Afterwards Stone came to Massachusetts, and they commenced an action against him for it; but by the mediation of friends it was allowed to lapse. Later, Stone came with some other gentlemen to New Plymouth, and was friendly entertained by them with the rest; but revenge boiled in his breast, and some thought that on one occasion he intended to stab the Governor, and put his hand to his dagger for that purpose; but by God’s providence and the vigilance of those at hand, it was prevented. Afterwards, returning to Virginia in a pinnace with a Captain Norton and some others, for some unknown reason they must needs go up the Connecticut River. What they did, I know not; but the Indians came aboard and knocked Stone on the head as he lay in his cabin; this was his end. They also killed all the others, but Captain Norton defended himself for a long time against them all in the cook-room, till, by accident, the gun-powder which he had put ready in some open vessel before him, took fire and it so burnt and blinded him that he could no longer make resistance, and was killed by them, though they much commended his valour.
I must now relate a strange occurrence. There was a tribe of Indians living on the upper parts of the Connecticut River, a long way from the colony’s trading-house there, who were enemies of the Indians that lived in the neighbourhood, who stood in some fear of them, for they were a warlike tribe. About a thousand of them had enclosed themselves in a fort, which they had strongly palisaded. Three or four Dutchmen went up in the beginning of winter to live with them, to get their trade and prevent them from bringing it down to the English, or from getting friendly with them. But their enterprise failed, for it pleased God to afflict these Indians with such a deadly sickness, that out of 1,000, over 950 of them died, and many of them lay rotting above ground for want of burial, and the Dutchmen almost starved before they could get away, kept there by the ice and snow. But about February, with much difficulty they reached the trading-house of the New Plymouth people, by whom they were kindly treated, for they were almost exhausted with hunger and cold. After being refreshed by them for several days, they got to their own place, and the Dutch were very grateful for this kindness.
This spring, too, the Indians who lived around their trading-house fell sick of small pox, and died most miserably. A more terrible disease cannot attack them; they fear it worse than the plague, for usually it spreads amongst them broadcast. For want of bedding and linen and other comforts, they fall into a lamentable condition. As they lie on their hard mats, the pox breaks and matters and runs, their skin sticking to the mats they lie on, so that when they turn a whole side will flay off at once, and they will be all one gore of blood, dreadful to behold; and then, what with cold and other hardships, they die like rotten sheep. The condition of these natives was indeed lamentable. They were swept so generally by the disease that in the end they were unable to help one another, or to make a fire or fetch a little water to drink, or to bury their dead. They would keep up as long as they could, and when there was no other means to make a fire, they would burn the wooden dishes they ate their food in, and their very bows and arrows. Some would crawl out on all fours to get a little water, and sometimes die by the way, not being able to get home again. But the people of the English trading-house, though they were at first afraid of the infection, seeing their woful condition and hearing their pitiful cries, had compassion on them, and daily fetched them wood and water and made them fires, and got them food whilst they lived, and buried them when they died. Very few of the Indians escaped, notwithstanding that they did what they could for them at great risk to themselves. The chief Sachem himself died, and almost all his friends and relatives; but by the marvellous goodness and providence of God not one of the English was so much as ill, or in the least degree tainted with the disease, though they did these services for them daily for many weeks. The mercy they showed them in this way was greatly appreciated by all the Indians who knew or heard of it, and earned their gratitude; and their masters at New Plymouth highly commended and rewarded them for it.
CHAPTER XVI
Edward Winslow in England—Petition to the Commissioners for the Colonies in America—Winslow imprisoned—The London partners withhold the accounts of the partnership—The French capture the trading-house at Penobscot—Attack on the French fails—Phenomenal Hurricane—Settlement of people from Massachusetts on the Connecticut River—Mr. Norton minister at New Plymouth: 1635.
Mr. Winslow was welcomed by them in England, the more so owing to the large consignment of fur he brought with him, which came safely to hand and was well sold. He was given to understand that all the accounts would be cleared up before his return, and all former differences settled, and that the account of the White Angel would not be charged to them. Being called upon to answer some complaints made against the country at the Council, more particularly concerning their neighbours at the Bay than themselves, which he did to good effect, at the same time furthering the interests of the colonies as a whole, as regards the encroachments of the French and other strangers, with a view to preventing them for the future, he took the opportunity of presenting this petition to their Honours, the Commissioners for the Colonies.
To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for the Colonies in America:
The humble petition of Edward Winslow on behalf of the Colonies in New England:
Humbly shows your Lordships, that whereas your petitioners have settled in New England under his majesty’s most gracious protection, now the French and Dutch endeavour to divide the land between them; for which purpose the French on the east side entered and seized upon some of our houses and carried away the goods, killed two men in another place, and took the rest prisoners with their goods; and the Dutch on the west also made entry along the Connecticut river, within the limits of his Majesty’s letters patent, where they have raised a fort and threaten to expel your petitioners who are also established on the same river, maintaining possession for his Majesty to their great expense, and the risk of both their lives and goods.