Weston abandons the Settlement—Dissensions among the Adventurers in
England—Weston’s plan for a Colony, and arrival of Sixty Settlers for
it—News from Captain Huddleston of massacre in Virginia—Fort built at
New Plymouth—Death of Squanto—Weston’s Colony in difficulties: 1622.
They had arranged with the Massachusetts to go again and trade with
them in the spring, and began to prepare for the voyage about the
latter end of March. But Hobbamok, their Indian, told them that,
from some rumours he had heard, he feared they had joined the
Narragansetts and might betray them if they were not careful. He
also intimated some suspicion of Squanto, from what he had observed
of some private whisperings between him and other Indians. But they
resolved to proceed, and sent out their shallop with ten of their
chief men about the beginning of April, both Squanto and Hobbamok
with them, considering the jealousy between them. But they had not
been gone long from the settlement, before an Indian belonging to
Squanto’s family came running in, apparently in great fear, and told
them that many of the Narragansetts with Corbitant, and he thought
also Massasoyt, were coming to attack them; and he got away to tell
them, not without danger. And being examined by the Governor, he
made as if the enemy were at hand, and kept looking back as if they
were at his heels. At which the Governor ordered the settlers to
take arms and stand on their guard; and believing the boat would be
still within hearing, since it was calm, he caused a warning piece
or two to be shot off, which they heard and returned. But no Indians
appeared, and though watch was kept all night, nothing was seen.
Hobbamok was confident of Massasoyt’s good faith and thought it was
all false. But the Governor had him send his wife privately to see
what she could observe, on pretence of other purposes, but nothing
was found and all was quiet. So they proceeded on their voyage to the
Massachusetts and had good trade, and returned in safety blessed be
God!
But by what had passed they began to see that Squanto sought his own
ends and played his own game, by frightening the Indians and getting
gifts from them for himself, making them believe he could stir up war
against them if he would, and make peace for whom he would. He even
made them believe the English kept the plague buried in the ground,
and could send it among them whenever they wished, which terrified
the Indians and made them more dependent on him than on Massasoyt.
This made him envied, and was likely to have cost him his life;
for, after discovering this, Massasoyt sought it both privately and
openly. This caused Squanto to stick close to the English, and he
never dared leave them till he died. The colony also made good use of
the emulation between Hobbamok and him, which made them behave more
squarely, the Governor seeming to countenance the one and the Captain
the other, by which they procured better intelligence and made them
both more zealous in their service.
Now their provisions were practically all exhausted and they looked
anxiously for supplies, but none came. About the latter end of May,
however, they spied a boat at sea, which at first they thought was
some Frenchman; but it proved to be a shallop which came from a ship
which Mr. Weston and another man had sent out fishing at a place
called Damariscove, 40 leagues to the eastward of them, where that
year many ships had come to fish. This boat brought seven passengers
and some letters, but no provisions and no hope of any. Part of this
letter I will give.
_Mr. Weston in England to Mr. John Carver at New Plymouth_:
The Fortune, in which Mr. Cushman went,—who I hope is with you,
for we daily expect the ship back again,—left England at the
beginning of July with 35 persons, though not over well provided
with necessaries owing to the parsimony of the adventurers. I have
begged them to send you a supply of men and provisions before she
returns. They all answer they will do great things when they hear
good news—nothing before, so faithful, constant, and careful of
your good are your old and honest friends, that if they hear not
from you they are not likely to send you supplies.... I will now
explain the sending of this ship, hoping if you give me credit, you
will have a more favourable opinion of the project than some here,
whereof Pickering is one.... Mr. Beauchamp and I have bought this
little ship, and have fitted her out, partly, it may be, to benefit
the plantation, and partly to recoup ourselves for former losses;
though we are censured.... This is the reason we have sent this
ship and these passengers, on our own account; and we desire you to
entertain them and supply them, with such necessaries as you can
spare.... And among other things, pray lend or sell them some seed
corn, or if you have some of the salt remaining from last year, let
them have it for their present use, and we will either pay you for
it, or give you more when our salt pan is at work, which we want to
have set up in one of the little islands in your bay.... We intend,
if God please, and the others will not join us, to send within
a month another ship, which, having discharged her passengers,
will go to Virginia.... And perhaps we shall send a small ship to
remain with you on the coast, which should be a great help to the
plantation. In order that we may accomplish our endeavours, which
will be also for your good, pray give them entertainment in your
houses while they are with you, so that they may lose no time, but
may at once proceed to fell trees and cleave them, so that lading
may be ready, and the ship be not delayed.
