Theirs.

Ans: Their answer was to this effecte. That if it was y^e Lords wast, it was them selves that found it so, & not they; and have since bought it of y^e right oweners, and maintained a chargable possession upon it al this while, as them selves could not but know. And because of present ingagments and other hinderances which lay at presente upon them, must it therfore be lawfull for them to goe and take it from them? It was well known that they are upon a barren place, wher they were by necessitie cast; and neither they nor theirs could longe continue upon y^e same; and why should they (because they were more ready, & more able at presente) goe and deprive them of that which they had w^th charg & hazard provided, & intended to remove to, as soone as they could & were able?

They had another passage in their letter; they had rather have to doe with the lords in England, to whom (as they heard it reported) some of them should say that they had rather give up their right to them, (if they must part with it,) then to y^e church of Dorchester, &c. And that they should be less fearfull to offend y^e lords, then they were them.

Answer: Their answer was, that what soever they had heard, (more then was true,) yet y^e case was not so with them that they had need to give away their rights & adventurs, either to y^e lords, or them; yet, if they might measure their fear of offence by their practise, they had rather (in that poynte) they should deal with y^e lords, who were beter able to bear it, or help them selves, then they were.

But least I should be teadious, I will forbear other things, and come to the conclusion that was made in y^e endd. To make any forcible resistance was farr from their thoughts, (they had enough of y^t about Kenebeck,) and to live in continuall contention with their freinds & brethren would be uncomfortable, and too heavie a burden to bear. Therfore for peace sake (though they conceived they suffered much in this thing) they thought it better to let them have it upon as good termes as they could gett; and so they fell to treaty. The first thing y^t (because they had made so many & long disputs aboute it) they would have them to grante was, y^t they had right too it, or ells they would never treat aboute it. The[DP] which being acknowledged, & yeelded unto by them, this was y^e conclusion they came unto in y^e end after much adoe: that they should retaine their house, and have the 16. parte of all they had bought of y^e Indeans; and y^e other should have all y^e rest of y^e land; leaveing such a moyety to those [214] of New-towne, as they reserved for them. This 16. part was to be taken in too places; one towards y^e house, the other towards New-townes proporrtion. Also they were to pay according to proportion, what had been disbursed to y^e Indeans for y^e purchass. Thus was y^e controversie ended, but the unkindnes not so soone forgotten. They of New-towne delt more fairly, desireing only what they could conveniently spare, from a competancie reserved for a plantation, for them selves; which made them the more carfull to procure a moyety for them, in this agreement & distribution.

Amongst y^e other bussinesses that M^r. Winslow had to doe in England, he had order from y^e church to provid & bring over some able & fitt man for to be their minister. And accordingly he had procured a godly and a worthy[DQ] man, one M^r. Glover; but it pleased God when he was prepared for the viage, he fell sick of a feaver and dyed. Afterwards, when he was ready to come away, he became acquainted with M^r. Norton, who was willing to come over, but would not ingage him selfe to this place, otherwise then he should see occasion when he came hear; and if he liked better else wher, to repay y^e charge laid out for him, (which came to aboute 70^li.) and to be at his liberty. He stayed aboute a year with them, after he came over, and was well liked of them, & much desired by them; but he was invited to Ipswich, wher were many rich & able men, and sundry of his aquaintance; so he wente to them, & is their minister. Aboute half of y^e charg was repayed, y^e rest he had for y^e pains he tooke amongst them.

Anno Dom: 1636.

In y^e former year, because they perceived by M^r. Winslows later letters that no accounts would be sente, they resolved to keep y^e beaver, and send no more, till they had them, or came to some further agreemente. At least they would forbear till M^r. Winslow came over, that by more full conferance with him they might better understand what was meete to be done. But when he came, though he brought no accounts, yet he perswaded them to send y^e beaver, & was confident upon y^e receite of y^t beaver, & his letters, they should have accounts y^e nexte year; and though they thought his grounds but weake, that gave him this hope, & made him so confidente, yet by his importunitie they yeelded, & sente y^e same, ther being a ship at y^e latter end of year, by whom they sente 1150^li. waight of beaver, and 200. otter skins, besids sundrie small furrs, as 55. minks, 2. black foxe skins, &c. And this year, in the spring, came in a Dutch man, who thought to have traded at y^e Dutch-forte; [215] but they would not suffer him. He, having good store of trading goods, came to this place, & tendred them to sell; of whom they bought a good quantitie, they being very good & fitte for their turne, as Dutch roll, ketles, &c., which goods amounted to y^e valew of 500^li., for y^e paymente of which they passed bills to M^r. Sherley in England, having before sente y^e forementioned parcell of beaver. And now this year (by another ship) sente an other good round parcell that might come to his hands, & be sould before any of these bills should be due. The quantity of beaver now sent was 1809^li. waight, and of otters 10. skins, and shortly after (y^e same year) was sent by another ship (Mr. Langrume maister), in beaver 0719^li. waight, and of otter skins 199. concerning which M^r. Sherley thus writs.

This was all the answer they had from M^r. Sherley, by which M^r. Winslow saw his hops failed him. So they now resoloved to send no more beaver in y^t way which they had done, till they came to some issue or other aboute these things. But now came over letters from M^r. Andrews & M^r. Beachamp full of complaints, that they marveled y^t nothing was sent over, by which any of their moneys should be payed in; for it did appear by y^e accounte sente in An^o 1631. that they were each of them out, aboute a leven hundered pounds a peece, and all this while had not received one penie towards y^e same. But now M^r. Sherley sought to draw more money from them, and was offended because they deneyed him; and blamed them hear very much that all was sent to M^r. Sherley, & nothing to them. They marvelled much at this, for they conceived that much of their moneis had been paid in, & y^t yearly each of them had received a proportionable quantity out of y^e larg returnes sent home. For they had sente home since y^t accounte was received in An^o 1631. (in which all & more then all their debts, w^th y^t years supply, was charged upon them) these sumes following.

All these sumes were safly rceived & well sould, as appears by leters. The coat beaver usualy at 20^s. p^r pound, and some at 24^s.; the skin at 15. & sometimes 16. I doe not remember any under 14. It may be y^e last year might be something lower, so also ther were some small furrs that are not recconed in this accounte, & some black beaver at higer rates, to make up y^e defects. [217] It was conceived that y^e former parcells of beaver came to litle less then 10000^li. sterling, and y^e otter skins would pay all y^e charge, & they w^th other furrs make up besids if any thing wanted of y^e former sume. When y^e former accounte was passed, all their debts (those of White-Angelle & Frendship included) came but to 4770^li. And they could not estimate that all y^e supplies since sent them, & bills payed for them, could come to above 2000^li. so as they conceived their debts had been payed, with advantage or intrest. But it may be objected, how comes it that they could not as well exactly sett downe their receits, as their returnes, but thus estimate it. I answer, 2. things were y^e cause of it; the first & principall was, that y^e new accountante, which they in England would needs presse upon them, did wholy faile them, & could never give them any accounte; but trusting to his memorie, & lose papers, let things rune into such confusion, that neither he, nor any with him, could bring things to rights. But being often called upon to perfecte his accounts, he desired to have such a time, and such a time of leasure, and he would doe it. In y^e intrime he fell into a great sicknes, and in conclusion it fell out he could make no accounte at all. His books were after a litle good begining left altogeather unperfect; and his papers, some were lost, & others so confused, as he knew not what to make of them him selfe, when they came to be searched & examined. This was not unknowne to M^r. Sherley; and they came to smarte for it to purposs, (though it was not their faulte,) both thus in England, and also here; for they conceived they lost some hundreds of pounds for goods trusted out in y^e place, which were lost for want of clear accounts to call them in. Another reason of this mischeefe was, that after M^r. Winslow was sente into England to demand accounts, and to excepte against y^e Whit-Angell, they never had any price sent with their goods, nor any certaine invoyce of them; but all things stood in confusion, and they were faine to guesse at y^e prises of them.

