Part 6

Many peradventure at the looking over of these relations, may have inclinations or resolution for the Voyage, to whom I wish all prosperity in their undertakings; although I will use no forcive arguments to perswade any, but leave them to the relation; yet by way of advice, I would commend to them a few lines from the Pen of experience. And because the way to _New England_ is over Sea, it will not be amisse to give you directions, what is most necessary to bee carried. Many I suppose, know as well, or better than my selfe; yet all doe not, to those my directions tend; although every man have ship-provisions allowed him for his five pound a man, which is salt Beefe, Porke, salt Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water-grewell, and such kinde of Victuals, with good Biskets, and sixe-shilling Beere: yet will it be necessary, to carry some comfortable refreshing of fresh victuall. As first, for such as have ability, some Conserves, and good Clarret Wine to burne at Sea: Or you may have it by some of your Vintners or Wine-Coopers burned here, & put up into vessels, which will keepe much better than other burnt Wine, it is a very comfortable thing for the stomacke; or such as are Sea-sicke: Sallet-oyle likewise. Prunes are good to be stewed; Sugar for many things: White Biskets, and Egs, and Bacon, Rice, Poultry, and some weather-sheepe to kill aboard the ship; and fine flowre-baked meates, will keepe about a weeke or nine dayes at Sea. Iuyce of Lemons well put up, is good either to prevent or cure the Scurvy. Here it must not be forgotten to carry small Skillets, or Pipkins, and small frying-panns, to dresse their victuals in at Sea. For bedding, so it be easie, and cleanely, and warme, it is no matter how old or coarse it be for the use of the Sea; and so likewise for Apparrell, the oldest cloathes be the fittest, with a long coarse coate, to keepe better things from the pitched ropes and plankes. Whosoever shall put to Sea in a stoute and well-conditioned ship, having an honest Master, and loving Sea-men, shall not neede to feare, but he shall finde as good content at Sea, as at Land.

It is too common with many to feare the Sea more than they neede, and all such as put to Sea, confesse it to be lesse tedious than they either feared or expected. A ship at Sea may well be compared to a Cradle, rocked by a carefull Mothers hand, which though it be moved up and downe, yet is it not in danger of falling: So a ship may often be rocked too and againe upon the troublesome Sea, yet seldome doth it sinke or over-turne, because it is kept by that carefull hand of Providence by which it is rocked. It was never knowne yet, that any ship in that voyage was cast away, or that ever fell into the Enemies hand.

For the health of Passengers it hath beene observed, that of sixe hundred soules, not above three or foure haue dyed at Sea: It is probable in such a company, more might have dyed either by sicknesse or casualities, if they had stayed at home. For Women, I see not but that they doe as well as men, and young Children as well as either; having their healths as well at Sea as at Land: Many likewise which have come with such foule bodies to Sea, as did make their dayes uncomfortable at Land, have beene so purged and clarified at Sea, that they have beene more healthfull for after-times; their weake appetites being turned to good stomackes, not onely desiring, but likewise disgesting such victuals as the Sea affords. Secondly, for directions for the Countrey, it is not to be feared, but that men of good estates may doe well there; alwayes provided, that they goe well accommodated with servants. In which I would not wish them to take over-many: tenne or twelve lusty servants being able to mannage an estate of two or three thousand pound. It is not the multiplicity of many bad servants, (which presently eates a man out of house and harbour, as lamentable experience hath made manifest) but the industry of the faithfull and diligent labourer, that enricheth the carefull Master; so that he that hath many dronish servants, shall soone be poore; and he that hath an industrious family, shall as soone be rich.

