THere seemes to be a great Gate opened to the Gospells entrance upon the Indians, a great part of them being already reduced to Civil Inducement 1 Government, and co-habitation, to live it callings to speake Spanish (which is a Language very easy to be learned) and some to writing and reading; yea, the wil­de [...] Indians upon the Southerne Main, have beene found to be very open to conviction in their Religion, and o­thers (yea, even hundreds) have earnestly desired to live somwhere vnder the English Government, paying Tri­bute, and would desirously learne their Re [...]igion: as be­ing resolved the Spaniards Religion cannot be good, the Professours thereof are of so evill conversation, they generally [...]ove the Engl sh, and some are proud to have [Page 2] the English names put upon them; they have some remai­ning knowledge of the creation of man, and of a great Flood; they abhorre Lyars and Adulterers.

Inducement 2 Easie accommodation for Houses, for in some parts there are some ready built; and where there be none, a great number may be in few days fitted for their present abode; for there is no such rigour of weather to force such exact providing of Houses; but the matter of Forti­fication, Food, and Commodity may precede better and more beutifull buildings: there are Leaves of a fath [...]me broad and as much in lenght, which will suffice to close the walls and Roofes, and these will last many yeares: but when it is resonable to build fairer houses, there is good Timber for them, as Pine, Cedar, Oake (some bearing Acornes), Locusts, Ash, Mangroves, Manche­n [...]e [...]e; and the worke of bui [...]ding may in all reason be farre cheaper there, where the workman is not burdened with Rents and provision as in England.

There may be a speedy and aboundant supply of food: speed of supply appeareth by the times and kinds Inducement 3 of supply. English graine will grow well, and yeild a pure Flower; Indian Corne yeilds a crop in three moneths; Pea [...]e in two, Potatoes in five, Pompions in three, Cassavia in six, Plantanes in ten, and Angoala Pease in five moneths (these grow on a tree, and for three yeares or more have little intermission of bearing) Plantanes continue to beare well four yeares without any int [...]rmission; there are other rootes good, as Illiamus and Dishway, which will keepe in the house most part of the yeare in stores: these things for fruits. The [...]and hath likewise Hogs, Deere, Rabbets, [...]uianaes, Armadilla [...]s, Westcotoones: Turtle, Tilboa, and where the Spaniard hath beene, or is, there are Goates [Page 3] Sheepe, also Horses, Assenecoes for service, and Cowes for food, and that very good and plentifull. In the Ri­vers of water, and on the Sea coasts there are store of va­rious and choyse Fishes very good for food, and delicate, as Pike, Breame, Hogsish, Rockfish, Snappers, Gropers, Porgies, Megsish, Pariotfish, Grunts, Angellfish, Blew coates, Velvetcoates, Morrage, Cunnyfish, Lobsters, Stingrais, Horseis, Gevallees, Pilchers, Ambrefish, and Oysters; also Turtle of divors sorts, Manatee and divers other sorts. In the Aire is great diversity of Fowles, Ducks of severall sorts, Wildgeese, Pidgeon, Parret, Mackow, Turtle doves, Goaling, Curlews, Passo, Fle­mingo, Herne, Peacocke, Cossooes, Cohooes, Tur­keyes, cockes and hennes, Black birdes, and divers other sorts both small and great very plentifull. The aboun­dance of supply, appeareth not only in what hath been said, but farther in proportion of encrease; one graine of Indian Corne yeelds a stalke, and each stalke yeelds two faire Eares (besides smaller) each Eare containing about six hundred graines, some eight hundred; so that you see the fruitfull Land yeelds above a thousand fold: four­teene hundred Eares, yea sometimes a thousand fills a hog­shead with graine, and that is eight bushells: so that six­ty four bushells, are commonly produced by one A­cre at one crop, and on the same ground you may have three crops of Corne in the same yeare, if not four, and this Corne makes farre better Bread then what hath beene usually of that in New-En­gland and Ʋirginia; and indeed it may be made as good as our bread heer in England, and will make very good Beere, and so will honey likewise of which there is great store: Pease planted in an A­cre which three quarts will doe, arise in one crop to three [Page 4] hogsheads, somtimes to five, though they do not grow at all times of the yeere alike; yet there may be three crops of pease in one yeere; there are divers sorts of pease, and o divers colours, as red, white, black, and gray, some of them as good, or rather better then the best in England. potatoes yield an exceeding encrease, and are very delicious for mens eating, being farre­more pleasing to the pallate, and wholsome to the stomack there, where they eat them fresh out of the ground, then they are here, when they are brought over; and the reason is, because they are commonly two or three moneths old before they bee eaten; and if there they are kept but six dayes after they are out of the ground, they are esteemed fit only for the Hogges: Potatoes are also extraordinary usefull for divers sorts of Cattell in the rootes, or slipes, upon which, and the generall food of the Cuntrey usually given to Hogs, doth yeeld the tast of the Porke much more sweet and pleas ng then ours in England, and indeed is as palatsome and nourishing as Mutton hear. Plantanes in foure acres will in its kind, serve a Family of twenty persons, both for meat and drinke; which drinke is pleasant, quick, nourish­ing, strong, and likesome Wines; Plantanes are a very excellent frvte whereof use moy bee made in sixteene or eighteene severall dishes of different taste, yet every one pleasant to the pallate, wholsome to the stomack, hearty and very nourishing to the body; they do make good bread puddings, ta [...]ts: and yeeld a fine flower for pancakes. Cassavia is the root of a Tree which is a very good and hearty food, rosted in the sire stewed, baked, or boyled, it yeelds likewise a very pure flower, which makes bread to victuoll Ships, that will keepe for Shippes store some yeares, and continue very good.

