Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation' Part 10

Yea, it was muttered by some, that if they gott not a place in time, they would turne them & their goods ash.o.r.e & leave them. Let it also be considred what weake hopes of supply & succoure they left behinde them, y^t might bear up their minds in this sade condition and trialls they were under; and they could not but be very smale. It is true, indeed, y^e affections & love of their brethren at Leyden was cordiall & entire towards them, but they had litle power to help them, or them selves; and how y^e case stode betweene them & y^e marchants at their coming away, hath allready been declared. What could now sustaine them but the spirite of G.o.d & his grace? May not & ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: _Our faithers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this willdernes;[AI] but they cried unto y^e Lord, and he heard their voyce, and looked on their adversitie, &c. Let them therfore praise y^e Lord, because he is good, & his mercies endure for ever._[AJ] _Yea, let them which have been redeemed of y^e Lord, shew how he hath delivered them from y^e hand of y^e oppressour. When they wandered in y^e deserte willdernes out of y^e way, and found no citie to dwell in, both hungrie, & thirstie, their sowle was overwhelmed in them. Let them confess before y^e Lord his loving kindnes, and his wonderfull works before y^e sons of men._

The 10. Chap.

_Showing how they sought out a place of habitation, and what befell them theraboute._

[48] Being thus arrived at Cap-Cod y^e 11. of November, and necessitie calling them to looke out a place for habitation, (as well as the maisters & mariners importunitie,) they having brought a large shalop with them out of England, stowed in quarters in y^e s.h.i.+p, they now gott her out & sett their carpenters to worke to trime her up; but being much brused & shatered in y^e s.h.i.+pe w^th foule weather, they saw she would be longe in mending. Wherupon a few of them tendered them selves to goe by land and discovere those nearest places, whilst y^e shallop was in mending; and y^e rather because as they wente into y^t harbor ther seemed to be an opening some 2. or 3 leagues of, which y^e maister judged to be a river. It was conceived ther might be some danger in y^e attempte, yet seeing them resolute, they were permited to goe, being 16.

of them well armed, under y^e conduct of Captain Standish, having shuch instructions given them as was thought meete. They sett forth y^e 15. of Nove^br: and when they had marched aboute the s.p.a.ce of a mile by y^e sea side, they espied 5. or 6. persons with a dogg coming towards them, who were salvages; but they fled from them, & ra[=n]e up into y^e woods, and y^e English followed them, partly to see if they could speake with them, and partly to discover if ther might not be more of them lying in ambush. But y^e Indeans seeing them selves thus followed, they againe forsooke the woods, & rane away on y^e sands as hard as they could, so as they could not come near them, but followed them by y^e tracte of their feet sundrie miles, and saw that they had come the same way. So, night coming on, they made their randevous & set out their sentinels, and rested in quiete _y^t night_, and the next morning followed their tracte till they had headed a great creake, & so left the sands, & turned an other way into y^e woods. But they still followed them by geuss, hopeing to find their dwellings; but they soone lost both them & them selves, falling into shuch thickets as were ready to tear their cloaths & armore in peeces, but were most distresed for wante of drinke. But at length they found water & refreshed them selves, being y^e first New-England water they drunke of, and was now in thir great thirste as pleasante unto them as wine or bear had been in for-times.

Afterwards they directed their course to come to y^e other [49] sh.o.r.e, for they knew it was a necke of land they were to crosse over, and so at length gott to y^e sea-side, and marched to this supposed river, & by y^e way found a pond of clear fresh water, and shortly after a good quant.i.tie of clear ground wher y^e Indeans had formerly set corne, and some of their graves. And proceeding furder they saw new-stuble wher corne had been set y^e same year, also they found wher latly a house had been, wher some planks and a great ketle was remaining, and heaps of sand newly padled with their hands, which they, digging up, found in them diverce faire Indean baskets filled with corne, and some in eares, faire and good, of diverce collours, which seemed to them a very goodly sight, (haveing never seen any shuch before). This was near y^e place of that supposed river they came to seeck; unto which they wente and found it to open it selfe into 2. armes with a high cliffe of sand in y^e enterance, but more like to be crikes of salte water then any fresh, for ought they saw; and that ther was good harborige for their shalope; leaving it further to be discovered by their shalop when she was ready.

