woodland, and their sentinel called out, "Arm! Arm!" So they leaped to
their feet, and, seizing some muskets which were beside them, shot
them off. As they did so, again the terrible wail sounded from the
forest.
"Woach! Woach! Ha-Ha-Ha-Hack--Woach!"
But this soon ceased, and all was quiet in the sombre woodland.
Nothing more occurred until about five in the morning, when one of the
Puritans came running to the camp, shouting: "Men are coming to attack
us! Indians! Indians!" And, as he spoke, a cloud of arrows came flying
into the encampment. One savage was soon seen who fired at them from
behind a tree, and an old Puritan took three shots at him with a musket.
The red man continued to shoot his arrows until suddenly he gave a
terrific yell, showing that he had probably been hit. At any rate he
retreated into the dense forest with the other braves, and nothing more
was seen, or heard, either from him, or from them.
The Pilgrims breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the arrows--eighteen
in all had fallen among them--and marveled at their make. Some were
curiously headed with the horn of a buck deer, and others with the
claw of an eagle. So they kept them, and, when the good ship Mayflower
sailed for England, they sent these warlike tokens back with her to
their friends upon the other side of the Atlantic. The Indians who had
made this assault were Nansets, of whom Aspinet was the chief, but
whether or not any of them were slain in the conflict does not appear
in the ancient record of this combat.
After this affair the sober Puritans made their abode and sailed
carelessly along the coast, looking for a good landing place, until
December 11th, when they reached a spot which had a good harbor and
some high ground beyond the beach which offered an excellent situation
for a redoubt. So here they landed, built a long log house, and began
their first settlement upon New England soil. They called their first
home Plymouth.
With great toil and hard labor they erected other habitations for the
settlers. Their first winter here was one of extreme hardship and
suffering. Many died of starvation and exposure, and when spring came
the survivors were so enfeebled that an attack by a strong band of
Indians could easily have annihilated the entire settlement.
On March 16th, 1621, the chief men of Plymouth had assembled to discuss
various matters of interest in connection with the welfare of the
country, when an Indian was seen approaching. With long strides he
walked down the village street, and, as the wary Puritans sprang to
their guns, he held out his hands, and cried, "Welcome, Englishmen!
Welcome!"
He was a tall, straight man, the hair on his head was black--short
before and long behind--his countenance was open and friendly, while
his carriage was graceful and imposing. He was thinly clad in deer
skins, which must have afforded small warmth for the cold air of
spring, and his moccasins gave scarcely any protection to his hardened
feet. The Colonists laid aside their guns, when they realized that the
savage was not armed, and grasped the outstretched hand of the friendly
neighbor.
"We are glad to see you," spoke one of the hardy Englishmen, "and, as
you have shown yourself to be friendly, we too shall be friendly."
"Come, seat yourself among us and partake of our humble fare!
"Ugh! Ugh!" grunted the savage, squatting down upon the ground, "I am
Samoset, Pemaquid chief. My hunting ground on Island Monhegan, a day's
sail toward the rising sun. Five days if go by land, near Penobscot
River. Welcome, Englishmen, to country of Massasoit. I learn your
tongue from white fishermen who come here not long ago."
This speech sounded as if it were true, so, feeling compassion for
the poor, naked child of the woods, the settlers presented him with
a hat, a pair of stockings, shoes, a shirt, and a piece of cloth to
tie around his waist. They learned that the country around them was
called Pawtuxet, and that, four years before their arrival, a terrible
pestilence had swept off all the tribes which had inhabited this
district, so that, as none were left to claim the soil, it would be
perfectly possible for the English to do so. Samoset also told them
that their nearest neighbor was a powerful Sachem called Massasoit,
who was chief of the Wampanoag tribe, as well as head sachem of the
Pokanoket Confederacy of thirty allied tribes. This mighty chieftain
was disposed to be friendly, continued Samoset, but neighboring
Indians, called Nansets, had been greatly angered by the English,
because some years before, a certain Captain Hunt had kidnapped over
twenty of their number and sold them into slavery. It would, therefore,
be well for the settlers, said the obliging Samoset, if they had no
dealings with this particular clan, but restricted their trade and
intercourse with the followers of Massasoit. After a lengthy discussion
of the climate, the country, and the people, the friendly savage
departed with smiles and bows, which showed that he was apparently much
pleased with the reception which the English had given him.
The unwarlike visitor soon returned with four others, who also
professed to be friendly, and who sang and danced in an open space
before the settlement to amuse the sturdy and determined Puritans.
Among them was Squanto, an Indian who spoke excellent English,
because he had been among those whom the English, under Captain Hunt,
had kidnapped and sold into slavery in Malaga, for eighty pounds
(four hundred dollars) each, but had been ransomed and liberated by
kind-hearted monks and sent to England. Here, at Cornhill, he learned
to make himself understood in very good English, and obtained the
friendship and sympathy of a wealthy merchant, who housed him, fed
him, and eventually shipped him back to his native shore in a sailing
vessel, commanded by Captain Thomas Dermer. This stout old sea-dog
found that all of Squanto's race had died of a pestilence (probably
smallpox) and, therefore, delivered him to Massasoit, whose loyal
subject he became, and with whom he was now living. The Indians
disposed of a few skins and fish, and then departed, telling the
settlers that the great chief Massasoit, with his brother and all his
warriors, was near at hand.
The first appearance of the Chief of the Wampanoags was upon the
22d of March, 1621, when he arrived upon a hill opposite Plymouth,
with sixty warriors gaudily arrayed in their best deerskin raiment.
Massasoit is described by one of the settlers as being "a very lusty
man, in his best years, with an able body, grave of countenance and
spare of speech." In his attire he differed little from the rest of his
followers, save that he wore a large chain of white bone beads about
his neck which had suspended from it behind a little bag of tobacco.
His face was painted a darkish red, and both his head and face were
so oiled that he looked very greasy. The only weapon upon his person
was a long knife swinging from his bosom by a string; although his
attendants carried war clubs, knives, and bows and arrows. Some of
his followers--all tall, strong men--were painted black, others red,
yellow, and white. They were dressed in furs or skins of various kinds,
and made a very good showing--such a good showing, indeed, that the
English feared an attack and stood prepared for any sign of violence
that the Wampanoags might offer.
The Indians seemed to be unwilling to approach any nearer, and, as
they hesitated, the English determined to find out why they would not
advance. As luck would have it, Squanto was in Plymouth, so he was
dispatched to ascertain their designs, and they gave him to understand
that they wished to have some one sent to hold a parley with them. So
Edward Winslow was selected to go over to their position with presents
to the sachem and with directions to endeavor to patch up a treaty
of peace. Winslow was an excellent diplomat; he addressed them in a
speech of some length, and, although the Wampanoags listened with much
gravity, it is doubtful whether or not they understood it thoroughly,
although an Indian interpreter explained the gallant Winslow's words,
after he had spoken. The Englishman told them that King James of
England sent his best and kindest regards to Massasoit, his brother,
and that he hoped to have him as his friend and ally. Furthermore, that
the Governor of Plymouth wished to see him and to treat with him upon
terms of the greatest friendliness. Massasoit listened with polite
attention, and seems to have made no special reply to this harangue,
but to have gazed upon the sword and armor of the Captain with envious
eyes.
"I wish to buy your iron breastplate and your war instruments," said
the old chief, through the interpreter, as Winslow paused for breath.
"What do you wish for them?"
The Captain smiled with good humor. "They are not for sale, my friend,"
said he. "For I need them sorely in my duties among my own people."
"I will go among them," said Massasoit, rising. "And I will leave you
with my brother, while I and twenty of my men walk over to the English
camp."
So saying, he crossed the brook between him and the English, taking
twenty of the Wampanoags, who were directed to leave their bows and
arrows behind them. Captain Miles Standish and another Puritan, with
six armed men, met him beyond the water, exchanged salutations with the
majestic Indian, and took him to one of the best houses in the village.
A stone arch has, in late years, been thrown over this brook to show
where this first meeting between the great chief and the whites took
place, while the hill upon which the Indians camped--called "Strawberry
Hill"--is still pointed out to those who are interested in the history
of America.
