Chapter VIII: Part 8

On a certaine day there came two Savages to his place, who were under the command of _Somerset_ or _Conway_, I know not whether, at which time they were both with me at my house, but the other two who went to him, knew not so much, but afterwards they understanding of it, came presently over, but left their Cotts and _Beauer_ skins behind them, whereat _Somerset_ and _Conway_ were exceeding angrie and were ready to beate the poore fellows, but I would not suffer them so to doe. They presently went over the Harbor themselues in their _Cannow_ to fetch their goods, but this man would let them haue none, but wished them to truck with him, they told him they would not, but would carry them to Captaine _Levett_, he said _Levett_ was no captaine, but a _Iacknape_, a poore fellow, &c. They told him againe that he was a _Roague_, with some other speeches, whereupon he and his company fell upon them & beate them both, in so much that they came to me in a great rage against him, and said they would be revenged on his Fishermen at sea, and much adoe I had to diswade one of them for going into _England_ to tell King _James_ of it, as he said; when they came to me in this rage, there was two or three Masters of Shippes by, and heard every word.

But all this did me no hurt, (saue the losse of the trucke, which by divers was thought to be worth above 50. li.) for the two _Sagamores_ whom he inticed from me, and incensed against me, at length used meanes to be freinds with me, sending one who asked me, if I were angrie with them, I told them no, I was not angrie with them for any such matter as lowsie Cotts and skinnes, but if they were _Matchett_, that is, naughtie men, and rebellious, then I would be _Mouchick Hoggery_, that is very angry, and would _Cram_, that is, kill them all.

When they came them selues to me to seeke peace, they brought me a _Beauer_ Coate, and two _Otter_ skines, which they would have let me had for nothing, but I would not take them so, but gaue them more then vsually I did by way of Trucke, I then told them likewise that if at any time they did Trucke with mee, they should haue many good things in leiu of their Beauer: and if they did not Trucke it was no matter, I would be good friends with them, at which they smiled and talked one to the other, saying the other man was a Iacknape, and that I had the right fashion of the _Aberieney Sagamores_, then they began to applaude or rather flatter me, saying I was so bigge a _Sagamore_, yea foure fathom, which were the best words they could vse to expresse their minds: I replied that I was a poore man as he had reported of mee. They said againe it was no matter what I said, or that Iacknape (which is the most disgracefull word that may be in their conceite,) for all the _Sagamores_ in the Country loued poore _Levett_ and was Muchicke sorrie that he would be gon, and indeed I cannot tell what I should thinke of them, for euer after they would bring mee any thing they thought would giue mee content, as Egges and the whole bodyes of _Beauer_, which in my concite eate like _Lambe_, and is not inferiour to it: yea the very coats of Beauer & _Otter-skinnes_ from off their backes, which though I many time refused, yet not allwaies, but I neuer tooke any such courtesie from them, but I requited them answerably, chusing rather to neglect the present profit, then the hopes I haue to bring them to better things, which I hope will be for a publicke good, and which I am perswaded were a greeuous sinne, to neglect for any sinister end.

And a little before my departure there came these _Sagamores_ to see mee, _Sadamoyt_, the great _Sagamore_ of the East Countrey, _Manawormet_, _Opparunwit_, _Skedraguscett_, _Cogawesco_, _Somersett_, _Conway_ and others.

They asked me why I would be gone out of their Countrey, I was glad to tell them my wife would not come thither except I did fetch her, they bid a pox on her hounds, (a phrase they have learned and doe vse when they doe curse) and wished me to beate her. I told them no, for then our God would bee angrie. Then they runne out vpon her in euil tearmes, and wished me to let her alone and take another, I told them our God would be more angrie for that. Againe they bid me beate her, beate her, repeating it often, and very angerly, but I answered no, that was not the English fashion, and besides, she was a good wife and I had children by her, and I loued her well, so I satisfied them. Then they told me that I and my wife and Children, with all my friends, should bee hartily welcome into that Countrey at any time, yea a hundreth thousand times, yea _Mouchicke_, _Mouchicke_, which is a word of waight.

And _Somersett_ tould that his Sonne (who was borne, whilst I was in the Countrey, and whom hee would needs haue to Name) and mine should be Brothers and that there should be muchicke legamatch, (that is friendship) betwixt them, untill _Tanto_ carried them to his wigwam, (that is vntill that they died.)

