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In
the time of spiritual darkness, when the state [ecclesiasti…] Rome ruled
and over ruled most of the nations of Europe, it
[plea…] to give wisdom to many, kings and people, in breaking
that spiritual [yo…]; yet, not withstanding, there arose great strife
among such people that are known by the name of Protestants, in many cases
concerning the worship of God; but the greatest & strongest number of
men commonly prevailed against the smaller and lesser number. At this time the honored Estates of Holland gave more liberty
in cases of religion that could be enjoyed in some other places.
Upon which divers good Christians removed [the…] dwellings into
the Low Countries.
Then one company that dwelt in the city of Leiden, being no well able
outwardly to subsist, took counsel & agreed to remove into America,
into some port northward of Virginia.
The Dutch people offered them divers conditions to supply them with
things necessary if they would live under the government of their state,
but they refused it. This
they did that all men might know the entire love they bore to their king
& country; for in them there was never found any lack of lawful
obedience. They sent to their
friends in England to let them understand what they intended to do.
Then divers [fr…] disbursed some monies for the furthering of so
good a work.
It is [f…] to be understood that, in the year 1618, there appeared a
blazing star over Germany that made the wise men of Europe astonished
their […]
Speedily after, near about that time, these people began to propose
removal. They agreed that
their strongest & ablest men should go […] to provide for their
wives & children. Then
coming in England, they set forward in two ships, but their lesser ship
sprung a leak & returned […] England; the bigger ship arrived at
Cape Cod, 1620, it being winter, then called New England but formerly
called Canada. They sent
forth their boat upon discovery. Their
boat being returned to their ship, they removed into the bay of Plymouth
& began their [planta…] by the river of Patuxet.
Their ship being returned & safely arrived in England, those
gentlemen & merchants, that had undertaken to supply them with things
necessary, understanding that many of them were sick & some dead, made
haste to send a ship with many things necessary; but some indiscreet men,
hoping to encourage their friends to come to them, wrote letters
concerning the great plenty of fish, fowl and deer, not considering that
the wild savages were many times hungry, yet have a better skill to catch
such things than English men have. The
Adventurers, willing to save their monies, sent them weakly provided of
victuals, as many more after them did the like; and that was the great
cause of famine.
At the same time, Mr. Thomas Weston, a merchant of good credit in London,
that was then their treasurer, that had disbursed much of his money for
the good of New England, sent forth a ship for the settling a plantation
in the Massachusetts Bay, but wanting (lacking) a pilot we arrived at
Damerill’s Cove. The
men that belonged to the ship, there fishing, had newly set up a Maypole
and were very merry. We made
haste to prepare a boat fit for coasting.
Then said Mr. Rogers, Master of our ship, ‘here are many ships
& at Monhegan, but no man that does undertake to be your pilot; for
they say that an Indian called Rumhigin undertook to pilot a boat to
Plymouth, but they all lost their lives.’
Then said Mr. Gibbs, Master’s Mate of our ship, ‘I will venture
my life with them.’ At this
time of our discovery, we first arrived at Smith’s Islands, first so
called by Captain Smith, at the time of his discovery of New England, […fterwards]
called Isles of Shoals; from then to Cape Ann […] so called by Captain
Mason; from thence to the Massachusetts Bay. There we continued 4 or 5 days.
Then we perceived, that on the south part of the Bay, were fewest of the
Natives of the country dwelling there.
We thought best to begin our plantation, but fearing a great
company of savages, we being but 10 men, thought it best to see if our
friends were living at Plymouth. Then
sailing along the coast, not knowing the harbor, they shot off a piece of
ordinance, and at our coming ashore, they entertained us with 3 volleys of
shot. Their second ship was
returned for England before we came to them.
We asked them where the rest of our friends were that came in the
first ship. They said that
God had taken them away by death, & that before their second ship
came, they were so distressed with sickness that they, fearing the savages
should know it, had set up their sick men with their muskets upon their
rests & their backs leaning against trees.
