Part 1 (1/2)

King Philip

by John S C (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott

PREFACE

Few, even of our ent men, if we except those who are devoted to literary pursuits, are acquainted with the adventures which our forefathers encountered in the settleland The clai, that those whose tirossed by its cares have but little leisure for extensive reading, and yet there is no American who does not desire to be familiar with the early history of his own country The writer, with great labor, has collected from widely-spread materials, and condensed into this narrative of the career of King Philip, those incidents in our early history which he has supposed would be eneral reader He has spared no pains in the endeavor to be accurate In the rude annals of those early days there is often obscurity, and sometimes contradiction, in the dates Such dates have been adopted as have appeared, after careful examination, to be most reliable

The writer can not refrain, in this connection, froations he is under to his friend and neighbor, John M'Keen, Esq, to whose extensive and accurate acquaintance with the early history of this country he is indebted for many of the materials which have aided him in the preparation of this work

JOHN S C ABBOTT

Brunswick, Maine, 1857

KING PHILIP

CHAPTER I

LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS

1620-1621

Arrival of the Mayflower--Explorations--Captain Wey the natives--The seizure--Trophies--Necessity for caution--Discovery of a am--New enterprises--The return of the explorers--New expedition--Sight of some Indians--Cheerless encampment--Discoveries--Quaint description of the huts--Interior of the hut, and as found--Good intentions not realized--Another stor preparations--A fearful attack--Protection of the English--Power of the Indians--The chief shot--Disappearance of the Indians--Sudden peace--Devotions--Departure--A gale--An accident--Approaching night--Discovery of a shelter--Preparations for the night--They resolve to spend the Sabbath at their ca for the channel--Sites for the village--Jealousy of the Dutch--Arrival of the Mayflower--Survey of the country--A location selected--Interruptions by a storland--Friday, Dece the shi+p--Erection of the store house--The little village--Alarm from the Indians--Discomforts--Watchfulness of the Indians--End of the year--Atte--Return of the lost--Their adventures--They discover the harbor--Their sufferings--February--Death a the colonists--Discovery of Indians--Alares appear--Weakness of the colonists

On the 11th of November, 1620, the storm-battered Mayfloith its band of one hundred and one Pilgriht of the barren sand-hills of Cape Cod The shore presented a cheerless scene even for those weary of a e upon a cold and teling for a short time to make their way farther south, embarrassed by a leaky shi+p and by perilous shoals appearing every where around thelad to make a harbor at the extre, they chose Mr John Carver, ”a pious and well-approved gentleovernor of their little republic for the first year While the carpenter was fitting up the boat to explore the interior bend of the land which forms Cape Cod Bay, in search of a more attractive place of settlement, sixteen of their number set out on foot on a short tour of discovery They were all well arainst any attack fro the western shore of the Cape toward the south, when suddenly they caht of five Indians The natives fled with the utmost precipitation They had heard of the white men, and had abundant cause to fear them But a few years before, in 1605, Captain Wey the coast of Maine, very treacherously kidnapped five of the natives, and took thereatly exasperated the natives, and which led to subsequent scenes of hostility and blood, it may be well here to record It explains the reception which the Pilgrims first encountered

Captain Wey with the natives for some time in perfect friendshi+p One day six Indians came to the shi+p in two canoes, three in each Three were enticed on board the shi+p, and were shut up in the cabin The other three, a little suspicious of danger, refused to leave their canoe, but, receiving a can of pease and bread, paddled to the shore, where they built a fire, and sat down to their entertainly manned was then sent to the shore fro presents, and a platter of food of which the Indians were particularly fond One of the natives, more cautious than the rest, upon the approach of the boat, retired to the woods; the other two met the party cordially They all walked up to the fire and sat down, in apparent friendshi+p, to eat their food together

There were six Englishnal, while their unsuspecting victilish sprang upon theorous, and lithe as eels, struggled with Herculean energy The kidnappers, finding it difficult to hold the hair of their heads, and thus the terrified creatures were dragged into the boats and conveyed to the shi+p Soon after this Captain Weyland He also took, as trophies of his victory, the two canoes, and the bows and arrows of these Indians

Sundry outrages of a similar character had been perpetrated by European adventurers all along the New England coast The Pilgrims ell aware of these facts, and consequently they were not surprised at the flight of the Indians, and felt, theainst a hostile attack

The English pursued the fugitives vigorously for ht came on They built a camp, kindled a fire, established a watch, and slept soundly until the nextin the track of the Indians After sowa concealed here several baskets filled with ears of corn, they took the grain, so needful for the, should they ever meet the Indians, to pay them amply for it With this as the only fruit of their expedition, they returned to the shi+p

Soon after their return preparations were completed for a more important enterprise The shallop was launched, and well provided with arms and provisions, and thirty of the shi+p's company embarked for an extensive survey of the coast They slowly crept along the barren shore, stopping at various points, but they could meet with no natives, and could find no harbor for their shi+p, and no inviting place for a settleh which the autuhed, alone s of the Indians, but could catch no sight of the terrified natives After several days of painful search, they returned disheartened to the shi+p

It was now the 6th of Decean to sweep over the water, which seeination can hardly conceive a more bleak and dreary spot than the extremity of Cape Cod It was manifest to all that it was no place for the establishment of a colony, and that, late as it was in the year, they must, at all hazards, continue their search for alocation Previous explorers had entered Cape Cod Bay, and had given a general idea of the sweep of the coast

A new expedition was now energetically organized, to proceed with all speed in a boat along the coast in search of a harbor The wind, in freezing blasts, swept across the bay as they spread their sail Their frail boat was small and entirely open, and the spray, which ever dashed over these hardy pioneers, glazed their coats with ice They soon lost sight of the shi+p, and, skirting the coast, were driven rapidly along by the fair but piercing wind The sun went down, and dark night was approaching They had been looking in vain for soht, when, in the deepening twilight, they discerned twelve Indians standing upon the shore They immediately turned their boat toward the land, and the Indians as irounded was entirely exposed to the billows of the ocean With difficulty they drew their boat high upon the sand, that it ht not be broken by the waves, and prepared to make themselves as comfortable as possible It was, indeed, a cheerless encaht Fortunately there ood in abundance hich to build a fire, and they also piled up for theainst acommended theht such repose as fatigue and their cold, hard couch could furnish

The night passed aithout any alar the boat, and the others following along upon foot on the shore Thus they continued their explorations another day, but could find no suitable place for a settle the day they saw le native

They found two houses, from which the occupants had evidently but recently escaped The following is the description which the adventurers gave of these ao: