Beasts and Animals

Page 21 (Fig. A) from William Wood's book New England's Prospect begins to describe the numerous animals that live in the area.  Wood draws on poetry, addressing the animals he intends to focus on through a brief piece.  This combination of the artist and the factual is important for a number of reasons.  Firstly, it points to a general trend of the era, wherein the philosophical, scientific, and poetic circles seemed to intermingle at times.  Secondly, Wood is rightly appealing to his intended audience.  This book is meant to offer wealthy people in England and the American colonies a glimpse at how they might travel through the American Northeast.  The high value placed on poetry and writing would have been appealing to the readers at the time.  Lastly, it kept the book from being boring.  Seeing as the point of the book was to inspire people to go out and explore, it was important that Wood keep his readers interested and entertained.  He then goes on to describe the "Lyon" and its habits.  Obviously, there are no lions in New England.  However, Wood's description of them harkens back to the works of Pliny the Elder, wherein animals--such as lions--are given personalities and are generally anthropomorphized.  Overall, the author conveys a sense of caution and curiosity to the reader throughout this chapter.

Page 24 (Fig. B) is part of the same chapter on beasts and animals in New England.  Three of the creatures it focuses on are deer, porcupines, and raccoons.  Much of the page is dedicated to discussing deer.  Wood gives some description into the best times to hunt and catch the deer, pointing to winter as the season when they are the fattest.  This section harkens back to the underlying principle in maintaining a colony or expedition:  basic survival.  This page in particular focuses on the fact that deer were common in New England and that they could be hunted.  It is important to realize that the importance on hunting in this section should not to be overlooked. In adding this section about the deer, Wood is acknowledging the fact that self-sustainability in the wilderness is key for the survival of explorers and colonies.  Additionally, this emphasis on deer points to the animals as a staple game meat that could be eaten in New England.  Later in the page, Wood describes the porcupine and raccoon.  He brings a personal element to the description, pointing out that a raccoon lives in the tower of the town in which he resides.  That personal touch Wood adds to the discussion makes his points all that more realistic.  Thus, it brings the readers deeper into the image of New England that is being created because of the personal experiences involved.