Then they must know of mee how long I would be wanting, I told them so many Months, at which they seemed to be well pleased, but wisht me to take heede I proued not _Chechaske_ in that (that is, a lier.) They asked me what I would doe with my house, I told them I would leaue 10. of my men there vntill I came againe, and that they should kill all the _Tarrantens_ they should see (being enimies to them) and with whom the English haue no commarsse. At which they reioyced exceedingly, and then agreed amongst themselues that when the time should be expired, which I spoke of for my returne, euery one at the place where he liued would looke to the Sea, and when they did see a Ship they wold send to all the _Sagamores_ in the Countrey, and tell them that poore _Levett_ was come againe. And thus insteed of doing me hurt, I thinke that either he or I haue done good to all Planters, by winning their affections, (which may bee made vse of without trusting of them.)

But if your Lordship should put up this wrong done unto you, and the Authority which you gaue them, never expect to be obeyed in those parts, either by Planters or Fishermen; for some haue not stucke to say, that if such a man, contemning authority, and abusing one of the counsell, and drawing his knife upon him at his own house, which he did, should goe unpunished, then would not they care what they did heereafter.

And truely let me tell your Lordships, that if euer you intend to punish any for disobedience, or contempt of authority, this man is a fit instrument to make a president of, for he is rich, and this yeare will gaine the best part of 500 pounds by that Countrie, and he hath nether wife nor childe, for whose sakes he should be spared.

And if he goe free, as hee has domineered over vs, to whom your Lordships gaue authority, but no power to put it in execution, so will he grow unmannerly too with your Lordships, as hee hath already begunne.

And it will discourage men hereafter to take any authority upon them, or to goe about to reforme any abuses in those parts, and also it will hinder Planters for going over, if Fishermen be suffered not onely to take away their truck, but also to animate the Sauages against them, for this is the way to cause all Planters to haue their throats cut.

But I leaue these things to your Lo. consideration, who haue as well power as authority to punish such rebellious persons.

Thus hauing acquainted you with what I haue done, seen and heard; now giue me leaue to tell you what I thinke of the Savages, the inhabitants of that country: as also to iustifie the innocent, I meane the Countrie of _New-England_, against the slanderous reports of this man, and some others which I haue heard, and likewise to deliver my opinion, what courses I conceiue to be most convenient to be taken, for bringing most glorie to God, comfort, honor and benefit to our King, and our owne Natiue Nation.

The nature and disposition of the Savages, and of their severall
Gods, Squanto and Tanto.

I HAUE had much conference with the Savages, about our only true God, and haue done my best to bring them to know and acknowledge him, but I feare me all the labour that way, will be lost, and no good will be done, except it be among the younger sort.

I find they haue two Gods, on they love: and the other they hate: the god they loue, they call _Squanto_, and to him they ascribe all their good fortunes.

The god they hate they call _Tanto_, and to him they ascribe all their euill fortunes, as thus, when any is killed, hurt or sicke, or when it is evill wether, then they say _Tanto_ is _hoggry_, that is angry. When any dyes, they say _Tanto_ carries them to his _wigwam_, that is his house, and they never see them more.

I haue asked them where _Squanto_ dwells, they say they cannot tell but up on high, and will poynt upwards. And for _Tanto_, they say farre west, but they know not where.

I haue asked them if at any time they haue seene _Squanto_, or _Tanto_, they say no, there is none sees them, but their _Pawwawes_, nor they neither, but when they dreame.

Their _Pawwawes_ are their Phisitians and Surgions, and as I verely beleeue they are all Witches, for they foretell of ill wether, and many strange things, every _Sagamore_ hath one of them belongs to his company, and they are altogether directed by them.

On a time I was at a _Sagamores_ house and saw a _Martins_ skin, and asked if he would trucke it, the _Sagamore_ told me no, the _Pawwawe_ used to lay that under his head when he dreamed, and if he wanted that, he could doe nothing, thus we may perceiue how the devill deludes those poore people and keep them in blindnesse.

I find them generally to be marvellous quicke of apprehension, and full of subteltie, they will quickely find any man’s disposition, and flatter & humour him strangely, if they hope to get anything of him. And yet will they count him a foole if he doe not shew a dislike of it, and will say on to another, that such a man is a _Mechecome_.

They are slow of speech, and if they heare a man speake much they will laugh at him, and say he is a _Mechecum_, that is a foole.

