New Englands Prospect. A true, lively and experimentall description of that part of America, commonly called New England. London: Thomas Cotes for John Bellamie, 1635. 4to (184 x 140 mm). A-M⁴. Folding woodcut map: The South part of New-England, as it is Planted this yeare, 1635, 310 x 190 mm (sheet size). Early 19th-century diced russia. Title soiled and with some minor marginal fraying, map with 2 short marginal tears and trimmed close to neat-line at left margin, some browning and soiling, especially to gatherings A–C and pages E4v and F1r, rubbed, rebacked, spine flaking.
Provenance: purchased from Dalrymple's in 1809 unbound, and bound in 1810 (note on the front fly-leaf); later ownership inscription.

SECOND EDITION OF THE FIRST DETAILED ACCOUNT AND MAP OF MASSACHUSETTS. Wood's narrative is divided into two parts, the first describing the natural life and individual settlements in New England with a chapter of advice to voyagers, and the second discussing the native tribes which contains a 5-page vocabulary. This second edition is reprinted from the first edition of 1634 with errata corrected and the date changed on the map.
Wood resided in New England, probably Lynn, from 1629-1633. His prose style is unusually fresh and engaging for a book of this type. He offers details of the "hurtful things" to be found in New England, chiefly rattlesnakes and mosquitoes.
The topographical descriptions of the Massachusetts towns, in tandem with the map, offer the first detailed picture of the area. Many of the towns shown here are not present on the John Smith map and Cape Cod appears for the first time on a large scale. Church 433; European Americana 635/134; JCB II:258; Pilling, Algonquian, 535; Sabin 105075; Schwartz & Ehrenberg, p 100 (1634 map); STC 25958; Vail 89; Burden 239 (map).