G [...]yanaes, Armadillaes, and Westcotoones are of seve­ra [...]l shapes, but in their eating somwhat tast like, but m ch better then a Rabbet. There are also [...]everall other sorts of Creatures good for food (not [...]pecified) of s [...]ch like kinds. The Turtle of the Land is a Bea [...]t; ve­ry good, wholesome, and pleasant flesh for meat; of which there is rea onable store. Tilboa is a Creature, the flesh whereof eateth like Biefe, and is almost as big as an Oxe; these about the Sea coast are somwhat rare but up in the Country by Indian and some English relati­ons, much more plentifull. As for Fish, it would be­too tedious to relate the nature and quality of every par­ticular sort; we shall only make a true relation of some of the cheife [...]t. The Hog-fish is much better then our Salmon, and is in tast exceeding pleasant, it is a lbroad red fish, and about the bignesse of an ordinary Sa mon; from which fish being rosted, a pint of pure fatt hath dropped, which fatte is good for diverse uses to dresse victualls. Rockfish is of severall sizes, ordinarily as big as a Codfish, and some are much bigger, and is bet­ter then a Codfish. Snappers are about the bignesse of a Salmon, and are as good as the Hogfish. Gropers are about the size of a Codfish, and as good and rather better. Porgies are in goodnesse neere to that of the Hogfish but not above halfe so big. Me [...]fish is as big as the Porgie, and not much inferiour to it in good­nesse. Of the Sea Turtle fish, very much may be spoken, in poynt of its goodnes; it is a Creature living in the Sea, & feeding upon the grasse growing in the bottome of the Sea, whereof there is plenty, the flesh of this creature is very good, and eates much like Veale; this meat out of a hid­den quality, is very medicinall for the cure of the Diesases of the Dropsy and Fluxes, into which some falls though [Page 6] sildome; and gently purgeth their bodies througly, and worketh a perfect cure; the flesh thereof may very well be eaten without bread, and is marvelous nourishing, and very desirable, it yeelds good store of Oyle, which is so inoffensive, that halfe a pint may be drunke at a draught; it is in colour yellow, and in goodnesse to be used as butter, being but little or not at all inferiour to it: it is also very soveraigne being composed with other things into a salve, for any greene wounds, or old sores as by experience hath appeared: some of these Fishes in spawning time, will lay two or three hundred egges, which egges are about the bignesse of a Hens egge, and are good to be eaten; this Fish is very plentifull, so that some have taken forty at a fishing, and sometime more, and of such large sizes, that some one of them will serve fifty men at a meale; the flesh heerof is ordinarily powdred up in hogsheads for Ships provision; many other are the rare qualities of this Fish (if it may be called a Fish, for it is ineed rather Flesh) & of these Turtles there are severall sorts; as greene Turtle, haukes-bill Turtle (of which is the shell for Combs) Logger haads, Trunke Turtle, La­dy Turtle, some better, some worse, but all good for food and the best is most plentifull. Manatee is likewise a crea­ture living in the Sea, & might well be termed a Sea Cow, for the tast thereof is like Biefe, & is very good, & taketh salt likewise; this Creature hath a stone which is a very soveraign remedy for the stone in the bladder, & very help­full to women in travell, as hath often been proved; as al­so against the Cramp, for which particulars there are likewise many other things, as Sharkes stones, Crabs stones, and many other medicines from severall sensibles and ve­gitables, for the diseases there, and also for the diseases [...]aigning in other parts, of which good use may be made.