At this time, one or two of them went with us in our vessel to the
place of fishing to buy victuals. 8
or 9 weeks after this, two of our ships arrived at Plymouth - the lesser
of our 3 ships continued in the country with us.
Then we made haste to settle our plantation in the Massachusetts
Bay - our number being near sixty men.
At the same time, there was a great plague among the savages &,
as themselves told us, half their people died thereof.
The Natives called the place of our plantation Wessagusset.
Near unto it is a town of later time called Weymouth.
The savages seemed to be good friends with us while they feared us, but
when they saw famine prevail, they began to insult, as appears by the
sequel; for one of their Pineses, or chief men, called Pecksuot, employed
himself to learn to speak English, observing all things for his bloody
ends. He told me he loved
English men very well, but he loved me best of all.
Then he said, ‘you say French men do not love you, but I will
tell you what we have done to them. There
was a ship broken by a storm. They
saved most of their goods & hid it in the ground.
We made them tell us where it was.
Then we made them our servants.
They wept much. When
we parted them, we gave them such meat as our dogs eat.
One of them had a book he would often read in.
We asked him what his book said.
He answered, it says, there will a people, like Frenchmen, come
into this country and drive you all away, & now we think you are they.
We took away their clothes. They
lived but a little while. One
of them lived longer than the rest, for he had a good master & gave
him a wife. He is now dead,
but has a son alive. Another
ship came into the bay with much goods to truck (trade), then I said to
the Sachem, I will tell you how you shall have all for nothing.
Bring all our canoes & all our beaver & a great many men,
but no bows nor arrows, clubs nor hatchets, but knives under the skins
that abut our lines. Throw up
much beaver upon their deck; sell it very cheap & when I give the
word, thrust your knives in the Frenchmen’s bellies.
Thus we killed them all. But
Monsieur Finch, Master of their ship, being wounded, leaped into the hold. We bid him come up, but he would not. Then we cut their cable & the ship went ashore & lay
upon her side & slept there. Finch
came up & we killed him. Then
our Sachem divided their goods & fired their ship & made a very
great fire.’ Some of our
company asked him ‘how long it was ago since they first see ships?’
They said they could not tell, but they had heard men say the first
ship that they see, seemed to be a floating island, as they supposed,
broken off from the mainland, wrapped together with the roots of trees,
with some trees upon it. They
went to it with their canoes, but seeing men & hearing guns, they made
haste to be gone.
But after this, when they saw famine prevail, Pecksuot said, ‘Why do
your men & your dogs die?’ I
said, ‘I had corn for a time of need.
Then I filled a chest, but not with corn & spread corn on
[…him] come opened the cover and when I was sure he had seen it, I put [dow…]
as if I would not have him see it.’
Then he said ‘No Indian [so…] You have much corn & English
men die for want.’ Then
they [h…] intent to make war, they removed some of their houses to [th…]
a great swamp near to the pale (palisade) of our plantation.
After this [yer…] a morning, I saw a man going into one of their
houses, weary with traveling & galled on his feet.
Then I said to Mr. Salisbury, our Chirurgeon, surely their Sachem
has employed him for some intent to make war upon us.
Then I took a bag with gunpowder and put it in my pocket, with the
top of the bag hanging out, & went to the house where the man was laid
upon a mat. The woman of the house took hold of the bag, saying, what is
this so big? I said it is
good for savages to eat, and struck her on the arm as hard as I could. Then she said, Matchet powder English men, much matchet.
By and by Aberdikes bring much men, much sannups, & kill you
& all English men at Wessagusset & Patuxet (Plymouth).
The man that lay upon the mats, seeing this, was angry and in a
great rage, and the woman seemed to be sore afraid.
Then I went out of the house and said to a young man that could
best understand their language, go ask the woman, but not in the man’s
hearing, why the man was angry, & she afraid?