So their time limeted them being expired, they returned to y^e s.h.i.+p, least they should be in fear of their saftie; and tooke with them parte of y^e corne, and buried up y^e rest, and so like y^e men from Eshcoll carried with them of y^e fruits of y^e land, & showed their breethren; of which, & their returne, they were marvelusly glad, and their harts incouraged.

After this, y^e shalop being got ready, they set out againe for y^e better discovery of this place, & y^e m^r. of y^e s.h.i.+p desired to goe him selfe, so ther went some 30. men, but found it to be no harbor for s.h.i.+ps but only for boats; ther was allso found 2. of their houses covered with matts, & sundrie of their implements in them, but y^e people were rune away & could not be seen; also ther was found more of their corne, & of their beans of various collours. The corne & beans they brought away, purposing to give them full satisfaction when they should meete with any of them (as about some 6. months afterward they did, to their good contente). And here is to be noted a spetiall providence of G.o.d, and a great mercie to this poore people, that hear they gott seed to plant them corne y^e next year, or els they might have starved, for they had none, nor any liklyhood to get any [50] till y^e season had beene past (as y^e sequell did manyfest). Neither is it lickly they had had this, if y^e first viage had not been made, for the ground was now all covered with snow, & hard frozen. But the Lord is never wanting unto his in their greatest needs; let his holy name have all y^e praise.

The month of November being spente in these affairs, & much foule weather falling in, the 6. _of Desem^r_: they sente out their shallop againe with 10. of their princ.i.p.all men, & some sea men, upon further discovery, intending to circulate that deepe bay of Cap-codd. The weather was very could, & it frose so hard as y^e sprea of y^e sea lighting on their coats, they were as if they had been glased; yet _that night_ betimes they gott downe into y^e botome of y^e bay, and as they drue nere y^e sh.o.r.e they saw some 10. or 12. Indeans very busie aboute some thing. They landed aboute a league or 2. from them, and had much a doe to put a sh.o.r.e any wher, it lay so full of flats. Being landed, it grew late, and they made them selves a barricade with loggs & bowes as well as they could in y^e time, & set out their sentenill & betooke them to rest, and saw y^e smoake of y^e fire y^e savages made y^t night. When _morning_ was come they devided their company, some to coaste along y^e sh.o.r.e in y^e boate, and the rest marched throw y^e woods to see y^e land, if any fit place might be for their dwelling. They came allso to y^e place wher they saw the Indans y^e night before, & found they had been cuting up a great fish like a grampus, being some 2. inches thike of fate like a hogg, some peeces wher of they had left by y^e way; and y^e shallop found 2. more of these fishes dead on y^e sands, a thing usuall after storms in y^t place, by reason of y^e great flats of sand that lye of. So they ranged up and doune all y^t day, but found no people, nor any place they liked. When y^e sune grue low, they hasted out of y^e woods to meete with their shallop, to whom they made signes to come to them into a _creeke_ hardby, the which they did at highwater; of which they were very glad, for they had not seen each other all y^t day, since y^e morning. So they made them a barricado (as usually they did every night) with loggs, staks, & thike pine bowes, y^e height of a man, leaving it open to leeward, partly to shelter them from y^e could & wind (making their fire in y^e midle, & lying round aboute it), and partly to defend them from any sudden a.s.saults of y^e savags, if they should surround them. So being very weary, they betooke them to rest.

But aboute _midnight_, [51] they heard a hideous & great crie, and their sentinell caled, "Arme, arme"; so they bestired them & stood to their armes, & shote of a cupple of moskets, and then the noys seased. They concluded it was a companie of wolves, or such like willd beasts; for one of y^e sea men tould them he had often heard shuch a noyse in New-found land. So they rested till about 5. of y^e clock in the _morning_; for y^e tide, & ther purposs to goe from thence, made them be stiring betimes. So after praier they prepared for breakfast, and it being day dawning, it was thought best to be carring things downe to y^e boate. But some said it was not best to carrie y^e armes downe, others said they would be the readier, for they had laped them up in their coats from y^e dew. But some 3. or 4. would not cary theirs till they wente them selves, yet as it fell out, y^e water being not high enough, they layed them downe on y^e banke side, & came up to breakfast.