If men of place be to familiar with them, they will not respect them: therefore it is to be wished that all such persons should be wise in their Carriage.

The _Sagamores_ will scarce speake to an ordinary man, but will point to their men, and say _Sanops_, must speake to _Sanops_, and _Sagamors_ to _Sagamors_.

They are very bloudy minded and full of Tracherie amongst themselues, one will kill another for their wiues, and he that hath the most wiues is the brauest fellow: therefore I would wish no man to trust them, what euer they say or doe; but alwaies to keepe a strickt hand ouer them, and yet to vse them kindly, and deale vprightly with them; so shall they please God, keepe their reputation amongst them, and be free from danger.

Their _Sagamors_ are no Kings, as I verilie beleeue, for I can see no Government or Law amongst them but Club Law: and they call all Masters of Shippes _Sagamore_, or any other man, that they see have a commaund of men.

Their wiues are their slaves, and doe all their worke the men will doe nothing but kill Beasts, Fish, &c.

On a time reasoning with one of their _Sagamors_ about their hauing so many wiues, I tould him it was no good fashion, he then asked mee how many wiues King _James_ had, I told him he neuer had but one, and shee was dead, at which he wondred, and asked mee who then did all the Kings worke. You may Imagin he thought their fashion was vniuersal and that no King had any to worke for them but their wiufs.

They haue no apparrell but skinnes, except they haue it from the _English_, or _French_, in winter they weare the haire side inwards, in summer outwards. They haue a peece of a skinne about their loines like a girdle and between their legges goes another, made fast to the girdles before and behind, which serues to couer their nakednesse, they are all thus apparrelled, going bare headed with long haire, sometimes you shall not know the men from women but by their breasts, the men having no haire on their faces.

When their Children are borne they bind them on a peece of board, and sets it vpright, either against a tree or any other place. They keep them thus bound vntill they be three months old, and after they are continuall naked vntill they be about fiue or sixe yeares.

Yee shall haue them many times take their Children & bury them in the snow all but their faces for a time, to make them the better to endure cold, and when they are not aboue 2. yeares old, they will take them and cast them into the Sea, like a little dogge or Cat, to learne them to swimme.

Their weapons are bowes and arrowes, I never saw more then two fowling peeces, one pistall, about foure Halfe-pikes, and three Curtlaces ♦_Cutlasses_♦ amongst them, so that we neede not to feare them much, if wee auoid their Treacherie.

Their houses are built in halfe an houres space being onely a few powles or boughes stucke in the ground and couered with the barkes of trees.

Their Language differs as _English & Welch_. On a time the Gouernour was at my house, and brought with him a _Salvage_, who liued not aboue 70. miles from the place which I haue made choise of, who talking with another Sauage, they were glad to vse broken _English_ to expresse their mind each to other, not being able to vnderstand one another in their Language.

And to say something of the Countrey: I will not doe therein as some haue done, to my knowledge speak more then is true: I will not tell you that you may smell the corne fields before you see the Land, neither must men thinke that corne doth growe naturally (or on trees,) nor will the _Deare_ come when they are called, or stand still and looke one a man, untill he shute him, not knowing a man from a beast, nor the fish leape into the kettle, nor on the drie Land, neither are they so plentifull, that you may dipp them up in baskets, nor take _Codd_ in netts to make a voyage, which is no truer: then that the fowles will present themselues, to you with spitts through them.

But certainely there is fowle, _Deare_, and Fish enough for the taking if men be diligent, there be also Vines, Plume trees, Cherry trees, Strawberies, Gooseberies, and Raspes, Walnutts, chesnut, and small nuts, of each great plenty; there is also great store of parsley, and divers other holesome Earbes, both for profit and pleasure, with great store of Saxifrage, Cersa-perilla, and Anni-seeds.

And for the ground there is large & goodly Marsh to make meddow, higher land for pasture and corne.

There be these severall sorts of earth, which I haue seene, as, _Clay_, _Sand_, _Grauill_, yea and as blacke fatt earth, as ever I sawe in _England_ in all my life.

There are likewise these helpes for ground, as Seasand, _Oreworth_ or _Wracke_, _Marle_ blew and white, and some men say there is _Lime_, but I must confesse I neuer saw any _Lime-stone_: but I haue tried the Shels of Fish, and I find them to be good _Lime_.

Now let any husbandman tell mee, whither there be any feare of hauing any kind of Corne, hauing these seuerall kinds of Earth with these helpes, the Climat being full as good if not better than _England_.