They write back to M^r. Andrews & M^r. Beachamp, and tould them they marveled they should write they had sent nothing home since y^e last accounts; for they had sente a great deale; and it might rather be marveled how they could be able to send so much, besids defraying all charg at home, and what they had lost by the French, and so much cast away at sea, when M^r. Peirce lost his ship on y^e coast of Virginia. What they had sente was to them all, and to them selves as well as M^r. Sherley, and if they did not looke after it, it was their owne falts; they must referr them to M^r. Sherley, who had received [218] it, to demand it of him. They allso write to M^r. Sherley to y^e same purposs, and what the others complaints were.

This year 2. shallops going to Coonigtecutt with goods from y^e Massachusetts of such as removed theither to plante, were in an easterly storme cast away in coming into this harbore in y^e night; the boats men were lost, and the goods were driven all alonge the shore, and strowed up & downe at high-water marke. But y^e Gov^r caused them to be gathered up, and drawn togeather, and appointed some to take an inventory of them, and others to wash & drie such things as had neede therof; by which means most of y^e goods were saved, and restored to y^e owners. Afterwards anotheir boate of theirs (going thither likwise) was cast away near unto Manoanscusett, and such goods as came a shore were preserved for them. Such crosses they mette with in their beginings; which some imputed as a correction from God for their intrution (to y^e wrong of others) into y^t place. But I dare not be bould with Gods judgments in this kind.

In y^e year 1634, the Pequents (a stoute and warlike people), who had made warrs with sundry of their neigbours, and puft up with many victories, grue now at varience with y^e Narigansets, a great people bordering upon them. These Narigansets held correspondance and termes of freindship with y^e English of y^e Massachusetts. Now y^e Pequents, being conscious of y^e guilte of Captain-Stones death, whom they knew to be an-English man, as also those y^t were with him, and being fallen out with y^e Dutch, least they should have over many enemies at once, sought to make freindship with y^e English of y^e Massachusetts; and for y^t end sent both messengers & gifts unto them, as appears by some letters sent from y^e Gov^r hither.

In an other of his, dated y^e 12. of y^e first month, he hath this.

After these things, and, as I take, this year, John Oldom, (of whom much is spoken before,) being now an inhabitant of y^e Massachusetts, went w^th a small vessell, & slenderly mand, a trading into these south parts, and upon a quarell betweene him & y^e Indeans was cutt of by them (as hath been before noted) at an iland called by y^e Indeans Munisses, but since by y^e English Block Iland. This, with y^e former about the death of Stone, and the baffoyling of y^e Pequents with y^e English of y^e Massachusetts, moved them to set out some to take revenge, and require satisfaction for these wrongs; but it was done so superfitially, and without their acquainting of those of Conightecute & other neighbours with y^e same, as they did litle good. But their neigbours had more hurt done, for some of y^e murderers of Oldome fled to y^e Pequents, and though the English went to y^e Pequents, and had some parley with them, yet they did but delude them, & y^e English returned without doing any thing to purpose, being frustrate of their oppertunitie by y^e others deceite. After y^e English were returned, the Pequents tooke their time and oppertunitie to cut of some of y^e English as they passed in boats, and went on fouling, and assaulted them y^e next spring at their habytations, as will appear in its place. I doe but touch these things, because I make no question they wall be more fully & distinctly handled by them selves, who had more exacte knowledg of them, and whom they did more properly concerne.

This year M^r. Smith layed downe his place of ministrie, partly by his owne willingnes, as thinking it too heavie a burthen, and partly at the desire, and by y^e perswasion, of others; and the church sought out for [220][DU] some other, having often been disappointed in their hops and desires heretofore. And it pleased the Lord to send them an able and a godly man,[DV] and of a meeke and humble spirite, sound in y^e truth, and every way unreproveable in his life & conversation; whom, after some time of triall, they chose for their teacher, the fruits of whose labours they injoyed many years with much comforte, in peace, & good agreemente.

