University of Virginia Library

Chapter 6.

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2

A description of the Coast, Harbours, Habitations,
Land-marks, Latitude, Longitude, with the map.

THIS Country wee now speake of, lyeth betwixt 41. and 44 ½ the
very meane for heat and cold betwixt the Equinoctiall and the
North Pole, in which I have sounded about five and twenty very good
Harbors; in many ∥ whereof is Ancorage for five hundred good ships
of any burthen, in some of them for a thousand, and more than three
hundred Iles overgrowne with good timber, or divers sorts of other
woods; in most of them (in their seasons) plenty of wilde fruits, Fish,
and Fowle, and pure springs of most excellent water pleasantly distilling
from their rockie foundations. The principall habitations I
was at North-ward, was Pennobscot, who are in warres with the
Terentines, their next Northerly neighbours. Southerly up the Rivers,
and along the Coast, wee found Mecadacut, Segocket, Pemmaquid,
Nusconcus, Sagadahock, Satquin, Aumughcawgen, and Kenabeca:
to those belong the Countries and people of Segotago, Pauhuntanuck,
Pocopassum, Taughtanakagnet, Wabigganus, Nassaque, Masherosqueck,
Wawrigwick, Moshoquen, Waccogo, Pasharanack, etc. To
those are alied in confederacy, the Countries of Aucocisco, Accominticus,
Passataquak, Augawoam and Naemkeck, all these for any
thing I could perceive differ little in language or any thing, though
most of them be Sagamos, and Lords of themselves, yet they hold the
Bashabes of Pennobscot the chiefe and greatest amongst them. The
next is Mattahunt, Totant, Massachuset, Paconekick, then Cape
Cod, by which is Pawmet, the Iles Nawset and Capawuck, neere
which are the shoules of Rocks and sands that stretch themselves into
the maine Sea twenty leagues, and very dangerous betwixt the
degrees of 40. and 41.

Now beyond Cape Cod, the land extendeth it selfe Southward
to Virginia, Florida, the West-Indies, the Amazons, and Brasele, to
the straits of Magelanus, two and fifty degrees Southward beyond the
Line; all those great Countries, differing as they are in distance North

or South from the Equinoctiall, in temper, heat, cold, Woods, Fruits,
Fishes, Beasts, Birds, the increase and decrease of the night and day,
to six moneths day and six moneths night. Some say, many of those
Nations are so brute they have no Religion, wherein surely they may
be deceived, for my part I never saw nor heard of any Nation in the
world which had not Religion, Deare, ∥ Bowes, and Arrowes. Those
in New-England, I take it, beleeve much alike as those in Virginia,
of many divine Powers, yet of one above all the rest; as the Southerly
Virginians call their chiefe God Kewassa, and that we now inhabit,
Okee, but all their Kings Werowances. The Massachusets call their
great God Kichtan, and their Kings Sachemes; and that we suppose
their Devill, they call Habamouk. The Pennobscots, their God,
Tantum, their Kings, Sagamos. About those Countries are abundance
of severall Nations and languages, but much alike in their simple
curiosities, living and workemanship, except the wilde estate of their
chiefe Kings, etc.

Of whose particular miserable magnificence, yet most happy in
this, that they never trouble themselves with such variety of Apparell,
Drinkes, Viands. Sawses, Perfumes, Preservatives, and nicities as we;
yet live as long, and much more healthfull and hardy: also the deities
of their chiefest Gods,

Priests, Conjurers, Religion, Temples, Triumphs,
Physicke, and Chirurgerie, their births, educations, duty of
their women, exercise for their men; how they make all their Instruments
and Engines to cut downe Trees, make their Cloaths, Boats,
Lines, Nets, Fish-books, Weres, and Traps, Mats, Houses, Pots,
Platters, Morters, Bowes, Arrowes, Targets, Swords, Clubs, Jewels,
and Hatchets. Their severall sorts of Woods, Serpents, Beasts, Fish,
Fowle, Roots, Berries, Fruits, Stones, and Clay. Their best trade,
what is most fit to trade with them. With the particulars of the charge
of a fishing voyage, and all the necessaries belonging to it, their best
countries to vent it for their best returnes; also the particulars for
every private man or family that goeth to plant, and the best seasons
to goe or returne thence, with the particular description of the salvages,
Habitations, Harbours, and Land markes, their Latitude,
Longitude, or severall distance, with their old names and the new by
the Map augmented. Lastly, the power of their Kings, obedience of
their subjects, Lawes, executions, planting their Fields, Huntings,
Fishings, the manner of their warres and treacheries yet knowne; and
in generall, their lives and conversation, and how to bridle their
brute, barba- ∥ rous, and salvage dispositions: of all these particulars
you may reade at large in the generall History of Virginia, New-England,
and the Summer Iles, with many more such strange actions
and accidents, that to an ordinary capacity might rather seeme
miracles than wonders possibly to bee effected, which though they
are but wound up as bottoms of fine silke, which with a good needle
might be flourished into a far larger worke, yet the Images of great
things are best discerned, contracted into smaller glasses.