Some of the adventurers have sent you herewith some directions for
your furtherance in the common enterprise,—like those whom St.
James speaks of, that bid their brother eat, and warm himself,
but give him nothing; so they bid you make salt, and uphold the
plantation, but send you no means wherewith to do it.... By the
next ship we intend to send more people on our own account, and to
take a patent; lest your people should be as inhuman as are some
of the adventurers, and should not permit us to dwell with them,
which would be such extreme barbarism that I will not let myself
think you have any such Pickerings among you. Yet to satisfy our
passengers I must perforce do it, and for some other reasons which
I need not write.... I find the rest so backward, and your friends
at Leyden so cold, that I fear you must stand on your own legs, and
trust (as they say) to God and yourselves.
Subscribed,
Your loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.
Several other things I pass over, being tedious and impertinent.
All this was but cold comfort with which to fill their hungry bellies
and a slender performance of his recent promise, and as little did
it either fill or warm them as those the Apostle James speaks of, to
which he refers.
There came by the same ship other letters, but of later date, one
from Mr. Weston and another from some of the other adventurers, as
follows.
_Mr. Weston in England to Mr. John Carver at New Plymouth_:
Mr. Carver,
Since my last, in order that we might more readily help the
company, at a meeting of some of the principal adventurers
a proposition was made and agreed to by all present, except
Pickering, that each man should further adventure the third part
of what he had formerly done. Some others followed Pickering’s
example and would adventure no more. Therefore, the greater part
of the adventurers being willing to support the enterprise, seeing
no reason why those who were willing, should carry on the business
of those who were unwilling, and whose backwardness discouraged
those who would go forward, and hindered other new adventurers
from joining, we, having well considered the matter, have resolved
according to the article in our agreement (that, by general
consent, the adventurers and settlers for just cause may break off
their joint stock), to break it off; and beg you to ratify and
confirm the same on your parts. This being done we shall the more
willingly proceed to provide you with necessary supplies. But in
any case you must agree to the articles and send them back under
your hands and seals by the first ship. So I end,
Your loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.
_Jan. 17th, 1621._
Another letter was written by part of the company of the adventurers
to the same purpose, and subscribed with nine of their names, of
which Mr. Weston’s and Mr. Beauchamp’s were two. This inconstancy and
shuffling seemed strange, and it appeared there was some mystery in
the matter. So the Governor concealed these letters from the public
and only imparted them to some trusted friends for advice, who agreed
with him that to inform them would tend to disband and scatter them
in their present necessity; and if Mr. Weston and others like-minded
should come over with shipping, provisioned as his letters suggested,
most of the advantage would fall to him, to the prejudice of
themselves and their friends and the rest of the adventurers, from
whom as yet they had heard nothing. Indeed it was doubted whether
he had not sent over the people in the former ship with this idea.
However, they took compassion on the seven whom this ship, fishing
to the eastward, had kept till planting time was over, so that it
was too late for them to set their corn, and who brought no food,
for they turned them ashore without any. Nor had the salt-pan come;
so they could not accomplish any of the things which Mr. Weston had
mentioned, and might have starved if the plantation had not succoured
them. Their wants were supplied exactly as the rest of the settlers’.
The ship went down to Virginia, where they sold both ship and fish,
of the proceeds of which Mr. Weston received a very slender share, it
is understood.
After this came another of his ships, bringing letters dated the 10th
April, from Mr. Weston, as follows.
_Mr. Weston in England to Governor Bradford at New Plymouth_:
Mr. Bradford, these, etc.