I dare be bold to say also, there may be Shippes as conueniently built there as in any place of the world, where, I haue beene, and better cheape. As for Plancke, crooked Timber, and all other sorts what so euer can be desired for such purpose, the world cannot afford better. Masts and Yeards of all sises, there be allso Trees growing, whereof Pitch and Tarre is made.

And for Sailes and all sorts of Cordish you neede not to want, if you will but sowe Hempe and Flaxseede, and after worke it. Now there wants nothing but Iron, and truely I thinke I haue seene Iron-stones there, but I must acknowledge I haue no great iudgement in Mineralls, yet I haue seene the Iron-workes in _England_, and this Stone is like ours. But howsoever if the Countrie will not afford Iron, yet it may be easilie brought, for it is good Ballast for Shippes.

There is also much excellent Timber for Ioyners and Coopers: howsoeuer a worthy Noble man hath beene abused, who sent ouer some to make Pippe-staues, who either for want of skill or industrie, did no good. Yet I dare say no place in _England_ can afford better Timber for Pippe-staues, then foure seuerall places which I haue seene in that Countrey.

Thus haue I relaited vnto you what I haue seene, and doe know may be had in those parts of _New-England_ where I haue beene, yet was I neuer at the Mesachusett, which is counted the Paradise of _New-England_, nor at _Cape Ann_. But I feare there hath been too faire a glosse set on _Cape Ann_. I am told there is a good Harbour which makes a faire Inuitation, but when they are in, their entertainement is not answerable, for there is little good ground, and the Shippes which fished there this yeare, their boats went twenty miles to take their Fish, and yet they were in great feare of making their Voyages, as one of the Masters confessed vnto me who was at my house.

Neither was I at _New-Plimoth_, but I feare that place is not so good as many other, for if it were in my conceite they would content themselues with it and not seeke for any other hauing ten times so much ground as would serue ten times so many people as they haue now amongst them. But it seemes they haue no Fish to make benifit of, for this yeare they had one Shippe Fisht at _Pemoquid_, and an other at _Cape Ann_, where they haue begun a new Plantation, but how long it will continew I know not.

Neither was I ever farther to the West then the Iles of _Shoulds_.

Thus have I done with my commendations of the Countrie. I will now speake the worst I know by it.

About the middle of May you shall haue little Flies, called _Musketoes_, which are like Gnatts, they continue as I am told, vntill the last of July. These are very troublesome for the time, for they sting exceedingly both night and day. But I found by experience that bootes or thicke stockings would saue the legges, gloues the hands, and tiffeney or some such things which will not much hinder the sight will saue the face, and at night any smoake will secure a man.

The reason of the aboundance of these creatures, I take to be the woods which hinders the aire, for I haue obserued allwaies when the winde did blow but a little, we were not much troubled with them.

And I verily thinke that if there were a good number of people planted together, and that the woods were cut downe, the earth were tilled, and the rubbish which lieth on the ground wherein they breed were burnt, and that there were many chimneyes smoaking, such small creatures would doe but little hurt.

Another euill or inconuenience I see there, the snow in winter did lie very long vpon the ground.

But I understand that all the parts of Christendome, were troubled with a cold winter so well as wee. Yet would I aske any man what hurt snow doeth? The husbandman will say that Corne is the better for it. And I hope Cattell may bee as well fed in the house there as in _England_, _Scotland_, and other Countries, and he is but an ill husband that cannot find imployments for his seruants within doores for that time. As for Wiues and Children if they bee wise they will keepe themselues close by a good fire, and for men they will haue no occasion to ride to Faires or Markets, _Sysses_ or Sessions, only Hawkes and Hounds will not then be vsefull.

Yet let me tell you that it is still almost Christmas before there be any winter there, so that the cold time doth not continue long.

And by all reason that Countrey should be hotter then England, being many Degrees farther from the North Pole.

And thus according to my poore understanding I haue given you the best information I can of the people and Country, commodities and discommodities. Now giue mee leaue to oppose myselfe against the man beforementioned, and others, who speaks against the Country, and plantations in those parts, and to set down such obiections as I haue heard them make, and my answers, and afterward let wisedome iudge: for my desire is, that the saddle may be set on the right horse, and the Asse may be rid, and the knaue punished, either for discouraging or incouraging too much, whosoeuer he be.