CHAPTER II
The Mayflower returns—Death of John Carver—William Bradford, Governor—Trade with the Massachusetts—The first marriage—Friendship with Massasoyt confirmed—Hobbamok—Expedition against Corbitant—The first harvest—Arrival of Robert Cushman with 35 settlers—Fortune returns, laden—The Narragansetts’ challenge—Christmas Day: 1621.
They now decided to send back the ship which had brought them over, and which had remained till about this time or the beginning of April. The reason, on their part, why she had stayed so long, was the necessity and danger they were under. It was well towards the end of December before she could land anything, or they were in a condition to receive anything ashore. And after that on the 14th of January, the house they had built for a general rendezvous accidentally caught fire, and some of them had to go aboard the ship for shelter. Then the sickness began to fall among them sorely, and the weather was so bad that they could not hasten their preparations. Again the Governor and the chief members, seeing so many fall sick and die daily, thought it unwise to send the ship away, considering their condition and the danger they were in from the Indians, till they could procure some shelter; and therefore thought it better to incur further expense for themselves and their friends, than to risk everything. And though before, the captain and sailors had hurried the passengers ashore, so that they could be gone; now many of the crew being dead,—and some of the ablest of them,—and of the rest many lay sick and weak, the captain did not dare put to sea till he saw them begin to recover, and the heart of winter over.
The settlers, as many as were able, then began to plant their corn, in which service Squanto stood them in good stead, showing them how to plant it and cultivate it. He also told them that unless they got fish to manure this exhausted old soil, it would come to nothing, and he showed them that in the middle of April plenty of fish would come up the brook by which they had begun to build, and taught them how to catch it, and where to get other necessary provisions; all of which they found true by experience. They sowed some English seed, such as wheat and pease, but it came to no good, either because of the badness of the seed or the lateness of the season or some other defect.
This April, while they were busy sowing their seed, their Governor, Mr. John Carver, one hot day, came out of the field very sick. He complained greatly of his head and lay down, and within a few hours his senses failed. He never spoke again, and died, a few days after. His death was much lamented, and depressed them deeply, with good cause. He was buried in the best manner possible, with some volleys of shot by all that bore arms; and his wife, a weak woman, died five or six weeks after him.
Shortly after, William Bradford was chosen governor in his stead, and having not yet recovered from his illness, in which he had been near the point of death, Isaac Allerton, was appointed assistant to him. These two, by renewed election each year, continued several years together. This I here note, once for all.
On May 12th the first marriage here took place, which, according to the laudable custom of the Low Countries[3] in which they had lived, it was thought proper for the magistrate to perform, as a civil institution upon which many questions about inheritances depend, and other things requiring their cognizance, as well as being consonant with the scriptures (Ruth iv), and nowhere mentioned in the gospels as a part of the minister’s duty.
Having now made some progress with their affairs at home, it was thought advisable to send a deputation to their new friend Massasoyt, and to bestow upon him some gratuity to bind him faster to them; also at the same time to view the country, and see in what manner he lived, what strength he had about him, and what was the way to his place, if at any time they should have need. So on July 2nd they sent Mr. Edward Winslow and Mr. Hopkins, with the aforesaid Squanto for their guide. They gave Massasoyt a suit of clothes, and a horseman’s coat, with some other small things, which were kindly accepted, though they found but short commons, and came home both weary and hungry. The Indians in those times did not have nearly so much corn as they have had since the English supplied them with hoes, and set them an example by their industry in preparing new ground therewith. Massasoyt’s place was found to be forty miles off and the soil good. But his people had died in great numbers during the recent plague throughout these parts, about three years before the coming of the English. Thousands of them died, until the living were not able to bury the dead, and their skulls and bones were found in many places lying still above ground, where their houses and dwelling places had been,—a very sad spectacle. But they brought word that the Narragansetts lived just on the other side of the great bay, and were a strong, populous tribe living close together, and had not been attacked by this wasting plague.
