liberty and property are to be made All which are such pristine and certain methods for maintaining the just right and equal utility of the whole Community that I do not see the most Capricious can assign wherein it is either faulty in exceeding or deficient in falling short of the most Ancient true English and best Christian Government in the World Wherefore I am satisfied it will not now be long before New-Jersey be peopled And Sir since the Government thereof is settled in so Generous and Worthy a Hand as your own at which I can assure you very many Honest and Sober People in these Parts as well as those more direct of your Own Way greatly rejoyce and fervently desire to see you in America but for ought I know none more than doth SIR Your Faithful Friend to Serve You Robert Smythe 20 th Arill 1681. AN EXSTRACT Out of a Small Treatise Wrote By BEAVCHAMP PLANTAGENET Concerning The Province of New-Albion in the Year 1648. Since Granted by the King to the Duke of York Of which New-Jersey is a Part. IN his Epistle pag. 4. he adviseth to follow Old Cato's Rule To seat in a pure Healthy Air else after all Charges of Settling and Building the People Dye and their Posterity Extinguish Secondly To sit down upon a Navigable-River for Trade and Supply For this Reason I on my View disliked Virginia most of it being seated scatteringly and among Salt-Marshes and Creeks worse than Essex-Thanet and Kent for Agues and Diseases Brackish-Waters to Drink and Use and a Flat Standing-Water in Woods breed a double Corrupt Aire so the Elements are Corrupted Chapter the 2d Page the 18th 19th WHereas that Part of America lying about Thirty-Nine Degrees at Delaware-Bay is Situate in the best and same Temper and as Italy between too Cold Germany and too Hot Barbary so This lying mid-way between New England Two Hundred Miles North and Virginia a Hundred and Fifty Miles South is freed from the Extream Cold and Barrennâ—ss of the One and Heat and Anguish-Marshes of the Other and is like Lombardy a Rich Fat Soyl and Plain and having Thirty-Four Rivers on the main Land and partaketh of the Healthiest Air and most Excellent Commodities of Europe and replenished with the Goodliest Woods of Oaks and all Timber for Ships and Masts Mulberries for Silk sweet Cypres Cedars Pines and Furs Four sorts of Grapes for Wine and Raisings and great variety of choice Fruits Fisâ— and Fowl stored with all sorts of Corn yielding Five Seven and Ten Quarters on an Acre Silk-Grass Salt Good Mines and Dyers-Ware Five sorts of Deer Buffs and Huge Elkes to Plow and Work bringing Three Young at once The Vplands covered many Months with Berries Roots Ches-nuts Wall-nuts Beech and Oak Mast for them Hogs Turkies Five hundred in a Flock Many Thousands of Acres of plain Mead-Land fit for Corn Rice Flax Hemp c. And that this is the True State of the Country lying on the Bay and River of Delaware he affirms is testifyed under the several Hands of those who had been and Traded there And is farther witnessed by Capt. Smith New-England's Prospect Capt. Powell's Map and other Descriptions of New-England and Virginia Subscribed by Capt. Brown Capt. Clayborne Robert Evelin Stafford Constantine Stratton Thomas White Richard Buckham Christopher Thomas Edward Monmouth Tenis Paley Edward Rhodes Page the 20 21. of the same Treatise An Extract of Robert Evelin's Discription of the Land lying between the Rivers of Delaware and Hudsons River The which is Now called New-Jersey THat Ocean Sea I take to be about one hundred sixty miles and I find some broken Land Isles and In-ters and many small Isles at Eg-Harbor but going to Delaware-bay by Cape May which I understand is very well set out in Captain Powels Map on that North-side about five miles up within is a Port or Road for any Ships called the Nook And Twelve Leagues higher a little above the Bay and Bar is the River of Manteses which hath Twenty miles on Charles River and Thirty Miles running up a fair Navigable deep River all a flat level of rich fat black Mold which I think to be about 300000 Acres Next above about Six Leagues is a Fair deep River Twelve Miles Navigable where is Free stone The next Asomoeches River The next is Eriwomick a King of Forty men And five miles above the King of Ramock and four miles higher the King of Axion And next to him Ten Leagues over Land and Inland King of Calcefar And Six Leagues higher is a Creek call'd Mosilian and then we come to the Falls made by a Rock of Lime-stone I suppose it is about Sixty five Leagues from the Sea near to which is an Isle fit for a City all Materials there on to build And above the Falls the River-Fair and Navigable as the Indians inform'd me for I went but Ten Miles higher I do account all the Indians to be about eight hundred I saw there an infinite Quantity of Bustands