But presently, all on y^e sudain, they heard a great & strange crie, which they knew to be the same voyces they heard in y^e night, though they varied their notes, & one of their company being abroad came runing in, & cried, "Men, Indeans, Indeans"; and w^{th}all, their arowes came flying amongst them. Their men rane with all speed to recover their armes, as by y^e good providence of G.o.d they did. In y^e mean time, of those that were ther ready, tow muskets were discharged at them, & 2.

more stood ready in y^e enterance of ther randevoue, but were comanded not to shoote till they could take full aime at them; & y^e other 2.

charged againe with all speed, for ther were only 4. had armes ther, & defended y^e baricado which was first a.s.salted. The crie of y^e Indeans was dreadfull, espetially when they saw ther men rune out of y^e randevoue towourds y^e shallop, to recover their armes, the Indeans wheeling aboute upon them. But some ru[=n]ing out with coats of malle on, & cutla.s.ses in their hands, they soone got their armes, & let flye amongs them, and quickly stopped their violence. Yet ther was a l.u.s.tie man, and no less valiante, stood behind a tree within halfe a musket shot, and let his arrows flie at them. He was seen shoot 3. arrowes, which were all avoyded. He stood 3. shot of a musket, till one taking full aime at him, and made y^e barke or splinters of y^e tree fly about his ears, after which he gave an extraordinary shrike, and away they wente all of them. They left some to keep y^e shalop, and followed them aboute a quarter of a mille, and shouted once or twise, and shot of 2.

or 3. peces, & so returned. This they did, that they might conceive that they were not [52] affrade of them or any way discouraged. Thus it pleased G.o.d to vanquish their enimies, and give them deliverance; and by his spetiall providence so to dispose that not any one of them were either hurte, or hitt, though their arrows came close by them, & on every side them, and sundry of their coats, which hunge up in y^e barricado, were shot throw & throw. Aterwards they gave G.o.d sollamne thanks & praise for their deliverance, & gathered up a bundle of their arrows, & sente them into England afterward by y^e m^r. of y^e s.h.i.+p, and called that place y^e first encounter. From hence they departed, & costed all along, but discerned no place likly for harbor; & therfore hasted to a place that their pillote, (one Mr. Coppin who had bine in y^e c.u.n.trie before) did a.s.sure them was a good harbor, which he had been in, and they might fetch it before night; of which they were glad, for it begane to be foule weather. After some houres sailing, it begane to snow & raine, & about y^e midle of y^e afternoone, y^e wind increased, & y^e sea became very rough, and they broake their rudder, & it was as much as 2. men could doe to steere her with a cupple of oares.

But their pillott bad them be of good cheere, for he saw y^e harbor; but y^e storme increasing, & night drawing on, they bore what saile they could to gett in, while they could see. But herwith they broake their mast in 3. peeces, & their saill fell over bord, in a very grown sea, so as they had like to have been cast away; yet by G.o.ds mercie they recovered them selves, & having y^e floud with them, struck into y^e harbore. But when it came too, y^e pillott was deceived in y^e place, and said, y^e Lord be mercifull unto them, for his eys never saw y^t place before; & he & the m^r. mate would have rune her ash.o.r.e, in a cove full of breakers, before y^e winde. But a l.u.s.ty seaman which steered, bad those which rowed, if they were men, about with her, or ells they were all cast away; the which they did with speed. So he bid them be of good cheere & row l.u.s.tly, for ther was a faire sound before them, & he doubted not but they should find one place or other wher they might ride in saftie. And though it was _very darke_, and rained sore, yet in y^e end they gott under y^e lee of a smalle iland, and remained ther all y^t night in saftie. But they knew not this to be an iland till morning, but were devided in their minds; some would keepe y^e boate for fear they might be amongst y^e Indians; others were so weake and could, they could not endure, but got a sh.o.r.e, & with much adoe got fire, (all things being so wett,) and y^e rest were glad to come to them; for after midnight y^e wind s.h.i.+fted to the [53] north-west, & it frose hard. But though this had been a day & night of much trouble & danger unto them, yet G.o.d gave them a _morning_ of comforte & refres.h.i.+ng (as usually he doth to his children), for y^e next day was a faire suns.h.i.+n[=i]g day, and they found them sellvs to be on an iland secure from y^e Indeans, wher they might drie their stufe, fixe their peeces, & rest them selves, and gave G.o.d thanks for his mercies, in their manifould deliverances.