Now for the incouragement of his men, he must not doe as many have done, (more through ignorance than desire) carry many mouthes, and no meate; but rather much meate for a few mouthes. Want of due maintenance produceth nothing but a grumbling spirit with a sluggish idlenesse, when as those servants which be well provided for, goe thorough their imployments with speede and cheerefulnesse. For meale, it will be requisite to carry a Hogshead and a halfe, for every one that is a labourer, to keepe him till hee may receive the fruite of his owne labours, which will be a yeare and a halfe after his arrivall, if hee land in _May_ or _Iune_. He must likewise carry Malt, Beefe, Butter, Cheese, some Pease, good Wines, Vinegar, Strong-waters, &c. Whosoever transports more of these than he himselfe useth, his over-plus being sold, will yeeld as much profit as any other staple commodity. Euery man likewise must carry over good store of Apparrell; for if he come to buy it there, he shall finde it dearer than in _England_. Woollen-cloth is a very good comodity, and Linnen better; as Holland, Lockram, flaxen, Hempen, Callico stuffes, Linsey-woolsies, and blew Callicoe, greene Sayes for Housewives aprons, Hats, Bootes, Shooes, good _Irish_ stockings, which if they be good, are much more serviceable than knit-ones. All kind of grocery wares, as Sugar, Prunes, Raisons, Currants, Honey, Nutmegs, Cloves, &c. Sope, Candles, and Lamps, &c. All manner of household-stuffe is very good Trade there, as Pewter and Brasse, but great Iron-pots be preferred before Brasse, for the use of that Country. Warming-pannes and Stewing-pannes bee of necessary use, and good Trafficke there. All manner of Iron-wares, as all manner of nailes for houses, and all manner of Spikes for building of Boates, Ships, and fishing stages: all manner of tooles for Workemen, Hoes for planters, broad and narrow for setting and weeding; with Axes both broad and pitching-axes. All manner of Augers, piercing bits, Whip-saws, Two-handed saws, Froes, both for the riving of Pailes and Laths, rings for Beetles heads, and Iron-wedges; though all these be made in the Countrey: (there being divers Blacke-smiths) yet being a heavy commodity, and taking but a little stoage, it is cheaper to carry such commodities out of _England_. Glasse ought not to be forgotten of any that desire to benefit themselves, or the Countrey: if it be well leaded, and carefully pack't up, I know no commodity better for portage or sayle. Here likewise must not be forgotten all Vtensils for the Sea, as Barbels, splitting-knives, Leads, and Cod-hookes, and Lines, Machrill-hooks and lines, Sharke-hookes, Seanes, or Basse nets, large and strong, Herring-nets, &c. Such as would eate Fowle, must not forget their sixe-foote Gunnes, their good Powder and shot, of all sorts; a great round shot called _Bastable_-shot, is the best; being made of a blacker Lead than ordinary shot: Furthermore, good Pooldavies to make sayles for Boates, Roads, and Anchors for Boates and Pinnaces, be good; Sea-coale, Iron, Lead, and Mil-stones, Flints, Ordonances, and whatsoever a man can conceive is good for the Countrey, that will lie as Ballast, he cannot be a loser by it. And lest I should forget a thing of so great importance, no man must neglect to provide for himselfe, or those belonging to him, his munition for the defence of himselfe and the Countrey. For there is no man there that beares a head, but that beares military Armes: even Boyes of fourteene yeares of age, are practised with men in militarie discipline, every three weeks. Whosoever shall carrie over Drummes and _English_ Colours, Pattesons, Halberds, Pickes, Muskets, Bandelerous, with Swords, shall not neede to feare good gaine for them, such things being wanting in the country: Likewise whatsoever shall be needefull for fortifications of holds and Castles, whereby the common enemy may be kept out in future times, is much desired. They as yet have had no great cause to feare; but because securitie hath beene the overthrow of many a new plantation, it is their care according to their abilities, to secure themselves by fortifications, as well as they can: Thus having shewed what commodities are most usefull, it will not be amisse to shew you what men be most fit for these plantations.