Swans Geese and Fowl covering the shoars As within Land the like multitude of Pigeons and store of Turkeys of which I tryed one to weigh Forty Six pounds There is much variety and plenty of delicate Fresh and Sea Fish And Elks and Dear that bring three young ones at a time And the woods are strewed many Months with Chesnuts Wall-Nuts and Mast of several sorts to feed them The Barren grounds have four kinds of Grapes and Mulberrys with Ash Elme and the Talest and greatest Pines and Pich-Trees that I have seen There are several Wild Fruits as the pine Aple the dainty Parsemenas c. I shall entreat you to believe me as a Gentleman and a Christian I write nothing but the truth Subscribed Robert Evelin POST-SCRIPT THere might have been Publish'd at least a Hundred Letters or Testimonies more very lately written from the Inhabitants of New-Jersey in Praise of that Country AND NOW Settlement thereof Which are forborn to be emitted lest therby any should be induced or perswaded without due Consideration to incline for New-Jersey in their own Wills Therefore before any determine a Removal to New-Jersey let them weigh and consider the Matter well And that all may see their Way clear before they stir therein Is the Vnfeigned Desire of the Publisher hereof †Since when the Customs are taken off and the Government settled †Who was greatly troubled with a Cough heretofore †This Peter Alrick was the Person that formerly used to Collect the Customs †Vpon which Isle Burlington is now built
many other Wild-Fruits As also vast plenty of Mulberries all sorts of Roots of England and Potato's very good with all sorts of Herbs both for Physick and the Kitchin in great Perfection and no less Plenty There is also Saxafras Sarsaparilla and several other Plants of great vertue grow Naturally in this Province Sir The Western-Part of New-Jersey situate upon the River of Delaware to the Head whereof I understand Mr. Billing's Grant reaches so far as I know is not Second to any Part of America and in due time by such Industrious Undertakers as Your Self and Friends are may not be Inferior to many Parts of the World And this I further know that with Common and Reasonable Care there may not in a few Years only be to spare Horses Beef Pork Flower Bisket Pease c. but this Country will also produce Honey Wax Silk Hemp Flax Hops Woad and Rape-seed Madder Pot-Ashes Anniseed and Salt Hides Raw or Tanned and there is a vast large Creature call'd a Moose of whose Skins are made Excellent Buff. and other Deer-Skins and all sorts of Peltry in great Plenty besides the Natural Product of Pitch Tarr Rosin Turpentine c. And as for Furrs there is Beaver Black Fox Otter and divers other sorts As also the Tobacco is very Good upon the River of Delaware Besides what I have mentioned there may be good Fishing for Cod and Cusk which are to be found on a Fishing-ground from the South-Part of the Shoald that lyes of Barnagate beginning at Seven Fathom Water and trending South and by West Nine Leagues in Length there being great Plenty of well grown Fish as I my self and several others have found by Experience Upon the whole Matter this Province affords all that is either for Necessity Convenience Profit or for the Pleasure of Humane Life Sir I have herewith sent you a Prophecy of Pious Mr. Herbert's a Man as Learned as Great in his Quality being the Earl of Cherbury's Brother and Oratour to the University of Cambridge written many Years since Religion stands on Tip-toe in Our Land Ready to pass to the American-Strand When height of Malice and prodigious Lusts Impudent Sinning Witchcrafts and Distrusts The Mark of Future Bane shall fill our Cup Vnto the Brim and make our Measure up When Sin shall swallow Tyber and the Thames By Letting in them Both Pollutes her Streams When Italy of Vs shall have her Will And all her Kalender of Sins fulfill Whereby one may fore-tell what Sins next Year Shall both in France and England Domineer Then shall Religion into America flee They have their Times of Gospel ev'n as We. I am Sir with all Sincerity your Affectionate Friend Humble Servant I. Scott From Burlington in Delaware-River the 26th of 8. Mon. 1667. An Abstract of a Letter wrote to Henry Stacy Dear Friend THrough the Mercy of God we are safely Arrived at New-Jersey My Wife and all Mine are very well and we have our Healths rather better Here than we had in England Indeed the Country is so likely that I do not see how it can reasonably be found fault with As far as I perceive all of the Things we heard of it in England are very true and I wish that many People that are in Straits in England were Here Here is Good Land enough lyes void would serve many Thousands of Families and we think if they cannot Live Here they can hardly Live in any Place in the World But we do not