Captives among the Indians : $b first-hand narratives of Indian wars, customs, tortures, and habits of life in colonial timesRowlandson, Mary White
History
Captives among the Indians : $b first-hand narratives of Indian wars, customs, tortures, and habits of life in colonial times
Rowlandson, Mary White
Indian captivities -- Northeastern States
There were two others singing and knocking on a kettle for their music.
They kept hopping up and down one after another, with a kettle of water
in the midst, standing warm upon some embers, to drink of when they
were dry. They held on till almost night, throwing out their wampom to
the standers-by. At night I asked them again if I should go home. They
all as one said no, except my husband would come for me. When we were
lain down, my master went out of the wigwam, and by and by sent in an
Indian called James the printer, who told Mr. Hoar that my master would
let me go home to-morrow if he would let him have one pint of liquor.
Then Mr. Hoar called his own Indians, Tom and Peter, and bid them all
go and see if he would promise it before them three, and if he would he
should have it; which he did and had it.
Philip, smelling the business, called me to him, and asked me what I
would give him to tell me some good news, and to speak a good word for
me, that I might go home to-morrow. I told him I could not tell what to
give him, I would anything I had, and asked him what he would have. He
said two coats, and twenty shillings in money, half a bushel of seed
corn, and some tobacco. I thanked him for his love, but I knew that
good news as well as that crafty fox.
On Tuesday morning they called their General Court, as they styled it,
to consult and determine whether I should go home or no. And they all
seemingly consented that I should go, except Philip, who would not come
among them.
At first they were all against it, except my husband would come for me;
but afterwards they assented to it, and seeming to rejoice in it; some
asking me to send them some bread, others some tobacco, others shaking
me by the hand, offering me a hood and scarf to ride in; not one moving
hand or tongue against it. Thus hath the Lord answered my poor desires,
and the many earnest requests of others put up unto God for me.
In my travels an Indian came to me and told me, if I were willing, he
and his squaw would run away, and go home along with me. I told them
no, I was not willing to run away, but desired to wait God's time, that
I might go home quietly and without fear. And now God hath granted me
my desire. Oh, the wonderful power of God that I have seen, and the
experiences that I have had! I have been in the midst of those roaring
lions and savage bears that feared neither God nor man nor the devil,
by night and day, alone and in company, sleeping all sorts together,
and yet not one of them ever offered the least abuse of unchastity to
me in word or action; though some are ready to say I speak it for my
own credit; but I speak it in the presence of God, and to His glory.
God's power is as great now as it was to save Daniel in the lions' den
or the three children in the fiery furnace. Especially that I should
come away in the midst of so many hundreds of enemies, and not a dog
move his tongue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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