Part 13 (2/2)
”I supposed that your object in inviting me to this intervieas peace”
”And so it is,” Awashonks replied
”Why, then,” Captain Church continued, ”are your warriors here with arms in their hands?”
Awashonks appeared embarrassed, and replied,
”What weapons do you wish therily, and deephis helpless situation, very prudently replied, ”I only wish theuns, which is a proper for this, the Indians laid aside their guns, and quietly seated the and perilous intervie ensued Awashonks accused the English of provoking her to hostilities when she had wished to live in friendshi+p with them At onerage, and again perfectly pleasant, and almost affectionate Captain Church happened to allude to one of the battles between the English and the Indians I toward hi to sink it in his brain, declaring that Captain Church had slain his brother in that battle Captain Church replied that his brother was the aggressor, and that, if he had remained at home, as Captain Church had advised him to do, his life would have been spared
At this the irate savage iain
As the result of the intervieashonks prolish upon condition that Church should obtain the pardon of her tribe for all past offenses The chief captain of her warriors then approached Captain Church with great stateliness, and said, ”Sir, if you will please to accept of ht for you, and will help you to the head of King Philip before the Indian corn be ripe” At this all the other warriors clashed their weapons and murmured applause
Church then proposed that five Indians should accoovernor to secure the ratification of the treaty
Awashonks objected to this, saying that the party would inevitably be intercepted on the way by Philip's warriors, and all would be slain
She proposed, however, that Captain Church should go to Rhode Island, obtain a small vessel, and then take her embassadors around Cape Cod to Plymouth
Captain Church obtained a small vessel in Newport Harbor, and sailed for the point When he arrived there the as directly ahead, and blowing al hi a ious sensibilities, he considered this disappointment as an indication of divine disapproval, and immediately relinquished the enterprise
Just at this time Major Bradford arrived in the vicinity of the present town of Fall River with a large force of soldiers This region was then called Pocasset, and ithin the territory of Queen Wetaain visited Awashonks He infored her to keep all her people at home lest they should be assailed by these troops, and assured her that if she would visit Major Bradford in his encampment she should be received with kindness, and a treaty of peace would be concluded The next , Major Bradford, with his whole force, marched down the Tiverton shore, and encamped at a place called Punkatese, half way between Pocasset and Saconet Point
Awashonks collected her warriors and repaired to Punkatese to lish Major Bradford received her with severity and suspicion, which appears to have been quite unjustifiable Awashonks offered to surrender her warriors to his service if they could be under the command of Captain Church, in whom both she and they reposed perfect confidence This offer was perehtily coovernor resided, within six days The queen, mortified by this unfriendly reception, appealed to Captain Church He, also, washer that the governor would cordially assent to her views The Indians, somewhat reassured, now com of truce
The nextMajor Bradford embarked his ar Philip It was late at night before they reached the Mount, and the fires blazing in the woods showed that the Indians were collecting in large nu, however, with no foe, theyan Indian for a guide, set out for Plyovernor received hiratified, took with hiuard, and hastened to Sandwich
Disappointed in not finding Awashonks there, he went to Agawa her, he crossed Mattapoiset River, and ascended a bluff which commanded a wide prospect of Buzzard's Bay
As they stood upon the bluff, they heard a loudfro cautiously along, they peered over a low cliff, and saw a large nued upon the beach in the wildest scene of barbarian festivities So at football; so and frolicking in the waves
Captain Church was uncertain whether they were eneacity and intrepidity, he retired some distance into a thicket, and then hallooed to the the shout, left the rest of their company to see from whence it came
They came close upon Captain Church before he discovered himself to them As soon as they saw Captain Church, with two or three men around him, all well armed, they, in a panic, endeavored to retreat He succeeded, however, in retaining the their fears
From them he learned that the party consisted of Awashonks and her tribe He then sent word to Awashonks that he intended to sup with her that evening, and to lodge in her caht The queen immediately made preparations to receive him and his companions with all due respect Captain Church and his men, athered around them with shouts of welcome They were conducted to a pleasant tent, open toward the sea, and were provided with a luxurious supper of fried fish The supper consisted of three courses: a young bass in one dish, eels and flat-fish in a second, and shell-fish in a third; but there was neither bread nor salt
By the tiht, serene and moonless, yet brilliant with stars The still waters of Buzzard's Bay lay like a burnishedcanopy above in a corresponding arch below The unbroken forest frowned along the shore, sublime in its solitude, and from its depths could only be heard the lonely cry of the birds of darkness
The Indians collected an enorhs of the fir-tree Men, woantic heap, and when the torch was touched, a bonfire of a splendor blazed far and wide over the forest and the bay
This was the introductory act to a drama where peace and ere blended All the Indians, old and young, gathered around the fire
Queen Awashonks, with the oldestdown in a circle, foruished warriors, areous panoply of barbarian warfare; then came a motley multitude of the common mass of men, women, and children