A BRIEF DISCOURSE of the Newfoundland, with the situation, temperature, and commodities thereof, inciting our Nation to go forward in that hopeful plantation begun.  Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter. 
EDINBURGH, Printed by Andro Hart. 1620.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL SIR JOHN SCOTT of Scots-Tarvet, KNIGHT. etc.  
SIR, you are like to have none other account for the present than such as Marchant-Factors, after bad markets return, that is, papers for payment, for livers lines, The which though not so acceptable as more solid returns, yet gives some satisfaction for the expenses of time questionable. I have sent you a discourse of our Country penned at the request of friends, for the better satisfaction of our Nobility, unpolished and rude, bearing the country's badge where it was hatched, only clothed with plainness and truth. I entreat your favourable acceptation thereof, as your wont clemency hath been to the Author, if you think it may do good by encouraging any of your Country to the enterprise, I am willing you publish it, other wise let it be buried in silence as you shall think meetest, and esteem me still one of whom you have power to dispose.  
JOHN MASON.   

To the Reader.  
FOR as much as there be sundry relations of the Newfoundland and the commodities thereof, Some too much extolling it, some too much debasing it, preferring the temperature of the air there of before ours, the hopes of commodities there without pains and minerals, as if they were apparent (which as I deny to be a verity, yet I affirm not to be impossible) with other narrations dissenting from the truth, the which although done out of a good affection, yet had they better been undone. I have therefore (gentle Reader) hoping of thy favourable construction, set down in few and plain terms out of that experience I have gained in three years and seventh month's residence there, the truth, as thou shalt find by proof thereof, to the which I recommend thee and us all to his Grace, that is able and will plant those that fear him in a better Kingdom.  
Farewell. Thine and his Countries in part, not wholly his own. JOHN MASON.   

A BRIEF DISCOURSE of the Newfoundland with the Situation, temperature, and commodities thereof inciting our Nation to go forward in that hopeful plantation begun.  
THE Country commonly known and called by the name of Newfoundland, albeit it is so much frequented and resorted yearly to, by thousands of our Nation and others, which have scarcely so much as a superficial knowledge thereof (only so much as concerneth their fishings excepted) is an Island or Lands as some plaits have described it, situate on the front of America, betwixt 46. and 52. degrees of Northerly latitude, of the bigness of Ireland. the Eastermost side thereof bounded with the Ocean extendeth itself nearest North and South: the variation allowed 100 Leagues, the south face divided from the Isles of Cap. Bretone by the Gulf of Saint Lowrence a strait of 27. Leagues over lieth West. and by North northerly, and East and by South Southerly in length 77. Leagues, on the West part embraced by the Grandbay stretching itself North-east and Southwest 75. Leagues. and on the North confined by the Norther arm of the Grandbay which separateth it from the continent of Nova Francia making a fret of 7. League's wide, & is described by the rhomb of W. and by North and E. and by S. 25. Leag. Almost of a Triangular form saving that many bays & Inlets making encroachment have disfigured the face thereof with Scars, eating into the land into 40 leagues space on the South part where we have searched 30 as good Harbours as the world affords. The longitude thereof reackoned from the westermost part of the Insulae fortunatae is 330 degrees, distant in the Line of West & by the South from our Meridian 45. degrees by common account which in the middle parallel of the difference the Latitude betwixt the lands end of England & the body of Newfoundland at 39 one half miles answerable to each degree in the same maketh 1764. miles or 588 Leagues. The air subtle & wholesome, the Summer season pleasant conform to the like latitude in Europe, saving that the woody places in june & julie are somewhat pestered with small Flies bred of the rottenness of ruined wood & moisture like as in Russia. The Winter degenerating therfrom, being as cold & snowy as 60 degrees in Europe, & of the like temperature in December, jan. Febr. March, as the northermest parts in Scotland. viz. The Hebrides and the Orcadeses wherein I have twice wintered, or of the Coast betwixt Hamburgh & the mouth of the Sound or Nose of Norway: yet more comfortable for the length of the day in Winter, which exceedeth theirs three hours at the least. And albeit it be thus cold in the Winter season by accidental means, contrary to the natural position thereof in the Sphere, yet is it tolerable, as by experience, so that there needs no Stoaves