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
Aboute y^e _later end of this month_, one John Billington lost him selfe
in y^e woods, & wandered up & downe some 5. days, living on beries &
what he could find. At length he light on an Indean plantation, 20. mils
south of this place, called _Manamet_, they conveid him furder of, to
_Nawsett_, among those peopl that had before set upon y^e English when
they were costing, whilest y^e ship lay at y^e Cape, as is before noted.
But y^e Gove^r caused him to be enquired for among y^e Indeans, and at
length Massassoyt sent word wher he was, and y^e Gove^r sent a shalop
for him, & had him delivered. Those people also came and made their
peace; and they gave full satisfaction to those whose come they had
found & taken when they were at Cap-Codd.
Thus ther peace & aquaintance was prety well establisht w^th the natives
aboute them; and ther was an other Indean called _Hobamack_ come to live
amongst them, a proper lustie man, and a man of accounte for his vallour
& parts amongst y^e Indeans, and continued very faithfull and constant
to y^e English till he dyed. He & Squanto being gone upon bussines
amonge y^e Indeans, at their returne (whether it was out of envie to
them or malice to the English) ther was a Sachem called Corbitant, alyed
to Massassoyte, but never any good friend to y^e English to this day,
mett with them at an Indean towne caled Namassakett 14. miles to y^e
west of this place, and begane to quarell w^th [64] them, and offered to
stabe Hobamack; but being a lusty man, he cleared him selfe of him, and
came ru[=n]ing away all sweating and tould y^e Gov^r what had befalne
him, and he feared they had killed Squanto, for they threatened them
both, and for no other cause but because they were freinds to y^e
English, and servisable unto them. Upon this y^e Gove^r taking counsell,
it was conceivd not fitt to be borne; for if they should suffer their
freinds & messengers thus to be wronged, they should have none would
cleave unto them, or give them any inteligence, or doe them serviss
afterwards; but nexte they would fall upon them selves. Whereupon it was
resolved to send y^e Captaine & 14. men well armed, and to goe & fall
upon them in y^e night; and if they found that Squanto was kild, to cut
of Corbitants head, but not to hurt any but those that had a hand in it.
Hobamack was asked if he would goe & be their guid, & bring them ther
before day. He said he would, & bring them to y^e house wher the man
lay, and show them which was he. So they set forth y^e 14. _of August_,
and beset y^e house round; the Captin giving charg to let none pass out,
entred y^e house to search for him. But he was goone away that day, so
they mist him; but understood y^t Squanto was alive, & that he had only
threatened to kill him, & made an offer to stabe him but did not. So
they withheld and did no more hurte, & y^e people came trembling, &
brought them the best provissions they had, after they were aquainted by
Hobamack what was only intended. Ther was 3.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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