156 СНАР. Dec. AN ATTACK FROM THE INDIANS. About five o'clock in the morning we began to be IX. stirring; and two or three, which doubted whether 1620. their pieces would go off or no, made trial of them 8. and shot them off, but thought nothing at all. After prayer1 we prepared ourselves for breakfast, and for a journey; and it being now the twilight in the morning, it was thought meet to carry the things down to the shallop. Some said it was not best to carry the armor down. Others said, they would be readier. Two or three said, they would not carry theirs till they went themselves, but mistrusting nothing at all. As it fell out, the water not being high enough, they laid the things down upon the shore, and came up to breakfast. Anon, all upon a sudden, we heard a great and strange cry, which we knew to be the same voices, though they varied their notes. One of our company, being abroad, came running in, and cried, "They are men! Indians! Indians!" and withal their arrows came flying amongst us. Our men ran out with all speed to recover their arms; as by the good providence of God they did. In the mean time, Captain Miles Standish, having a snaphance ready, made a shot; and after were permitted to interfere with their stated devotions. See note on page 134. A snaphance is a musket with a flint-lock. In 1643 the householders at Plymouth were "ordered to be furnished with approved arms, viz. muskets with snaphance, or matchlocks with match calivers, and carbines, which are allowed, and also fowling-pieces." At the time of Philip's war, in 1674, snaphances were rare, yet a few of them were used. See Mass. Hist. Coll. xiii. 183, and Haven's Centennial Address at Dedham, p. 61. Meyrick, in his Critical Inquiry into Ancient Armour, iii. 88, points FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE INDIANS. IX. Dec. 157 him another. After they two had shot, other two of CHAP. us were ready; but he wished us not to shoot till we could take aim, for we knew not what need we should 1620. have; and there were four only of us which had their 8. arms there ready, and stood before the open side of our barricado, which was first assaulted. They thought it best to defend it, lest the enemy should take it and our stuff; and so have the more vantage against us. Our care was no less for the shallop; but we hoped all the rest would defend it. We called unto them to know how it was with them; and they answered "Well! Well!" every one, and "Be of good courage!" We heard three of their pieces go off, and the rest called for a firebrand to light their matches.' One took a log out of the fire on his shoulder and went and carried it unto them; which was thought did not a little discourage our enemies. The cry of our enemies was dreadful, especially when our men ran out to recover their arms. Their note was after this manner, " Woach, woach, ha ha hach woach." Our men were no sooner come to their arms, but the enemy was ready to assault them. There was a lusty man, and no whit less valiant, who was thought to be their captain, stood behind a tree within half a musket shot of us, and there let his arrows fly at us. He was seen to shoot three arrows, which were all avoided; for he at whom the first arrow was aimed, saw it, and stooped down, and it out a difference between the firelock and the snaphance, and quotes a document which 66 prefers the firelock," but "if they cannot be procured, snaphances will do." The difference seems to be that in the snaphance a movable hammer was placed beyond the pan, and sepa rate from its cover; whilst in the 1 See note 3 on page 125. as will 158 THE INDIANS REPULSED. CHAP. flew over him. The rest were avoided also. He IX. stood three shots of a musket. At length, one took, 1620. as he said, full aim at him; after which he gave an 8. extraordinary cry, and away they went all.' We fol Dec. lowed them about a quarter of a mile; but we left six to keep our shallop, for we were very careful of our business. Then we shouted all together two several times, and shot off a couple of muskets, and so returned. This we did that they might see we were not afraid of them, nor discouraged. Thus it pleased God to vanquish our enemies and give us deliverance. By their noise we could not guess that they were less than thirty or forty, though some thought that they were many more. Yet, in the dark of the morning, we could not so well discern them among the trees, as they could see us by our fire-side. We took up eighteen of their arrows, which we have sent to England by Master Jones; 2 some whereof were headed with brass, others with harts' horn, and others with eagles' claws. Many more no doubt were shot, for these we found were almost covered with leaves; yet, by the especial providence of God, none of them either hit or hurt us, though many came close by us and on every side. of us, and some coats which hung up in our barricado were shot through and through. 