Anno Dom: 1637.

In y^e fore parte of this year, the Pequents fell openly upon y^e English at Conightecute, in y^e lower parts of y^e river, and slew sundry of them, (as they were at work in y^e feilds,) both men & women, to y^e great terrour of y^e rest; and wente away in great prid & triumph, with many high threats. They allso assalted a fort at y^e rivers mouth, though strong and well defended; and though they did not their prevaile, yet it struk them with much fear & astonishmente to see their bould attempts in the face of danger; which made them in all places to stand upon their gard, and to prepare for resistance, and ernestly to solissite their freinds and confederats in y^e Bay of Massachusets to send them speedy aide, for they looked for more forcible assaults. M^r. Vane, being then Gov^r, write from their Generall Courte to them hear, to joyne with them in this warr; to which they were cordially willing, but tooke opportunitie to write to them aboute some former things, as well as presente, considerable hereaboute. The which will best appear in y^e Gov^r answer which he returned to y^e same, which I shall here inserte.

In y^e mean time, the Pequents, espetially in y^e winter before, sought to make peace with y^e Narigansets, and used very pernicious arguments to move them therunto: as that y^e English were stranegers and begane to overspred their countrie, and would deprive them therof in time, if they were suffered to grow & increse; and if y^e Narigansets did assist y^e English to subdue them, they did but make way for their owne overthrow, for if they were rooted out, the English would soone take occasion to subjugate them; and if they would harken to them, they should not neede to fear y^e strength of y^e English; for they would not come to open battle with them, but fire their houses, kill their katle, and lye in ambush for them as they went abroad upon their occasions; and all this they might easily doe without any or litle danger to them selves. The which course being held, they well saw the English could not long subsiste, but they would either be starved with hunger, or be forced to forsake the countrie; with many y^e like things; insomuch that y^e Narigansets were once wavering, and were halfe minded to have made peace with them, and joy̅ed against y^e English. But againe when they considered, how much wrong they had received from the Pequents, and what an oppertunitie they now had by y^e help of y^e English to right them selves, revenge was so sweete unto them, as it prevailed above all y^e rest; so as they resolved to joyne with y^e English against them, & did. [223] The Court here agreed forwith to send 50. men at their owne charg; and w^th as much speed as posiblie they could, gott them armed, and had made them ready under sufficiente leaders, and provided a barke to carrie them provisions & tend upon them for all occasions; but when they were ready to march (with a supply from y^e Bay) they had word to stay, for y^e enimy was as good as vanquished, and their would be no neede.