First, men of good working, and contriving heads, a well experienced common wealths man for the good of the body politicke in matters of advice and counsell, a well skilled and industrious husbandman, for tillage and improvements of grounds; an ingenious Carpenter, a cunning Ioyner, a handie Cooper, such a one as can make strong ware for the use of the countrie, and a good Brickmaker, a Tyler and a Smith, a Leather dresser, a Gardner, and a Taylour: one that hath good skill in the trade of fishing, is of speciall use, and so is a good Fowler, if there be any that hath skill in any of these trades, if he can transport himselfe, he needs not feare but he may improve his time and endeavours to his owne benefit, and comfort; if any cannot transport himselfe, he may provide himselfe of an honest master, and so may doe as well. There is as much freedome and liberty for servants as in _England_ and more too; a wronged servant shall have right _volens nolens_ from his injurious master, and a wronged master shall have right of his injurious servant, as well as here: Wherefore let no servant be discouraged from the voyage, that intends it. And now whereas it is generally reported, that servants and poore men grow rich, and the masters and Gentrie grow poore; I must needs confesse that the diligent hand makes rich, and that labouring men having good store of employments, and as good pay, live well, and contentedly; but I cannot perceive that those that set them aworke are any way impoverished by them; peradventure they have lesse monie by reason of them, but never the lesse riches; a mans worke well done being more beneficiall than his monie, or other dead commodities, which otherwise would lye by him to no purpose. If any men be so improvident as to set men about building of Castles in the Aire, or other unnecessary employments, they may grow poore; but such as employ labourers about planting of Corne, building of houses, fenceing in of ground, fishing, and divers other necessary occasions, shall receive as much or more by poore mens labours, than those that live in _England_ doe from the industrie of such as they hire: Wherefore I doe suppose this to be but the surmisings of some that are ignorant of the state of the countrey, or else misinformed by some ill willers to the plantations. Many objections I know are daily invented, to hinder the proceedings of these new plantations, which may dampe the unsetled spirits of such as are not greatly affected with those undertakings; Some say the _Spaniard_ layes claime to the whole country, being the first discoverer hereof, and that he may make invasion upon those parts as well as he hath done upon S. _Christophers_, and S. _Martins_, and those places: but it doth not follow that because he tooke such places as lay just in his way to the _West Indies_, that he should come thousands of miles with a great Navie to plantations, as yet not worth the pillage: and when the plantations are growne noted in the eyes of the common foes for wealth, it is hoped that when the Bees have Honie in their Hives, they will have stings in their tailes. Hath not _Virginia_ beene planted many yeares which is foure hundred miles nearer the _Spaniards_ course, and yet never met with any affrontments; so that this scruple smells of feare and pusill-animitie. To wipe away all groundlesse calumniations, and to answer to every too curious objections, and frivolous question (some so simple as not ashamed to aske whether the Sunne shines there or no) were to run in infinitum; but I hope that the severall manuscripts and letters, and informations by word of mouth from such of our honest countrimen which daily have recourse unto us, have given full satisfaction to such as are well willers to the plantations: and for such as are estranged to it in affection, if every word that hath beene eyther writ or spoken were a forcive argument, yet would it be too little to steddie their beleefe in any one particular concerning the country. Some are nimble eared to heare faults, and so ready tongued to publish them, yea often times with strained constructions; a false asseveration usually winneth more beleefe than two verifying negatives can resettle: Some there are who count with _Claudian_ that it is an incomparable happinesse to have their birth, life & burying in the same place: these are never likely to remove further than the shell of their owne countrie. But because there are some noble spirits that devote their states, and their persons, to the common good of their king and country, I have therefore for their direction and delight made this relation: For as the end of my travell was observation, so I desire the end of my observation may tend to the information of others: As I have observed what I have seene, and written what I have observed, so doe I desire to publish what I have written, desiring it may be beneficiall to posteritie; and if any man desire to fill himselfe at that fountaine, from whence this tasting cup was taken, his owne experience shall tell him as much as I have here related, and thus I passe from the country as it stands to the _English_, and come to discourse how it stands to the old Natives, and they to it, as followeth.

THE SECOND PART.

Of the _Indians_, their persons, cloathings, diet, natures, customes, lawes, mariages, worships, conjurations, warres, games, huntings, fishings, sports, language, death, and burials.

CHAP. I.

_Of the _Connectacuts_, _Mowhacks_, or such _Indians _as are West-ward._

The country as it is in relation to the _Indians_, is divided as it were into Shires, every severall division being swayde by a severall king. The _Indians_ to the East and North east, bearing the name of _Churchers_, and _Tarrenteenes_. These in the Southerne parts be called _Pequants_, and _Narragansets_; those who are seated West-ward be called, _Connectacuts_, and _Mowhacks_: Our _Indians_ that live to the North-ward of them be called _Aberginians_, who before the sweeping Plague, were an Inhabitant not fearing, but rather scorning the confrontments of such as now count them but the scumme of the country, and would soone roote them out of their native possessions were it not for the _English_.