66 'Johnson, in his Wonder-working Providence, ch. 8, says that one Captain Miles Standish, having his fowling-piece in readiness, presented full at them. His shot, being directed by the provident hand of the most high God, struck the stoutest sachem among them on the right arm, it being bent over his shoulder to reach an arrow forth his quiver." We know not what authority Johnson had for this statement. In the same chapter he says, "Of Plymouth plantation the author purposes not to speak particularly, being prevented by the honored Mr. Winslow, who was an eye-witness of the work." Edward Johnson lived at Woburn, in Massachusetts, and his book was printed in London in 1654. See Mass. Hist. Coll. xii. 49, 67. On the return of the Mayflower in April, 1621. THE SHALLOP DISABLED. 159 IX. Dec. 8. So after we had given God thanks for our deliver- CHAP. ance, we took our shallop and went on our journey, and called this place The First Encounter. From 1620. hence we intended to have sailed to the aforesaid Thievish Harbour, if we found no convenient harbour by the way. Having the wind good, we sailed all that day along the coast about fifteen leagues; but saw neither river nor creek3 to put into. After we had sailed an hour or two, it began to snow and rain, and to be bad weather. About the midst of the afternoon the wind increased, and the seas began to be very rough; and the hinges of the rudder broke, so that we could steer no longer with it, but two men, with much ado, were fain to serve with a couple of The seas were grown so great that we were much troubled and in great danger; and night grew on. Anon, Master Coppin bade us be of good cheer; he saw the harbour. As we drew near, the gale being stiff, and we bearing great sail to get in, split our mast in three pieces, and were like to have cast away our shallop. Yet, by God's mercy, recovering our oars. ' Gov. Bradford, in his History, as quoted by Prince, p. 166, says, They hasten on to a port which Mr. Coppin, their pilot, assures them is a good one, which he had been in, and they might reach before night." Coppin might have been on the coast before, either with Smith or Hunt, in 1614. The distance along the coast from Eastham to the high bluff of Manomet, in Plymouth, is about 45 miles or 15 leagues. The snow-storm, which began "after they had sailed an hour or two," prevented their seeing Sandy Neck, and led them to overshoot Barnstable harbour. Had it not been for this, it is highly proba ble that they would have entered Bradford says, in his History, 160 THE PILGRIMS LAND ON CLARK'S ISLAND. CHAP. selves, we had the flood with us, and struck into the IX. Dec. harbour. 1620. Now he that thought that had been the place, was 8. deceived, it being a place where not any of us had been before; and coming into the harbour, he that was our pilot did bear up northward, which if we had continued, we had been cast away. Yet still the Lord kept us, and we bare up for an island2 before us; and recovering of that island, being compassed about with many rocks, and dark night growing upon us, it pleased the Divine Providence that we fell upon a place of sandy ground, where our shallop did ride safe and secure all that night; and coming upon a strange island, kept our watch all night in the rain upon that island.3 cold, and feeble, cannot bear it, but 'The cove where they were in Clark's island just within the entrance of Plymouth harbour, and so called after the mate of the Mayflower, who is said to have been the first to step ashore on it. It is sheltered from the ocean by Salt-house beach, contains about eighty acres of fertile land, and is called by Gov. Hutchinson, i. 360, unto the town of Plymouth, with the woods, thereupon." In 1690, Clark's island was sold to Samuel Lucas, Elkanah Watson, and George Morton. The Watson family have been in possession of this island for half a century, and one of them, Edward Watson, now resides on it. See Mass. Hist. Coll. xiii. 162, 181; Thacher's Plymouth, pp. 82, 153, 158, 330. One of the oldest grave-stones on the burial hill in Plymouth, is that of a Thomas Clark, who died March 24, 1697, aged 98. He came in the Anne, in 1623. Some have thought that this was the mate of the Mayflower. But it is not known that his name was Thomas, nor is there any evidence that he ever returned to this country. See Thacher's Plymouth, 168. Bradford adds, in his History, "In the morning they find the place to be a small island, secure from Indians. And this being the last day of the week, they here dry their stuff, fix their pieces, rest themselves, return God thanks for their many deliverances; and here the next day keep their Christian Sabbath." Prince, p. 167. |