A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
History
A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
off, and the rest called for a firebrand to light their matches. One
took a log out of the fire on his shoulder and went and carried it unto
them, which was thought did not a little discourage our enemies. The cry
of our enemies was dreadful, especially when our men ran out to recover
their arms; their note was after this manner, “_Woach woach ha ha hach
woach_.”[47] Our men were no sooner come to their arms, but the enemy
was ready to assault them.
There was a lusty man and no whit less valiant, who was thought to be
their captain, stood behind a tree within half a musket shot of us, and
there let his arrows fly at us. He was seen to shoot three arrows, which
were all avoided, for he at whom the first arrow was aimed, saw it, and
stooped down and it flew over him; the rest were avoided also. He stood
three shots of a musket. At length one took, as he said, full aim at
him, after which he gave an extraordinary cry and away they went all. We
followed them about a quarter of a mile, but we left six to keep our
shallop, for we were careful of our business. Then we shouted all
together two several times, and shot off a couple of muskets and so
returned; this we did that they might see we were not afraid of them nor
discouraged.
Thus it pleased God to vanquish our enemies and give us deliverance. By
their noise we could not guess that they were less than thirty or forty,
though some thought that they were many more. Yet in the dark of the
morning we could not so well discern them among the trees, as they could
see us by our fireside. We took up eighteen of their arrows which we
have sent to England by Master Jones, some whereof were headed with
brass, others with harts’ horn, and others with eagles’ claws. Many more
no doubt were shot, for these we found were almost covered with leaves;
yet, by the especial providence of God, none of them either hit or hurt
us though many came close by us and on every side of us, and some coats
which hung up in our baricade were shot through and through.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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