About the latter end of this month one John Billington lost himself in the woods, and wandered up and down for about five days, living on berries and what he could find. At length he came across an Indian plantation, twenty miles to the south, called Manamet. They conveyed him further off to Nauset, among the Indians who had set upon the landing party when they were coasting and whilst their ship lay at the Cape, as before noted. But the Governor caused him to be enquired for among the Indians, and at length Massasoyt sent word where he was, and the Governor sent a shallop for him, and had him delivered. The Indians there also came and made their peace and full satisfaction was given by the settlers to those whose corn they had found and taken when they were at Cape Cod.
Thus their peace and acquaintance was pretty well established with the natives about them. Another Indian, called Hobbamok came to live with them, a fine strong man, of some account amongst the Indians for his valour and qualities. He remained very faithful to the English till he died. He and Squanto having gone upon business among the Indians, a Sachem called Corbitant, allied to Massasoyt, but never a good friend to the English to this day, met with them at an Indian town called Namassakett, fourteen miles west of this, and whether out of envy of them or malice to the English began to quarrel with them, and threatened to stab Hobbamok; but he, being a strong man, cleared himself of him, and came running away, all sweating, and told the Governor what had befallen him, and that he feared they had killed Squanto, for they threatened them both, for no other reason than that they were friends to the English and serviceable to them. The Governor taking counsel, it was decided not to pass it over, for if they allowed their friends and messengers to be harmed, none would associate with them or give them intelligence or do them service afterwards; and next thing the Indians would fall upon them, too. So it was resolved to send the Captain and fourteen men, well armed, and to go and fall upon them in the night; and if they found that Squanto was killed, to cut off Corbitant’s head, but not to hurt any but those who had a hand in it. Hobbamok was asked if he would go and be their guide, and bring them there before day. He said he would, and could show them the house where Corbitant lived, and which he was. They set forth on the 14th of August, and surrounded the house; and the Captain, giving orders to let none escape, entered to search for him. But he had gone away that day; so they missed him, but learned that Squanto was alive, and that Corbitant had only threatened to kill him, and made as if to stab him, but did not. So they withheld their punishment, and did no more harm; and the people came trembling and brought them the best provisions they had, when they had been acquainted by Hobbamok with their purpose. Three Indians, badly wounded, broke out of the house, and tried to pass through the guard. These they brought back with them, and had their wounds dressed and cured, and then sent them home. After this they had many greetings from various Sachems and much firmer peace. Even the Indians of the Island of Capawack sent to declare friendship; and Corbitant himself used the mediation of Massasoyt to make his peace, but was shy to come near them for a long time after.
After this, on the 18th September, they sent out their shallop with ten men and Squanto as guide and interpreter to the Massachusetts, to explore the bay and trade with the natives, which they accomplished, and were kindly received. The Indians were much afraid of the Tarantines, a tribe to the eastward, who used to come at harvest time and take away their corn, and often kill some of them. They returned in safety, and brought home a good quantity of beaver, and reported on the place, wishing they could have settled there. But it seems that the Lord, Who assigns to all men the bounds of their habitations, had appointed it for another use. And thus they found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to bless their outgoings and incomings, for which let His holy name have the praise forever, to all posterity.
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to prepare their houses for the winter, being well recovered in health and strength, and plentifully provisioned; for while some had been thus employed in affairs away from home, others were occupied in fishing for cod, bass, and other fish, of which they caught a good quantity, every family having their portion. All the summer there was no want. And now, as winter approached, wild fowl began to arrive, of which there were plenty when they came here first, though afterwards they became more scarce. As well as wild fowl, they got abundance of wild turkeys, besides venison, etc. Each person had about a peck of meal a week, or now, since harvest, Indian corn in that proportion; and afterwards many wrote at length about their plenty to their friends in England,—not feigned but true reports.
