But above all, he commends the Pokanokets’ country for the richest soil, and much open ground fit for English grain, etc. “Massachusetts, about nine leagues from Plymouth, and situated between both, is full of islands and peninsulas, for the most part very fertile.” He was taken prisoner by the Indians at Manamoick, a place not far off, now well-known. He gave them what they demanded for his liberty, but when they had got what they desired, they still kept him, and endeavoured to kill his men; but he freed himself by seizing some of them, whom he kept bound till they gave him a canoe-load of corn (of which, see Purch: lib. ix, fol. 1778). But this was A. D. 1619. After the writing of the foregoing narrative, Dermer went with Squanto to the Island of Capawack, which lies south of this place on the way to Virginia. There he went ashore amongst the Indians to trade, as he used to do, but was betrayed and assaulted by them, and all his men were killed except one who kept the boat. He himself got aboard very sorely wounded, and they would have cut off his head as he climbed into his boat, had not the man rescued him. They got away, and made shift to reach Virginia, where he died. This shows how far the natives were from peace, and under what dangerous conditions this plantation was begun, but for the powerful hand of the Lord, which protected them. This was partly the reason why they kept aloof, and were so long before they came to the English. Another reason, as afterwards they themselves stated, was that about three years before, a French ship was wrecked at Cape Cod, but the men got ashore and saved their lives and a large part of their provisions. When the Indians heard of it, they surrounded them and never left watching and dogging them till they got the advantage and killed them, all but three or four, whom they kept, and sent from one Sachem to another, making sport with them and using them worse than slaves. Of these, Captain Dermer released two. So the Indians thought that this ship had now come to revenge these outrages. It was also later disclosed, that before they came to the English to make friends, they got all the Powows of the country together for three days to curse and execrate them in a horrid and devilish manner with conjurations, holding their assembly in a dark and dismal swamp.