These are a cruell bloody people, which were wont to come downe upon their poore neighbours with more than bruitish savagenesse, spoyling of their Corne, burning their houses, slaying men, ravishing women, yea very Caniballs they were, sometimes eating on a man one part after another before his face, and while yet living; in so much that the very name of a _Mowhack_ would strike the heart of a poore _Abergenian_ dead, were there not hopes at hand of releefe from _English_ to succour them: For these inhumane homicides confesse that they dare not meddle with a white faced man, accompanyed with his hot mouth'd weapon. These _Indians_ be a people of a tall stature, of long grimme visages, slender wasted, and exceeding great armes and thighes, wherein they say their strength lyeth; and this I rather beleeve because an honest gentleman told me, upon his knowledge, that he saw one of them with a fillippe with his finger kill a dogge, who afterward flead him and sod him, and eate him to his dinner. They are so hardie that they can eate such things as would make other _Indians_ sicke to looke upon, being destitute of fish and flesh, they suffice hunger and maintaine nature with the use of vegetatives; but that which they most hunt after, is the flesh of man; their custome is if they get a stranger neere their habitations, not to butcher him immediately, but keeping him in as good plight as they can, feeding him with the best victualls they have. As a neere neighbouring _Indian_ assured me, who found what he had spoke true by a lamentable experience, still wearing the cognizance of their cruelty on his naked arme, who being taken by them eate of their foode, lodged in their beds, nay he was brought forth every day, to be new painted, piped unto, and hem'd in with a ring of bare skinned morris dancers, who presented their antiques before him: In a word, when they had sported enough about this walking Maypole, a rough hewne satyre cutteth a gobbit of flesh from his brawnie arme, eating it in his view, searing it with a firebrand, least the blood should be wasted before the morning, at the dawning wherof they told him they would make an end as they had begun; hee answered that he cared as little for their threats as they did for his life, not fearing death; whereupon they led him bound into a _Wigwam_, where he sate as a condemned Prisoner, grating his teeth for anguish being for the present so hampered, and the next day to be entombed in so many living sepulchers; he extends his strength to the utmost, breaketh the bands from his hands, and loosing the cords from his feete, thought at once to be revenged for the flesh of his arme, and finding a hatchet, layes one with an arme of revenge to the unliving of ten men at first onset, afterward taking the opportunitie of the dead of night, fled through the woods and came to his native home, where he still lives to rehearse his happie escapall; of the rest of their inhumane cruelties let the _Dutchmen_, (who live among them) testifie, as likewise the cruell manner of leading their prisoners captive, whom they doe not onely pinnion with sharpe thongs, but likewise bore holes through their hamstrings, through which they thread a cord coupling ten or a dozen men together.

These _Indians_ be more desperate in warres than the other _Indians_; which proceeds not onely from the fiercenesse of their natures, but also in that they know themselves to be better armed and weaponed; all of them wearing sea horse skinnes and barkes of trees, made by their Art as impenitrable it is thought as steele, wearing head peeces of the same, under which they march securely and undantedly, running, and fiercely crying out, _Hadree Hadree succomee succomee_ we come we come to sucke your blood, not fearing the feathered shafts of the strong-armed bow-men, but like unruly headstrong stallions beate them downe with their right hand Tamahaukes, and left hand Iavelins, being all the weapons which they use, counting bowes a cowardly fight. _Tamahaukes_ be staves of two foote and a halfe long, and a knob at one end as round and bigge as a footeball: a Iavelin is a short speare, headed with sharpe sea-horse teeth; one blow or thrust with these strange weapons, will not neede a second to hasten death, from a _Mowhackes_ arme. I will conclude this discourse concerning the _Mowhackes_, in a tragicall rehearsall of one of their combates. A _Sagamore_ inhabiting neere these Canniballs, was so dayly annoyed with their injurious inhumanitie, that he must either become a tributarie subject to their tyrannie, or release himselfe from thraldome by the stroke of warre, which he was unable to wage of himselfe: wherefore with faire entreaties, plausible perswasions, forcive arguments, and rich presents he sent to other _Sagamores_, he procured so many souldiers as summed with his owne, made his forces sixe thousand strong; with the which he resolutely marched towards his enemies, intending either to win the horse or loose the saddle. His enemies having heard of his designes, plotted how to confront him in his enterprize, and overthrow him by trecherie; which they thus attempted; knowing their enemies were to swimme over a muddie river, they divided their bands lying in ambush on both sides the river, waiting his approach, who suspected no danger looking for nothing but victory; but immediately they were invyroned with their unexpected foes, in their greatest disadvantage: for being in the water, shoote they could not, for swimming was their action; and when they came to the side, they could not runne away, for their feete stucke fast in the mudde, and their adversaries impaled them about, clubbing and darting all that attained the shore; so that all were killed and captived, saving three who swimming further under the waters (like the Ducke that escapeth the Spannell by diving) untill they were out of sight of their blood thirstie foes, recovered the shoare creeping into the thickets, from whence after a little breathing and resting of their weary limbes, they marched through the woods and arrived at their owne homes, relating to their inquisitive survivers the sadde event of their warre, who a long time after deplored the death of their friends, still placing the remembrance of that day in the Callender of their mishappes.

CHAP. II.

_Of the _Tarrenteenes_ or the _Indians_ inhabiting Eastward._