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
After y^e writing of y^e former relation he came to y^e Ile of
_Capawack_ (which lyes south of this place in y^e way to Virginia), and
y^e foresaid _Squanto_ w^th him, wher he going a shore amongst y^e
Indans to trad, as he used to doe, was betrayed & assaulted by them, &
_all his men slaine, but one that kept the boat_; but him selfe gott
abord very sore wounded, & they had cut of his head upon y^e cudy of his
boat, had not y^e man reskued him with a sword. And so they got away, &
made shift to gett into Virginia, wher he dyed; whether of his wounds or
y^e diseases of y^e cuntrie, or both togeather, is uncertaine. [60] By
all which it may appeare how farr these people were from peace, and with
what danger this plantation was begune, save as y^e powerfull hand of
the Lord did protect them. These things[AM] were partly the reason why
they kept aloofe & were so long before they came to the English. An
other reason (as after them selvs made kno[=w]) was how aboute 3. _years
before_, a French-ship was cast away at _Cap-Codd_, but y^e men gott
ashore, & saved their lives, and much of their victails, & other goods;
but after y^e Indeans heard of it, they geathered togeather from these
parts, and never left watching & dogging them till they got advantage,
and _kild them all but 3. or 4._ which they kept, & sent from one Sachem
to another, to make sporte with, and used them worse then slaves; (of
which y^e foresaid M^r. Dermer redeemed 2. of them;) and they conceived
this ship was now come to revenge it.
Also, (as after was made knowne,) before they came to y^e English to
make freindship, they gott all the _Powachs_ of y^e cuntrie, for 3. days
togeather, in a horid and divellish maner to curse & execrate them with
their cunjurations, which asembly & service they held in a darke &
dismale swampe.
But to returne. The spring now approaching, it pleased God the
mortalitie begane to cease amongst them, and y^e sick and lame recovered
apace, which put as it were new life into them; though they had borne
their sadd affliction with much patience & contentednes, as I thinke
any people could doe. But it was y^e Lord which upheld them, and had
beforehand prepared them; many having long borne y^e yoake, yea from
their youth. Many other smaler maters I omite, sundrie of them having
been allready published in a Jurnall made by one of the company; and
some other passages of jurneys and relations allredy published, to which
I referr those that are willing to know them more perticulerly. And
being now come to y^e 25. of March I shall begine y^e year 1621.
[61] _Anno. 1621._
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