Good Newes from New England: Or a true relation of things very remarkable at the plantation of Plimoth in New-EnglandWinslow, Edward
History
Good Newes from New England: Or a true relation of things very remarkable at the plantation of Plimoth in New-England
Winslow, Edward
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
That night the Governor, accompanied with others, having Tisquantum
for his interpreter, went ashore. At first, the inhabitants played
least in sight, because none of our people had ever been there
before; but understanding the ends of their coming, at length came
to them, welcoming our Governor according to their savage manner;
refreshing them very well with store of venison and other victuals,
which they brought them in great abundance; promising to trade with
them, with a seeming gladness of the occasion. Yet their joy was
mixed with much jealousy, as appeared by their after practices; for
at first they were loth their dwellings should be known; but when
they saw our Governor’s resolution to stay on the shore all night,
they brought him to their houses, having first conveyed all their
stuff to a remote place, not far from the same; which one of our
men, walking forth occasionally, espied. Whereupon, on the sudden,
neither it nor they could be found; and so many times after, upon
conceived occasions, they would be all gone, bag and baggage. But
being afterwards, by Tisquantum’s means better persuaded, they
left their jealousy, and traded with them; where they got eight
hogsheads of corn and beans, though the people were but few. This
gave our Governor and the company good encouragement; Tisquantum
being still confident in the passage, and the inhabitants affirming
they had seen ships of good burthen pass within the shoals
aforesaid.
But here, though they had determined to make a second essay, yet
God had otherways disposed; who struck Tisquantum with sickness,
insomuch as he there died;[45] which crossed their southward
trading, and the more, because the master’s sufficiency was much
doubted, and the season very tempestuous, and not fit to go upon
discovery, having no guide to direct them.
From thence they departed; and the wind being fair for the
Massachusets, went thither, and the rather, because the savages,
upon our motion, had planted much corn for us, which they promised
not long before that time. When they came thither, they found a
great sickness to be amongst the Indians, not unlike the plague,
if not the same. They renewed their complaints to our Governor,
against the other plantation seated by them, for their injurious
walking. But indeed the trade both for furs and corn was overthrown
in that place, they giving as much for a quart of corn as we used
to do for a beaver’s skin; so that little good could be there done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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