THEY RETURN TO PLYMOUTH. 229 XIV. fishing-ground.' Many, yea most of the islands have CHAP. been inhabited, some being cleared from end to end. But the people are all dead,2 or removed. 1621. Our victual growing scarce, the wind coming fair, and having a light moon, we set out at evening, and through the goodness of God came safely home before Sept. noon the day following.3 22. CHAPTER XV. A LETTER SENT FROM NEW ENGLAND TO A FRIEND IN CHAP. LOVING AND OLD FRIEND,' XV. ALTHOUGH I received no letter from you by this 1621. ship, yet forasmuch as I know you expect the perform11. ance of my promise, which was, to write unto you truly Dec. and faithfully of all things, I have therefore at this time sent unto you accordingly, referring you for further satisfaction to our more large Relations.3 4 You shall understand that in this little time that a few of us have been here, we have built seven dwelling-houses and four for the use of the plantation, and have made preparation for divers others. We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian This letter I think was addressed to George Morton. See note on page 113. 2 The Fortune, in which this The preceding narrative. 5 corn, and help, showing us how to set, fish, dress, and tend it." Bradford, in Prince, p. 190. The Indians' season for planting the maize was "when the leaves of the white oak are as big as the ear of a mouse." See Belknap's Hist. of New Hampshire, iii. 70. THE FIRST THANKSGIVING. 231 XV. Dec. sowed some six acres of barley and pease; and accord- CHAP. ing to the manner of the Indians, we manured our ground with herrings, or rather shads,' which we have 1621. in great abundance, and take with great ease at our 11. doors. Our corn did prove well; and, God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our pease not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown. They came up very well, and blossomed; but the sun parched them in the blossom. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor2 sent four men on fowling, that so we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king, Massasoyt, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation, and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness Or rather alewives. Morton, in his New English Canaan, b. ii. ch. 7, says, "There is a fish, by some called shads, by some allizes, that at the spring of the year pass up the rivers to spawn in the ponds; and are taken in such multitudes in every river that hath a pond at the end, that the inhabitants dung their ground with them. You may see in one township a hundred acres together set with these fish, every acre taking a thousand of them; 232 THE INDIANS WELL-DISPOSED. CHAP. of God we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.1 XV. 1621. Dec. We have found the Indians very faithful in their 11. covenant of peace with us, very loving, and ready to 2 pleasure us. We often go to them, and they come to 4 So Cawnacome was the sachem of Manomet, or Sandwich, Caunbatant of Mattapuyst, or Swansey, and Chikkatabak, of Neponset. Quadequina was the brother of Massasoit, and Apannow was probably Aspinet, the sachem of Nauset. Obbatinua is supposed to have been the same as Obbatinewat, the sachem of Shawmut, or Boston. But see note on page 225. Capawack, or Nope, Martha's Vineyard. See Bradford, in Prince, p. 195, and Mass. Hist. Coll. xiii. 89. THE CLIMATE OF NEW ENGLAND. 233 XV. Dec. themselves, which was not formerly, neither would CHAP. have been but for us; and we, for our parts, walk as peaceably and safely in the wood as in the highways 1621. in England. We entertain them familiarly in our 11. houses, and they as friendly bestowing their venison on us. They are a people without any religion or knowledge of any God,' yet very trusty, quick of apprehension, ripe-witted, just. The men and women go naked, only a skin about their middles. For the temper of the air here, it agreeth well with that in England; and if there be any difference at all, this is somewhat hotter in summer. Some think it to be colder in winter; but I cannot out of experience so say. The air is very clear, and not foggy, as hath been reported. I never in my life remember a more seasonable year than we have here enjoyed; and if we have once but kine, horses, and sheep, I make no question but men might live as contented here as in any part of the world. For fish and fowl, we have great abundance. Fresh cod in the summer is but coarse meat with us. Our bay is full of lobsters3 all the summer, and affordeth variety of other fish. In September we can take a hogshead of eels in a night, with small labor, and can dig them out of their beds all the winter. We have mus 5 cles and othus at our doors. The writer of this letter, Edward Winslow, afterwards corrected this statement in his Good News from New England. "Whereas," he says, "myself and others, in former letters, (which came to the press against my will and knowledge,) wrote that the Indians about us are a people without any religion, or knowledge of any God, therein I erred, though we could then gather no better." Oysters we have none 2 The writer himself was the first to bring over cattle to the plantation, in 1624-a bull and three heifers. See Prince, p. 225. 3 See note 4 on page 164, and also page 205. 4 See note 1 on page 196. 5 This I think a typographical error for other - the word` shellfish being accidentally omitted; or perhaps the word in the MS. was clams. |