For that part of the Countrey wherein most of the English have their habitations: it is for certaine the best ground and sweetest Climate in all those parts, bearing the name of New England, agreeing well with the temper of our English bodies, being high land, and sharpe Ayre, and though most of our English Townes border upon the Sea-coast, yet are they not often troubled with Mists, or unwholesome fogges, or cold weather from the Sea, which lies East and South from the Land. And whereas in England most of the cold windes and weathers come from the Sea, and those situations are counted most unwholesome, that are neare the Sea-coast, in that Countrey it is not so, but otherwise; for in the extremity of Winter, the North-east and South winde comming from the Sea, produceth warme weather, and bringing in the warme-working waters of the Sea, loosneth the frozen Bayes, carrying away their Ice with their Tides, melting the Snow, and thawing the ground; onely the North-west winde comming over the Land, is the cause of extreame cold weather, being alwaies accompanied with deepe Snowes and bitter Frost, so that in two or three dayes the Rivers are passable for horse and man. But as it is an Axiome in Nature, Nullum violentum est perpetuum, No extreames last long, so this cold winde blowes seldome above three dayes together, after which the weather is more tollerable, the Aire being nothing so sharpe, but peradventure in foure or five dayes after this cold messenger will blow a fresh, commanding every man to his house, forbidding any to out-face him without prejudice to their noses; but it may be objected that it is too cold a Countrey for our English men, who have beene accustomed to a warmer Climate, to which it may be answered, (Igne levatur hyems) there is Wood good store, and better cheape to build warme houses, and make good fires, which makes the Winter lesse tedious: and moreover, the extremity of this cold weather lasteth but for two Moneths or ten weekes, beginning in December, and breaking up the tenth day of February; which hath beene a passage very remarkeable, that for ten or a dozen yeares the weather hath held himselfe to his day, unlocking his ycie Bayes and Rivers, which are never frozen againe the same yeare, except there be some small frost untill the middle of March. It is observed by the Indians that every tenth yeare there is little or no Winter, which hath beene twice observed of the English; the yeare of new Plimouth mens arrivall was no Winter in comparison; and in the tenth yeare after likewise when the great company settled themselves in Massachusets Bay, was a very milde season, little Frost, and lesse Snow, but cleare serene weather, few North-west windes, which was a great mercy to the English comming over so rawly and uncomfortably provided, wanting all utensils and provisions which belonged to the well being of Planters: and whereas many died at the beginning of the plantations, it was not because the Country was unhealthfull, but because their bodies were corrupted with sea-diet, which was naught, their Beefe and Porke being tainted, their Butter and Cheese corrupted, their Fish rotten, & voyage long, by reason of crosse Windes, so that winter approaching before they could get warme houses, and the searching sharpnes of that purer Climate, creeping in at the crannies of their crazed bodies, caused death and sicknesse; but their harmes having taught future voyagers more wisedome, in shipping good provision for Sea, and finding warme houses at landing, finde health in both. It hath bin observed, that of five or sixe hundred passengers in one yeare, not above three have died at Sea, having their health likewise at Land. But to returne to the matter in hand, dayly observations makes it apparant, that the peircing cold of that Country produceth not so many noysome effects, as the raw winters of England. In publike assemblies it is strange to heare a man sneeze or cough as ordinarily they doe in old England; yet not to smother any thing, lest you judge me too partiall in reciting good of the Countrey, and not bad; true it is, that some venturing too nakedly in extreamity of cold, being more foole hardy than wise, have for a time lost the use of their feete, others the use of their fingers; but time and Surgery afterwards recovered them: Some haue had their over-growne beards so frozen together, that they could not get their strong water-bottells into their mouthes; I never heard of any that utterly perished at land with cold, saving one English man and an Indian, who going together a Fowling, the morning being faire at their setting out, afterward a terrible storme arising, they intended to returne home; but the storme being in their faces, and they not able to with-stand it, were frozen to death, the Indian having gained three flight-shot more of his journey homeward, was found reared up against a tree with his Aqua-vitÆ bottle at his head. A second passage (concerning which many thinke hardly of the Country in regard of his cold) was the miscarriage of a boate at sea; certaine men having intended a voyage to new Plimouth, setting sayle towards night, they wanted time to fetch it, being constrained to put into another harbour, where being negligent of the well mooring of their Boate, a strong winde comming from the shore in the night, loosned their killocke, and drove them to Sea, without sight of land, before they had awaked out of sleepe; but seeing the eminent danger, such as were not benummed with cold, shipt out their Oares, shaping their course for Cape Cod, where the Indians met them, who buried the dead, and carryed the Boate with the living to Plimouth, where some of them died, and some recovered. These things may fright some, but being that there hath beene many passages of the like nature in our English Climate, it cannot dishearten such as seriously consider it, seeing likewise that their owne ruines sprung from their owne negligence.