I shall not take upon me exactly to describe their proceedings in these things, because I expecte it will be fully done by them selves, who best know the carrage & circumstances of things; I shall therfore but touch them in generall. From Connightecute (who were most sencible of y^e hurt sustained, & y^e present danger), they sett out a partie of men, and an other partie mett them from y^e Bay, at y^e Narigansets, who were to joyne with them. Y^e Narigansets were ernest to be gone before y^e English were well rested and refreshte, espetially some of them which came last. It should seeme their desire was to come upon y^e enemie sudenly, & undiscovered. Ther was a barke of this place, newly put in ther, which was come from Conightecutte, who did incourage them to lay hold of y^e Indeans forwardnes, and to shew as great forwardnes as they, for it would incorage them, and expedition might prove to their great advantage. So they went on, and so ordered their march, as the Indeans brought them to a forte of y^e enimies (in which most of their cheefe men were) before day. They approached y^e same with great silence, and surrounded it both with English & Indeans, that they might not breake out; and so assualted them with great courage, shooting amongst them, and entered y^e forte with all speed; and those y^t first entered found sharp resistance from the enimie, who both shott at & grapled with them; others rane into their howses, & brought out fire, and sett them on fire, which soone tooke in their matts, &, standing close togeather, with y^e wind, all was quickly on a flame, and therby more were burnte to death then was otherwise slain; it burnte their bowstrings, and made them unservisable. Those y^t scaped y^e fire were slaine with y^e sword; some hewed to peeces, others rune throw with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatchte, and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400. at this time. It was a fearfull sight to see them thus frying in y^e fyer, and y^e streams of blood quenching y^e same, and horrible was y^e stinck & sente ther of; but y^e victory seemed a sweete sacrifice, and they gave the prays therof to God, who had wrought so wonderfuly for them, thus to inclose their enimise in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud & insulting an enimie. The Narigansett Indeans, all this while, stood round aboute, but aloofe from all danger, and left y^e whole [224] execution to y^e English, exept it were y^e stoping of any y^t broke away, insulting over their enimies in this their ruine & miserie, when they saw them dancing in y^e flames, calling them by a word in their owne language, signifing, O brave Pequents! which they used familierly among them selves in their own prayes, in songs of triumph after their victories. After this servis was thus happily accomplished, they marcht to the water side, wher they mett with some of their vesells, by which they had refreishing with victualls & other necessaries. But in their march y^e rest of y^e Pequents drew into a body, and acoasted them, thinking to have some advantage against them by[DX] reason of a neck of land; but when they saw the English prepare for them, they kept a loofe, so as they neither did hurt, nor could receive any. After their refreishing & repair to geather for further counsell & directions, they resolved to pursue their victory, and follow y^e warr against y^e rest, but y^e Narigansett Indeans most of them forsooke them, and such of them as they had with them for guids, or otherwise, they found them very could and backward in y^e bussines, ether out of envie, or y^t they saw y^e English would make more profite of y^e victorie then they were willing they should, or els deprive them of such advantage as them selves desired by having them become tributaries unto them, or y^e like.

For y^e rest of this bussines, I shall only relate y^e same as it is in a leter which came from M^r. Winthrop to y^e Gov^r hear, as followeth.

That I may make an end of this matter: this Sassacouse (y^e Pequents cheefe sachem) being fled to y^e Mowhakes, they cutt of his head, with some other of y^e cheefe of them, whether to satisfie y^e English, or rather y^e Narigansets, (who, as I have since heard, hired them to doe it,) or for their owne advantage, I well know not; but thus this warr tooke end. The rest of y^e Pequents were wholy driven from their place, and some of them submitted them selves to y^e Narigansets, & lived under them; others of them betooke them selves to y^e Monhiggs, under Uncass, their sachem, w^th the approbation of y^e English of Conightecutt, under whose protection Uncass lived, and he and his men had been faithful to them in this warr, & done them very good service. But this did so vexe the Narrigansetts, that they had not y^e whole sweay over them, as they have never ceased plotting and contriving how to bring them under, and because they cannot attaine their ends, because of y^e English who have protected them, they have sought to raise a generall conspiracie against y^e English, as will appear in an other place.

They had now letters againe out of England from M^r. Andrews & M^r. Beachamp, that M^r. Sherley neither had nor would pay them any money, or give them any accounte, and so with much discontent desired them hear to send them some, much blaming them still, that they had sent all to M^r. Sherley, & none to them selves. Now, though they might have justly referred them to their former answer, and insisted ther upon, & some wise men counselled them so to doe, yet because they beleeved that [227] they were realy out round sumes of money, (espetialy M^r. Andrews,) and they had some in their hands, they resolved to send them what bever they had.[EA] M^r. Sherleys letters were to this purpose: that, as they had left him in y^e paiment of y^e former bills, so he had tould them he would leave them in this, and beleeve it, they should find it true. And he was as good as his word, for they could never gett peney from him, nor bring him to any accounte, though Mr. Beachamp sued him in y^e Chancerie. But they all of them turned their complaints against them here, wher ther was least cause, and who had suffered most unjustly; first from M^r. Allerton & them, in being charged with so much of y^t which they never had, nor drunke for; and now in paying all, & more then all (as they conceived), and yet still thus more demanded, and that with many heavie charges. They now discharged M^r. Sherley from his agencie, and forbad him to buy or send over any more goods for them, and prest him to come to some end about these things.

