But above all he comends Pacanawkite for y^e richest soyle, and much open ground fitt for English graine, &c.

With sundrie shuch relations which I forbear to transcribe, being now better knowne then they were to him.

He was taken prisoner by y^e Indeans at Manamoiak (a place not farr from hence, now well knowne). He gave them what they demanded for his liberty, but when they had gott what they desired, they kept him still & indevored to kill his men; but he was freed by seasing on some of them, and kept them bound till they gave him a cannows load of corne. Of which, see Purch: lib. 9. fol. 1778. But this was An^o: 1619.

After y^e writing of y^e former relation he came to y^e Ile of Capawack (which lyes south of this place in y^e way to Virginia), and y^e foresaid Squanto w^th him, wher he going a shore amongst y^e Indans to trad, as he used to doe, was betrayed & assaulted by them, & all his men slaine, but one that kept the boat; but him selfe gott abord very sore wounded, & they had cut of his head upon y^e cudy of his boat, had not y^e man reskued him with a sword. And so they got away, & made shift to gett into Virginia, wher he dyed; whether of his wounds or y^e diseases of y^e cuntrie, or both togeather, is uncertaine. [60] By all which it may appeare how farr these people were from peace, and with what danger this plantation was begune, save as y^e powerfull hand of the Lord did protect them. These things[AM] were partly the reason why they kept aloofe & were so long before they came to the English. An other reason (as after them selvs made know̅) was how aboute 3. years before, a French-ship was cast away at Cap-Codd, but y^e men gott ashore, & saved their lives, and much of their victails, & other goods; but after y^e Indeans heard of it, they geathered togeather from these parts, and never left watching & dogging them till they got advantage, and kild them all but 3. or 4. which they kept, & sent from one Sachem to another, to make sporte with, and used them worse then slaves; (of which y^e foresaid M^r. Dermer redeemed 2. of them;) and they conceived this ship was now come to revenge it.

Also, (as after was made knowne,) before they came to y^e English to make freindship, they gott all the Powachs of y^e cuntrie, for 3. days togeather, in a horid and divellish maner to curse & execrate them with their cunjurations, which asembly & service they held in a darke & dismale swampe.

But to returne. The spring now approaching, it pleased God the mortalitie begane to cease amongst them, and y^e sick and lame recovered apace, which put as it were new life into them; though they had borne their sadd affliction with much patience & contentednes, as I thinke any people could doe. But it was y^e Lord which upheld them, and had beforehand prepared them; many having long borne y^e yoake, yea from their youth. Many other smaler maters I omite, sundrie of them having been allready published in a Jurnall made by one of the company; and some other passages of jurneys and relations allredy published, to which I referr those that are willing to know them more perticulerly. And being now come to y^e 25. of March I shall begine y^e year 1621.

[61] Anno. 1621.

They now begane to dispatch y^e ship away which brought them over, which lay tille aboute this time, or y^e begining of Aprill. The reason on their parts why she stayed so long, was y^e necessitie and danger that lay upon them, for it was well towards y^e ende of Desember before she could land any thing hear, or they able to receive any thing ashore. Afterwards, y^e 14. of Jan: the house which they had made for a generall randevoze by casulty fell afire, and some were faine to retire abord for shilter. Then the sicknes begane to fall sore amongst them, and y^e weather so bad as they could not make much sooner any dispatch. Againe, the Gov^r & cheefe of them, seeing so many dye, and fall downe sick dayly, thought it no wisdom to send away the ship, their condition considered, and y^e danger they stood in from y^e Indeans, till they could procure some shelter; and therfore thought it better to draw some more charge upon them selves & freinds, then hazard all. The m^r. and sea-men likewise, though before they hasted y^e passengers a shore to be goone, now many of their men being dead, & of y^e ablest of them, (as is before noted,) and of y^e rest many lay sick & weake, y^e m^r. durst not put to sea, till he saw his men begine to recover, and y^e hart of winter over.