Sufficient provision for clothing; in two or three yerres; Inducement 4 for Cotton-seed being planted, yeelds in four or five moneths, and of this divers Kindes of linnen cloathing, both inward and outward, may be made, as also stock­ins and gloves. Besides, there is a silke-grasse, which growes naturally, and may be cut once a year; this by the Indians is easily fitted to ma [...]e cordage, and to be spun in to a fine thread, very good to make s [...]uffes, which que [...]tionlesse would be very fine and rich i [...] being in its nature and colour much like raw salke. The bodies of Plantane trees, and leaves of Pine-apple-trees, doe also yeeld a fine thread. Sheep Prosper well there, and silke­wormes are likely to doe so? yet weare it better to have occasion to fetch silke from the neighbouring East-India, as the Spaniards vse to doe. Hides are easily in three or foure moneths tanned, to make Leather for shooes and [...]oots there is matter likwise to make hats

Of commodities there are in being, Indico; Co­cheneale, Inducement 5 Annottoe, Balsame, Sugar-canes, Ginger, Silke-grasse, Silke-cotton, and other Cotton, Sarsaperil­la, and other drugges: Bees waxe, Dete (which is an ex­cellent perfume, growing naturally, and there is some Probability it would bee much better being transplanted divers sortes of Dying woods, also Tarre, Pitch, Tallow Hides, besides Mines of Silver and Gold, there is also Copper & Iorn it is supposed likewise that many of the East-Ind [...]a Commodites will grow thore, and so would Vines for Wines and Olives fer Oyle in that soyle and cli­me, as the like exPerience shewes, and the prohibition of the King of Spaine witnesseth: Also there are Pearls, & some Spices; yea there is a barke of a Tree, which is white, that seemeth a compound of all Spices

The comfort of Fruit, which are so refined by the Sunne and wholesome, that they infect not the body Inducement 6 though eaten in aboundance. There is most delightfull garden ng, and mo [...]e easy then in cold places. The [...]orts of fruits be [...]des Plantaines, are Pine-apples (which is a fruit for delicacy, delicious, sweet and pleasing tast, to be admired, and the scent thereof very odoriferous and pleasing to the sence; it is accounted one of the primest fruites in the wh [...]le world) Orranges, Lemmons, Limes, Pome-cit [...]ons, Figges, Pome-granates, Coco-Nuts, Sup­porters, [...]uava's, yellow Plums, Mameele; Cu [...]ard-fruit, Wat [...]r-Mi [...] ions (a fruit as b [...]g [...]e as a Pompion here, which ye I les ab u [...] qu [...]rt, some a pottle of very plea­sant liquor, [...]d v [...]ry g od against the Stone Chollick and Stone in the Fl [...]dd [...],) Mus [...]-mil [...]ions, a kind of Che ries with three ston [...], Prickle-p ares, and Pingui [...]es, all th se very good, the t ees [...]ls [...] a [...]wais green and pleasant to behold.

