Clamms or Clamps, are a Shell-fish not much unlike a Cockle, they lie under the Sand and have every one of them a round hole to take Air, and receive Water at. When the Tide ebbs and flows, a Man running over these Clamm banks will presently be made all wet, by their spouting of Water out of those small holes: These Fishes are in great plenty in most places of the Countrey, which is a great Commodity for the feeding of Swine, both in Winter and Summer; for being once us’d to those places, they will repair to them as duly every Ebb, as if they were driven to them by Keepers: In some places of the Countrey there be Clamms as big as a Peny white Loaf, which are great Dainties amongst the Natives, and would be in great esteem amongst the English, were it not for better Fish.
Other Commodities which this Countrey is said to yield, are, in down-right Prose, Furrs, Flax, Linnen, Iron, Pitch, Masts, Cables, and some quantity of Amber; so that if what many Authors have consented to assert concerning New England be not a meer Fiction, what e’re hath been affirm’d of the unfruitfulness of the Country will demonstrably be found invalid.
Noxious Creatures.
There are also to be found here some hurtful Creatures, of which, that which is most injurious to the Person and Life of a Man is the Rattle-Snake, which is generally a yard and a half long, as thick in the middle as the small of a Mans Leg; she hath a yellow Belly, her Back being spotted with black, russet, yellow, and green colours, plac’d like Scales; at her Tail is a Rattle, with which she makes a noise when she is molested, or when she seeth any approach near her; her Neck seems to be no thicker than a Mans Thumb, yet she can swallow a Squirril, having a great wide Mouth, with Teeth as sharp as Needles, wherewith she biteth such as tread upon her, her Poyson lyeth in her Teeth, for she hath no Sting. When any Man is bitten by any of these Creatures, the Poyson spreads so suddenly through the Veins, and so runs to the Heart, that in one hour it causeth Death, unless he hath the Antidote to expel the Poyson, which is a Root call’d Snake-weed, which must be champ’d, the Spittle swallow’d, and the Root apply’d to the Sore; this is present Cure against that which would be present death without it: This Weed is rank Poyson, if it be taken by any man that is not bitten; whosoever is bitten by these Snakes, his flesh becomes as spotted as a Leopard, until he be perfectly cur’d. It is reported, that if the Party live that is bitten, the Snake will die, and if the Party die, the Snake will live. This is a most Poysonous and dangerous Animal, yet nothing so bad as the report goes of it in England; for whereas it is said to kill a Man with its breath, and that it can flie, there is no such matter, for it is naturally the most sleepy and unnimble Creature that lives, never offering to leap or bite any Man, if it be not trodden on first; and it is their desire in hot weather to lie in Paths, where the Sun may shine on them, where they will sleep so soundly, that I have known four Men stride over one of them, and never awake it; five or six Men have been bitten by them, which by using of Snake-weed were all cur’d, never any yet losing his life by them. Cows have been bitten, but being cut in divers places, and this Weed thrust into their flesh, were cur’d; A small Switch will easily kill one of these Snakes. In many places of the Country there be none of them, as at Plymouth, New-town, Igowamme, Nahant, &c. In some places they will live on one side of the River, and swimming but over the Water, as soon as they are come into the Woods, they turn up their yellow Bellies and die. Up into the Countrey, Westward from the Plantations, is a high Hill, which is call’d Rattle-Snake-Hill, where there are great store of these Poysonous Creatures.
There are likewise troublesome Flies.
First there is a wild Bee or Wasp, which commonly guards the Grape, building by Cobweb habitation amongst the Leaves: Secondly a great green Flie, not much unlike our Horse-Flies in England; they will nipp so sore, that they will fetch Blood either of Man or Beast, and are most troublesome where most Cattel are, which brings them from out of the Woods to the Houses; this Flie continues but for the Moneth of June. The third is Gurnipper, which is a small black Flie, no bigger than a Flea; her biting causeth an itching upon the Hands or Face, which provoketh scratching, which is troublesome to some; this Flie is busie but in close Mornings or Evenings, and continues not above three Weeks; the least Wind or heat expels them. The fourth is a Musketor, which is not unlike to our Gnats in England; in places where there is no thick Woods or Swamps, there are none or very few. In the new Plantations they are troublesome for the first year, but the Wood decaying they vanish: These Flies cannot endure Wind, heat or cold, so that these are only troublesome in close thick Weather, and against Rain, many that are bitten will fall a scratching, whereupon their Faces and Hands swell.
The nature of the ancient Inhabitants.
As touching the Nature of the ancient Inhabitants, they are to be consider’d according to their several Shires or Divisions; those that inhabit to the East and North-East bore the name of Churchers and Tarrenteens; those in the Southern parts were call’d Pequods, and Narragansets; those Westward, Connectacuts and Mowhacks; to the North-West, of whom were the Aberginians.
The nature of the Mowhacks.
The Mowhacks were ever accounted a cruel bloudy People, which were wont to come down upon their poor Neighbors, with more than bruitish Savageness, spoiling their Corn, burning their Houses, slaying Men, ravishing Women, yea very Canibals they were, sometimes eating on a Man one part after another before his Face, and while yet living; insomuch, that the very Name of a Mowhack would strike the Heart of a poor Aberginian dead, till they had the English on their sides to succor them; for these inhumane Homicides confess that they dare not meddle with a white Fac’d Man, accompany’d with his hot-mouth’d Weapon.