So the Ægyptians sail with woven Boats
Of paper rushes in their Nilus floats.
[p. 146.] Their Government is monarchical, the Patrueius or they that descend from the eldest proceeding from his loyns, is the Roytelet of the Tribe, and if he have Daughters, his Son dying without a Son, the Government descends to his Daughters Son: after the same manner, their lands descend. Cheetadaback was the chief Sachem or Roytelet of the Massachusets, when the English first set down there. Massasoit, the great Sachem of the Plimouth Indians, his dwelling was at a place called Sowans, about four miles distant from New-Plimouth. Sasasacus was the chief Sachem of the Pequots, and Mientoniack of the Narragansets. The chief Roytelet amongst the Mohawks now living, is a Dutchmans Bastard, and the Roytelet now of the Pocanakets, that is the Plimouth-Indians, is Prince Philip alias Metacon, the Grandson of Massasoit. Amongst the Eastern Indians, Summersant formerly was a famous Sachem. The now living Sachems of note are Sabaccaman, Terrumkin and Robinhood.
Their Wars are with Neighbouring Tribes, but the Mowhawks are enemies to all the other Indians, their weapons of Defence and Offence are Bowes and Arrowes, of late he is a poor Indian that is not [p. 147.] master of two Guns, which they purchase of the French, and powder and shot, they are generally excellent marks men; their other weapons are Tamahawks which are staves two foot and a half long with a knob at the end as round as a bowl, and as big as that we call the Jack or Mistriss. Lances too they have made (as I have said before) with broken sword blades, likewise they have Hatchets and knives; but these are weapons of a latter date. They colour their faces red all over, supposing that it makes them the more terrible, they are lusty Souldiers to see to and very strong, meer Hercules Rusticuses, their fights are by Ambushments and Surprises, coming upon one another unawares. They will march a hundred miles through thick woods and swamps to the Mowhawks Countrey, and the Mowhawks into their Countrey, meeting sometimes in the woods, or when they come into an Enemies Countrey build a rude fort with Pallizadoes, having loop-holes out of which they shoot their Arrowes, and fire their Guns, pelting at one another a week or moneth together; If any of them step out of the Fort they are in danger to be taken prisoners by the one side or the other; that side that gets the victory excoriats the hair-scalp of the principal slain Enemies which [p. 148.] they bear away in Triumph, their prisoners they bring home, the old men and women they knock in the head, the young women they keep, and the men of war they torture to death as the Eastern Indians did two Mowhawks whilst I was there, they bind him to a Tree and make a great fire before him, then with sharp knives they cut off the first joynts of his fingers and toes, then clap upon them hot Embers to sear the vains; so they cut him a pieces joynt after joynt, still applying hot Embers to the place to stanch the bloud, making the poor wretch to sing all the while: when Arms and Legs are gone, they flay off the skin of their Heads, and presently put on a Cap of burning Embers, then they open his breast and take out his heart, which while it is yet living in a manner they give to their old Squaes, who are every one to have a bite at it. These Barbarous Customs were used amongst them more frequently before the English came; but since by the great mercy of the Almighty they are in a way to be Civilized and converted to Christianity; there being three Churches of Indians gathered together by the pains of Mr. John Eliot and his Son, who Preaches to them in their Native language, and hath rendered the Bible in that Language for the benefit of [p. 149.] the Indians. These go clothed like the English, live in framed houses, have stocks of Corn and Cattle about them, which when they are fat they bring to the English Markets, the Hogs that they rear are counted the best in New-England. Some of their Sons have been brought up Scholars in Harvard Colledge, and I was told that there was but two Fellowes in that Colledge, and one of them was an Indian; some few of these Christian Indians have of late Apostatized and fallen back to their old Superstition and course of life.
Thus much shall suffice concerning New-England, as it was when the Indians solely possest it. I will now proceed to give you an accompt of it, as it is under the management of the English; but methinks I hear my sceptick Readers muttering out of their scuttle mouths, what will accrew to us by this rambling Logodiarce? you do but bring straw into Egypt, a Countrey abounding with Corn. Thus by these Famacides who are so minutely curious, I am dejected from my hope, whilst they challenge the freedom of David’s Ruffins, Our Tongues are our own, who-shall controll us. I have done what I can to please you, I have piped and you will not dance. I have told you as strange things as ever you or your Fathers [p. 150.] have heard. The Italian saith Chi vide un miraculo facilmente ne crede un altro, he that hath seen one miracle will easilie believe another, miranda canunt sed non credenda poetæ. Oh I see the pad, you never heard nor saw the like, therefore you do not believe me; well Sirs I shall not strain your belief any further, the following Relation I hope will be more tolerable, yet I could (it is possible) insert as wonderful things as any my pen hath yet gone over, and may, but it must be upon condition you will not put me to the proof of it. Nemo tenetur ad impossibilia, no man is obliged to do more than is in his power, is a rule in law. To be short; if you cannot with the Bee gather the honey, with the Spider suck out the poyson, as Sir John Davis hath it.
The Bee and Spider by a divers power
Suck honey and poyson from the self-same flower.
I am confident you will get but little poyson here, no ’tis the poyson of Asps under your tongue that swells you: truly, I do take you rather to be Spider catchers than Spiders, such as will not laudably imploy themselves, nor suffer others; you may well say non amo hominem, sed non possum [p. 151.] dicere quare, unless it be because I am a Veronessa, no Romancer. To conclude; if with your mother wit, you can mend the matter, take pen in hand and fall to work, do your Countrey some service as I have done according to my Talent. Henceforth you are to expect no more Relations from me. I am now return’d into my Native Countrey, and by the providence of the Almighty, and the bounty of my Royal Soveraigness am disposed to a holy quiet of study and meditation for the good of my soul; and being blessed with a transmentitation or change of mind, and weaned from the world, may take up for my word, non est mortale quod opto. If what I have done is thought uprears for the approvement of those to whom it is intended, I shall be more than meanly contented.
New-England was first discovered by John Cabota and his Son Sebastian in Anno Dom. 1514. A further discovery afterwards was made by the honourable Sir Walter Rawleigh Knight in Anno 1584. when as Virginia was discovered, which together with Mary-land, New-England, Nova Scotia was known by one common name to the Indians, Wingandicoa, and by Sir Walter Rawleigh in honour of our Virgin Queen, in whose name he took possession of it, Virginia. In [p. 152.] King James his Reign it was divided into Provinces as is before named. In 1602. these north parts were further discovered by Capt. Bartholomew Gosnold. The first English that planted there, set down not far from the Narragansets-Bay, and called their Colony Plimouth, since old Plimouth, An. Dom. 1602. Sir John Popham Lord chief Justice authorized by his Majesty, King James, sent a Colony of English to Sagadehock, An. 1606. Newfound-land was discovered by one Andrew Thorn an English man in Anno 1527. Sir Humphrey Gilbert a west Countrey Knight took possession of it in the Queens name, Anno 1582. The two first Colonies in New-England failing, there was a fresh supply of English who set down in other parts of the Countrey, and have continued in a flourishing condition to this day.
The whole Countrey now is divided into Colonies, and for your better understanding observe, a Colony is a sort of people that come to inhabit a place before not inhabited, or Colonus quasi, because they should be Tillers of the Earth. From hence by an usual figure the Countrey where they sit down, is called a Colony or Plantation.