The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary ManUnknown
General
The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary Man
At the first settling of Maryland, there were several nations of them
governed by petty kings. Mr. Calvert, Lord Baltimore’s brother having
been sent by him to make the first settlement in Maryland, landed at
Potowmac town; during the infancy of Werowance, Archibau, his uncle, who
governed his territories in his minority, received the English in a
friendly manner. From Potowmac the governor proceeded to Piscataqua,
about 20 leagues higher, where he found many Indians assembled, and among
them an Englishman, Captain Henry Fleet, who had lived there several
years in great esteem with the natives. Captain Fleet brought the prince
on board the governor’s pinnace to treat with him. Mr. Calvert asked
him, whether he was agreeable that he and his people should settle in his
country. The prince replied, I will not bid you go, neither will I bid
you stay, but you may use your own discretion. The Indians, finding
their prince stay longer on board than they expected, crowded down to the
water-side to look after him, fearing the English had killed him, and
they were not satisfied till he showed himself to them, to please them.
The natives, who fled from St. Clement’s isle, when they saw the English
come as friends, returned to their habitations; and the governor, not
thinking it advisable to settle so high up the river in the infancy of
the colony, sent his pinnaces down the river, and went with Captain Fleet
to a river on the north side of the Potowmac, within four or five
leagues, in his long-boat, and came to the town of Yoamaco, from which
the Indians of that neighbourhood are called Yoamacoes. The governor
landed, and treating with the prince there, acquainted him with the
occasion of his coming, to whom the Indian said little, but invited him
to his house, entertained him kindly, and gave him his own bed to lie on.
The next day he showed him the country, and the governor determining to
make the first settlement there, ordered all his ships and pinnaces to
come thither to him.
To make his entry the more safe and peaceable, he presented the Werowance
and Wilsos, and principal men of the place, with some English cloth,
axes, hoes and knives, which they accepted very kindly, and freely
consented that he and his company should dwell in one part of the town,
and reserving the other for themselves. Those Indians who inhabited that
part which was assigned to the English, readily abandoned their houses to
them; and Mr. Calvert immediately set hands to work to plant corn. The
natives agreed further to leave the whole town to the English as soon as
their harvest was in; which they did accordingly, and both English and
Indians promised to live friendly together. If any injury was done on
either part, the nation offending was to make satisfaction. Thus, on the
27th March, 1634, the governor took possession of the town, and named it
St. Mary’s.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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