The following is an extract from "A new description of the world,—London, printed for Hen. Rhodes, next door to the Swan Tavern, near Brides-Lane, in Fleet-Street, 1689."
NEW ENGLAND, an English Colony in America, is bounded on the North-East with Novumbegua, on the Southwest with Novum Belgium; and on the other parts by the Woods and Sea coast; scituate in the middle of Temperate Zone, between the degrees of 41 and 44, equally distant from the Artick Circle, and the Tropick of Cancer; which renders it very temperate and very agreeable to the Constitution of English Bodies, the Soil being alike Fruitful, if not in some places exceeding ours; all sorts of Grain and Fruit trees common with us growing kindly there; The Woods there are very great, wherein for the most part the Native Indians dwell Fortefying themselves as in Towns or places of defence, living upon Deer and such other Creatures, as those vast Wildernesses whose extents are unknown to the English abound with; there are in this Country store of Ducks, Geese, Turkies, Pigeons, Cranes, Swans, Partridges, and almost all sort of Fowl, and Cattle, common to us in Old England; together with Furs, Amber, Flax, Pitch, Cables, Mast, and in brief whatever may conduce to profit and pleasure; the Native Indians, in these parts are more tractable, if well used, than in any other; many of them though unconverted, often saying, that our God is a good God, but their Tanto evil, which Tanto is no other than the Devil, or a wicked Spirit that haunts them every Moon, which obliges them to Worship him for fear, though to those that are converted to Christianity he never appears.
This English Colony after many Attempts and bad Successes was firmly Established 1620, at what time New Plymouth was Built and Fortified; so that the Indians thereby being over-aw'd, suffered the Planters without controul to Build other Towns, the chief of which are Bristol, Boston, Barnstaple, and others, alluding to the Names of Sea Towns in Old England; and are accommodated with many curious Havens commodious for Shipping, and the Country watered with pleasant Rivers of extraordinary largeness; so abounding with Fish, that they are not taken for dainties; and for a long time they were all Governed at their own dispose, and Laws made by a Convocation of Planters, &c. but of late they have submitted to receive a Governor from England.
NOVUM BELGIUM, or the New Neitherlands, lies in this tract on the South of New England, extending from 38 to 41 degrees North Latitude; a place into which the Hollanders intruded themselves, considerable Woody; which Woods naturally abound with Nuts and wild Grapes, replenished with Deer, and such Creatures as yield them store of Furrs, as the Rivers and Plains do Fish and Fowl; rich Pastures, and Trees of extraordinary bigness, with Flax, Hemp, and Herbage; the ground very kindly bearing the Product of Europe; and here the Natives, such as live in Hutts and Woods, go clad in Beasts Skins, their Household goods consisting of a Wooden dish, a Tobacco Pipe, and a Hatchet made of a sharp Flint Stone, their Weapons Bows and Arrows; though the Dutch unfairly to their cost, out of a covetous Humor, traded with them for Guns, Swords, &c., shewing the use of them which the Indians turning upon their quondam Owners, found an opportunity to send 400 of their new Guests into the other World; and here the chief Town is New Amsterdam, commodiously Scituate for Trade, and the Reception of Shipping.
[TIME OF THE ARRIVAL IN NEW ENGLAND OF THE FOLLOWING MINISTERS.]
1630.
Rev. John Maverick.
Rev. John Warham.
Rev. John Wilson.
Rev. George Phillips.
1631.