Afterwards they (as many as were able) began to plant ther corne, in which servise Squanto stood them in great stead, showing them both y^e maner how to set it, and after how to dress & tend it. Also he tould them excepte they gott fish & set with it (in these old grounds) it would come to nothing, and he showed them y^t in y^e midle of Aprill they should have store enough come up y^e brooke, by which they begane to build, and taught them how to take it, and wher to get other provissions necessary for them; all which they found true by triall & experience. Some English seed they sew, as wheat & pease, but it came not to good, eather by y^e badnes of y^e seed, or latenes of y^e season, or both, or some other defecte.

[62] In this month of Aprill whilst they were bussie about their seed, their Gov^r (M^r. John Carver) came out of y^e feild very sick, it being a hott day; he complained greatly of his head, and lay downe, and within a few howers his sences failed, so as he never spake more till he dyed, which was within a few days after. Whoss death was much lamented, and caused great heavines amongst them, as ther was cause. He was buried in y^e best maner they could, with some vollies of shott by all that bore armes; and his wife, being a weak woman, dyed within 5. or 6. weeks after him.

Shortly after William Bradford was chosen Gove^r in his stead, and being not yet recoverd of his ilnes, in which he had been near y^e point of death, Isaak Allerton was chosen to be an Asistante unto him, who, by renewed election every year, continued sundry years togeather, which I hear note once for all.

May 12. was y^e first mariage in this place, which, according to y^e laudable custome of the Low-Cuntries, in which they had lived, was thought most requisite to be performed by the magistrate, as being a civill thing, upon which many questions aboute inheritances doe depende, with other things most proper to their cognizans, and most consonante to y^e scripturs, Ruth 4. and no wher found in y^e gospell to be layed on y^e ministers as a part of their office. "This decree or law about mariage was published by y^e Stats of y^e Low-Cuntries An^o: 1590. That those of any religion, after lawfull and open publication, coming before y^e magistrats, in y^e Town or Stat-house, were to be orderly (by them) maried one to another." Petets Hist, fol: 1029. And this practiss hath continued amongst, not only them, but hath been followed by all y^e famous churches of Christ in these parts to this time,—An^o: 1646.

Haveing in some sorte ordered their bussines at home, it was thought meete to send some abroad to see their new friend Massasoyet, and to bestow upon him some gratuitie to bind him y^e faster unto them; as also that hearby they might veiw y^e countrie, and see in what maner he lived, what strength he had aboute him, and how y^e ways were to his place, if at any time they should have occasion. So y^e 2. of July they sente M^r. Edward Winslow & M^r. Hopkins, with y^e foresaid Squanto for ther guid, who gave him a suite of cloaths, and a horsemans coate, with some other small things, which were kindly accepted; but they found but short com̅ons, and came both weary & hungrie home. For y^e Indeans used then to have nothing [63] so much corne as they have since y^e English have stored them with their hows, and seene their industrie in breaking up new grounds therwith. They found his place to be 40. miles from hence, y^e soyle good, & y^e people not many, being dead & abundantly wasted in y^e late great mortalitie which fell in all these parts aboute three years before y^e coming of y^e English, wherin thousands of them dyed, they not being able to burie one another; ther sculs and bones were found in many places lying still above ground, where their houses & dwellings had been; a very sad spectackle to behould. But they brought word that y^e Narighansets lived but on y^e other side of that great bay, & were a strong people, & many in number, living compacte togeather, & had not been at all touched with this wasting plague.

Aboute y^e later end of this month, one John Billington lost him selfe in y^e woods, & wandered up & downe some 5. days, living on beries & what he could find. At length he light on an Indean plantation, 20. mils south of this place, called Manamet, they conveid him furder of, to Nawsett, among those peopl that had before set upon y^e English when they were costing, whilest y^e ship lay at y^e Cape, as is before noted. But y^e Gove^r caused him to be enquired for among y^e Indeans, and at length Massassoyt sent word wher he was, and y^e Gove^r sent a shalop for him, & had him delivered. Those people also came and made their peace; and they gave full satisfaction to those whose come they had found & taken when they were at Cap-Codd.