Our interpreter, coming to me, said ‘these are the words of the
woman - the man will […] Aberdikes what I said & he & all
Indians will be angry with me […] This Pecksuot said, ‘I love you.’ I said ‘I love you.’
I said ‘I love you as well as you love me.’
Then he said, in broken English, ‘Me hear you can make the
likeness of men & of women, dogs & deer, in wood & stone.
Can you make […]’ I said, ‘I can see a knife in your hand, with an
ill-favored face upon the haft.’ Then
he gave it into my hand to see his workmanship & said, ‘This knife
cannot see, it cannot hear, it cannot speak, but by & by it can eat.
I have another knife at home with a face upon the haft as like a
man as this is like a woman. That
knife cannot see, it cannot hear, it cannot speak, but It can eat. It has killed much, Frenchmen, & by & by this knife
& that knife shall marry & you shall be there […] knife at home
he had kept for a monument, from the time they had killed Monsieur
Finch;’ but as the word went out of his mouth, I had a good will to
thrust it in his belly. He
said, ‘I see you are much angry.’
I said, ‘Guns are longer than knives.’
Some time after this their Sachem came suddenly upon us with a great
number of armed men; but their spies seeing us in readiness, he & some
of his chief men turned into one of their houses a quarter of an hour. Then we met them outside the pale of our plantation
& brought them it. Then
said I to a young man that could best speak their language, ‘Ask
Pecksuot why they come thus armed.’
He answered, ‘Our Sachem is angry with you.’
I said, ‘Tell him if he be angry with us, we be angry with
him.’ Then said their
Sachem, ‘English men, when you came into the country, we gave you gifts
and you gave us gifts; we bought and sold with you and we were friends;
and now tell me if I or any of my men have done you wrong.’
We answered, ‘First tell us if we have done you any wrong.’
He answered, ‘Some of you steal our corn & I have sent you
word times without number & yet our corn is stolen.
I come to see what you will do.’
We answered, ‘It is one man which has done it.
Your men have seen us whip him divers time, besides other manner of
punishments, & now hear he is, bound.
We give him unto you to do with him what you please.’
He answered, ‘That is not just dealing.
If my men wrong my neighbor Sachem or his men, he sends me word
& I beat or kill my men, according to the offense.
If his men wrong me or my men, I send him word & he beats or
kills his men according to the offense.
All Sachems do justice by their own men.
If not, we say they are all agreed & then we fight, & now I
say you all steal my corn.’
At this time, some of them, seeing some of our men upon our fort, began to
start, saying ‘Machit Pesconk,’ that is ‘Naughty Guns.’
Then looking round about then, went away in a great rage.
at this time we strengthened our watch until we had no food left. In these times, the savages oftentimes did creep upon the
snow, starting behind bushes & trees to see whether we kept watch or
not […times] I having rounded on our plantation until I had no longer
[…nth]; then in the night, going into our Court of Guard, I see one man
dead before me & another at my right hand & another at my left for
want of food. O, all the
people in New England, that shall hear of these times of our weak
beginning, consider what was the strength of the arm of flesh or the wit
of man; therefore in the times of your greatest distress put your trust in
God.
The offender being bound, we let him loose, because we had no food to give
him, charging him to gather ground nuts, clams & mussels, as other men
did, & steal no more. One
or two days after this, the savages brought him, leading him by the arms,
saying ‘Here is the corn. Come
see the place where he stole it.’ Then we kept him bound some few days. After this, two of our company said, ‘We have been at the
Sachem’s house and they have near finished their last canoe that they
may encounter with our ship. Their
greatest care is how to send their armies to Plymouth because of the
snow.’ Then we prepared to
meet them there. One of our
company said, ‘They have killed one of our hogs.’
Another said, ‘One of them strikes at me with his knife;’ &
others say ‘They threw dust in our faces.’
