But Admitting Extraordinary Cold In
Those South Parts, Above That With Us Here, It Cannot Be So Great As
In Swedeland, Much Less In Moscovia Or Russia:
Yet are the same
countries very populous, and the rigour of cold is dispensed with by
the commodity of stoves, warm clothing, meats and drinks:
All of which
need not be wanting in the Newfoundland, if we had intent there to
inhabit.
In the south parts we found no inhabitants, which by all likelihood
have abandoned those coasts, the same being so much frequented by
Christians; but in the north are savages altogether harmless. Touching
the commodities of this country, serving either for sustentation of
inhabitants or for maintenance of traffic, there are and may be made
divers; so that it seemeth that nature hath recompensed that only
defect and incommodity of some sharp cold, by many benefits; namely,
with incredible quantity, and no less variety, of kinds of fish in the
sea and fresh waters, as trouts, salmons, and other fish to us
unknown; also cod, which alone draweth many nations thither, and is
become the most famous fishing of the world; abundance of whales, for
which also is a very great trade in the bays of Placentia and the
Grand Bay, where is made train oil of the whale; herring, the largest
that have been heard of, and exceeding the Marstrand herring of
Norway; but hitherto was never benefit taken of the herring fishing.
There are sundry other fish very delicate, namely, the bonito,
lobsters, turbot, with others infinite not sought after; oysters
having pearl but not orient in colour; I took it, by reason they were
not gathered in season.
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