Anno Dom: 1638.

Amongst other enormities that fell out amongst them, this year 3. men were (after due triall) executed for robery & murder which they had committed; their names were these, Arthur Peach, Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings; ther was a 4., Daniel Crose, who was also guilty, but he escaped away, and could not be found. This Arthur Peach was y^e cheefe of them, and y^e ring leader of all y^e rest. He was a lustie and a desperate yonge man, and had been one of y^e souldiers in y^e Pequente warr, and had done as good servise as y^e most ther, and one of y^e forwardest in any attempte. And being now out of means, and loath to worke, and falling to idle courses & company, he intended to goe to y^e Dutch plantation; and had alured these 3., being other mens servants and apprentices, to goe with him. But another cause ther was allso of his secret going away in this maner; he was not only rune into debte, but he had gott a maid with child, (which was not known till after his death,) a mans servante in y^e towne, and fear of punishmente made him gett away. The other 3. complotting with him, ranne away from their maisters in the night, and could not be heard of, for they went not y^e ordinarie way, but shaped such a course as they thought to avoyd y^e pursute of any [228]. But falling into y^e way that lyeth betweene y^e Bay of Massachusetts and the Narrigansets, and being disposed to rest them selves, struck fire, and took tobaco, a litle out of y^e way, by y^e way side. At length ther came a Narigansett Indean by, who had been in y^e Bay a trading, and had both cloth & beads aboute him. (They had meett him y^e day before, & he was now returning.) Peach called him to drinke tobaco with them, and he came & sate downe with them. Peach tould y^e other he would kill him, and take what he had from him. But they were some thing afraid; but he said, Hang him, rogue, he had killed many of them. So they let him alone to doe as he would; and when he saw his time, he tooke a rapier and rane him through the body once or twise, and tooke from him 5. fathume of wampam, and 3. coats of cloath, and wente their way, leaving him for dead. But he scrabled away, when they were gone, and made shift to gett home, (but dyed within a few days after,) by which means they were discovered; and by subtilty the Indeans tooke them. For they desiring a canow to sett them over a water, (not thinking their facte had been known,) by y^e sachems command they were carried to Aquidnett Iland, & ther accused of y^e murder, and were examend & comitted upon it by y^e English ther. The Indeans sent for M^r. Williams, & made a greeveous complainte; his freinds and kinred were ready to rise in armes, and provock the rest therunto, some conceiving they should now find y^e Pequents words trew: that y^e English would fall upon them. But M^r. Williams pacified them, & tould them, they should see justice done upon y^e offenders; & wente to y^e man, & tooke M^r. James, a phisition, with him. The man tould him who did it, & in what maner it was done; but the phisition found his wounds mortall, and that he could not live, (as he after testified upon othe, before the jurie in oppen courte,) and so he dyed shortly after, as both Mr. Williams, M^r. James, & some Indeans testified in courte. The Gov^rt in the Bay were aquented with it, but refferrd it hither, because it was done in this jurisdiction;[EB] but pressed by all means y^t justice might be done in it; or els y^e countrie must rise & see justice done, otherwise it would raise a warr. Yet some of y^e rude & ignorante sorte murmured that any English should be put to death for y^e Indeans. So at last they of y^e iland brought them hither, and being often examened, and y^e evidence prodused, they all in the end freely confessed in effect all y^t the Indean accused them of, & that they had done it, in y^e maner afforesaid; and so, upon y^e forementioned evidence, were cast by y^e jurie, & condemned, & executed for the same. And some of y^e Narigansett Indeans, & of y^e parties freinds, were presente when it was done, which gave them & all y^e countrie good satisfaction. But it was a matter of much sadnes to them hear, and was y^e 2. execution which they had since they came; being both for wilfull murder, as hath bene before related. Thus much of this mater.