Then said Pecksuot to me, ‘Give me powder & guns & I will
give you much corn.’ I said
‘By & by men bring ships & victuals.’
But when we understood that their plot was to kill all English
people in one day when the snow was gone, I would have sent a man to
Plymouth, but none were willing to go.
Then I said if Plymouth men know not of this treacherous plot, they
& we are all dead men; therefore, if God willing, tomorrow I will go.
That night a young man, wanting wit, told Pecksuot early in the
morning. Pecksuot came to me & said in English, ‘Me hear you go
to Patuxet; you will lose yourself; the bears and the wolves will eat you;
but because I love you I will send my boy Nahamit with you; & I will
give you victuals to eat by the way & to be merry with your friends
when you come there.’ I
said, ‘Who told you so great a lie, that I may kill him.’
he said, ‘It is no lie, you shall not know.’
Then he went home to his house.
Then came 5 men armed. We
said, ‘Why come you thus armed.’
They said ‘We are friends; you carry guns where we dwell & we
carry bow & arrows where you dwell.’
These attended me 7 or 8 days & nights.
Then they supposing it was a lie, were careless of their watch near
two hours in the morning. Then
said I to our company, ‘Now is the time to run to Plymouth.
Is there any compass to be found.’
They said, ‘None but them that belong to the ship.’
I said, ‘They are too big. I
have born no arms of defense this 7 or 8 days. Now if I take my arms they will mistrust me.’
Then they said, ‘The savages will pursue after you & kill you
& we shall never see you again.’
Thus with other words of great lamentation, we parted.
Then I took a hoe & went to the long swamp nearby their houses
& dug on the edge thereof as if I had been looking for ground nuts,
but seeing no man, I went in & ran through it.
Then looking round about me, I ran southward til 3 o’clock, but
the snow being in many places, I was the more distressed because of my
footsteps. The sun being
clouded, I wandered, not knowing my way; but at the going down of the sun,
it appeared red; then hearing a great howling of wolves, I came to a
river; the water being deep & cold & many rocks, I passed through
with much ado. Then was I in
great distress - faint for want of food, weary with running, fearing to
make a fire because of them that pursued me.
Then I came to a deep dell or hole, there being much wood fallen
into it. Then I said in my
thoughts, this is God’s providence that here I may make a fire.
Then having made a fire, the stars began to appear and I saw Ursa
Major & the […] pole yet fearing […] clouded.
The day following I began to travel […] but being unable, I went
back to the fire the day […] sun shone & about three o’clock I
came to that part […] Plymouth Bay where there is a town of later time
[…] Duxbury. Then passing
by the water on my left hand […] came to a brook & there was a path.
Having but a short time to consider […] fearing to go beyond the
plantation, I kept running in the path; then passing through James river I
said in my thoughts, now am I as a deer chased […] the wolves.
If I perish, what will be the [condit…] of distressed English
men. Then finding a piece of
a […] I took it up & carried it in my hand.
Then finding a […] of a jerkin, I carried them under my arm.
Then said I in my […] God has given me these two tokens for my
comfort; that now he will give me my life for a prayer.
Then running down a hill [J…] an English man coming in the path
before me. Then I said down on a tree & rising up to salute him
said, ‘Mr. Hamden, I am glad to see you alive.’
he said, ‘I am glad & full of wonder to see you alive: let us
sit down, I see you are weary.’ I
said, ‘Let […] eat some parched corn.’
;Then he said, ’I know the [caus…].
Come. Massasoit has
sent word to the Governor to let him […] that Aberdikes & his
confederates have contrived a plot hoping […] all English people in one
day here as men hard by making [canoe…] stay & we will go with you. The next day a young […] named Hugh Stacy went forth to
fell at tree & saw two […] rising from the ground.
They said Aberdikes had sent […] the Governor that he might send
men to truck for much beaver, but they would not go, but said, ‘Was not
there an English […] come from Wessagusset.’
