Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation': From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to MassachusettsBradford, William
History
Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation': From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts
Bradford, William
Massachusetts -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Having procured a patente (as is above said) for Kenebeck, they now
erected a house up above in y^e river in y^e most convenientest place
for trade, as they conceived, and furnished the same with co[=m]odities
for y^t end, both winter & so[=m]er, not only with corne, but also with
such other commodities as y^e fishermen had traded with them, as coats,
shirts, ruggs, & blankets, biskett, pease, prunes, &c.; and what they
could not have out of England, they bought of the fishing ships, and so
carried on their bussines as well as they could.
This year the Dutch sent againe unto them from their plantation, both
kind leterss, and also diverse comodities, as suger, linen cloth, Holand
finer & courser stufes, &c. They came up with their barke to Manamete,
to their house ther, in which came their Secretarie Rasier; who was
accompanied with a noyse of trumpeters, and some other attendants; and
desired that they would send a boat for him, for he could not travill so
farr over land. So they sent a boat to Manonscussett, and brought him to
y^e plantation, with y^e cheefe of his company. And after some few days
entertainmente, he returned to his barke, and some of them wente with
him, and bought sundry of his goods; after which begining thus made,
they sente often times to y^e same place, and had entercourse togeather
for diverce years; and amongst other comodities, they vended [158] much
tobaco for linen cloath, stuffs, &c., which was a good benefite to y^e
people, till the Virginians found out their plantation. But that which
turned most to their profite, in time, was an entrance into the trade of
Wampampeake; for they now bought aboute 50^li. worth of it of them; and
they tould them how vendable it was at their forte Orania; and did
perswade them they would find it so at Kenebeck; and so it came to pass
in time, though at first it stuck, & it was 2. years before they could
put of this small quantity, till y^e inland people knew of it; and
afterwards they could scarce ever gett enough for them, for many years
togeather. And so this, with their other provissions, cutt of they trade
quite from y^e fisher-men, and in great part from other of y^e stragling
planters. And strange it was to see the great allteration it made in a
few years amonge y^e Indeans them selves; for all the Indeans of these
parts, & y^e Massachussets, had none or very litle of it,[CI] but y^e
sachems & some spetiall persons that wore a litle of it for ornamente.
Only it was made & kepte amonge y^e Nariganssets, & Pequents, which grew
rich & potent by it, and these people were poore & begerly, and had no
use of it. Neither did the English of this plantation, or any other in
y^e land, till now that they had knowledg of it from y^e Dutch, so much
as know what it was, much less y^t it was a co[=m]oditie of that worth &
valew. But after it grue thus to be a comoditie in these parts, these
Indeans fell into it allso, and to learne how to make it; for y^e
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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