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CHAPTER XII.

A VOYAGE MADE BY TEN OF OUR MEN TO THE KINGDOM
OF NAUSET, TO SEEK A BOY' THAT HAD LOST HIMSELF
IN THE WOODS; WITH SUCH ACCIDENTS AS BEFELL US IN
THAT VOYAGE.

CHAP.
XII.

THE 11th of June2 we set forth, the weather being very fair. But ere we had been long at sea, there arose a storm of wind and rain, with much lightning and thunday. der, insomuch that a spout arose not far from us. But,

1621.

1st

God be praised, it dured not long, and we put in that
night for harbour at a place called Cummaquid,3 where
we had some hope to find the boy. Two savages
were in the boat with us.
our interpreter; the other

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The one was Tisquantum,
Tokamahamon, a special

3 Barnstable harbour; which is formed by a neck of land, about half a mile wide, called Sandy Neck, which projects from Sandwich on the north shore, and runs east almost the length of the town. The harbour is about a mile wide, and four miles long. The tide rises in it from 10 to 14 feet. It has a bar running off northeast from the neck several miles, which prevents the entrance of large ships. Mass. Hist. Coll. iii. 12. See note 3 page 159.

on

BARNSTABLE HARBOUR.

215

XII.

2d

friend. It being night before we came in, we anchored CHAP. in the midst of the bay, where we were dry at a low water. In the morning we espied savages seeking 1621. lobsters, and sent our two interpreters to speak with day. them, the channel being between them; where they told them what we were, and for what we were come, willing them not at all to fear us, for we would not hurt them. Their answer was, that the boy was well, but he was at Nauset; yet since we were there, they desired us to come ashore, and eat with them; which, as soon as our boat floated, we did, and went six ashore, having four pledges for them in the boat. They brought us to their sachim, or governor, whom they call Iyanough,' a man not exceeding twenty-six years of age, but very personable, gentle, courteous, and fair conditioned, indeed not like a savage, save for his attire. His entertainment was answerable to his parts, and his cheer plentiful and various.

One thing was very grievous unto us at this place. There was an old woman, whom we judged to be no less than a hundred years old, which came to see us, because she never saw English; yet could not behold us without breaking forth into great passion, weeping and crying excessively. We demanding the reason of it, they told us she had three sons, who, when Master Hunt was in these parts, went aboard his ship to trade with him, and he carried them captives into Spain, (for Tisquantum at that time was carried away also,) by which means she was deprived of the comfort of her children in her old age. We told them we were sorry

2

Sometimes called Iyanough of Cummaquid, and sometimes Iyanough of Mattakiest, which seems to be the country between Barn

stable and Yarmouth harbours.
See Prince, p. 193; Mass. Hist.
Coll. i. 197, and iii. 15. F.
2 See pages 186 and 190.

216

THE EXPEDITION REACH EASTHAM.

CHAP. that any Englishman should give them that offence, XII. that Hunt was a bad man, and that all the English

1621. that heard of it condemned him for the same; but for

2d

us, we would not offer them any such injury, though it would gain us all the skins in the country. So we gave her some small trifles, which somewhat appeased her.

After dinner we took boat for Nauset, Iyanough day. and two of his men accompanying us. Ere we came to Nauset,' the day and tide were almost spent, insomuch as we could not go in with our shallop; but the sachim or governor of Cummaquid went ashore, and his men with him. We also sent Tisquantum to tell Aspinet,3 the sachim of Nauset, wherefore we came. The savages here came very thick amongst us, and were earnest with us to bring in our boat. But we neither well could, nor yet desired to do it, because we had less cause to trust them, being they only had formerly made an assault upon us in the same place, in time of

The territory which the English afterwards settled by the name of Eastham, and the northern part of which still retains the Indian name. The three light-houses, recently erected in that town, are called the Nauset Lights. The principal seats of the Nauset Indians were at Namskeket, within the limits of Orleans, and about the cove, which divides this township from Orleans. Captain John Smith mentions twice "the isle Nawset," or "Nausit." See Mass. Hist. Coll. viii. 160, xxvi. 108, 119.

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seem to have been two cantons or sachemdoms of the Cape Indians. One extended from Eel river in Plymouth, to the south shore of the Cape, and comprehended what are now called the Mashpee Indians, and then extended upon the Cape to the eastern part of Barnstable, and as far westward as Wood's Hole; and divers petty sachems or sagamores were comprehended in this division, of which Mashpee was one. The eastern part of the Cape, from Nobscusset, or Yarmouth, made another sachemdom, the capital of which was Nauset, or Eastham. Of these petty tribes the Nauset Indians appear to have been the most important." Hutchinson's Mass. i. 459, and Mass. Hist. Coll. viii. 159.

See page 156.

THE BOY RECOVERED.

217

XII.

our winter discovery for habitation. And indeed it CHAP. was no marvel they did so; for howsoever, through snow or otherwise, we saw no houses, yet we were in 1621. the midst of them.

When our boat was aground, they came very thick; but we stood therein upon our guard, not suffering any to enter except two, the one being of Manamoick,' and one of those whose corn we had formerly found. We promised him restitution, and desired him either to come to Patuxet for satisfaction, or else we would bring them so much corn again. He promised to come. We used him very kindly for the present. Some few skins we gat there, but not many.

After sunset, Aspinet came with a great train, and brought the boy with him, one bearing him through the water. He had not less than a hundred with him ; the half whereof came to the shallop side unarmed with him; the other stood aloof with their bows and arrows. There he delivered us the boy, behung with beads, and made peace with us; we bestowing a knife on him, and likewise on another that first entertained the boy and brought him thither. So they departed from us.

3

Here we understood that the Narrohiggansets had spoiled some of Massasoyt's men, and taken him. This struck some fear in us, because the colony was so weakly guarded, the strength thereof being abroad.*

1 Chatham, the southern extremity of Cape Cod.

"He had wandered five days, lived on berries, then light of an Indian plantation, twenty miles south of us, called Manomet, (Sandwich,) and they conveyed him to the people who first assaulted us." Bradford, in Prince, p. 192.

3 Bradford adds, "We give them full satisfaction for the corn we had formerly found in their country." Prince, p. 193. See note ' on page 134.

There were ten men in this expedition. At the same time, according to the dates of this and the previous paper, Winslow and Hop

218

RETURN TO BARNSTABLE AND HOME.

XII.

CHAP. But we set forth with resolution to make the best haste home we could; yet the wind being contrary, having 1621. scarce any fresh water left, and at least sixteen leagues1 home, we put in again for the shore. There we met again with Iyanough, the sachim of Cummaquid, and the most of his town, both men, women, and children with him. He, being still willing to gratify us, took a runlet, and led our men in the dark a great way for water, but could find none good; yet brought such as there was on his neck with them. In the mean time the women joined hand in hand, singing and dancing before the shallop, the men also showing all the kindness they could, Iyanough himself taking a bracelet from about his neck and hanging it upon one of us.

Again we set out, but to small purpose; for we gat but little homeward. Our water also was very brack3d ish, and not to be drunk. The next morning Iyanough day. espied us again, and ran after us. We, being resolved to go to Cummaquid again to water, took him into the shallop, whose entertainment was not inferior unto the former.

The soil at Nauset and here is alike, even and sandy, not so good for corn as where we are. Ships may safely ride in either harbour. In the summer they abound with fish. Being now watered, we put forth again, and by God's providence came safely home that night.

kins were absent on their expedition
to Pokanoket, leaving only seven
men at the Plantation, the whole
number surviving at this time be-
ing nineteen.

'The distance from Eastham to Plymouth is not more than twelve leagues. F.

2 A small barrel.

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