Thus ther peace & aquaintance was prety well establisht w^th the natives aboute them; and ther was an other Indean called Hobamack come to live amongst them, a proper lustie man, and a man of accounte for his vallour & parts amongst y^e Indeans, and continued very faithfull and constant to y^e English till he dyed. He & Squanto being gone upon bussines amonge y^e Indeans, at their returne (whether it was out of envie to them or malice to the English) ther was a Sachem called Corbitant, alyed to Massassoyte, but never any good friend to y^e English to this day, mett with them at an Indean towne caled Namassakett 14. miles to y^e west of this place, and begane to quarell w^th [64] them, and offered to stabe Hobamack; but being a lusty man, he cleared him selfe of him, and came run̅ing away all sweating and tould y^e Gov^r what had befalne him, and he feared they had killed Squanto, for they threatened them both, and for no other cause but because they were freinds to y^e English, and servisable unto them. Upon this y^e Gove^r taking counsell, it was conceivd not fitt to be borne; for if they should suffer their freinds & messengers thus to be wronged, they should have none would cleave unto them, or give them any inteligence, or doe them serviss afterwards; but nexte they would fall upon them selves. Whereupon it was resolved to send y^e Captaine & 14. men well armed, and to goe & fall upon them in y^e night; and if they found that Squanto was kild, to cut of Corbitants head, but not to hurt any but those that had a hand in it. Hobamack was asked if he would goe & be their guid, & bring them ther before day. He said he would, & bring them to y^e house wher the man lay, and show them which was he. So they set forth y^e 14. of August, and beset y^e house round; the Captin giving charg to let none pass out, entred y^e house to search for him. But he was goone away that day, so they mist him; but understood y^t Squanto was alive, & that he had only threatened to kill him, & made an offer to stabe him but did not. So they withheld and did no more hurte, & y^e people came trembling, & brought them the best provissions they had, after they were aquainted by Hobamack what was only intended. Ther was 3. sore wounded which broak out of y^e house, and asaid to pass through y^e garde. These they brought home with them, & they had their wounds drest & cured, and sente home. After this they had many gratulations from diverce sachims, and much firmer peace; yea, those of y^e Iles of Capawack sent to make frendship; and this Corbitant him selfe used y^e mediation of Massassoyte to make his peace, but was shie to come neare them a longe while after.

After this, y^e 18. of Septemb^r: they sente out ther shalop to the Massachusets, with 10. men, and Squanto for their guid and [65] interpreter, to discover and veiw that bay, and trade with y^e natives; the which they performed, and found kind entertainement. The people were much affraid of y^e Tarentins, a people to y^e eastward which used to come in harvest time and take away their corne, & many times kill their persons. They returned in saftie, and brought home a good quanty of beaver, and made reporte of y^e place, wishing they had been ther seated; (but it seems y^e Lord, who assignes to all men y^e bounds of their habitations, had apoynted it for an other use). And thus they found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to blesse their outgoings & incom̅ings, for which let his holy name have y^e praise for ever, to all posteritie.

They begane now to gather in y^e small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & strenght, and had all things in good plenty; for as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which y^ey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion. All y^e som̅er ther was no wante. And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter aproached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besids water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, &c. Besids they had aboute a peck a meale a weeke to a person, or now since harvest, Indean corne to y^t proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their freinds in England, which were not fained, but true reports.