The Countrey is not so extreamely cold, unlesse it be when the North-west winde is high, at other times it is ordinary for Fishermen to goe to Sea in Ianuary and February, in which time they get more Fish, and better than in Summer, onely observing to reach some good Harbours before night, where by good fires they sleepe as well and quietly, (having their mayne sayle tented at their backes, to shelter them from the winde) as if they were at home. To relate how some English bodies have borne out cold, will (it may be) startle beliefe of some, it being so strange, yet not so strange as true. A certaine man being something distracted, broke away from his Keeper, and running into the Wood, could not bee found with much seeking after; but foure dayes being expired, he returned, to appearance as well in body, as at his egresse, and in minde much better: for a mad man to hit home through the unbeaten Woods, was strange, but to liue without meate or drinke in the deepe of Winter, stranger, and yet returne home bettered, was most strange: but if truth may gaine beleefe, you may behold a more superlative strangenesse. A certaine Maide in the extreamity of cold weather, (as it fell out) tooke an uncertaine journey, in her intent short, not above foure miles, yet long in event; for losing her way, she wandred sixe or seaven dayes in most bitter weather, not having one bit of bread to strengthen her, sometimes a fresh Spring quenched her thirst, which was all the refreshment she had; the Snow being upon the ground at first, shee might have trackt her owne foot-steps backe againe, but wanting that understanding, shee wandred, till God by his speciall providence brought her to the place shee went from, where she lives to this day.

The hard Winters are commonly the fore-runners of pleasant Spring-times, and fertile Summers, being iudged likewise to make much for the health of our English bodies: It is found to be more healthfull for such as shall adventure thither, to come towards Winter, than the hot Summer; the Climate in Winter is commonly cold and dry, the Snow lies long, which is thought to be no small nourishing to the ground. For the Indians burning it to suppresse the under-wood, which else would grow all over the Countrey, the Snow falling not long after, keepes the ground warme, and with his melting conveighs the ashes into the pores of the earth, which doth fatten it. It hath beene observed, that English Wheate and Rye proves better, which is Winter sowne, and is kept warme by the Snow, than that which is sowne in the Spring. The Summers be hotter than in England; because of their more Southerne latitude, yet are they tollerable; being often cooled with fresh blowing windes, it seldome being so hot as men are driven from their labours, especially such whose imployments are within doores, or under the coole shade: servants have hitherto beene priviledged to rest from their labours in extreame hot weather, from ten of the clocke till two, which they regaine by their early rising in the morning, and double diligence in coole weather. The Summers are commonly hot and dry, there being seldome any raines; I have knowne it sixe or seaven weekes, before one shower hath moystened the Plowmans labour, yet the Harvest hath beene very good, the Indian Corne requiring more heate than wet; for the English Corne, it is refresht with the nightly dewes, till it grow vp to shade his roots with his owne substance from the parching Sunne. In former times the Raine came seldome, but very violently, continuing his drops, (which were great and many) sometimes foure and twenty houres together; sometimes eight and fourty, which watered the ground for a long time after; but of late the Seasons be much altered, the raine comming oftner, but more moderately, with lesse thunder and lightnings, and suddaine gusts of winde. I dare be bold to affirme it, that I saw not so much raine, raw colds, and misty fogges in foure yeares in those parts, as was in England in the space of foure Moneths the last Winter; yet no man at the yeares end, complained of too much drought, or too little raine. The times of most Raine, are in the beginning of Aprill, and at Michaelmas. The early Springs and long Summers make but short Autumnes and Winters. In the Spring when the Grasse beginnes to put forth, it growes apace, so that where it was all blacke by reason of Winters burnings, in a fortnight there will be Grasse a foote high.