In the Lake are four fair Islands, which are low and full of goodly Woods and Meadows, having store of Game for Hunting, as Stags, Fallow-Deer, Elks, Roe-Bucks, Beavers, and other sorts of Beasts which come from the Main Land to the said Islands.
The Rivers which fall into the Lakes have in them good store of Beavers; of which Beasts, as also of the Elks, the Salvages make their chiefest Traffick.
The said Islands have been inhabited heretofore by the Salvages, but are now abandon’d by reason of their late Wars one with another: They contain twelve or fifteen Leagues in length, and are seated commodiously for Habitation in the midst of the Lake, which abounds with divers kinds of wholesom Fish.
From this Lake run two Rivers Southward, which fall into the Eastern and Southern Sea-Coast of New England.
Into this Lake there went many years since certain French of Quebeck, who sided with the Algovinquins, with the help of their Canoos, which they carried the space of five Miles over the Impossible Falls, to Fight a Battel in revenge of some former Injuries done by the Troquois to the Algovinquins, who had the Victory; for which cause the French have been so hated ever since by the Nation of the Troquois, that none of them durst ever appear in any part of that Lake. But their Trade, said to be sixteen thousand Beavers yearly, is partly sold to the Dutch, who Trade with the Westend of the said Lake over Land by Horses, from their Plantation upon Hudson’s River: and another part is conceiv’d to be purchas’d by the Hiroons, who being Newters, are Friends both to the one and the other; and these Hiroons bring down the greatest part of all by the River of Canada.
The Way over Land to this great Lake, from the Plantation of Pascataway, hath been attempted by Captain Walter Neale, once Governor, at the Charges of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Captain Mason, and some Merchants of London, and the Discovery wanted but one days Journey of finishing, because their Victuals was spent, which, for want of Horses, they were enforc’d to carry with their Arms, and their Clothes, upon their Backs: They intended to have made a settlement for Trade by Pinnaces upon the said Lake, which they reckon to be about ninety or a hundred Miles from the Plantation over Land.
The People of the Countrey are given to Hunting of wild Beasts, which is their chiefest Food.
Their Arms are Bowes and Arrows. Their Armor is made partly of Wood, and partly of a kind of twisted Stuff like Cotton-Wool.
Their Meat is Flour of Indian Corn, of that Countreys growth, sodden to Pap, which they preserve for times of Necessity when they cannot Hunt.
This Province of Laconia, however known by a distinct Name, is included within the Province of Main, which offers it self next to our consideration.