New England in 1602, Soft Illumination, Muted Tones, Early Settlements, Essential, Interconnected.
“These people are exceeding courteous, gentle of disposition, and well conditioned, excelling all others that we have seen. I think they excel all the people of America; of stature much higher than we. Some of them are black thin bearded. They make beards of the hair of beasts and one of them offered a beard of their making to one of our sailors, for his that grew on his face, which because it was of a red color they judged to be none of his own. They are quick eyed and steadfast in their looks, fearless of others’ harms, as intending none themselves. Some of the meaner sort given to filching, which the very name of Savages (not weighing their ignorance in good or evil) may easily excuse. Their garments are of Deer skins. They pronounce our language with great facility; for one of them one day sitting by me, upon occasion I spoke smiling to him these words: “How now, sirrah, are you so saucy with my Tobacco?” Which words (without any further repetition) he suddenly spoke so plain and distinctly as if he had been a long scholar in the language. Their women (such as we saw) which were but three in all, were but low of stature, their eyebrows, hair, apparel, and manner of wearing like to the men. Fat and very well favored and much delighted in our company; the men are very dutiful towards them. And truly, the wholesomeness and temperature of this Climate does not only argue this people to be answerable to this description, but also of a perfect constitution of body, active, strong, healthful, and very witty, as the sundry toys of theirs cunningly wrought may easily witness.”
~ John Brereton, Letter to Walter Raleigh; excerpt (1602)
Addendum: For those of My Dear Readers & Listeners who are interested, Here is a An Analysis of 16th century New England’s Maritime Resources & the manner in which they were extracted & used to varying degrees by the early settlers of that era.
It is a great supplemental read to better understand the various forces at play in that era for the peoples involved in New England’s Early Settlements. Happy Reading!
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