[229] They received this year more letters from England full of reneued complaints, on y^e one side, that they could gett no money nor accounte from M^r. Sherley; & he againe, y^t he was pressed therto, saying he was to accounte with those hear, and not with them, &c. So, as was before resolved, if nothing came of their last letters, they would now send them what they could, as supposing, when some good parte was payed them, that M^r. Sherley & they would more easily agree aboute y^e remainder.

So they sent to M^r. Andrews and M^r. Beachamp, by M^r. Joseph Yonge, in y^e Mary & Anne, 1325^li. waight of beaver, devided betweene them. M^r. Beachamp returned an accounte of his moyety, that he made 400^li. starling of it, fraight and all charges paid. But M^r. Andrews, though he had y^e more and beter parte, yet he made not so much of his, through his owne indiscretion; and yet turned y^e loss[EC] upon them hear, but without cause.

They sent them more by bills & other paimente, which was received & acknowledged by them, in money[ED] & y^e like; which was for katle sould of M^r. Allertons, and y^e price of a bark sold, which belonged to y^e stock, and made over to them in money, 434^li. sterling. The whole sume was 1234^li. sterling, save what M^r. Andrews lost in y^e beaver, which was otherwise made good. But yet this did not stay their clamors, as will apeare here after more at large.

It pleased God, in these times, so to blesse y^e cuntry with such access & confluance of people into it, as it was therby much inriched, and catle of all kinds stood at a high rate for diverce years together. Kine were sould at 20^li. and some at 25^li. a peece, yea, some times at 28^li. A cow-calfe usually at 10^li. A milch goate at 3^li. & some at 4^li. And femall kids at 30^s. and often at 40^s. a peece. By which means y^e anciente planters which had any stock begane to grow in their estats. Corne also wente at a round rate, viz. 6^s. a bushell. So as other trading begane to be neglected; and the old partners (having now forbidden M^r. Sherley to send them any more goods) broke of their trade at Kenebeck, and, as things stood, would follow it no longer. But some of them, (with other they joyned with,) being loath it should be lost by discontinuance, agreed with y^e company for it, and gave them aboute y^e 6. parte of their gaines for it; [230][EE] with y^e first fruits of which they builte a house for a prison; and the trade ther hath been since continued, to y^e great benefite of y^e place; for some well fore-sawe that these high prises of corne and catle would not long continue, and that then y^e com̅odities ther raised would be much missed.

This year, aboute y^e 1. or 2. of June, was a great & fearfull earthquake; it was in this place heard before it was felte. It came with a rumbling noyse, or low murmure, like unto remoate thunder; it came from y^e norward, & pased southward. As y^e noyse aproched nerer, they earth begane to shake, and came at length with that violence as caused platters, dishes, & such like things as stoode upon shelves, to clatter & fall downe; yea, persons were afraid of y^e houses them selves. It so fell oute y^t at y^e same time diverse of y^e cheefe of this towne were mett together at one house, conferring with some of their freinds that were upon their removall from y^e place, (as if y^e Lord would herby shew y^e signes of his displeasure, in their shaking a peeces & removalls one from an other.) How ever it was very terrible for y^e time, and as y^e men were set talking in y^e house, some women & others were without y^e dores, and y^e earth shooke with y^t violence as they could not stand without catching hould of y^e posts & pails y^t stood next them; but y^e violence lasted not long. And about halfe an hower, or less, came an other noyse & shaking, but nether so loud nor strong as y^e former, but quickly passed over; and so it ceased. It was not only on y^e sea coast, but y^e Indeans felt it within land; and some ships that were upon y^e coast were shaken by it. So powerfull is y^e mighty hand of y^e Lord, as to make both the earth & sea to shake, and the mountaines to tremble before him, when he pleases; and who can stay his hand? It was observed that y^e som̅ers, for divers years togeather after this earthquake, were not so hotte & seasonable for y^e ripning of corne & other fruits as formerly; but more could & moyst, & subjecte to erly & untimly frosts, by which, many times, much Indean corne came not to maturitie; but whether this was any cause, I leave it to naturallists to judge.