In November, about 12 months after their arrival, there came a small ship unexpectedly, bringing Mr. Cushman (so much spoken of before), and with him 35 persons to remain and live in the plantation; at which they rejoiced not a little. And the new arrivals, when they came ashore and found all well, and saw plenty of victuals in every house, were no less glad. Most of them were healthy young men, many of them wild enough, who had little considered what they were undertaking,—till they reached the harbour of Cape Cod, and there saw nothing but a naked and barren place. They then began to wonder what would become of them, should the people be dead or cut off by the Indians. So, hearing what some of the sailors were saying, they began to plot to seize the sails, lest the ship should go, and leave them there. But the captain, hearing of it gave them good words, and told them that if any misfortune should have befallen the people here, he thought he had food enough to take them to Virginia, and whilst he had a bit, they should have their share, which satisfied them. So they were all landed; but they brought not so much as biscuit-cake, or any other victuals with them, nor any bedding, except some poor things they had in their cabins; nor pot nor pan to cook any food in; nor many clothes, for many of them had sold their coats and cloaks at Plymouth on their way out. But some burching-lane suits were sent over in the ship, out of which they were supplied. The plantation was glad of this addition of strength, but could have wished that many of them had been of better class, and all of them better furnished with provisions; but that could not now be helped.
In this ship Mr. Weston sent a long letter to Mr. Carver, the late Governor, now deceased, full of complaints and expostulations about the former troubles at Southampton, and keeping the ship so long in the country, and returning her without lading, etc.,—most of which for brevity I omit. The rest is as follows.
Mr. Weston in England to Mr. John Carver at New Plymouth:
I never dared acquaint the adventurers with the alterations in the conditions first agreed on between us, which I have since been very glad of, for I am well assured that had they known as much as I do, they would not have ventured a halfpenny of what was necessary for this ship. That you sent no lading back with the ship is strange, and very properly resented. I know your weakness was the cause of it; and I believe more weakness of judgment than weakness of hands. A quarter of the time you spent in discoursing, arguing, and consulting, would have done much more; but that is past.... If you mean, bona fide, to perform the conditions agreed upon, do us the favour to copy them out fair, and subscribe them with the names of your principal members and likewise give us account, as particularly as you can, how our money was laid out. Then I shall be able to give them some satisfaction, while I am now forced to put them off with good words. And consider that the life of this business depends on the lading of this ship. If you do so satisfactorily, so that I may recoup the great sums I disbursed for the former voyage, and must do for this one, I promise you I will never forsake this enterprise, though all the other adventurers should do so.
We have procured you a charter, the best we could, which is better than the former, and with less limitations. As for anything else that is worth writing, Mr. Cushman can inform you. I pray write instantly for Mr. Robinson to come to you. And so, praying God to bless you with all graces necessary both for this life and that to come, I rest,
Your very loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.
London, July 6th, 1621.
This ship, called the Fortune, was speedily despatched, laden with good clapboard, as full as she could stow, and two hogsheads of beaver and otter skins, which they had traded in exchange for a few trifling commodities brought with them at first, being otherwise altogether unprovided for trading; nor was there a man among them who had ever seen a beaver skin till they came out, and were instructed by Squanto. The freight was estimated to be worth nearly £500. Mr. Cushman returned with the ship, as Mr. Weston and the rest had commissioned him, for their better information. And neither he nor the settlers doubted that they would receive speedy supplies, considering that, owing to Mr. Cushman’s persuasion, and to letters which they received from the congregation at Leyden, urging them to do so, they agreed to the aforesaid conditions, and signed them. But it proved otherwise, for Mr. Weston, who had made that large promise in his letter, that if all the rest should drop out, he would never quit the business, but would stick to them if they signed the conditions and sent some lading on the ship,—and of this Mr. Cushman was equally confident, confirming it by Mr. Weston’s own words and serious protestations to himself before he left,—all this, I say, proved but wind, for he was the first and only man that forsook them, and that before he had so much as heard of the return of the ship, or knew what had been done. So vain is confidence in man! But of this, more in its place.
A letter in answer to that written by Mr. Weston to Mr. Carver was sent from the Governor, of which so much as is pertinent to the thing in hand I will insert here:
Governor Bradford at New Plymouth to Mr. Weston in England:
Sir,
Your long letter written to Mr. Carver, and dated July 6th, 1621, I received on November 10th, wherein, after the apology made for yourself, you lay many imputations upon him and us all. Touching him, he is now departed this life, and is at rest in the Lord from all these troubles and incumbrances with which we yet strive. He needs not my apology; for his care and pains were so great for the common good, both ours and yours, that, as it is thought, he thereby oppressed himself and shortened his days; of whose loss we cannot sufficiently complain. At great expense in this adventure I confess you have been, and many losses may sustain; but the loss of his and many other industrious men’s lives cannot be valued at any price. Of the one there may be hope of recovery, but the other no recompense can make good. However, I will not confine myself to general statements, but will deal with your particular charges.