In the cabin to which Massasoit was conducted a green rug was placed
upon the floor and three or four cushions were piled upon it, in order
to make it comfortable. After the noted chieftain had gone inside, the
Governor of Plymouth entered the house, followed by several soldiers
who beat a drum loudly and blared upon a trumpet, which delighted and
astonished the Wampanoags. The Governor hurried up to the Sachem, and
seizing him in his arms, kissed him upon the cheek, a salutation which
was immediately returned by the chief, and, considering the fact that
he was covered with both grease and red paint, it could not have been
a very satisfactory affair for the Englishman. He made no grievance,
however, and commanded that all seat themselves at a long table, upon
which a feast was spread. After a sumptuous repast, in which "strong
waters, which the savages love only too well," were served, a treaty
was concluded, with the following terms:
1st. That neither Massasoit nor any of his people should do any hurt to
any of the English.
2d. That if any Indian should injure an Englishman, the offender would
be sent to Plymouth in order that he might be punished.
[Illustration: THE MEETING OF MASSASOIT AND GOVERNOR CARVER.]
3rd. That if anything were stolen from the Indians, the Governor
of Plymouth would cause it to be returned, and the Indian would do
likewise toward the English.
4th. That if any unjust war were brought against the Wampanoags, the
English would aid them in defeating their adversaries, and that if
anyone unjustly warred against the English, Massasoit would aid them.
5th. That in case of actual warfare, the English Governor would send
confederates to warn Massasoit of the fact.
6th. That whenever the English came to the camp of the Wampanoags, they
should leave their arms behind them.
7th. That if Massasoit should do this, King James of England would
consider him as his perpetual friend and ally.
This seemed to please the great Sachem greatly, for he not only agreed
to it, but acknowledged King James of England to be his Sovereign, and
gave him all his adjacent lands for his subjects to live on forever.
It was a treaty upon peaceable and honorable terms; the Indians came
to Plymouth to make it of their own free will, and, although for all
the land which they granted to the English they received only a pair of
knives and a copper chain with a jewel in it, a pot of "strong water,"
a quantity of biscuit and some butter for Quadepinah--the brother of
Massasoit--it is pleasant to know that this agreement was unbroken for
fifty years. Massasoit, himself, did well to obtain the friendship of
the English, for the powerful tribes of Narragansetts were his enemies,
and they were now afraid to attack his camps. The Puritans also
benefitted from this agreement, as they obtained an opportunity for
profitable trade in peace and seclusion.
There were about twenty different tribes in New England, at this
time, and, although mainly independent of each other, they sometimes
united for the purpose of making war upon a common enemy. The Pequots,
Narragansetts, Pokanokets, Massachusetts, and Pawtuckets were the more
powerful, although the Mohegans, the Nipmucks, and Abenakis of Maine
were also prominent. The Pequots numbered only about four thousand, in
all, while the Narragansetts of Rhode Island--with about one thousand
warriors--were next in point of numbers. The other tribes were smaller
still, so it can be readily seen that this band of hardy pioneers
could, with their armor and firearms, have competed in battle with
even the most powerful of these, although, should all have combined
against them, their doom would have been sure. Massasoit's people, the
Wampanoags, were a part of the Massachusetts Indians, and lived between
Plymouth and Narragansett Bay. They were sometimes called Pokanokets.
To the south they had the Nansets, as neighbors, on Cape Cod; the
Pennacooks, on the northern frontier extending into New Hampshire;
and the Nipmucks in central Massachusetts extending into Connecticut
and Rhode Island. The Pawtuckets, who had been nearly destroyed by
the great pestilence, were north of the tribes of Massachusetts, and
included the Pennacooks and other small clans. Massasoit's home was
at Mount Hope, where now stands the town of Bristol, Rhode Island, a
seaport upon the wide waters of Narragansett Bay.
After the famous treaty between the Wampanoag Sachem and the English
had been drawn and signed, Massasoit was conducted back to his own
people by the Governor himself. Hostages were left behind and soon his
brother Quadepinah came down the brook with a retinue of followers.