The Fortune has arrived, whose good news concerning you I am very
glad to hear. And though she was robbed on the way by the French,
yet I hope your loss will not be great, for the prospect of so
great a return much encourages the adventurers, so that I hope some
matter of importance will be done by them.... As for myself, I
have sold my adventure and debts to them, so I am quit of you, and
you of me, for that matter.... And now, though I have no position
as an adventurer amongst you, I will advise you a little for your
good, if you like to avail yourselves of it. I know as well as any
the disposition of your adventurers, whom the hope of gain has
drawn on to what they have done; but I fear that hope will not
draw them much further. Besides, most of them are against sending
your friends at Leyden, in whose interests this business was first
begun; and some of the most religious (for instance a Mr. Greene)
takes exception to them. So that my advice is (you may follow it if
you please) that you forthwith break off your joint stock, which
you have the right to do both in law and conscience, since the
majority of the adventurers have sanctioned it in a former letter.
The resources you have there, which I hope will be to some purpose
by means of this spring’s trade, may, with the help of some friends
here, meet the expense of transporting the Leyden contingent, and
when they are with you I do not question but by God’s help you
will be able to subsist of yourselves. But I leave you to your own
discretion.
I requested several of the adventurers, Mr. Pierce, Mr. Greene,
and others, if they had anything to send you,—such as food or
letters,—to send them by these ships; and wondering that they
sent not so much as a letter, I asked our passengers what letters
they had, and after some hesitation one of them told me he had
one, which was delivered him with great show of secrecy; and for
its greater security he was told to buy a pair of new shoes, and
sew it between the soles for fear of its being intercepted. I,
taking the letter, wondering what mystery might be in it, broke
it open and found this treacherous letter subscribed by the
hands of Mr. Pickering and Mr. Greene. Had it come to your hands
without comment, it might have injured, if not ruined, us all.
For assuredly if you had followed their instructions, and had
treated us as unkindly as they advise you to, distrusting us as
enemies, etc., it might have set us together by the ears to our
destruction. For I believe that in such a case, knowing the nature
of past business between us, not only my brother, but others also,
would have been violent and heady against you.... I meant to have
settled the people I before and now send you, with or near you, for
mutual security and defence and help on all occasions. But I find
the adventurers so jealous and suspicious that I have altered my
resolution, and have given orders to my brother and those with him
to do as he and they shall find fit.
Your loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.
_April 10th, 1621._
_Part of Mr. Pickering’s and Mr. Greene’s letter to the Settlers at
New Plymouth_:
To Mr. Bradford and Mr. Brewster, etc.
My dear love remembered to you all, etc.
The company has bought out Mr. Weston, and are very glad they are
freed of a man who thought himself superior to the rest, and not
expressing so much fear of God as was meet. I need say no more: a
few words to the wise.
Mr. Weston will not permit letters to be sent in his ships, nor
anything for your good or ours, since it would be contrary to his
interests. His brother Andrew, whom he sends as principal in one
of these ships, is a violent, heady young man, and set against
you there and the company here. He and Mr. Weston plot their own
ends, which tend to your and our undoing in respect of our estates
there. We are informed by credible testimony that his purpose is
to come out to your colony, pretending he comes for and from the
adventurers, and will try to get whatever you have in readiness
aboard his ships, as if they came from the company; and all will
then be so much profit to himself. Further, they intend to inform
themselves what special places or sources of profit you have
discovered, so that they may suppress and deprive you....
The Lord, who is the watchman of Israel and sleepeth not, preserve
you and deliver you from unreasonable men. I am sorry that there
is cause to admonish you of these things concerning this man; so
I leave you to God, Who bless and multiply you into thousands, to
the advancement of the glorious gospel of Our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Farewell.
Your loving friends,
EDWARD PICKERING.
WILLIAM GREENE.
I pray conceal both the writing and delivery of this letter, but
make the best use of it. We hope to fit out a ship ourselves within
this month.
The following are of the chief points of Mr. Weston’s comments on the
foregoing letter:
Mr. Bradford, this is the letter I wrote you of, which to answer
in every particular were needless and tedious. My own conscience
and all our people can, and I think will, testify that my end in
sending the ship Sparrow was your good.... Now I will not deny that
there are many of our people rude fellows, as these men term them;
yet I presume they will be governed by such as I set over them, and
I hope not only to be able to reclaim them from their profaneness,
but, by degrees, draw them to God.... I am so far from sending you
rude fellows to deprive you either by fraud or violence of what is
yours, that I have ordered the captain of the Sparrow to leave with
you 2000 of bread, and a good quantity of fish.[4] ... But I will
leave it to you to consider what evil this letter might have done,
had it come to your hands and taken the effect its writers desired.
