They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up
their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in
health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some
were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in
fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good
store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there
was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter
approached, of which this place did abound when they came first....
And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which
they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides they had about a peck of
meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that
proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their
plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned
[_pretended_] but true reports.
Governor Bradford’s history does not describe the first Thanksgiving
dinner, but we have a letter written by Edward Winslow to a friend in
England, in which Winslow gives details of the feast that followed the
harvest. Governor Bradford sent out four hunters who returned with
enough wild fowl to last the colony a week. The Pilgrims then held a
celebration which was attended by Massasoit and ninety of his braves.
The Indians contributed five deer for the feast, which lasted three
days.
Soon afterwards, however, another shipload of settlers arrived on the
Fortune. The new colonists come without equipment and provisions. In
order to feed the newcomers the Plymouth colony had to go on half
rations for the following winter. Next, the colony had more Indian
trouble, not with Massasoit’s friendly tribe, but with the Narragansett
Indians. In the following selection from Bradford’s history the Governor
summarizes the end of 1621, the first full year of the colony:
Soon after this ship’s [_the Fortune’s_] departure, the great people
of the Narragansetts, in a braving manner, sent a messenger unto them
with a bundle of arrows tied about with a great snake-skin, which
their interpreters told them was a threatening and a challenge. Upon
which the Governor, with the advice of others, sent them a round
answer that if they had rather have war than peace, they might begin
when they would; they had done them no wrong, neither did they fear
them or should they find them unprovided [_unprepared_]. And by
another messenger [_he_] sent the snake-skin back with bullets in it.
But they would not receive it, but sent it back again....
But this made them [_the settlers_] the more carefully to look to
themselves, so as they agreed to enclose their dwellings with a good
strong pale [_fence_], and make flankers [_fortifications_] in
convenient places with gates to shut, which were every night locked,
and a watch kept; and when need required, there was also warding
[_guarding_] in the daytime. And the company was by the Captain’s and
the Governor’s advice divided into four squadrons, and everyone had
their quarter appointed them, unto which they were to repair upon any
sudden alarm. And if there should be any cry of fire, a company were
appointed for a guard, with muskets, whilst others quenched the same,
to prevent Indian treachery. This was accomplished very cheerfully,
and the town impaled round by the beginning of March [_1622_], in
which every family had a pretty garden plot secured.