He, too, was well entertained and so well pleased that, upon the
day following, Standish and Allerton--two of the more prominent
Englishmen--were invited to come to the Indian camp, where they were
regaled with three or four groundnuts and some tobacco. In return for
this kind treatment, the Governor of Plymouth sent for the chief's
kettle and returned it filled to the brim with peas, a vegetable which
the Wampanoags had never before seen. This pleased Massasoit mightily,
and, next morning, he and his entire retinue returned towards their own
homes, with laughter, smiles and many evidences of good feeling towards
the Puritans.
Squanto--the only survivor of the tribe of Patuxets who had originally
lived here--became an intimate and valued friend of the English. He
taught the Puritans how to plant maize, or Indian corn, and how to
enrich the soil, by spreading over it the remains of alewives--fish
which ran up the brooks in April to spawn. This proved a great value
to the Colonists, for the wheat and peas which they had brought from
England with them, turned out to be almost worthless. Later in the year
the Indian guided two ambassadors (Winslow and Hopkins) across the
country to Massasoit's chief village of Pokanoket (now Warren, Rhode
Island), in order that the treaty of peace which had been made with
them might be confirmed. It was in summer--a period of softness and
beauty in Massachusetts--and so the two Puritans, as they journeyed
through the undulating country, studied its character and soil and
became acquainted with the situation of the neighboring tribes.
Game was plentiful, especially wild turkeys, which have long since
disappeared from the Atlantic Coast, and those left behind by the hardy
emissaries were busy with fishing, deer hunting, and watching the corn
crop. This grew well, was cut and stored for the winter, and, with
an abundance of dried fish and jerked venison, the Colonists looked
forward to a much better winter than that of the year previous.
Shortly afterwards, the Narragansett Indians sent a bundle of arrows
tied together with the skin of a rattlesnake to the Colonists,
and--although these were known to be most warlike of all the
surrounding tribes--in token of defiance, the skin was stuffed with
powder and ball, and returned. An attack was now expected and so
a palisade was erected outside the row of huts, but, although the
Narragansetts were evidently at no loss to understand the meaning of
the answer which the Puritans had sent, they left the settlement alone.
At the first Indian town to which the two ambassadors came, they were
greeted by the Wampanoags with generous but humble hospitality. The
Indians gave them cold cornbread, fish, and boiled, musty acorns.
After the meal, Winslow shot at a crow with his musket, and, as he
killed it at quite a distance, the natives were greatly astonished and
amused. With a show of true kindliness, the two Puritans were directed
to another Indian town, some eight miles distant, where they were
welcomed by a party who were catching great numbers of fine bass in the
Taunton River, and who not only gave them a supper but also a breakfast
next morning. Attended by six of their hosts, upon the following day,
they were crossing the river, when two old Indians upon the opposite
bank ran swiftly and stealthily among the high grasses to meet them,
and then with loud voices and drawn bows demanded who they were. Seeing
that they were friends, their hostility turned to welcome, and, instead
of shooting at them, the unfriendly braves gave them food. In return
they received a small bracelet of beads. After one other stop the
travelers reached Sowams, or Mount Hope--the home of Massasoit.
The great Sachem was not at home, at first, but soon arrived, to be
greeted by the two Englishmen by the discharge of their muskets. This
startled the aged warrior, but pleased him also, so he welcomed the
two guests with kindness and took them to his lodge. After seating
themselves, the Englishmen delivered to their host a coat of red cotton
heavily embroidered with fine lace, and a long chain of copper and
beads. The chief immediately put this on--much to the astonishment of
the Wampanoags--who gazed at him from a respectful distance with awe
and unspeakable admiration, as he listened to the message from the
English governor. This was to the effect that the Puritans trusted that
the peace which so far existed between them should be continued, and
that, as Massasoit's people (particularly his women and children) came
frequently to Plymouth and were always most welcome, the Colonists
feared that their corn would be insufficient in the future to give
them proper entertainment. So the Governor requested that Massasoit
would not be angered, if, in the next months, the Colonists did not
feed his Indians as sumptuously as heretofore, when they came to them
upon a visit. But if Massasoit himself should come to Plymouth, or
any friend of his, he would be welcome and most hospitably received.