Now if you be of the same mind as these men, deal plainly with us,
and we will seek our residence elsewhere. If you are as friendly as
we have thought you to be, give us the entertainment of friends and
we will take nothing from you, neither meat, drink, nor lodging,
without in some way or other paying you for it.... I shall leave
in the country a little ship, if God send her safe thither, with
sailors and fishermen, to stay there to coast and trade with the
savages and the old plantation. It may be we shall be as helpful to
you as you will be to us. I think I shall see you next spring; so I
commend you to the protection of God, Who ever keep you.
Your loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.
Thus all their hopes in regard to Mr. Weston were laid in the dust,
and all his promised help turned into empty advice, which they saw it
was neither lawful nor profitable for them to follow. And they were
thus not only left destitute of help in their extreme want, having
neither food nor anything to trade with, but others were preparing
to glean up what the country might have afforded for their relief.
As for the harsh censures and suspicions intimated in the former
and following letters, they desired to judge them as charitably
and wisely as they could, weighing them in the balance of love and
reason; and though they came in part from godly and loving friends,
they recognized that much might arise from over-deep jealousy and
fear, or from provocation,—though they saw clearly that Mr. Weston
pursued his own ends and was embittered in spirit. After the receipt
of the former letters the Governor received one from Mr. Cushman, who
went home in the ship and was always intimate with Mr. Weston,—as
former passages prove. It had seemed strange that nothing was heard
from him all this while; but it seems it was the difficulty of
sending, for this letter was directed as if from a wife in England to
her husband who was here, and was brought by him to the Governor. It
was as follows.
_Robert Cushman in England to Governor Bradford at New Plymouth_:
Beloved Sir,
I heartily salute you, trusting you are well, and with many thanks
for your love. By God’s providence we got home safely on the 17th
Feb., being robbed by the French on the way and taken by them into
France, where we were kept 15 days and lost all that we had that
was worth taking. But thanks be to God we escaped with our lives
and our ship. It does not seem to have discouraged any here. I
purpose by God’s grace to see you shortly, I hope in June next or
before. In the meantime consider well the following. Mr. Weston
has quite broken off from our company, through some disagreement
that arose between him and some of the other adventurers, and has
sold all his adventurers and has now sent three small ships for his
particular colony. Of the biggest of these, which is 100 tons, Mr.
Reynolds is captain; Mr. Weston intends to come himself with the
others,—why I know not.
The people they take are no men for us, so I beg you not to
entertain them nor to exchange men with them, except perhaps some
of your worst. He has taken out a patent for himself. If they offer
to buy anything of you let it be such as you can spare and let
them give full value for it. If they borrow anything of you let
them leave a good pawn.... It is probable he will settle southward
of the Cape, for William Trevor has lavishly told what he knew
(or imagined) of Capawack, Monhegan and the Narragansetts. I fear
these people will hardly deal as well with the savages as they
should. I advise you therefore to signify to Squanto that they are
a distinct body from us, and we have nothing to do with them; that
we must not be blamed for their faults,—much less can we warrant
their fidelity. We are about to recover our losses in France. Our
friends at Leyden are well, and as many as can will come this
time. I hope all will turn out for the best, so I pray you not
to be discouraged, but to meet these difficulties cheerfully and
with courage, in that place wherein God has set you until the day
of refreshing come. And the Lord God of sea and land bring us
comfortably together again, if it may stand with His glory.
Yours,
ROBERT CUSHMAN.
On the other side of the leaf in the same letter, came these few
lines from Mr. John Pierce, in whose name the patent here was taken,
and of whom more will follow in its place.
_John Pierce in England to Governor Bradford at New Plymouth_:
Worthy Sir,
I desire you to take into consideration what is written on the
other side, and in no way to let your own colony be contaminated,
whose strength is but weakness and may therefore be more enfeebled.
