Chapter XIII: Curiosities of the Market

"The turnpike road to people's hearts, I find
Lies through their mouths, or I mistake mankind."
[Peter Pindar.

After arriving at Mishawam, and voting the church and that the minister should be supported at the common charge, it became necessary to think of providing in some way for the sustenance of the party. Although Gov. Winthrop, when he arrived off the harbor, went up to Salem in a boat, and was handsomely entertained by Gov. Endicott, whom he came to displace, with a rich _venison pate_, such fare was not afterwards found to be very plenty; and the strawberries, which those he left on board the ships found on Cape Ann, were not always to be had, nor a very substantial food for the settlers. Of course, the party had a supply of provisions,--a market of their own which they brought with them; and, as nobody could become a freeman or have a vote in public affairs unless he was a member of the church, it is to be inferred that nobody would be allowed any thing to eat only on the same condition; and this, if Peter Pindar was right, was a facile method of conversion and making disciples of the most obdurate. Hunting and fishing were no doubt readily resorted to as rather promising pursuits, and possibly some thought may have been given to cornfields, though there was no great anxiety for work. At all events, however successful the hunting parties were, so much of their supply of provisions was bartered with the Indians for furs that a scarcity of food was soon experienced, and then they had to buy corn of them. Matters soon became serious: for whatever might have been the primary object of the Puritans in coming to this country, eating was not beyond a secondary consideration, to say the least of it; and a market of supplies for the material man became an important consideration then, and has been so ever since. Dr. Johnson, who loved a good dinner and rarely found it at home, thought "a tavern was the throne of human felicity;" but, of course, such a notion as that never entered the minds of the Puritans.

The first thanksgiving was for the safe arrival of the party, and the next was for the arrival of the "Lion," or some other ship, with a supply of food; and this, it is supposed, was not bartered off for furs. Indian corn, which was a new thing to the settlers, was for a long time the principal diet, occasionally modified with fish; but the truth is, how the settlers managed to live through all this time, in such a climate, up to the times that we know something about, is a complete mystery.

Capt. Roger Clapp, who arrived at Hull on the 30th of May, 1630, about a fortnight before Gov. Winthrop arrived at Salem, and who died in 1690-91, described the state of things "in those days," in the following words:--

"It was not accounted a strange thing in those Days to drink Water,
and to eat Samp or Hominie without Butter or Milk. Indeed, it would
have been a strange thing to see a piece of Roast Beef, Mutton or
Veal; though it was not long before there was Roast Goat. After the
first Winter, we were very Healthy; though some of us had no great
Store of Corn. The Indians did sometimes bring Corn, and Truck with us
for Cloathing and Knives; and once I had a Peck of Corn or
thereabouts, for a little Puppy-Dog. Frost-fish, Muscles and Clams
were a Relief to many."

ANIMALS, BIRDS, AND FISHES.

Wood, in his famous "New England's Prospect," gives some particulars about game and hunting among the early settlers in 1639:--

"Having related unto you the pleasant situation of the country, the
healthfulness of the climate, the nature of the soil, with his
vegetatives, and other commodities; it will not be amiss to inform you
of such irrational creatures as are daily bred, and continually
nourished in this country, which do much conduce to the well-being of
the inhabitants, affording not only meat for the belly, but cloathing
for the back. The beasts be as followeth:--

"The kingly Lion, and the strong arm'd Bear,
The large limb'd Mooses, with the tripping Deer;
Quill-darting Porcupines, and Raccoons be
Castel'd in the hollow of an aged tree;
The skipping Squirrel, Rabbet, purblind Hare,
Immured in the self same castle are,
Lest red-ey'd Ferret, wily Foxes should
Them undermine, if rampir'd but with mould;
The grim-fac'd Ounce, and rav'nous howling Wolf,
Whose meagre paunch sucks like a swallowing gulf;
Black glistering Otters, and rich coated Bever,
The Civet scented Musquash smelling ever."

WHAT BEFELL A HUNTER.

"Two men going a fowling, appointed at evening to meet at a certain
pond side, to share equally, and to return home; one of these gunners
having killed a Seal or Sea-calf, brought it to the pond where he was
to meet his comrade, afterwards returning to the sea-side for more
game, and having loaded himself with more Geese and Ducks he repaired
to the pond, where he saw a great Bear feeding on his seal, which
caused him to throw down his load, and give the Bear a salute; which
though it was but with goose-shot, yet tumbled him over and over;
whereupon the man supposing him to be in a manner dead, ran and beat
him with the handle of his gun. The Bear perceiving him to be such a
coward to strike him when he was down, scrambled up, standing at
defiance with him, scratching his legs, tearing his cloaths and face,
who stood it out till his six foot gun was broken in the middle; then
being deprived of his weapon, he ran up to the shoulders into the
pond, where he remained till the Bear was gone, and his mate come in,
who accompanied him home."

The author gives a peculiar description of the animals named. Of the lion, he says he had never seen one; but others "lost in the woods have heard such terrible roarings as have made them much agast: which must be either Devils or Lions;" so lions have it. The moose "is as big as an ox, slow of foot, headed like a Buck, with a broad beam, some being two yards wide in the head; their flesh is as good as beef, their hides good for cloathing." He describes deer, rabbits, squirrels, &c. The small squirrel troubles the planters so, that they have "to carry their Cats into the corn-fields till their corn be three weeks old." "The beasts of offence be Squncks, Ferrets, Foxes, whose impudence sometimes diverts them to the good Wives Hen-roost, to fill their paunch." He gives a fearful account of the wolves, which set on swine, goats, calves, &c., and care nothing for a dog.