And this being the _last day of y^e weeke_, they prepared ther to keepe y^e _Sabath_. On _Munday_ they sounded y^e harbor, and founde it fitt for s.h.i.+pping; and marched into y^e land, & found diverse cornfeilds, & litle runing brooks, a place (as they supposed) fitt for situation; at least it was y^e best they could find, and y^e season, & their presente necessitie, made them glad to accepte of it. So they returned to their s.h.i.+pp againe with this news to y^e rest of their people, which did much comforte their harts.

On y^e 15. _of Desem^r_: they wayed anchor to goe to y^e place they had discovered, & came within 2. leagues of it, but were faine to bear up againe; but y^e 16. _day_ y^e winde came faire, and they arrived safe in this harbor. And after wards tooke better view of y^e place, and resolved wher to pitch their dwelling; and y^e 25. _day_ begane to erecte y^e first house for co[=m]one use to receive them and their goods.

The 2. Booke.

The rest of this History (if G.o.d give me life, & opportunitie) I shall, for brevitis sake, handle by way of _annalls_, noteing only the heads of princ.i.p.all things, and pa.s.sages as they fell in order of time, and may seeme to be profitable to know, or to make use of. And this may be as y^e 2. Booke.

_The remainder of An^o:_ 1620.

I shall a litle returne backe and begine with a combination made by them before they came ash.o.r.e, being y^e first foundation of their govermente in this place; occasioned partly by y^e discontented & mutinous speeches that some of the strangers amongst them had let fall from them in y^e s.h.i.+p--That when they came a sh.o.r.e they would use their owne libertie; for none had power to co[=m]and them, the patente they had being for Virginia, and not for New-england, which belonged to an other Goverment, with which y^e Virginia Company had nothing to doe. And partly that shuch an [54] acte by them done (this their condition considered) might be as firme as any patent, and in some respects more sure.

The forme was as followeth.

In y^e name of G.o.d, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by y^e grace of G.o.d, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of y^e faith, &c., haveing undertaken, for y^e glorie of G.o.d, and advancemente of y^e Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant y^e first colonie in y^e Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in y^e presence of G.o.d, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of y^e ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, const.i.tute, and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, acts, const.i.tutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for y^e generall good of y^e Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd y^e 11. of November, in y^e year of y^e raigne of our soveraigne lord, King James, of England, France, & Ireland y^e eighteenth, and of Scotland y^e fiftie fourth. An^o: Dom. 1620.

After this they chose, or rather confirmed, M^r. John Carver (a man G.o.dly & well approved amongst them) their Governour for that year. And after they had provided a place for their goods, or comone store, (which were long in unlading for want of boats, foulnes of winter weather, and sicknes of diverce,) and begune some small cottages for their habitation, as time would admitte, they mette and consulted of lawes & orders, both for their civill & military Govermente, as y^e necessitie of their condition did require, still adding therunto as urgent occasion in severall times, and as cases did require.

In these hard & difficulte beginings they found some discontents & murmurings arise amongst some, and mutinous speeches & carriags in other; but they were soone quelled & overcome by y^e wisdome, patience, and just & equall carrage of things by y^e Gov^r and better part, w^ch clave faithfully togeather in y^e maine. But that which was most sadd & lamentable was, that in 2. or 3. moneths time halfe of their company dyed, espetialy in Jan: & February, being y^e depth of winter, and wanting houses & other comforts; being infected with y^e scurvie & [55]

other diseases, which this long vioage & their inacomodate condition had brought upon them; so as ther dyed some times 2. or 3. of a day, in y^e foresaid time; that of 100. & odd persons, scarce 50. remained. And of these in y^e time of most distres, ther was but 6. or 7. sound persons, who, to their great comendations be it spoken, spared no pains, night nor day, but with abundance of toyle and hazard of their owne health, fetched them woode, made them fires, drest them meat, made their beads, washed their lothsome cloaths, cloathed & uncloathed them; in a word, did all y^e homly & necessarie offices for them w^ch dainty & quesie stomacks cannot endure to hear named; and all this willingly & cherfully, without any grudging in y^e least, shewing herein their true love unto their freinds & bretheren. A rare example & worthy to be remembred. Tow of these 7. were M^r. William Brewster, ther reverend Elder, & Myles Standish, ther Captein & military comander, unto whom my selfe, & many others, were much beholden in our low & sicke condition.