Anno Dom: 1639. & Anno Dom: 1640.

These 2. years I joyne togeather, because in them fell not out many things more then y^e ordinary passages of their com̅one affaires, which are not needfull to be touched. [231] Those of this plantation having at sundrie times granted lands for severall townships, and amongst y^e rest to y^e inhabitants of Sityate, some wherof issewed from them selves, and allso a large tracte of land was given to their 4. London partners in y^e place, viz. M^r. Sherley, M^r. Beacham, M^r. Andrews, & M^r. Hatherley. At M^r. Hatherley's request and choys it was by him taken for him selfe and them in y^t place; for the other 3. had invested him with power & trust to chose for them. And this tracte of land extended to their utmoste limets that way, and bordered on their neigbours of y^e Massachusets, who had some years after seated a towne (called Hingam) on their lands next to these parts. So as now ther grue great differance betweene these 2. townships, about their bounds, and some meadow grownds that lay betweene them. They of Hingam presumed to alotte parte of them to their people, and measure & stack them out. The other pulled up their stacks, & threw them. So it grew to a controversie betweene the 2. goverments, & many letters and passages were betweene them aboute it; and it hunge some 2. years in suspense. The Courte of Massachusets, appointed some to range their line according to y^e bounds of their patente, and (as they wente to worke) they made it to take in all Sityate, and I know not how much more. Againe, on y^e other hand, according to y^e line of the patente of this place, it would take in Hingame and much more within their bounds.

In y^e end boath Courts agreed to chose 2. comissioners of each side, and to give them full & absolute power to agree and setle y^e bounds betwene them; and what they should doe in y^e case should stand irrevocably. One meeting they had at Hingam, but could not conclude; for their comissioners stoode stiffly on a clawes in their graunte, That from Charles-river, or any branch or parte therof, they were to extend their limits, and 3. myles further to y^e southward; or from y^e most southward parte of y^e Massachusets Bay, and 3. mile further. But they chose to stand on y^e former termes, for they had found a smale river, or brooke rather, that a great way with in land trended southward, and issued into some part of y^t river taken to be Charles-river, and from y^e most southerly part of this, & 3. mile more southward of y^e same, they would rune a line east to y^e sea, aboute 20. mile; which will (say they) take in a part of Plimoth itselfe. Now it is to be knowne y^t though this patente & plantation were much the ancienter, yet this inlargemente of the same (in which Sityate stood) was granted after theirs, and so theirs were first to take place, before this inlargmente. Now their answer was, first, that, however according to their owne plan, they could noway come upon any part of their ancieante grante. [232] Secondly. They could never prove y^t to be a parte of Charles-river, for they knew not which was Charles-river, but as y^e people of this place, which came first, imposed such a name upon y^t river, upon which, since, Charles-towne is builte (supposing y^t was it, which Captaine Smith in his mapp so named). Now they y^t first named it have best reason to know it, and to explaine which is it. But they only tooke it to be Charles river, as fare as it was by them navigated, and y^t was as farr as a boate could goe. But y^t every runlett or small brooke, y^t should, farr within land, come into it, or mixe their stremes with it, and were by y^e natives called by other & differente names from it, should now by them be made Charles-river, or parts of it, they saw no reason for it. And gave instance in Humber, in Old England, which had y^e Trente, Ouse, and many others of lesser note fell into it, and yet were not counted parts of it; and many smaler rivers & broks fell into y^e Trente, & Ouse, and no parts of them, but had nams aparte, and divisions & nominations of them selves. Againe, it was pleaded that they had no east line in their patente, but were to begine at y^e sea, and goe west by a line, &c. At this meeting no conclution was made, but things discussed & well prepared for an issue. The next year y^e same com̅issioners had their power continued or renewed, and mett at Sityate, and concluded y^e mater, as followeth.