desire to perswade any to come but such as are well satisfied in their own Minds A Town-Lot is laid out for us in Burlington which is a Convenient Place for a Trade It is about One Hundred and Fifty Miles up the River of Delaware The Country and Air seems â—o be very agreeable to our Bodies and we have very Good Stomachs to our Victuals And Here is plenty of Provision in the Country plenty of Fish and Fowl and Good Venison very plentiful and much better than Ours in England for it eats not so dry but is full of Gravy like Fat Young Beef You that come after us need not fear the Trouble that We have had For now here is Land ready divided against You come The Indians are very Loving to Us except here and there one when they have gotten Strong Liquors in their Heads which they now greatly love But for the Country in short I like it very well And I do believe that this River of Delaware is as good a River as most is in the World it exceeds the River of Thames by many Degrees Here is a Town laid out for Twenty Proprieties and a strait Line drawn from the River-side up the Land which is to be the main Street and a Market-place about the Middle and the York-shire Ten Proprietors are to build one Side and the London Ten the other Side And they have ordered one Street to be made along the River-side which is not divided with the Rest but in small Lots by it self and every one that hath any Part in a Propriety is to have his Share in it The Town-Lots for every Propriety will be about Ten or Eleven Acres which is only for a House Orchard and Gardens and the Corn and Pasture-Ground is to be laid out in great Quantities I am thy Loving Friend Iohn Crips Directed for Henry Stacy in Grace-Church-Street Thomas Hooton to his wife 29th 8th Month 1677. My Dear I Am at this present at the Town call'd Burlington where our Land is and it is ordered to be a Town for the Ten York-shire and Ten London Proprietors I like the Place well our Lot is the Second next the Water-side It 's like to be a Healthful Place and very pleasant to Live in I came hither Yester-day being the Twenty-Seventh of October with some Friends that were going to new-New-York I am to be at Thomas Olive's House till such time I can provide better for my Self I do intend to build a House and get some Corn into the Ground And now my Dear I know not how to write to thee concerning thy Coming or not coming Hither The Place I like very well and I do believe that we may live Here very well But if the Place be not made Free I mean as as to the Customs and Government then it will not be so well and may hinder many that have Desires to come But if thou understand that those Two Things be clear'd then thou may take thy Opportunity of coming this Summer I rest Thy truly Loving Husband Thomas Hooton Boston August the 14th 1677. Verbatim Dear Father and Mother I Can now give you a farther Account concerning this Country for I have Travelled Three or Four Hundred Miles an End the best Part of it by Land I have been in New-Jersey and like that Place very well and I am sure it is the Fruitfullest Place in these Parts and the Pleasantest to dwell in For there is all sorts of Provision as plentiful as
it is in England There wants nothing but good Honest People to Inhabit it The Ship that was bound for New-Jersey arrived about the Second or Third Day of this Month I was in New-Jersey when She came in I was the First that saw Her So the next Day I went Aboard of Her and the People told me They were Eight Weeks at Sea and the first Land they made was Cape-Codd in New-England which was an Hundred Leagues out of their way And they were at a great Loss for want of a Pilot to carry them along the Shore but while they were at Sea they wanted for nothing Now I have seen most of these Parts hereabout and to my thinking New-Jersey exceeds them All for good Land good Timber good Meadow and other good Conveniences that are Here For One Acre in this Place is worth half a dozen in other Places that lye Hereabouts and I could be very glad that You and Your Family were safe arrived Here. But I hope I shall see you all in London within these Three Months and then I shall give you a better Account concerning our Affairs So having no more at present to trouble you with I rest and remain Your Dutiful Son Ephraim Warren These for Mr. Henry Warren in Fenchurch-Street this deliver with Care I pray New-Jersey 20th 2d Month 1678. This is Extractim Dear Friends I Doubt not but it will be great Satisfaction to You to hear of Mine and the rest of Friends Passage to and safe Arrival in New-Jersey We took Ship the Sixteenth of November and made the Land of New-Jersey in Thirty-Four Dayes And many other Things he writes of needless here to be mentioned But of the Country thus Now Friends as to this Country there has been