as in Germany: Likewise fruitful enough both of Summer and Winter corn, an example for our comfirmation thereof we have in Poland one of the greatest corn Countries of Europe & yet as cold and subject to freizing as Newfoundland, as also our own experience both in Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, and Pease, which have grown and ripened there as well and als timely as in Yorkshire in England. And for growth of Garden herbs of diverse sorts as Hyssop, Time, Parsely, clary, Nepe, french Mallows, bugloss, Collombines, Wormwood, etc. There is at this present of 3. years old of my sowing, likewise Rosemary, Fenell, Sweet marierim, Bassell, Purselyn, Lettise, and all other Herbs & Roots: as torneps, Pasnepes, Caretts, and Radishes we have found to grow well there in the Summer season. The common wild herbs of the Country are Angelica, Violets, Mints, Scabius, Yarrow, Ferne, Salsaparilla, with diverse other sorts whereof I am ignorant; But suppose would for variety and rariety compose another Herbal; of these kinds we have only made use of certain great green leaves plentifully growing in the woods, and a great Root growing in fresh water ponds, both good against the Skiruye, and an other pretty Root with a blue stalk and leaves of the nature of a Skirret growing in a dry Beachy ground, good meat boiled: The Country fruits wild, are cherries small, whole groaves of them, filberts good, a small pleasant fruit, called a Pear, Damask Roses single very sweet, excellent Straberries, and Hartleberries with abundance of Raspberries, and Gooseberries somewhat better than ours in England, all which replanted would be much enlarged. There is also a kind of wild Coranies, wild Pease or Feetches in many places which we have both found good meat and medicine for the Scurvy; The Land of the North parts most mountanye & woody very thick of Fir trees, Spruce, Pine Lereckhout, Asp, Hasill, a kind of stinking wood, the three formest goodly Timber and most convenient for Building. No Oaks, Ashe, Beech, or Ellmes, have we seen or heard of; the greatest parts of the Plains are marish and bogs, yet apt to be drawn dry by means of many fresh Lakes intermixed which pay tribute to the Sea; and on the brinks of these Lakes, through which the water drains away from the roots of the Grass, it flourisheth, in the other parts of the Plains where the water standeth and killeth the growth of the Grass with his coldness it is rushy and seggy; in some parts is barren, & mossy ground, but that that is firm and dry beareth good grass. The Spring beginneth in the end of April, & Harvest continueth while November, I have seen September and October much more pleasant than in England; The South part is not so mountainous nor so woody, for being a little passed up from the Sea coast the continent hath champion ground for 40. miles together in North and South extent of the like nature of the former, having pretty Groves and many fresh laks replenished with Eels & Salmon-Troutes great, and in great plenty. The Beasts are Ellans, Follow-deare, Hares, Bears harmless, Wolves, Foxes, Beavers, Catnaghenes excellent, Otteres, and a small beast like a Ferret whose excrement is Musk, And the Plantations have pretty store of Swine and Goats. The Fowls are Eagles, Falcons, Tassills, Marlins, a great Owl much deformed, a lesser Owl, Bussards, Gripes, Osprayes which dive for Fishes into the Water, Ravens, Crows, wild Geese, Snipes, Teals, Twillockes, excellent wild Ducks of diverse sorts and abundance, some whereof rare and not to be found in Europe, Their particulars too tedious to relate, all good meat, Partridges white in Winter, and grey in Summer, greater than ours, Butters, black Birds with red breasts, Phillidas, Wrens, Swallows, jays, with other small Birds, and 2. or 3. excellent kinds of Beach Birds very fat and sweet, & at the plantations English Pigeons. The sea fowls, are Gulls white and grey, Penguins, Sea Pigeons, Ice Birds, Bottle noses, with other sorts strange in shape, yet all bowntifull to us with their Eggs as good as our Turkey or Hens, where with the Ilelands are well replenished. But of all, the most admirable is the Sea, so diversified with several sorts of Fishes abounding therein, the consideration whereof is ready to swallow up and drown my senses not being able to comprehend or express the riches thereof. For could one acre thereof be enclosed with the Creatures therein in the months of june, julie, and August, it would exceed one thousand acres of the best Pasture with the stock thereon which we have in England. May hath Herring on equal to 2. of ours, Lants and Cod in good quantity, june hath Capline a fish much resembling Smeltes in form and eating, and such abundance dry on Shore as to lad Carts, in some parts pretty store of Salmond, and Cod so thick by the shore that we heardlie have been able to row a Boat through them, I have killed of them with a Pike; Of these, three men to Sea in a Boat