And yet the Lord so upheld these persons, as in this generall calamity they were not at all infected either with sicknes, or lamnes. And what I have said of these, I may say of many others who dyed in this generall vissitation, & others yet living, that whilst they had health, yea, or any strength continuing, they were not wanting to any that had need of them. And I doute not but their recompence is with y^e Lord.

But I may not hear pa.s.s by an other remarkable pa.s.sage not to be forgotten. As this calamitie fell among y^e pa.s.sengers that were to be left here to plant, and were hasted a sh.o.r.e and made to drinke water, that y^e sea-men might have y^e more bear, and one[AK] in his sicknes desiring but a small cann of beere, it was answered, that if he were their owne father he should have none; the disease begane to fall amongst them also, so as allmost halfe of their company dyed before they went away, and many of their officers and l.u.s.tyest men, as y^e boatson, gunner, 3. quarter-maisters, the cooke, & others. At w^ch y^e m^r. was something strucken and sent to y^e sick a sh.o.r.e and tould y^e Gov^r he should send for beer for them that had need of it, though he drunke water homward bound. But now amongst his company [56] ther was farr another kind of carriage in this miserie then amongst y^e pa.s.sengers; for they that before had been boone companions in drinking & joyllity in y^e time of their health & wellfare, begane now to deserte one another in this calamitie, saing they would not hasard ther lives for them, they should be infected by coming to help them in their cabins, and so, after they came to dye by it, would doe litle or nothing for them, but if they dyed let them dye. But shuch of y^e pa.s.sengers as were yet abord shewed them what mercy they could, w^ch made some of their harts relente, as y^e boatson (& some others), who was a prowd yonge man, and would often curse & scofe at y^e pa.s.sengers; but when he grew weak, they had compa.s.sion on him and helped him; then he confessed he did not deserve it at their hands, he had abused them in word & deed. O! saith he, you, I now see, shew your love like Christians indeed one to another, but we let one another lye & dye like doggs. Another lay cursing his wife, saing if it had not ben for her he had never come this unlucky viage, and anone cursing his felows, saing he had done this & that, for some of them, he had spente so much, & so much, amongst them, and they were now weary of him, and did not help him, having need. Another gave his companion all he had, if he died, to help him in his weaknes; he went and got a litle spise & made him a mess of meat once or twise, and because he dyed not so soone as he expected, he went amongst his fellows, & swore y^e rogue would cousen him, he would see him choaked before he made him any more meate; and yet y^e pore fellow dyed before morning.

All this while y^e Indians came skulking about them, and would sometimes show them selves aloofe of, but when any aproached near them, they would rune away. And once they stoale away their tools wher they had been at worke, & were gone to diner. But about y^e 16. _of March_ a certaine Indian came bouldly amongst them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but marvelled at it. At length they understood by discourse with him, that he was not of these parts, but belonged to y^e eastrene parts, wher some English-s.h.i.+ps came to fhish, with whom he was aquainted, & could name sundrie of them by their names, amongst whom he had gott his language. He became proftable to them [57]

in aquainting them with many things concerning y^e state of y^e c.u.n.try in y^e east-parts wher he lived, which was afterwards profitable unto them; as also of y^e people hear, of their names, number, & strength; of their situation & distance from this place, and who was cheefe amongst them. His name was _Samaset_; he tould them also of another Indian whos name was _Squanto_, a native of this place, who had been in England & could speake better English then him selfe. Being, after some time of entertainmente & gifts, dismist, a while after he came againe, & 5. more with him, & they brought againe all y^e tooles that were stolen away before, and made way for y^e coming of their great Sachem, called _Ma.s.sasoyt_; who, about _4. or 5. days after_, came with the cheefe of his freinds & other attendance, with the aforesaid _Squanto_. With whom, after frendly entertainment, & some gifts given him, they made a peace with him (which hath now continued this 24. years) in these terms.