much said by several Persons in Commendation thereof both as to the Increase of all sorts of Grains and Fruits as also to the Plenty of Fish Fowl Deer Swine c. that I shall not need to add any thing to it But in short this I have to say That I do not know any one thing to fall short of what has been Reported of this Province but that more might truly have been said of its pleasant Situation wholsome Air and general and great Increase of all things planted and especially of Indian-Corn which is a very good and serviceable Grain many wayes The English Wheat and Barley primely Good but Rye and Pease much better than any I ever saw in England or Ireland I doubt not but you have had an Account of all other Matters before this by those who came to Jersey before Me comes to your Hands And I have no other end in this than keeping you from the rash Censures of People that know it not as also for the Good and Prosperity of this Good Country c. Subscribed Your Friend William Clark Directed for William Penn Gawen Lawry Edward Billinge Weymouth 28th 6th Month 1678. Verbatim A Letter from Thomas Budd who had then been at New-Jersey and is gone thither again with his Wife and Family Dear Friend Gawen Lawry I Am safely come from New-Jersey where I left Friends in Health who like the Country very well We have set down both Trades and Husbandmen together in the Island call'd Chygoe's Island where we have built and are building many Houses but it 's too strait to contain so many People as are already upon it I suppose I have Travelled more in New-Jersey than any other Person that came lately which I did at my own proper Charge that I might be able to satisfie my Self and Acquaintance concerning the Country I intend to be shortly in London and then may give a fuller Account of all Proceedings And I doubt not but New-Jersey will be as thriving a Place as any is in America I desire Information what Ships are going or to go thither this Year which is the Needful at present from Thy Dear Friend Thomas Budd Superscrib'd for Gawen Lawry in George-Yard in Lombard-Street Merchant Burlington in New-Jersey upon the River Delaware the 19th of the 4th Moneth call'd June 1678. An Extract of a Letter written by John Crips to his Brother and Sister Dear Loving Brother Sister I Have received both your Letters wherein I understand your Faith concerning this Country is much shaken through several false Reports given thereof which may be proved false under the hands of several good Friends I hope as worthy to be believed as that Reporter and such as have had more Experience of this Place than he had or could have in so short a time Besides he came amongst us shortly after our coming hither when things were not settl'd in that Order amongst us as now they are Neither indeed did he find such Entertainment from some as he expected which I suppose makes him speak the worst he can devise of this Place But I question not but his Reports will in a short time be wip'd away Some of which in my Knowledge are gross Lyes as well as Contradictions to his own VVords For I remember when I Travelled with him through Part of New-Jersey he confessed That much of this Land was as good or better than the Land in Road-Island And it 's really my judgment that those people that cannot be contented with such a Country and such Land as this is they are not worthy to come here And this I can truly tell you if I were now in England with you my Friends and which I should be very glad to see yet if all I had in the World would but bring me hither I should freely leave You and my Native-Country and come to New-Jersey again which I have said many a time heretofore but now I write it under my Hand and it 's really the Truth whether you will believe it or not And farther I can truly tell you That I desire not nor dare not to write the least Untruth to draw you or any others to this Place But an resolved if I never see your Face more to leave you to your own Freedom in the Lord. But I hope you are not insensible of my Love and Desires for You though I am I say constrain'd to Forbear perswading You or any one else against their own Freedoms yet I think it my Duty to let You and all Men know the Truth of things as near as I can Your Letter saith it 's reported the water is not so good as in England I do not remember that ever I tasted better water in any part of England than the springs of this Place do yeild of which is made very good bear and Ale And here is also Wine and Sider And whereas your Letter to me saith several have come back from this Country to England Two or Three I suppose there are Lazy idle persons that have done so But on the other hand here are several persons Men of Estates that have been here and have gone back to England and sold their Estates and return'd with