with some on Shore to dress and dry them in 30, days will kill commonly betwixt 25. and thirty thousand worth with the Oil arising from them 100 or 120. pound. And the fish and Train in one Harbour called Saint john's is yearly in the Summer worth 17, or 18. thousand pounds. julie, and so till November, hath Macrill in abundance: one thereof as great as two of ours, August hath great large Cod but not in such abundance as the smaller, which continueth with some little decreasing till December; What should I speak of a kind of Whales called Gibberts, Dogfish, Porpoises, Hering-Hogges, Squides a rare kind of fish, at his mouth squirting matterefor th' like Ink, Flounder, Crabs, Cunners, Catfish, Millers, thunnes etc. Of all which there are innumerable in the Summer season; Likewise of Lobsters plenty, and this last year store of Smelts not having been known there before. I have also seen Tonnie fish in Newland; now of shell fish there is Scalupes, Musseles, Vrsenas, Hens, Periwinkles etc. Here we see the chief fishing with his great commodity expressed, which falleth so fitly in the Summer season betwixt seedtime and Harvest that it cannot be any hindrance to either. I have heard some countries commended for their two fowld Harvest, which hear thou hast, although in a different kind, yet both as profitable, I (dare say) as theirs so much extolled, if the right course be taken; & well fareth, that country say I, which in one months' time with reasonable pains, will pay both landlord's rent, servant's wages, and all Household charges. But peradventure some squeaysie stomach will say, Fishing is a beastly trade & unseeming a Gentleman, to whom I answer (Bonus odor luti cum lucro) & let them propound the hollanders to themselves for example whose Country is so much enriched, by it; others say the Country is barren, but they are deceived, for Terra quae tegit seipsam tegit Dominum, and the great abundance of Woods and wild Fruits which exceedingly flourish there prove the contrary. And what though the fertility of the soil and temperature of the Climate be inferior to Virginia, yet for four main reasons to be laid down it is to be parallelled to it, if not preferred before it, the which we will hear propound.  
1 The first reason is the nearness to our own home, which naturally we are so much addicted unto, being but the half of the way to Virginia, having a convenient passage for three seasonable Months, March, April and May, which always accommodate fair winds to pass thither, sometime in 14. or 20. days, seldom in thirty days. Likewise the commodious return in june, julie, August, September, October, and November, sometimes in 12. 16. 20. and now and then in thirty days.  
2 The great intercourse of trade by our Nation these threescore years and upwards, in no small numbers frequenting the Newfound land, and daily increasing, with the likeliness thereof to continue, fish being a staple commodity with us, and so sellable in other countries yearlie employing 3000. thousand Seamen and breeding new daily, also freighting three hundreth Ships in that voyage, and relieving of 20000. people more here in England (for most of these fishers are married and have a charge of Children, and live by this means not being able to gain half so much by another labour) furthermore the revenue that groveth to the. King by the customs of French Spanish and straits goods imported, from the proceed of this fish trade suppose at the least to the value of ten thousand pounds yearly.  
3 The conveniency of transporting plantors thither at the old rate, ten shillings the man, and twenty shillings to find him victual thither, likewise other commodities by ships that go sacks at ten shilling per ton out, and thirty shillings home, whereas Virginia and Birmooda fraightes, are five pound the man and three pound the ton.  
4 Fourthly and lastly, Security from foreign and domestic enemies, there being but few savages in the north, and none in the south parts of the Country; by whom the planters as yet never suffered damage, against whom (if they should seek to trouble us, a small fortification will serve being but few in number, and those only Bow men. Also if any Wars should happen betwixt us and other Nations, we need not fear rooting out. For the Ice is a Bulwark all April commonly and after that during the whole Summer we have a garrison of 9 or 10. 1000 of our own Nation with many good and warlike Ships, who of necessity must defend the fishing season for their livings sake, as they always formerly have done in the Wars with Spain. And afterwards in the months of Harvest and Winter the winds are our friends and will hardly suffer any to approach us, the which if they should, the cold opposite to the nature of the Spainard will give him but cold Entertainment; neither will the Plantours be altogether puffed up with careless security but fortify in some measure knowing that Non sunt securi qui dant sua Colla securi.  