Inducement 7 The m de ation of necessary ch [...]rge, and paines of Rai es and Pa es is avoyded; for Lime-trees fence bet­ter then any quick- [...]et in England, any easy hand of wo­man or lad can plant them, and they grow up and beare in two yeares. Three men wil cut downe the woods, and sit an A [...]re of ground in eight daies to be planted, afterward the g [...]ound being kept cleane, is alwaies upon a shower of r ine ready to be pl [...]nted, and one man may plant an Acre of Corne in a day: so also Plantaines and Pease; and in two daies a m [...]n may plant an acre of Potatoes: Corne and Potatoes need weeding once a fort­night, and an Acre may be weeded by one man in two houres. Plantaines after once planting, n [...]ed little paines in husbandry, only sometimes supe [...] ­aboundant suckers taken away. The Land needes [Page 9] noe dung, nor any fallow years; The Indian corn needs no plowing nor harrowing: the labour for provid­ing hay and other [...]odder for winter is needlesse, the grasse being alwayes greene, so that i [...] is easie to keepe great droves of Cattell: One man by labour can provide for twenty men; The I dians are also apt to labour; and will be helpfull in making cordage, also in building and Smiths worke, so likewi [...]e in Fishing by these particulars, and the former, it may be perciued how a godly people may be inabled in the West Indies to be more liberall to God in publike and domesticke duties which leisure see­mes to be contrived by providence in these benigne partes to bring in the [...]e Gentiles, to which every pious family will conduce somthing: also a people of large hearts may be there more free to each other, in acts of Hospitality, curtesie relife, and commerce, neither shall they be nec­e [...]sitated by covetousnesse, or rigid dealing, to occasion Reproach, under which some are here, to the grife of others and themselves: Also pretious soules setled in these prte shall be exemted from the d ugery, which they are put to in England, and other places; so that as their names may be freed from reproach, their bodies may be freed from moyling, so their hearts from a great deal of care; yea, though they have many Servants and Chil­dren to keePe, they are not burdensome, but helpfu l; neither doe heat or cold procure any impeachment to the labour or bopy, or study of minde

The healthfullnesse of the Climate: There is no Inducement 8 Itch, Scab, Di tillation by the n [...]se nor Cough nor Li [...], upon the body, nor small Poxe, Mea [...]els, Con­sumption, Gout, Pal [...]e, or any plethoriqu [...] diseases [Page 10] are seldome or never found there

And farther, all the relations in this booke have Inducement 9 biene made and are, Confirmed by seuerall well knowne men of trust and quality. (to very many in this Citty) who have lived there many years some Six some Eight some Twelve years some more some lesse. which said Inhabitants have not only made this report, but doe Evidence the truth by their personall returning with the last f [...]eet in the yeare 1644 Iudging of it the most com­fortable Place that ever they lived in notwithstanding some of them have been Travellers in other Countries with great Observation,

The truth of what is said, Concerning the goodnes of this country is further manifest (both by marchants from severall Parts of this Kingdome, and Holland, who have a constant Trade with the English there Plan­te [...], both yearly and severall times in the year, by which th [...]y have gayned great Estats. And those ma [...]ters & Servants w [...]ich have though meanly been transported thither have much enriched themseves by their plantations.

And also divers of new England who have transplant­ed themselues into these parts, and thus reported to their friends living in London which formerly lived by them in new England, That if god had planted them in the west Indies when they w [...]nt first to new England they had b [...]n one of the flourishing Commonwealths in the world, by all which it doth apeere that th [...]se Parts a [...]e most de­sirable for habitation and comfort b [...] subsistance bes [...]des the Earnest des [...]e that all good Chri [...] ians Ought to have in fulf [...]lling the will and Command, of their Lord and master Christ [...]e [...]us, in the propagation of the Gos­pell, to poore Indians who are in da [...] nes, and o [...]uch the mo e in regard these poore people desire the English to Inhabit with them,

The division or allotment of Lands in the first yeare is Inducement 10 to be as followeth, to be all Freehold land to all the per­sons heerafter mentioned, and their heires and assignes for euer heerafter,

1. All that shall land at first, and within the first twelve monthes after the first arivall, are to have six acres for eve­ry head or person within four miles of the Townes cir­cumference, and sixty acres an head in some other place: and Servants are to have the like quantity when they come out of their times.

2 All that shall land between the first twelve moneths and the end of the next six moneths, are to have four acres an head within four miles of the Townes circumference, and 30 acres an head in some other place, and servants are to have the like quantityes when they come out of their times. Moreover, unto every Master or Family there shall be allotted a ce [...]aine portion of ground in the Towne for building of houses and for gardens, &c, & also to every servant when they come out of their times.

3 For encouragement to well affected persons to con­tribute moneyes for a publique stocke; it is agreed, that he that puts into the said publique stocke one hundred pounds, shall have for it five hundred Acres of Land, and his money paid him backe againe in con­venient time out of the publique profit and revenue, and so Proportionable for every summe under or above one hundred Poundes: and that every man not going in person shall notwithstanding if he adventer any summe of money, have the like priviledges: and likewise every man not going in peoson, but sending servants, shall have the like priviledge for the said servants as if he went in person, and his servants at the expiration of the time of their ser­vice, demand and Reeive as theire due the proportion of land above specified.