In Novemb^r, about y^e time twelfe month that them selves came, ther came in a small ship to them unexpected or loked for,[AN] in which came Mr. Cushman (so much spoken of before) and with him 35. persons to remaine & live in y^e plantation; which did not a litle rejoyce them. And they when they came a shore and found all well, and saw plenty of vitails in every house, were no less glade. For most of them were lusty yonge men, and many of them wild enough, who litle considered whither or aboute what they wente, till they came into y^e harbore at Cap-Codd, and ther saw nothing but a naked and barren place. They then begane to thinke what should become of them, if the people here were dead or cut of by y^e Indeans. They begane to consulte (upon some speeches that some of y^e sea-men had cast out) to take y^e sayls from y^e yeard least y^e ship [66] should gett away and leave them ther. But y^e m^r. hereing of it, gave them good words, and tould them if any thing but well should have befallne y^e people hear, he hoped he had vitails enough to cary them to Virginia, and whilst he had a bitt they should have their parte; which gave them good satisfaction. So they were all landed; but ther was not so much as bisket-cake or any other victialls[AO] for them, neither had they any beding, but some sory things they had in their cabins, nor pot, nor pan, to drese any meate in; nor overmany cloaths, for many of them had brusht away their coats & cloaks at Plimoth as they came. But ther was sent over some burching-lane suits in y^e ship, out of which they were supplied. The plantation was glad of this addition of strenght, but could have wished that many of them had been of beter condition, and all of them beter furnished with provissions; but y^t could not now be helpte.

In this ship M^r. Weston sent a large leter to M^r. Carver, y^e late Gove^r, now deseased, full of complaints & expostulations aboute former passagess at Hampton; and y^e keeping y^e shipe so long in y^e country, and returning her without lading, &c., which for brevitie I omite. The rest is as followeth.

This ship (caled y^e Fortune) was speedily dispatcht away, being laden with good clapbord as full as she could stowe, and 2. hoggsheads of beaver and otter skins, which they gott with a few trifling comodities brought with them at first, being alltogeather unprovided for trade; neither was ther any amongst them that ever saw a beaver skin till they came hear, and were informed by Squanto. The fraight was estimated to be worth near 500^li. M^r. Cushman returned backe also with this ship, for so Mr. Weston & y^e rest had apoynted him, for their better information. And he doubted not, nor them selves neither, but they should have a speedy supply; considering allso how by M^r. Cushmans perswation, and letters received from Leyden, wherin they willed them so to doe, they yeelded[AP] to y^e afforesaid conditions, and subscribed them with their hands. But it proved other wise, for Mr. Weston, who had made y^e large promise in his leter, (as is before noted,) that if all y^e rest should fall of, yet he would never quit y^e bussines, but stick to them, if they yeelded to y^e conditions, and sente some lading in y^e ship; and of this M^r. Cushman was confident, and confirmed y^e same from his mouth, & serious protestations to him selfe before he came. But all proved but wind, for he was y^e first and only man that forsooke them, and that before he so much as heard of y^e returne of this ship, or knew what was done; (so vaine is the confidence in man.) But of this more in its place.

A leter in answer to his write to M^r. Carver, was sente to him from y^e Gov^r, of which so much as is pertenente to y^e thing in hand I shall hear inserte.

The rest of y^e letter declared how they had subscribed those conditions according to his desire, and sente him y^e former accounts very perticulerly; also how y^e ship was laden, and in what condition their affairs stood; that y^e coming of these [69] people would bring famine upon them unavoydably, if they had not supply in time (as Mr. Cushman could more fully informe him & y^e rest of y^e adventurers). Also that seeing he was now satisfied in all his demands, that offences would be forgoten, and he remember his promise, &c.

After y^e departure of this ship, (which stayed not above 14. days,) the Gove^r & his assistante haveing disposed these late com̅ers into severall families, as y^ey best could, tooke an exacte accounte of all their provissions in store, and proportioned y^e same to y^e number of persons, and found that it would not hould out above 6. months at halfe alowance, and hardly that. And they could not well give less this winter time till fish came in againe. So they were presently put to half alowance, one as well as an other, which begane to be hard, but they bore it patiently under hope of supply.

