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necessary for the supplyes and comfort of man's resiidence in other more, habitable parts of the world: here were * * silver and gold, store, of precious pearles lockt up in the earth and depths of the sea, all which treasures of the rich cabinets of nature had wayted a long time for an expert and skilful hand, better acquainted with their worth than the natives to disclose and disperse them abroad amongst the rest of the world, for whose use they were in their first creation intended. There were allso many spacious and vast tracts of land, fit for the use of men of other nations; the sayd places having never had enough inhabitants to manage so many fertile countryes. *** * thereof had probably for a long time been occupied by a people who neither themselves nor their ancestors had acquaintance with civility or any liberal sciences; with the knowledge or worship of the true and living God. What * * * may have in that kind is not for us to determine. It seems to bee the pleasure of the Almighty by the foresayd means to open the way for sending the light of the gospel amongst those dark parts of the earth for their conversion, as is hoped, and thus to leave the rest without excuse at the last day. The gospel must be preached to the nations for a testimony unto them; which it never was * * * * It being an usuall observation that the great Husbandman is not pleased to

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send forth labourers, where he hath no harvest to bee gathered in, or work for them to accomplish: Wherefore the bringing of the natives of this country to the knowledge of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, being peculiarly intended by those of New England, as is particularly expressed in their grand charter to be principalby the adventurers true profession, and his Majesties royall intention when he granted it; the various providences that have attended the settlement of that part of America, soe called, shall in what follows be particularly declared, that so they may remain a perpetual monument of divine

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* Reports, and for the satisfaction of those who may be studious to inquire into the reall truth of former transactions, the Generall History of New England is now taken in hand; Wherein the first discovery of the country, its scituation, temperature of the aire, fertility and nature of the soyle, disposition of the inhabitants, together with the first planting thereof by the English. These be. ing breefly touched upon, the principall occurrences that have fallen out within the compasse of the next sixty or eighty years, concerning the affayrs of religion, *

*since that time shall be more largely handled......

CHAP. II.

Of the first discovery of the country of New England.

Christopher Columbes, a Genoesian, had the happiness and honour first to discover this before unknowne part of the world, though Americus that came after him had the honour to have it called after his own name, America. Others * * Sebastian Cabbot, a famous Portuguez, more particularly, discover more than ** In the yeare 1497 hee with his father, John Cabbot, sent out under a commission of Henry VII. ranged a great part of this unknown region, in that and some years following, discovering many places in it between the 40th degree of south and 67th of north latitude; where

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contenting himselfe with the riches of Hispaniola, Cuba,

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and some other islands, which hee fortunately fell upon in the yeare 1492. He did not discover the mayn land till the yeare 1498, a whole yeare after Sebastian Cabbot had been upon the Continent, in reward of which notable discovery he was afterward made Grand Pilot of England and Ireland by king Henry the 8th, and in his old age had an honrble pension pr. ann. of 1661. 13s. 4d. allowed him by Edward the 6th. These discoveryes of the Cabbots were the foundation and ground worke of those noble adventures made afterwards by those of the English nation or others, who, moved either with emulation of the Spaniards, or an ambitious desire of advancing the glory of their respective nations, did in the next age attempt a more full discovery of the several parts of the world, specially of America, hoping thereby either to finde out some new possessions, or else a nearer passage to the more remote parts of the world discovered, and well knowne long before, (although not reached unto without going a greate compasse about.) On some such accoumpt the French historians report that James Quartier, a Florren-. tine, employed by Francis the first, king of France, discovered New * France New Foundland in the yeere [1534] * * the sayd James Quartier and Mon

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* * * the lady of the English world. In the yeare [1587] John White aforesayd was sent with three more ships to make further enquiry after the colony left there before by Sir Richard Greenvill. But although this last time they tarryed all winter, as may be conjectured by the words of the relation, till the yeare 1590 the sayd colony could never be heard of: And thus was the first plantation at old Virginia, after much time, labour, and charge brought to confusion, and finally deserted in the yeare 1590: nor was there ever any plantation attempted in that place or carried on with prosperous success to this day, the reason of which is not yet render*ed: The planting of any place about Florida being thus nipped in the bud, if not blasted with some severer curse, like Jericho of old, all hopes of settling another plantation Here appears to be a chasm. Ed.

in that part of the world were for the present abandon-
ed, and lay dead for the space of twelve yeares next fol-
lowing, when they were revived again by the valiant res-
olution and industry of Capt. Bartholmew Gosnold and
Capt. Bartholmew Gilbert, and divers other gentlemen,
their associates, who in the year 1602 attempted a more
exact discovery of the whole coast of Virginia. The first
voyage, Capt. Gosnold in a small bark with a company set
sayle from Dartmouth March 26, the same yeare a south
west course from the Azores, made his passage shorter by
several degrees then ever the former adventurers found it,
who had always fetched a compasse round by the West
Indies, and by that course fell upon Florida. But Capt.
Gosnold, possibly more by the guidance of providence then
any special art acquired of man, on the 14th May following
made land in the lat. of 43, where Capt. Gosnold was pre-
sently welcomed by eight of the salvages in one of their
shallops, who came boldly aboard them, which considered
with * * * shew made the other conjecture
some bescamers† had been wrecked in fishing there: the
Captain, how well soever hee liked his *
weather which made him soone after weigh and *

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ward into the sea; the next morning, finding himselfe drawing nigh a mighty head land, let fall his anchor againe * * nigh the shore, and then himselfe with foure men went on shore presently; marching up the highest hill next morning, they discerned the headland to bee part of the mayn, round which were many islands in five or six houres time his company caught more codfish then they well knew what to do with. And this promontory hath ever since borne the name of Cape Cod, which hee was not willing to exchange for the royal name, that Capt. Smith or some other mariner had given; the fishing which they there met with, being retained to this day. It appears by what is written by Capt. John Brierton in the same voyage, that the first hill they ascended was upon the south side of Cape Cod, for the islands ther abouts retaine the same names which at that tyme were imposed on them: viz. Marthas or Martins Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands, being replenished with 1 his word appears plainly in the MS. Ed. and people of Bais are meant.

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