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
Now to maintaine this riotous prodigallitie and profuse excess, Morton,
thinking him selfe lawless, and hearing what gaine y^e French &
fisher-men made by trading of peeces, powder, & shotte to y^e Indeans,
he, as y^e head of this consortship, begane y^e practise of y^e same in
these parts; and first he taught them how to use them, to charge, &
discharg, and what proportion of powder to give y^e peece, according to
y^e sise or bignes of y^e same; and what shotte to use for foule, and
what for deare. And having thus instructed them, he imployed some of
them to hunte & fowle for him, so as they became farr more active in
that imploymente then any of y^e English, by reason of ther swiftnes of
foote, & nimblnes of body, being also quick-sighted, and by continuall
exercise well knowing y^e hants of all sorts of game. So as when they
saw y^e execution that a peece would doe, and y^e benefite that might
come by y^e same, they became madd, as it were, after them, and would
not stick to give any prise they could attaine too for them; accounting
their bowes & arrowes but bables in comparison of them.
And here I may take occasion to bewaile y^e mischefe that this wicked
man began in these parts, and which since base covetousnes prevailing in
men that should know better, has now at length gott y^e upper hand, and
made this thing co[=m]one, notwithstanding any laws to y^e contrary; so
as y^e Indeans are full of peeces all over, both fouling peeces,
muskets, pistols, &c. They have also their moulds to make shotte, of all
sorts, as muskett bulletts, pistoll bullets, swane & gose shote, & of
smaler sorts; yea, some have seen them have their scruplats to make
scrupins them selves, when they wante them, with sundery other
implements, wherwith they are ordinarily better fited & furnished then
y^e English them selves. Yea, it is well knowne that they will have
powder & shot, when the English want it, nor cannot gett it; and y^t in
a time of warr or danger, as experience hath manifested, that when lead
hath been scarce, and men for their owne defence would gladly have given
a groat a l which is dear enoughe, yet hath it bene bought up & sent to
other places, and sould to shuch as trade it with y^e Indeans, at 12.
pence y^e li.; and it is like they give 3. or 4.^s y^e pound, for they
will have it at any rate. And these things have been done in y^e same
times, when some of their neigbours & freinds are daly killed by y^e
Indeans, or are in deanger therof, and live but at y^e Indeans mercie.
[161] Yea, some (as they have aquainted them with all other things) have
tould them how gunpowder is made, and all y^e materialls in it, and that
they are to be had in their owne land; and I am confidente, could they
attaine to make saltpeter, they would teach them to make powder. O the
horiblnes of this vilanie! how many both Dutch & English have been latly
slaine by those Indeans, thus furnished; and no remedie provided, nay,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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