Sone after this ships departure, y^e great people of y^e Narigansets, in a braving maner, sente a messenger unto them with a bundl of arrows tyed aboute with a great sneak-skine; which their interpretours tould them was a threatening & a chaleng. Upon which y^e Gov^r, with y^e advice of others, sente them a round answere, that if they had rather have warre then peace, they might begine when they would; they had done them no wrong, neither did y^ey fear them, or should they find them unprovided. And by another messenger sente y^e sneake-skine back with bulits in it; but they would not receive it, but sent it back againe. But these things I doe but mention, because they are more at large allready put forth in printe, by M^r. Winslow, at y^e requeste of some freinds. And it is like y^e reason was their owne ambition, who, (since y^e death of so many of y^e Indeans,) thought to dominire & lord it over y^e rest, & conceived y^e English would be a barr in their way, and saw that Massasoyt took sheilter allready under their wings.

But this made them y^e more carefully to looke to them selves, so as they agreed to inclose their dwellings with a good strong pale, and make flankers in convenient places, with gates to shute, which were every night locked, and a watch kept, and when neede required ther was also warding in y^e day time. And y^e company was by y^e Captaine and y^e Gov^r [70] advise, devided into 4. squadrons, and every one had ther quarter apoynted them, unto which they were to repaire upon any suddane alarme. And if ther should be any crie of fire, a company were appointed for a gard, with muskets, whilst others quenchet y^e same, to prevent Indean treachery. This was accomplished very cherfully, and y^e towne impayled round by y^e begining of March, in which evry family had a prety garden plote secured. And herewith I shall end this year. Only I shall remember one passage more, rather of mirth then of waight. One y^e day called Chrismasday, y^e Gov^r caled them out to worke, (as was used,) but y^e most of this new-company excused them selves and said it wente against their consciences to work on y^t day. So y^e Gov^r tould them that if they made it mater of conscience, he would spare them till they were better informed. So he led-away y^e rest and left them; but when they came home at noone from their worke, he found them in y^e streete at play, openly; some pitching y^e barr, & some at stoole-ball, and shuch like sports. So he went to them, and tooke away their implements, and tould them that was against his conscience, that they should play & others worke. If they made y^e keeping of it mater of devotion, let them kepe their houses, but ther should be no gameing or revelling in y^e streets. Since which time nothing hath been atempted that way, at least openly.

Anno 1622.

At y^e spring of y^e year they had apointed y^e Massachusets to come againe and trade with them, and begane now to prepare for that vioag about y^e later end of March. But upon some rumors heard, Hobamak, their Indean, tould them upon some jealocies he had, he feared they were joyned w^th y^e Narighansets and might betray them if they were not carefull. He intimated also some jealocie of Squanto, by what he gathered from some private whisperings betweene him and other Indeans. But [71] they resolved to proseede, and sente out their shalop with 10. of their cheefe men aboute y^e begining of Aprill, and both Squanto & Hobamake with them, in regarde of y^e jelocie betweene them. But they had not bene gone longe, but an Indean belonging to Squantos family came runing in seeming great fear, and tould them that many of y^e Narihgansets, with Corbytant, and he thought also Massasoyte, were coming against them; and he gott away to tell them, not without danger. And being examined by y^e Gov^r, he made as if they were at hand, and would still be looking back, as if they were at his heels. At which the Governor caused them to take armes & stand on their garde, and supposing y^e boat to be still within hearing (by reason it was calme) caused a warning peece or 2. to be shote of, the which y^ey heard and came in. But no Indeans apeared; watch was kepte all night, but nothing was scene. Hobamak was confidente for Massasoyt, and thought all was false; yet y^e Gov^r caused him to send his wife privatly, to see what she could observe (pretening other occasions), but ther was nothing found, but all was quiet. After this they proseeded on their vioge to y^e Massachusets, and had good trade, and returned in saftie, blessed be God.

