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XVIII.

THE COLONY IN A FAMISHING CONDITION.

CHAP. their abilities; which, although it were not much amongst so many people as were at the Plantation, 1622. yet through the provident and discreet care of the governors, recovered and preserved strength till our own crop on the ground was ready.

June.

Having dispatched there, I returned home with all speed convenient, where I found the state of the Colony much weaker than when I left it; for till now we were never without some bread, the want whereof much abated the strength and flesh of some, and swelled others. But here it may be said, if the country abound with fish and fowl in such measure as is reported, how could men undergo such measure of hardness, except through their own negligence? I answer, every thing must be expected in its proper season. No man, as one saith, will go into an orchard in the winter to gather cherries; so he that looks for fowl there in the summer, will be deceived in his expectation. The time they continue in plenty with us, is from the beginning of October to the end of March; but these extremities befell us in May and June. I confess, that as the fowl decrease, so fish increase. And indeed their exceeding abundance was a great cause of increasing our wants. For though our bay and creeks were full of bass and other fish, yet for want of fit and strong seines and other netting, they for the most part brake through, and carried all away before them.' And though the sea were full of cod, yet we had neither tackling nor hawsers for our shallops. And indeed had we not been in a place, where divers sort of shell-fish are, that may be taken with the hand, we must have

See note on page 171.

A FORT BUILT ON BURIAL HILL.

295

perished, unless God had raised some unknown or CHAP. extraordinary means for our preservation.

XVIII.

June.

In the time of these straits, indeed before my going 1622. to Munhiggen, the Indians began again to cast forth many insulting speeches, glorying in our weakness, and giving out how easy it would be ere long to cut us off. Now also Massassowat seemed to frown on us, and neither came or sent to us as formerly. These things occasioned further thoughts of fortification. And whereas we have a hill called the Mount,' enclosed within our pale, under which our town is scated, we resolved to erect a fort thereon; from whence a few might easily secure the town from any assault the Indians can make, whilst the rest might be employed as occasion served. This work was begun with great eagerness, and with the approbation of all men, hoping that this being once finished, and a continual guard there kept, it would utterly discourage the savages from having any hopes or thoughts of rising against us. And though it took the greatest part of our strength from dressing our corn, yet, life being continued, we hoped God would raise some means in stead thereof for our further preservation.

The burying-hill. See page 168. The intelligence of the massacre in Virginia reached Plymouth in May, and was the immediate incitement to the erection of this fort. See page 279.

"Some traces of the fort are still visible on the eminence called the burying-hill, directly above the meeting-house of the first church

in Plymouth. After the fort was
used as a place of worship, it is
probable they began to bury their
dead around it. Before that time
the burial-place was on the bank,
above the rock on which the land-
ing was made." Judge Davis's
note in Morton's Memorial, p. 82.
See note on page 169, and page
169 previous.

CHAPTER XIX.

OF THE PLANTING OF MASTER WESTON'S COLONY AT WES-
SAGUSSET, AND OF SUNDRY EXCURSIONS AFTER CORN.

CHAP.

XIX.

July.

These we received whatsoever courtesy

In the end of June, or beginning of July, came into our harbour two ships of Master Weston's aforesaid ; 1622. the one called the Charity,' the other the Swan; having in them some fifty or sixty men, sent over at his own charge to plant for him. into our town, affording them our mean condition could afford. There the Charity, being the bigger ship, left them, having many passengers which she was to land in Virginia. In the mean time the body of them refreshed themselves at Plymouth, whilst some most fit sought out a place for

1 By Mr. Weston's ship comes a letter from Mr. John Pierce, in whose name the Plymouth patent is taken, signifying that whom the governor admits into the association, he will approve." Bradford, in Prince, p. 204.

They came upon no religious design, as did the planters of Plymouth; so they were far from being Puritans. Mr. Weston in a letter owns that many of them are rude and profane fellows. Mr. Cushman in another writes, "They are no men for us, and I fear they

will hardly deal so well with the savages as they should. I pray you therefore signify to Squanto that they are a distinct body from us, and we have nothing to do with them, nor must be blamed for their faults, much less can warrant their fidelity." And Mr. John Pierce in another writes, "As for Mr. Weston's company they are so base in condition for the most part, as in all appearance not fit for an honest man's company. I wish they prove otherwise." Bradford, in Prince, p. 203.

WESTON'S COLONY SETTLE AT WEYMOUTH.

297

XIX.

them. That little store of corn we had was exceeding- CHAP. ly wasted by the unjust and dishonest walking of these strangers; who, though they would sometimes seem 1622. July. to help us in our labor about our corn, yet spared not day and night to steal the same, it being then eatable and pleasant to taste, though green and unprofitable; and though they received much kindness, set light both by it and us, not sparing to requite the love we showed them, with secret backbitings, revilings, &c., the chief of them being forestalled and made against us before they came, as after appeared. Nevertheless, for their master's sake, who formerly had deserved well from us,' we continued to do them whatsoever good or furtherance we could, attributing these things to the want of conscience and discretion, expecting each day when God in his providence would disburden us of them, sorrowing that their overseers were not of more ability and fitness for their places, and much fearing what would be the issue of such raw and unconscionable beginnings.

3

At length their coasters returned, having found in their judgment a place fit for plantation, within the bay of the Massachusets2 at a place called by the Indians Wichaguscusset. To which place the body of them went with all convenient speed, leaving still with us such as were sick and lame, by the Governor's permission, though on their parts undeserved; whom our surgeon, by the help of God, recovered gratis for them, and they fetched home, as occasion served.

They had not been long from us, ere the Indians

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298

THE PILGRIMS FEEBLE AND DESTITUTE.

XIX.

CHAP. filled our ears with clamors against them, for stealing their corn, and other abuses conceived by them. At 1622. which we grieved the more, because the same men,1 in mine own hearing, had been earnest in persuading Captain Standish, before their coming, to solicit our Governor to send some of his men to plant by them, alleging many reasons how it might be commodious for us. But we knew no means to redress those abuses, save reproof, and advising them to better walking, as occasion served.

Aug.

2

In the end of August, came other two ships into our harbour. The one, as I take it, was called the Discovery, Captain Jones having the command thereof; the other was that ship of Mr. Weston's, called the Sparrow, which had now made her voyage of fish, and was consorted with the other, being both bound for Virginia. Of Captain Jones we furnished ourselves of such provisions as we most needed, and he could best spare; who, as he used us kindly, so made us pay largely for the things we had. And had not the Almighty, in his all-ordering providence, directed him to us, it would have gone worse with us than ever it had been, or after was; for as we had now but small store of corn for the year following, so, for want of supply, we were worn out of all manner of trucking-stuff, not having any means left to help ourselves by trade; but, through God's good mercy towards us, he had where

That is, the same Indians.
2 This is supposed to be the same
Jones who was captain of the May-
flower. See note 1 on page 102,
and note on page 166.

3 Prince says, p. 205, that "Mr.
Winslow seems to mistake in
thinking Captain Jones was now

bound for Virginia ; and Bradford states that "she was on her way from Virginia homeward, being sent out by some merchants to discover the shoals about Cape Cod, and harbours between this and Virginia."

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