Equally curious with these are his descriptions of the "beasts living in the water," as the otter, musquash, &c., and of "the birds and fowls, both of land and water."

"The princely Eagle, and the soaring Hawk,
Whom in their unknown ways there's none can chalk;
The Humbird for some Queen's rich cage more fit,
Than in the vacant wilderness to sit;
The swift-winged Swallow sweeping to and fro,
As swift as arrows from Tartarian bow;
When as Aurora's infant day new springs,
There th' morning mounting Lark her sweet lays sings;
The harmonious Thrush, swift Pigeon, Turtle Dove,
Who to her mate does ever constant prove;
The Turkey-pheasant, Heathcock, Partridge rare,
The carrion-tearing Crow, and hurtful Stare."

The raven, screech-owl, heron, cormorant, and so on to geese, gulls, mallards, teal, ducks, snipes, and many others. The fish also are rehearsed in verse:--

"The king of waters, the sea-shouldering Whale,
The snuffing Grampus, with the oily Seal;
The storm-presaging Porpus, Herring-Hog,
Line shearing Shark, the Catfish, and Sea Dog;
The scale-fenc'd Sturgeon, wry-mouth'd Hollibut,
The flouncing Salmon, Codfish, Greedigut;
Cole, Haddick, Hake, the Thornback, and the Scate,
Whose Slimy outside makes him seld' in date;
The stately Bass, old Neptune's fleeting post,
That tides it out and in from sea to coast;
Consorting Herrings, and the bony Shad,
Big-bellied Alewives, Mackrels richly clad
With rainbow colour, the Frostfish and the Smelt,
As good as ever Lady Gustus felt;
The spotted Lamprons, Eels, the Lamperies,
That seek fresh-water brooks with Argus eyes;
These watery villagers, with thousands more,
Do pass and repass near the verdant shore."

KINDS OF SHELL-FISH.

"The luscious Lobster, with the Crabfish raw,
The brinish Oyster, Muscle, Perriwig,
And Tortoise fought by the Indian's Squaw,
Which to the flats dance many a winter's jig,
To dive for Cockles, and to dig for Clams,
Whereby her lazy husband's guts she crams."

It was recommended to those who came over after Winthrop, to bring with them a hogshead and a half of meal, "to keep him until he may receive the fruit of his own labors, which will be a year and a half after his arrival, if he land in May or June." Also, "malt, beef, butter, cheese, pease, good wines, vinegar, and strong waters;" and in addition, a variety of clothing, boots, shoes, implements, iron wares, stew-pans, warming-pans, fish-hooks, and every conceivable thing for use or labor, being assured that whatever they did not want, could be disposed of at a profit.

MARKET SUPPLIES.

One of the earliest accounts of the market supplies in Boston is that written by a French refugee in 1687,--almost two hundred years ago. He says,--

"An ox costs from twelve to fifteen crowns; a Cow, eight to ten;
Horses, from ten to fifty Crowns, and in Plenty. There are even wild
ones in the Woods, which are yours if you can catch them. Foals are
sometimes caught. Beef costs Two pence the Pound; Mutton, Two pence;
Pork, from two to three pence, according to the Season; Flour,
Fourteen shillings the one hundred and twelve Pound, all bolted; Fish
is very cheap, and Vegetables also; Cabbage, Turnips, Onions, and
Carrots abound here. Moreover, there are quantities of Nuts,
Chestnuts, and Hazelnuts wild. These nuts are small, but of wonderful
flavor. I have been told that there are other Sorts, which we shall
see in the Season. I am assured that the Woods are full of
Strawberries in the Season. I have seen Quantities of wild Grapevine,
and eaten Grapes of very good Flavor, kept by one of my friends. There
is no Doubt that the Vine will do well; there is some little planted
in the country which has grown. The Rivers are full of Fish, and we
have so great a Quantity of Sea and River Fish that no Account is made
of them."

It is pretty certain that these things have been so ever since.

FAMILY BILL OF FARE.

A later account than this, however, and one with which some who are now living may be more or less familiar, or have heard of, is given as follows:--

"The ordinary food of the early settlers here, for both breakfast and
supper, was bean porridge, with bread and butter. On Sunday morning
there was coffee in addition. Brown bread, made of rye and Indian, was
the staff of life, white bread being used only when guests were
present. Raked pumpkins (in their season) and milk composed a dish
said to be luxurious. [This dish is in common use among the country
people at the present time.] For dinner, twice every week, Sundays and
Thursdays, baked beans and baked Indian pudding, the latter being
served first. [This last custom has gone wholly out of practice; but
the Sunday dinner prevails to-day over the whole of New England, to a
very large extent.] Saturdays, salt fish; one day in every week, salt
pork and corned beef, and one day, also, when practicable, roasted
meat was the rule."

It is surprising how continuously some of these customs have been kept up and prevail.

SEARCHING FOR PROVISIONS.

It is not to be denied that provisions have been scarce in Boston, at times, since the days of the Puritans, hardly now to be realized. Long before the Revolutionary period, in 1711, during one of the wars between France and England, Admiral Sir Hovender Walker, with a fleet of fifteen men-of-war, and forty transports with upwards of five thousand men, arrived in the harbor on his way to the St. Lawrence River, for the protection of Canada. He wanted to victual his ships, and applied to Capt. Belcher (father of Gov. Jonathan Belcher), a rich and leading man, as being the only person who could undertake the service, and he declined it. Next to Mr. Andrew Faneuil, and he undertook it. Provisions were scarce and the price put up, so that a supply could not be had, and the governor was compelled to issue an "order for searching for provisions." The men, during the stay of the fleet, were in camp at Noddle's Island, and it is said that a formidable number of them deserted.