large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb_8
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb
English
8677
It began when Squanto the Indian showed the amazed colonists how he could tread the eels out of the mud with his feet and catch them with his hands. IT BEGAN WHEN SQUANTO THE INDIAN SHOWED THE AMAZED COLONISTS HOW HE COULD TREAD THE EELS OUT OF THE MUD WITH HIS FEET AND CATCH THEM WITH HIS HANDS
 for as early as 1633 a fishing station was established here, and in course of time the North River, winding twenty miles through green meadows to the sea, was once the scene of more shipbuilding than any other river in New England. There is nothing more indicative of the Yankees' shrewd practicality than the early settlers' instant appreciation of the financial and economic potentialities of the fishing-trade. The Spaniard sought for gold in the new country, or contented himself with the fluctuating fur trade with its demoralizing slack seasons. But the New Englander promptly applied himself to the mundane pursuit of cod and mackerel. Everybody fished. As John Smith, in his "Description of New England," says: "Young boyes and girles, salvages or any other, be they never such idlers, may turne, carry, and returne fish without shame or either great pain: he is very idle that is past twelve years of age and cannot doe so much: and shee is very old that cannot spin a thread to catch them. SHING HISTORY FOR AS EARLY AS SIXTEEN THIRTY THREE A FISHING STATION WAS ESTABLISHED HERE AND IN COURSE OF TIME THE NORTH RIVER WINDING TWENTY MILES THROUGH GREEN MEADOWS TO THE SEA WAS ONCE THE SCENE OF MORE SHIP BUILDING THAN ANY OTHER RIVER IN NEW ENGLAND THERE IS NOTHING MORE INDICATIVE OF THE YANKEE'S SHREWD PRACTICALITY THAN THE EARLY SETTLER'S INSTANT APPRECIATION OF THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC POTENTIALITIES OF THE FISHING TRADE THE SPANIARD SOUGHT FOR GOLD IN THE NEW COUNTRY OR CONTENTED HIMSELF WITH THE FLUCTUATING FUR TRADE WITH ITS DEMORALIZING SLACK SEASONS BUT THE NEW ENGLANDER PROMPTLY APPLIED HIMSELF TO THE MUNDANE PURSUIT OF COD AND MACKEREL EVERYBODY FISHED AS JOHN SMITH IN HIS DESCRIPTION OF NEW ENGLAND SAYS YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS SAVAGES OR ANY OTHER BE THEY NEVER SUCH IDLERS MAY TURN CARRY AND RETURN FISH WITHOUT SHAME OR EITHER GREAT PAIN HE IS VERY IDLE THAT IS PAST TWELVE YEARS OF AGE AND CANNOT DO SO MUCH AND SHE IS VERY OLD THAT CANNOT SPIN A THREAD TO CATCH THEM
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb.flac