1. That neither he nor any of his, should injurie or doe hurte to any of their peopl.

2. That if any of his did any hurte to any of theirs, he should send y^e offender, that they might punish him.

3. That if any thing were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should doe y^e like to his.

4. If any did unjustly warr against him, they would aide him; if any did warr against them, he should aide them.

5. He should send to his neighbours confederats, to certifie them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in y^e conditions of peace.

6. That when ther men came to them, they should leave their bows & arrows behind them.

After these things he returned to his place caled _Sowams_, some 40.

mile from this place, but _Squanto_ continued with them, and was their interpreter, and was a spetiall instrument sent of G.o.d for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corne, wher to take fish, and to procure other comodities, and was also their pilott to bring them to unknowne places for their profitt, and never left them till he dyed. He was a _native [58] of this place_, & scarce any left alive besids him selfe. He was caried away with diverce others by one _Hunt_, a m^r. of a s.h.i.+p, who thought to sell them for slaves in Spaine; but he got away for England, and was entertained by a marchante in London, & imployed to New-foundland & other parts, & lastly brought hither into these parts by one M^r. _Dermer_, a gentle-man imployed by Sr. Ferdinando Gorges & others, for discovery, & other designes in these parts. Of whom I shall say some thing, because it is mentioned in a booke set forth An^o: 1622. by the Presidente & Counsell for New-England,[AL] that he made y^e peace betweene y^e salvages of these parts & y^e English; of which this plantation, as it is intimated, had y^e benefite. But what a peace it was, may apeare by what befell him & his men.

This M^r. Dermer was hear the same year that these people came, as apears by a relation written by him, & given me by a friend, bearing date June 30. An^o: 1620. And they came in Novemb^r: following, so ther was but 4. months differance. In which relation to his honored freind, he hath these pa.s.sages of this very place.

I will first begine (saith he) w^th that place from whence _Squanto_, or _Tisquantem_, was taken away; w^ch in Cap: _Smiths mape_ is called _Plimoth_: and I would that Plimoth had y^e like comodities. I would that the first plantation might hear be seated, if ther come to the number of 50. persons, or upward. Otherwise at Charlton, because ther y^e savages are lese to be feared. The _Pocanawkits_, which live to y^e _west_ of _Plimoth_, bear an inveterate malice to y^e English, and are of more streingth then all y^e savags from thence to Pen.o.bscote.

Their desire of revenge was occasioned by an English man, who having many of them on bord, made a great slaughter with their murderers & smale shot, when as (they say) they offered no injurie on their parts.

Whether they were English or no, it may be douted; yet they beleeve they were, for y^e Frenche have so possest them; for which cause _Squanto_ ca[=n]ot deney but they would have kiled me when I was at _Namasket_, had he not entreated hard for me. The soyle of y^e borders of [59] this great bay, may be compared to most of y^e plantations which I have seene in Virginia. The land is of diverce sorts; for _Patuxite_ is a hardy but strong soyle, _Nawsel & Saughtughtett_ are for y^e most part a blakish & deep mould, much like that wher groweth y^e best Tobaco in Virginia. In y^e botume of y^t great bay is store of Codd & ba.s.se, or mulett, &c.

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

_Ma.s.sachussets_ is about 9. leagues from _Plimoth_, & situate in y^e mids betweene both, is full of ilands & peninsules very fertill for y^e most parte.

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 sh.o.r.e amongst y^e Indans to trad, as he used to doe, was betrayed & a.s.saulted 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 s.h.i.+ft to gett into Virginia, wher he dyed; whether of his wounds or y^e diseases of y^e c.u.n.trie, 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 kno[=w]) was how aboute 3. _years before_, a French-s.h.i.+p was cast away at _Cap-Codd_, but y^e men gott ash.o.r.e, & 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 & d.o.g.g.i.ng 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 s.h.i.+p was now come to revenge it.

Also, (as after was made knowne,) before they came to y^e English to make freinds.h.i.+p, they gott all the _Powachs_ of y^e c.u.n.trie, 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 G.o.d 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 pa.s.sages 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 s.h.i.+p 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 ash.o.r.e.

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 s.h.i.+lter. 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 s.h.i.+p, 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 pa.s.sengers a sh.o.r.e 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.