As for the Letters of Association, by the next ship we send I hope
you will receive satisfaction; in the meantime whom you admit I
will approve. As for Mr. Weston’s company, I think them so inferior
for the most part that they do not seem fit for honest men’s
company. I hope they may prove otherwise. It is not my purpose to
write at length, but cease in these few lines, and so rest,
Your loving friend,
JOHN PIERCE.
All this they considered carefully; but they decided to give the
men friendly entertainment, partly out of regard for Mr. Weston
himself, considering what he had done for them, and partly out of
compassion for the people, who had come into a wilderness (as they
themselves had before) and were presently to be put ashore altogether
ignorant of what to do. The ship was then to carry other passengers
to Virginia. So, as they had received Mr. Weston’s former company of
seven men, and victualed them as their own hitherto, they received
these—about sixty strong men—and gave them housing for themselves and
their goods; and many of them who were sick had the best the place
could afford them. They stayed most of the summer, till the ship came
back again from Virginia; then by the direction of those set over
them, they moved to Massachusetts Bay, where Mr. Weston had obtained
a patent for some land on the strength of reports which he had got in
some of the letters previously sent home. They left all their sick
folk here till they were settled and housed. But of the provisions of
this contingent the New Plymouth Colony accepted none,—though they
were in great want,—nor anything else in return for any courtesy
rendered by them; nor did they desire it, for they were an unruly
company, without proper government, and would inevitably soon fall
into want if Mr. Weston did not come out to them. So, to prevent all
chance of subsequent trouble, they would accept nothing from them.
In these straits, deserted by those from whom they had hoped for
supplies, and famine beginning to pinch them severely, the Lord, Who
never fails His, provided assistance beyond all expectation. A boat
which came from the eastward brought them a letter from a stranger
whose name they had never heard before, the captain of a fishing
ship. This letter was as follows.
_Captain John Huddleston to the Colony at New Plymouth_:
To all good friends at New Plymouth, these, etc.,
Friends, Countrymen, and Neighbours,
I salute you and wish you all health and happiness in the Lord. I
make bold to trouble you with these lines, because unless I were
inhuman I could do no less. Bad news spreads itself too far; but
still, I may inform you that I and many good friends in the south
colony of Virginia, have sustained such a loss as the lives of 400
persons would not suffice to make good. Therefore I hope, although
not knowing you, that the old rule which I learnt at school may be
sufficient: that is,—Happy is he whom other men’s ills doth make to
beware! And now, again and again wishing all those that willingly
would serve the Lord all health and happiness in the world, and
everlasting peace in the world to come, I rest,
Yours,
JOHN HUDDLESTON.
By this boat the Governor returned a grateful answer, and also sent
a boat of their own with Mr. Winslow, to procure what he could from
the ships. He was kindly received by the captain, who not only spared
what provisions he could but wrote to others to do the same. By
this means he got a good quantity and returned in safety. Thus the
plantation had a double benefit: first, they were refreshed at the
time by the food obtained; secondly, they knew the way to those parts
to their advantage thereafter. What this small boat brought, divided
among so many, came to but little; still, by God’s blessing it
sustained them until harvest. It amounted to a quarter of a pound of
bread a day for each person; and the Governor had it given out daily,
otherwise, had it been in their own custody, they would have eaten it
up and then starved. In this way with what else they could get they
made fair shift till their corn was ripe.
This summer they built a fort with good timber,—a handsome building
and a good defence, made with a flat roof and battlement, on which
their ordnance was mounted, and where they kept constant watch,
especially in time of danger. It served them also as a meeting house
and was fitted accordingly for that use. It was a big undertaking for
them at this period of weakness and want; but the dangerous times
necessitated it; and the continual rumours about the Indians here,
especially the Narragansetts, and also the news of the great massacre
in Virginia, made all hands willing to complete it.
Now the welcome time of harvest approached, in which all had their
hungry bellies filled. But it amounted to but little compared with
a full year’s supply, partly because they were not yet used to the
culture of Indian corn (they had no other), partly owing to their
many other employments; but chiefly their weakness for want of
food prevented them from cultivating it as they should have done.