"Furthermore," said Winslow, in closing, "I trust that the Pokanokets,
who have furs, shall be permitted to sell them to us, for we can send
them to our brothers in England, in exchange for many things which we
need in the colony."
"I hear the good speech of my English brother," said Massasoit, "and it
pleases me much to see them with me. You ask me to keep my people from
Plymouth until you know the abundance of your harvest. That I will do,
for do not I command all the country about you? Are not all the towns
about here of my dominions and the people in them? And, if I shall
tell them to bring me their skins, that they will do. I have thirty
settlements which I rule over, and they shall do as I command."
"Thank you, good chief," replied Winslow. "I am sure that what you say
shall be followed out. Now let us smoke the pipe of peace and further
cement our friendship."
To this the friendly chief seemed to be agreeable, but, after the
pipe had been passed around, it was seen that the hour was late, and
consequently Massasoit offered the two ambassadors a bed in his own
cabin. He and his wife slept at one end upon a plank platform, raised
a foot or two from the ground and covered with a thin mat, and the
Englishmen were requested to find a sleeping place upon the other end.
This they did, but so hard was the flooring, and so vicious were the
Rhode Island mosquitoes that both scarce slept at all, particularly as
two Indians, whom the Sachem had placed outside as a bodyguard, walked
up and down during the entire evening, vigorously slapping at the
buzzing insects and making such a noise that it was impossible not to
be kept wide awake.
Finally morning dawned, and the two unhappy men were soon breakfasting
on cornbread and boiled water, while numerous Indians began to stream
into camp from neighboring settlements. By noon a goodly number had
arrived, and Massasoit--with true hospitality--made them all seat
themselves and partake of a meal of boiled fish, which he himself had
speared with arrows as they swam in the Taunton River. Afterwards the
savages held a running race and other games, until the descending
sun warned them that evening was approaching. Then with many grunts,
smiles, and protestations of affection, the visiting braves departed to
their own homes. The two Englishmen also begged to be excused, as the
barbarous singing of the Indians at night, coupled with the buzzing and
stings of mosquitoes, made them long for quiet Plymouth where netting
of twine was stretched over the windows to keep out the pests. So they
also said adieu to kind-hearted Massasoit, who bade them a warm and
tender farewell.
In March, 1622, an incident occurred which came near putting an end to
this strong friendship between the Wampanoag Sachem and the English,
for an Indian came rushing breathlessly in among a party of Colonists,
with his face gashed and the blood running from it, calling out to
them to run quickly to shelter, as his countrymen were on the warpath.
They eagerly questioned him, and were told that the savages, under
Massasoit, were congregating at a certain place in order to make an
attack upon the colony and that he had been wounded by them because he
had opposed their base designs. Immediately the Puritans ran to arms
and prepared for a stout defense of Plymouth, although a Pokanoket
Indian named Hobbammak, who made his home with the Colonists, stoutly
denied that the fugitive had spoken the truth. "Send you to Sowams, the
home of Massasoit," said he, "and you will soon find that this story is
false. I know that Squanto has caused this man to run to you, thus."
"This I will do," said the Governor, and forthwith dispatched a
messenger to the Sachem's residence, who arrived only to find that
everything was in its accustomed condition of peace and tranquility.
He consequently told Massasoit of the reports circulated against him,
which enraged the good Sachem tremendously and caused him to utter many
uncomplimentary remarks about Squanto, whom--it was understood--had
instigated the action of the Indian out of a spirit of malicious
mischief. "Let me but catch this Squanto," shouted Massasoit, "and I
will teach him not to meddle with my own private affairs. But go tell
the Governor of Plymouth," he continued, "that I am glad to hear that
he himself has not believed the idle talk of this lying Indian. Tell
him that, if any conspiracy against him ever does take place, I myself
will be the first to send him word of it." And with these declarations
of strict friendship and integrity ringing in his ears, the messenger
returned to Plymouth and quickly quieted the fears of the waiting
Colonists.