INDIAN TREATY; EMIGRANTS ARRIVE. which covered the graves was carefully beaten down and planted with a crop of corn.* The colonists, however, were not troubled during the winter by the Indians, although there was an occasional alarm. Early in the spring when they were again beginning to have hope of success, they were startled one morning by the entrance into the village of an Indian who saluted them in English: "Welcome Englishmen!" The Indian was a sagamore named Samoset, and he informed the Puritans that the Indians had been ravaged by a severe plague during the winter and that they had had no opportunity, if they would, of attacking the new settlement on the shore. Samoset was very friendly to the new colony, and through him and other friendly Indians intercourse was opened with the tribes in the interior. Samoset also induced Massasoit, chief of the Pokanokets or Wampanoags, to make a treaty of amity with the colonists.t After his first term of office had expired, Carver was re-elected governor, but a few weeks after the election he died and Bradford was then * Banvard, Plymouth and the Pilgrims; Davis, History of the Town of Plymouth (1885); Doyle, English Colonies in America, vol. ii., pp. 50-54; Palfrey, History of New England, vol. i., pp. 65, 70. + Fiske, Beginnings of New England, p. 83 et seq.; Palfrey, vol. i., pp. 66-68. Bancroft, vol. i., p. 210, says that this was the oldest act of diplomacy recorded in New England, and that while concluded in a day it was sacredly kept for more than half a century. 211 chosen his successor. In April, 1621, The arrival of the new emigrants, however, was of no advantage to the little settlement, as there were new mouths to feed but no provisions, and consequently a period of famine lasting several months ensued; for a time each person was allowed only half rations and when the corn had been consumed, the colonists were reduced to the scantiest rations, which consisted chiefly of fish and such supplies as might be secured from occasionally` passing vessels. As yet no cattle had been imported; such agricultural im *Palfrey, History of New England, vol. i., pp. 72-73; Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation, Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 4th series, vol. iii., p. 41; Young, Chronicles of the Pilgrims, p. 234. † Goodwin, Puritan Republic, p. 243. plements as the colonists possessed were rude, and they were almost destitute of boats and tackle with which to catch the fish abounding on the coast; furthermore, mortality and distress had prevented them from tilling the soil. In addition, the Indians were becoming hostile, and on one occasion Canonicus, sachem of the Narragansetts, enemies of the Wampanoags, sent a defiance to the colonists in the shape of a bundle of arrows tied together with the skin of a rattlesnake. Bradford, however, displayed an unusual amount of courage, considering the condition of the colony, returning the skin stuffed with powder and ball as a hint of what the whites could do should they be attacked by the Indians. The latter became frightened and adopted the prudent course of withholding their attack. In 1622, however, the colonists judged that it would be prudent to surround the village with a palisade of timbers driven in the ground. This palisade was a mile in circuit and had three gates.† * Dissensions now broke out among the colonists similar to those which nearly wrecked the Virginia colony. Thomas Weston, one of the most active of those who had fitted out the Plymouth expedition, became dissatisfied with the pecuniary results of Charles Francis Adams, Three Episodes of Massachusetts History, vol. i., pp. 35-36; Doyle, English Colonies in America, vol. ii., pp. 67-68; Fiske, Beginnings of New England, p. 85. † See Bradford's Diary of Occurrences (1622). the undertaking, and in 1622 resolved to found a separate plantation under his own management, the profits from which should accrue to him alone.* Sending out a party of 60 men, who were chiefly indented servants, the settlement was begun, but the indifferent character of the men soon began to show itself, and after intruding upon the people of Plymouth for two or three months and eating or stealing half their provisions, the attempt was made to establish the settlement at Wessagusset (now Weymouth) on the south shore of Massachusetts Bay. Massachusetts Bay. The stock of the colonists was soon exhausted, and they began to plunder the Indians who then formed a conspiracy to exterminate the whole body;† but the Indians were foiled in their attempt by Massasoit who revealed the plot to the colonists. Captain Standish thereupon organized a band to surprise the Indians before they could make their attack, and in the battle which followed, Wituwamot, the chief of the conspiracy, was captured and put to death upon the spot, together with several other Indians. When Robinson heard of the death of the Indians, he wrote to the colonists as follows: "Concerning the killing of The details of this attempt will be found in Adams, Three Episodes of Massachusetts History, vol. i. See also Bancroft, vol. i., p. 211-212. † Adams, Three Episodes of Massachusetts History, vol. i., pp. 51-68. J. S. G. Abbott, Myles Standish; Adams, Three Episodes, vol. i., chaps. v.-vi.; Doyle, vol. ii., pp. 74-75; Hildreth, vol. i., p. 165 et seq. 1. THE MAYFLOWER IN PLYMOUTH HARBCR. (From the painting by W. F. Halsall.) 3. INTERIOR OF A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER'S HOME. (From the painting by W. L. Hudson.) 2. GOVERNOR BRADFORD'S HOME. (From the painting by W. L. Williams.) 4. PUBLIC WORSHIP AT PLYMOUTH BY THE PILGRIMS. EXPEDITIONS DISPATCHED BY GORGES. those poor Indians, of which we heard at first by report and since by more certain relation, Oh! how happy a thing had it been, if you had converted some before you had killed any; besides, where blood is once begun to be shed, it is seldom staunched of a long time after. You will say they deserved it. I grant it; but upon what provocations and invitements by these heathenish christians? Besides, you being no magistrates over them, were to consider, not what they deserved, but what you were of necessity constrained to inflict. Necessity of this, especially in killing so many, (and many more, it seems, they would if they could,) I see not. Methinks one or two principals should have been full enough, according to that approved rule the punishment to the few, and the fear to the many."'* The plantation at Wessagusset was then speedily abandoned, and Weston, after suffering much indignity and ill-treatment at the hands of the Indians, returned to England, a ruined man.† - Meanwhile Sir Ferdinando Gorges had been doing for New England what Raleigh did for Virginia-becoming impoverished to blaze the way for the success of others. The Plymouth Company had sent out several exploring ships, the first of which, under Captain Henry Challong, was taken by the Spaniards. Chief Jus * Adams, vol. i., p. 99. Palfrey, History of New England, vol. i., pp. 75-77, 213 tice Sir John Popham furnished the In 1614 John Smith offered his services to the northern Company and was deputed to explore and map out the seaboard of the territory embraced in that Company's grant. In the same year Gorges, with the Earl of Southampton and others, sent out an expedition under Captain Hobson, but it was fruitless; Gorges and Smith then united, but the two parties sent out by them were also failures. Richard Hawkins, then president of the Plymouth Company, next visited Fiske, Beginnings of New England, p. 77; Bancroft, vol. i., p. 89 et seq.; Adams, Three Episodes of Massachusetts History, vol. i., pp. 117-119. Fiske, pp. 77-79. |