THE PILGRIMS' ADVICE TO WESTON'S COLONY.

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the glad tidings of salvation, which we and they were CHAP. bound to seek, and were not to use such means as would breed a distaste in the salvages against our per- 1623. sons and professions, assuring them their master would incur much blame hereby, neither could they answer the same. For our own parts, our case was almost the same with theirs, having but a small quantity of corn left, and were enforced to live on ground-nuts, clams, muscles, and such other things as naturally the country afforded, and which did and would maintain strength, and were easy to be gotten; all which things they had in great abundance, yea, oysters' also, which we wanted; and therefore necessity could not be said to constrain them thereunto. Moreover, that they should consider, if they proceeded therein, all they could so get would maintain them but a small time, and then they must perforce seek their food abroad; which, having made the Indians their enemies, would be very difficult for them, and therefore much better to begin a little the sooner, and so continue their peace; upon which course they might with good conscience desire and expect the blessing of God; whereas on the contrary they could not.

Also that they should consider their own weakness, being most swelled, and diseased in their bodies, and therefore the more unlikely to make their party good against them, and that they should not expect help from us in that or any the like unlawful actions. Lastly, that howsoever some of them might escape, yet the

1 Morton says, in his New English Canaan, ch. vii. “There are great store of oysters in the entrance of all rivers. They are not round, as those of England, but excellent fat and all good. I have

seen an oyster bank a mile in
length. Muscles there are infinite

store.

I have often gone to Wessaguscus, where were excellent muscles to eat, (for variety,) the fish is so fat and large."

330

WESTON'S AGENT COMES TO PLYMOUTH.

CHAP. principal agents should expect no better than the galXXI. lows, whensoever any special officer should be sent 1623. over by his Majesty, or his Council for New England, which we expected, and who would undoubtedly call them to account for the same. These were the contents of our answer, which was directed to their whole colony. Another particular letter our Governor sent to John Sanders, showing how dangerous it would be for him above all others, being he was their leader and commander; and therefore in friendly manner advised him to desist.

With these letters we dispatched the messenger; upon the receipt whereof they altered their determination, resolving to shift as they could, till the return of John Sanders from Munhiggen; who first coming to Plymouth, notwithstanding our own necessities, the Governor spared him some corn, to carry them to Munhiggen. But not having sufficient for the ship's store, he took a shallop, and leaving others with instructions to oversee things till his return, set forward Feb. about the end of February; so that he knew not of

Mar.

this conspiracy of the Indians before his going. Neither was it known to any of us till our return from Sawaams, or Puckanokick; at which time also another sachim, called Wassapinewat, brother to Obtakiest, the sachim of the Massachusets, who had formerly smarted for partaking with Conbatant, and fearing the like again, to purge himself, revealed the same thing.

The three and twentieth of March being now come, 23. which is a yearly court day, the Governor, having a double testimony, and many circumstances agreeing with the truth thereof, not being to undertake war

1

1 The word inclined or disposed seems to have been accidentally omitted,

A GENERAL COURT HELD.

without the consent of the body of the company,

331

made CHAP.

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Mar.

known the same in public court, offering it to the consideration of the company, it being high time to come 1623. to resolution, how sudden soever it seemed to them, fearing it would be put in execution before we could give any intelligence thereof. This business was no less troublesome than grievous, and the more, because it is so ordinary in these times for men to measure things by the events thereof; but especially for that we knew no means to deliver our countrymen and preserve ourselves, than by returning their malicious and cruel purposes upon their own heads, and causing them to fall into the same pit they had digged for others; though it much grieved us to shed the blood of those whose good we ever intended and aimed at, as a principal in all our proceedings. But in the end we came to this public conclusion, that because it was a matter of such weight as every man was not of sufficiency to judge, nor fitness to know, because of many other Indians, which daily, as occasion serveth, converse with us; therefore the Governor, his Assistant, and the Captain, should take such to themselves as they thought most meet, and conclude thereof. Which done, we came to this conclusion, that Captain Standish should take so many men, as he thought sufficient to make his party good against all the Indians in the Massachuset bay; and because, (as all men know that have to do with them in that kind,) it is impossible to deal with them upon open defiance, but to take them in such traps as they lay for others, therefore he should pretend trade, as at other times; but first go to the English, and acquaint them with the plot, and the end of his own coming; that comparing it with their carriages

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STANDISH'S ARMY.

CHAP. towards them, he might the better judge of the certainty of it, and more fitly take opportunity to revenge the 1623. same; but should forbear, if it were possible, till such time as he could make sure [of] Wituwamat, that bloody and bold villain before spoken of; whose head he had order to bring with him, that he might be a warning and terror to all of that disposition.

Upon this Captain Standish made choice of eight men, and would not take more, because he would prevent jealousy, knowing their guilty consciences would soon be provoked thereunto. But on the next day, before he could go, came one of Mr. Weston's company by land unto us, with his pack at his back, who made a pitiful narration of their lamentable and weak estate, and of the Indians' carriages, whose boldness increased abundantly; insomuch as the victuals they got, they would take it out of their pots, and eat before their faces; yea, if in any thing they gainsaid them, they were ready to hold a knife at their breasts; that to give them content, since John Sanders went to Munhiggen, they had hanged one of them that stole

1 Morton says, "this man's not hindering a plantation." At name was Phinehas Prat, who the Court held May 3, 1665, it was has penned the particulars of his ordered that land be laid out for perilous journey, and some other Prat, "in the wilderness on the things relating to this tragedy." east of the Merrimack river, near Hubbard states that he was living the upper end of Nacook brook, on in 1677, at the time he was writ- the southeast of it," Prat maring his History of New England. ried in 1630, at Plymouth, a daughIn 1662 the General Court of Master of Cuthbert Cuthbertson. His sachusetts, in answer to a petition heirs had grants of land in Abingof Phinehas Prat, then of Charles- ton subsequent to 1672. Drake town, which was accompanied says that after long search he has "with a narrative of the straits not been able to discover Prat's and hardships that the first plant- narrative. It was probably never ers of this Colony underwent in printed. See Morton's Memorial, their endeavours to plant them- p. 90; Drake's Book of the Indians, selves at Plymouth, and since, b. ii. 35; Mass. Hist. Coll. xv. 78, whereof he was one, the Court xvii. 122. judgeth it meet to grant him 300 acres of land, where it is to be had,

2 The notorious Thomas Morton, of Merry Mount, in his New Eng

WRETCHED STATE OF WESTON'S COLONY.

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their corn, and yet they regarded it not; that another CHAP. of their company was turned salvage; that their people had most forsaken the town, and made their rendezvous 1623. where they got their victuals, because they would not take pains to bring it home; that they had sold their clothes for corn, and were ready to starve both with cold and hunger also, because they could not endure to get victuals by reason of their nakedness; and that they were dispersed into three companies, scarce having any powder and shot left. What would be the