But by the former passages, and other things of like nature, they begane to see y^t Squanto sought his owne ends, and plaid his owne game, by putting y^e Indeans in fear, and drawing gifts from them to enrich him selfe; making them beleeve he could stur up warr against whom he would, & make peece for whom he would. Yea, he made them beleeve they kept y^e plague buried in y^e ground, and could send it amongs whom they would, which did much terrifie the Indeans, and made them depend more on him, and seeke more to him then to Massasoyte, which proucured him envie, and had like to have cost him his life. For after y^e discovery of his practises, Massasoyt sought it both privatly and openly; which caused him to stick close to y^e English, & never durst goe from them till he dyed. They also made good use of y^e emulation y^t grue betweene Hobamack and him, which made them cary more squarely. And y^e Gov^r seemed to countenance y^e one, and y^e Captaine y^e other, by which they had better intelligence, and made them both more diligente.

[72] Now in a maner their provissions were wholy spent, and they looked hard for supply, but none came. But about y^e later end of May, they spied a boat at sea, which at first they thought had beene some Frenchman; but it proved a shalop which came from a ship which M^r. Weston & an other had set out a fishing, at a place called Damarins-cove, 40. leagues to y^e eastward of them, wher were y^t year many more ships come a fishing. This boat brought 7. passengers and some letters, but no vitails, nor any hope of any. Some part of which I shall set downe.

Sundry other things I pass over, being tedious & impertinent.

All this was but could comfort to fill their hungrie bellies, and a slender performance of his former late promiss; and as litle did it either fill or warme them, as those y^e Apostle James spake of, by him before mentioned. And well might it make them remember what y^e psalmist saith, Psa. 118. 8. It is better to trust in the Lord, then to have confidence in man. And Psa. 146. Put not you trust in princes (much less in y^e marchants) nor in y^e sone of man, for ther is no help in them. v. 5. Blesed is he that hath y^e God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in y^e Lord his God. And as they were now fayled of suply by him and others in this their greatest neede and wants, which was caused by him and y^e rest, who put so great a company of men upon them, as y^e former company were, without any food, and came at shuch a time as they must live almost a whole year before any could [74] be raised, excepte they had sente some; so, upon y^e pointe they never had any supply of vitales more afterwards (but what the Lord gave them otherwise); for all y^e company sent at any time was allways too short for those people y^t came with it.

Ther came allso by y^e same ship other leters, but of later date, one from M^r. Weston, an other from a parte of y^e adventurers, as foloweth.

Another leter was write from part of y^e company of y^e adventurers to the same purpose, and subscribed with 9. of their names, wherof M^r. Westons & M^r. Beachamphs were tow. Thes things seemed strang unto them, seeing this unconstancie & shufling; it made them to thinke ther was some misterie in y^e matter. And therfore y^e Gov^r concealed these letters from y^e publick, only imparted them to some trustie freinds for advice, who concluded with him, that this tended to disband & scater them (in regard of their straits); and if M^r. Weston & others, who seemed to rune in a perticuler way, should come over with shiping so provided as his letters did intimate, they most would fall to him, to y^e prejudice of them selves & y^e rest of the adventurers,[AS] their freinds, from whom as yet they heard nothing. And it was doubted whether he had not sente [75] over shuch a company in y^e former ship, for shuch an end. Yet they tooke compassion of those 7. men which this ship, which fished to y^e eastward, had kept till planting time was over, and so could set no corne; and allso wanting vitals, (for y^ey turned them off w^thout any, and indeed wanted for them selves,) neither was their salt-pan come, so as y^ey could not performe any of those things which M^r. Weston had apointed, and might have starved if y^e plantation had not succoured them; who, in their wants, gave them as good as any of their owne. The ship wente to Virginia, wher they sould both ship & fish, of which (it was conceived) M^r. Weston had a very slender accounte.

After this came another of his ships, and brought letters dated y^e 10. of Aprill, from M^r. Weston, as followeth.