Again, much was stolen even before it became eatable, and much
more afterwards—and though many were well whipped when they were
caught stealing a few ears of corn, hunger drove others to it, whom
conscience did not restrain. It was quite clear that famine would
prevail again next year if not prevented, or if their supplies, to
which they dare not trust, should fail. Markets there were none
to go to, except the Indians; and even then they had no trading
commodities. Behold now another providence of God. A ship comes
into the harbour in charge of a Captain Jones, fitted out by some
merchants to discover all the harbours between here and Virginia
and the shoals of Cape Cod, and to trade along the coast where they
could. This ship had supplies of English beads which were then good
trade, and some knives,—though the Captain would sell none except at
high prices and in large quantities. But they were so glad of the
chance that they were willing to buy at any rate,—even at a premium
of 100 per cent, if not more, and even then to sell coat beaver at
three shillings per pound, which a few years after fetched twenty
shillings. By this means they were able again to trade for beaver and
other things, and intended to buy what corn they could.
But I will here take the liberty of making a little digression. There
was aboard this ship a gentleman, by name Mr. John Pory, who had been
secretary in Virginia, and was now going home as a passenger. After
his departure he wrote a letter to the Governor, in the postscript of
which were these lines:
To yourself and Mr. Brewster I must acknowledge myself much
indebted, and would have you feel that his books are well bestowed
on one who esteems them such jewels. My haste would not suffer me
to remember, much less to ask for, Mr. Ainsworth’s elaborate work
upon the five Books of Moses. Both his and Mr. Robinson’s highly
commend the authors, as conversant with the scriptures above all
others. And who knows what good it may please God to work by them,
through my unworthy hands, who finds such high content in them. God
have you all in His keeping.
Your unfeigned and firm friend,
JOHN PORY.
_Aug. 28th, 1622._
This I insert here in honour of the author’s memory, which this
gentleman thus ingenuously acknowledges; and he, upon his return, did
the plantation much credit amongst men of no mean rank. But to return.
Shortly after harvest Mr. Weston’s people, who were now settled in
Massachusetts, and had, by disorder as it seems, made havoc of their
provisions, began now to realize that want would press them. Finding
that the people here had bought trading commodities, and intended to
trade for corn, they wrote to the Governor and asked that they might
join them in trading, employing their small ship for the purpose;
and further requested them either to lend or to sell them some of
their trading commodities in return, and they would undertake to
make payment when Mr. Weston or their supplies should come. The
Governor agreed to do so upon equal terms, intending to go round the
cape southwards, with the ship, where corn might be got. Captain
Standish was appointed to go with them, and Squanto as a guide and
interpreter, about the latter end of September; but the winds drove
them in; and putting out again, Captain Standish fell ill with fever,
so the Governor went himself. But they could not get round the shoals
of Cape Cod, for flats and breakers, and Squanto could not direct
them better. The Captain of the boat dare not venture any further, so
they put into Manamoick Bay, and got what they could there.
Here Squanto fell ill of Indian fever, bleeding much at the
nose,—which the Indians take for a symptom of death,—and within a few
days he died. He begged the Governor to pray for him, that he might
go to the Englishmen’s God in heaven, and bequeathed several of his
things to some of his English friends, as remembrances. His death was
a great loss.
On this voyage they got in one place or another about 26 or 28
hogsheads of corn and beans, which was more than the Indians could
well spare hereabouts, for they sowed but little till they got
English hoes. So they had to return, disappointed that they could not
get round the Cape and were not better laden. Afterwards the Governor
took a few men and went to inland places to get what he could, to be
fetched home in the spring, which was some help.
In February a messenger came from John Sanders, who was left in
charge of Mr. Weston’s men at the Bay of Massachusetts, bringing a
letter telling of the great want they had fallen into. He wished to
borrow a hogshead of corn from the Indians, but they would lend him
none. He asked whether he might not take it from them by force to
supply his men till he returned from the east, where he was going.
The governor and the rest dissuaded him strongly, for it might
exasperate the Indians and endanger their safety, and all might smart
for it. Already it had been rumoured how they had wronged the Indians
by stealing their corn, etc., and that they were much incensed
against them. But so depraved were some of Mr. Weston’s people, that
they went and told the Indians that the Governor intended to come and
take their corn by force. This and other things made them enter into
a conspiracy against the English, of which more in the next chapter.
Herewith I end this year.