepe to make vse of this fruitfull Land: great pitty it is to see so much good ground for Corne & for Grasse as any is vnder the Heauens, to ly altogether vnoccupied, when so many honest Men and their Families in old England through the populousnesse thereof, do make very hard shift to liue one by the other.
Now, thus you know what New-England is, as also with the commodities and discommodities thereof: now I will shew you a little of the Inhabitants thereof, and their gouernment.
For their Gouernors they haue Kings, which they call Saggamores, some greater, and some lesser, according to the number of their Subjects.
The greatest Saggamores about vs can not make aboue three hundred Men, and other lesse Saggamores haue not aboue fifteene Subjects, and others neere about vs but two.
Their Subjects aboue twelue yeares since were swept away by a great & grieuous Plague that was amongst them, so that there are verie few left to inhabite the Country.
The Indians are not able to make vse of the one fourth part of the Land, neither haue they any setled places, as Townes to dwell in, nor any ground as they challenge for their owne possession, but change their habitation from place to place.