New Englands Prospect

New Englands Prospect

1634

Printed in London in 1634, New England’s Prospect served as one of England’s earliest and best glimpses into life in the New World. The text of the work included descriptions of plant life, geography, and climate in addition to explications of Native American life and English settlement. William Wood’s work was as much a study of the topography of New England as it was an ethnological study of New England’s original inhabitants, and for these reasons was incredibly popular in London.

At the end of the volume Wood includes a short vocabulary of native words and phrases, “because many have desired to heare some of the native language, I have here inserted a small nomenclator....”  Algonquian words for parts of the body, time of day, and wildlife are included, as well as place names and villages.

Wood, William, active 1629-1635.

Printed at London : by Tho. Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, and are to be sold at his shop, at the three golden lyons in Corne-hill, neere the Royall Exchange.

[8], 98, [6] p., [1] folded leaf of plates : map ; 19 cm. (4to)

204134

Book

New Englands prospect. : A true, lively, and experimentall description of that part of America, commonly called New England: discovering the state of that countrie, both as it stands to our new-come English planters; and to the old native inhabitants. Laying downe that which may both enrich the knowledge of the mind-travelling reader, or benefit the future voyager.