You greatly blame us for keeping the ship so long in the country, and then sending her away empty. She lay five weeks at Cape Cod, whilst with many a weary step, after a long journey and the endurance of many a hard brunt we sought out in the depth of winter a place of habitation. Then we set about, as well as we could, to provide shelter for ourselves and our goods upon which task many of our arms and legs can tell us to this day that we were not negligent! But it pleased God to visit us then with death daily, and with a disease so disastrous that the living were scarcely able to bury the dead, and the healthy not in any measure to tend the sick. And now to be so greatly blamed for not freighting the ship touches us near and discourages us much. But you say you know we shall plead weakness; and do you think we had not cause? Yes, you tell us you believe it—but that it was more weakness of judgment than of hands! Our weakness herein is great, we confess; therefore we will bear this rebuke patiently, with the rest, till God send us wiser men. But those who told you we spent so much time in discoursing and consulting, etc., their hearts can tell their tongues they lie. They care not, so that they salve their own sores, how they wound others. Indeed it is our calamity that we are, beyond expectation, yoked with some ill-disposed people, who, while they do no good themselves, corrupt and abuse others.
The rest of the letter stated that they had subscribed to the conditions according to his desire, and sent him the previous accounts very exactly; also how the ship was laden, and in what condition their affairs stood; that the arrival of the new people would bring famine upon them unavoidably, if they did not receive supplies, in time,—as Mr. Cushman could more fully inform him and the rest of the adventurers. Also that, seeing he was not satisfied in all his demands, he hoped offences would be forgotten, and he would remember his promise, etc.
After the departure of this ship, which did not stay above fourteen days, the Governor and his assistant having disposed the new arrivals among several families as best they could, took an exact account of all their provisions in store, and proportioned the same to the number of persons, and found that it would not hold out above six months at half allowance, and hardly that. They could not well give less this winter, till fish came in again. So they were presently put on half allowance, one as well as another. It became irksome, but they bore it patiently, hoping to receive fresh supplies.
Soon after this ship’s departure, the great Narragansett tribe, in a braving manner, sent a messenger to them with a bundle of arrows tied about with a great snake skin, which their interpreters told them was a threatening challenge. Upon which the Governor, with the advice of the others, sent them a round answer, that if they would rather have war than peace, they might begin when they would; they had done them no wrong, neither did they fear them, nor would they find them unprepared. They sent the snake skin back by another messenger with bullets in it; but they would not receive it, and returned it again. These things I need merely mention, because they are fully dealt with in print by Mr. Winslow, at the request of some friends. The reason was probably their own ambition, thinking, since the death of so many of the Indians, to domineer and lord it over the rest, and that the English would be a bar in their way, Massasoyt having taken shelter already under their wings.
But this made the settlers more careful to look to themselves. They agreed to enclose their dwellings in a good strong stockade and make flankers in convenient places, with gates to shut. These they locked every night, and a watch was kept, and when need required there were also outposts in the day-time. The colonists, at the Captain’s and Governor’s advice, were divided into four squadrons, and every one had his quarter appointed, to which to repair at any sudden alarm; and in case of fire, a company with muskets was appointed as a guard, to prevent Indian treachery, whilst the others quenched it. This was accomplished very cheerfully, and the town was enclosed by the beginning of March, every family having a pretty garden plot.
Herewith I shall end this year—except to recall one more incident, rather amusing than serious. On Christmas Day, the Governor called the people out to work as usual; but most of the new company excused themselves, and said it went against their consciences to work on that day. So the Governor told them, if they made it a matter of conscience, he would spare them till they were better informed. So he went with the rest, and left them; but on returning from work at noon he found them at play in the street, some pitching the bar, some at stool-ball, and such like sports. So he went to them and took away their games, and told them that it was against his conscience that they should play and others work. If they made the keeping of the day a matter of devotion, let them remain in their houses; but there should be no gaming and revelling in the streets. Since then, nothing has been attempted in that way, at least openly.