Now having formerly laid down the temperature of the Air and disposition of the Wether in the Winter season to be cold and consequently different from other places of the same situation under the same Parallel in Europe, and by experience answerable to 59 or 60. degrees thereof. It will be expected that I should show some reasons concerning the same which according to mine opinion (submitting myself to better judgements) I will set down; It being a general rule approved through America that any place under the same Parallel of another place in Europe is as cold as those places which are situate in 12. or 13. degrees to the North wards thereof, and the same rule holdeth a like on either side of the Equinoctial. For example, the straits of Magelan in 54. to the South of the Equinoctial, are more cold, snowy and boisterous than any part of Europe in 65, Likewise on this side the Line, the Country about the River Orenoaque and Trinidade in 9 or ten degrees is found as temperate as Gualata under 23. degrees of more northerly latitude in Africa. So likewise Saint Augustine in Florida under 31. degrees is anserable to Valadulid in 42. degrees in Spain, also the plantations under 37. degrees in Virginia are correspondent in the Winter to the temperature of Devenshire or Cornewell under 50. degrees hear in England, and although their Summer be some what hotter in regard of the nearness of the Sun, being then in Cancer within 15. degrees of their Zenith, the Radius thereof then striking near at a right Angle, causing a strange reflection, yet would it be much hotter if the Sun in his passage over the great ocean 3000. miles broad under that Parallel, betwixt Europe & America, by the exhalation of waterish vapours & much moisture thereout, into the middle region of the Air, did not cool the same, which being made more gross & thick with misty Clouds, his Beams cannot pierce through with their proper vigour and force, to heat the Earth; To this cooling of the Sun's heat helpeth also all those great fresh ponds and lakes so abounding in America. Fresh waters being more naturally cold than salt, and both colder than the Earth, of like quality also are the marish and Boggy grounds, the Lands not manured and therefore more naturally cold, the Country slenderly peopled, void of Towns and Cities, whereof Europe is full; the smoke whereof and heat of fires much qualifieth the coldness of the Air. Lastly the chiefest reason of the coldness in Newfoundland in the Winter season is the Ice which being congealed into great firm Lands, Even from the North Pole, all alongst the Coast of Gronland, Grenland, The Northwest passage Terra de laberador & so towards the Grandbay, all that tract having many Inlets and broken Lands apt as unnaturali wombs to breed and bring forth such Monsters, which being nursed in their ruder arms, till the Winter season past, are turned forth of doors in the Spring to shift for themselves, and being weary of their imprisonments in those angry Climes with one accord as if they had agreed with wind and stream take Ferry into Newfound-land, which immuring us in the months of Febru. & March, both which are subject to north-east winds & blowing from this Ice causeth it very cold. The currant still setting it southward as a jailor to bring it before the judge, never leaveth it till with the help of the outset of Saint Laurence Gulf it be presented nearer the Sun to be broiled by his scorching Beams and consumed. I cannot deny but in some Winter's betwixt Christmas and March, Ice is bred in the Harbours and bays of New-foundland, by reason of the calmness of the winds there incident, And the want of streams not causing motion in the Waters, and when it is so frozen, it is none otherwise then the Texsell or Inner Seas in Holland of 15. or 18. Inches thickness, and breaks and consumes in the Spring; all fresh Lakes frozen opens in the end of March or the beginning of April, which brings with it many showers to wash away Snow, and bore the ground; and in the middle of the Month many Ships arrive of the English, some French, and in the midst of May some Portingalls. All which as so many Reapers come to the Harvest, gathering in abundance the wonderful blessings of the Lord.  
I might hear further discourse of our discoveries, conference with the savages by Master john Gye their manner of life. Likewise of the managing our business in our plantations with the descriptions of their situations in 2. places 16. miles distant from other on the northside the bay of conception, of the manner charge and benefit of our fishings with the several strange forms, and natures of Fishes, projects for making Iron, Salt, Pitch, Tar, Tirpintine, Frank-Incense, Furs, Hope of trade with savages and such like, with many accidents and occurences in the time of my government there, but these may suffice as Verbum sapienti; being of sufficient truth to remove errors of conceiving the Country more pleasant by reason of his natural sight in the Sphere, than it is indeed, also to convince and take away malicious and scandelous speeches of malign persons, who out of envy to GOD and good Actions (instructed by their father the Devil) have sought to despoil it of the dew, and blamish the good name thereof. And lastlie to induce thee, gentle Reader, to the true consideration thereof as a thing of great consequence to our Nation not only at present, but like to be much more beneficial when the plaintations there shall increase, which God grant to his own glory and the good of our Commonwealth.  
FINIS.