He answered, ‘He came,’ […]
They said he was their friend and said come and see who […]
But they turned another way. He said, ‘You come to let us
[…]’ Providence to us was
great in those times as appears […] after the time of the arrival of the
first ship at [Pl…] forenamed Massasoit came to Plymouth & their
made a [co…] peace, for an Indian called Tisquantum came to them &
spoke English […] They asked him, how he learned to speak English?
He said that an Englishman called Captain Hunt came into the harbor
pretending to trade for beaver & stole 24 men & their beaver &
carried & sold them in Spain. &
from thence with much ado, he went into England & from England with
much ado, he got into his own country.
This man told Massasoit what wonders he had seen in England &
that if he could make the English his friends then […] enemies that were
too strong for him would be constrained to bow to him; but being prevented
by some that came in the first ship that […] recorded that which
concerned them, I leave it.
Two or 3 days after my coming to Plymouth, 10 or 11 men
went in a boat to our plantation, but I being faint was not able to go
with them. They first gave
warning to the Master of the ship & then contrived how to make sure of
the lives of two of their chief men, Wattawamat, of whom they boasted no
gun would kill, and Pecksuot, a subtle man.
These being slain, they fell upon others where they could find
them. Then Abordikes, hearing
that some of his men were killed, came to try his manhood, but as they
were starting behind bushes & trees, one of them was shot in the arm.
At this time an Indian called Hobbamock, that formerly had fled for
his life from his Sachem to Plymouth, proved himself a valiant man in
fighting & pursuing after them. Two
of our men were kill that they took in their houses at an advantage […]
this time [pl…] were instruments in the […nds] of God for […] their
own lives and ours. They took
the head of […] & set it on their fort at Plymouth at […]
9 of our men were dead with famine and one died in the ship before
they came to the place where at that time of year ships came to fish - it
being in March. At this time,
ships began to fish at the Isles of Shoals and I having recovered a little
of my […th] went to my company near about this time […] the first
plantation at Piscataqua the […] thereof was Mr. David Tomsen at the
time of my arrival at Piscataqua. Two
of Abordike’s men came there & seeing me said ‘When we killed your
men, they cried and made ill-favored faces.’
I said, ‘When we killed your men, we did not torment them to make
ourselves merry.’ Then we
went with our ship into the bay & took from them two shallops loading
of corn & of their men prisoners there as a town of later time called
Dorchester. The third and last time was in the bay of Agawam.
At this time they took for their castle a thick swamp.
At this time one of our ablest men was shot in the shoulder.
Whether any of them were killed or wounded we could not tell.
There is a town of later time, near unto that place, called
Ipswich. Thus […]
plantation being deserted, Captain Robert Gore [cam…] the country with
six gentlemen. Attending him
& divers men to do his labor & other men with their families.
They took possession of our plantation, but their ship’s supply
from England came too late. Thus was famine their final overthrow. Most of them that lived returned to England.
The overseers of the third plantation in the bay was Captain
Wolleston & Mr. Rosell. These seeing the ruin of the former plantation said, we will
not pitch our tents here, lest we should do as they have done.
Notwithstanding these gentlemen were wise men, they seemed to blame
the overseers of the former companies, not considering that God plants
& pulls up, builds & pulls down, & turns the wisdom of wise
men into foolishness. These
called the name of their place Mount Wolleston.
They continued near a year as others had done before them; but
famine was their final overthrow. Near
unto that place is a town of later time called Braintree.
Not long after the overthrow of the first plantation in the bay,
Captain Louis came to their country.
At the time of his being at Piscataqua a Sachem or Sagamore gave
two of his men, one to Captain Louis & another to Mr. Tomsen, but on
that was there said, ‘How can you trust these savages.
Call the name of one Watt Tyler & the other Jack Straw, after
the names of the two greatest rebels that ever were in England.’
Watt Tyler said, ‘When he was a boy, Captain Dormer found him
upon an island in great distress.’ |
