and other parts; and at last brought hither into these parts by one Mr. Dermer, a gentleman employed by Sir Ferdinando Gorges and others, for discovery and other designs in these parts; of whom I shall say something, because it is mentioned in a book set forth, anno 1622, by the president and council for New England, that he made the peace between the savages of those parts and the English, of which this plantation (as it is intimated) had the benefit: and what a peace it was may appear from what befell him and his men.

This Mr. Dermer was here the same year that these people came, as appears by a relation written by him, bearing date June 30, anno 1620, and they arrived in the country in the month of November following, so that there was but four months difference. In which relation to his honoured friend, he hath these passages of this very place where New Plimouth is; “I will first begin (saith he) with that place from whence Squanto, or Tisquantum, was taken away, which in Captain Smith’s map is called Plimouth,²⁶ and I would that Plimouth had the like commodities. I would that the first plantation might here be seated, if there come to the number of fifty persons, or upwards; otherwise at Charlton, because there the savages are less to be feared. The Pocanakets, which live to the west of Plimouth, bear an inveterate malignity to the English, and are of more strength than all the savages from thence to Panobskut. Their desire of revenges was occasioned by an Englishman, who having many of them on board, made great slaughter of them with their murderers and small shot, when (as they say) they offered no injury on their parts. Whether they were English or no, it may be doubted; yet they believe they were, for the French have so possessed them: for which cause Squanto cannot deny but they would have killed me when I was at Namassaket,²⁷ had not he entreated hard for me. The soil of the borders of this great bay may be compared to most of the plantations which I have seen in Virginia. The land is of divers sorts; for Patukset²⁸ is an heavy but strong soil; Nauset²⁹ and Satuket³⁰ are for the most part a blackish and deep mould, much like that where groweth the best tobacco in Virginia. In the bottom of the bay is great store of cod, bass, or mullet, etc.” And above all he commends Pacannaket “for the richest soil, and much open ground, likely and fit for English grain. Massachusetts is about nine leagues from Plimouth, and situate in the midst. Between both is many islands and peninsulas, very fertile for the most part.” With sundry such relations which I forbear to transcribe, being now better known than they were to him.

This gentleman was taken prisoner by the Indians at Mannamoset (a place not far from Plimouth, now well known), he gave them what they demanded for his liberty; but when they had got what they desired, they kept him still, and endeavoured to kill some of his men, but he was freed by seizing on some of them, and kept them bound till they gave him a canoe load of corn: of which see Purch. lib. 9, fol. 1778. But this was anno 1619.

After the writing of the former relation, he came to the isle Capewak,³¹ which lieth south from this place, in the way to Virginia, and the aforesaid Squanto with him; where he going on shore amongst the Indians to trade as he used to do, was assaulted and betrayed by them, and all his men slain, but one that kept the boat; but himself got on board, very sore wounded, and they had cut off his head upon the cuddy of the boat, had not his man rescued him with a sword, and so they got him away, and made shift to get into Virginia, where he died, whether of his wounds, or the diseases of the country, or both, is uncertain. By all which it may appear how far this people were from peace, and with what danger this plantation was begun, save as the powerful hand of the Lord did protect them.

These things were partly the reasons why the Indians kept aloof, as aforesaid, and that it was so long ere they could come to speech with any of them. Another reason (as afterwards themselves made known) was, how that about three years before these first planters arrived, a certain French ship was cast away at Cape Cod, but the men got on shore, and saved their lives, and much of their victuals and other goods; but afterwards the Indians heard of it, and gathered together from these parts, and never left watching and dogging them until they got advantage, and killed them all but three or four, which they kept and sent from one Sachem to another to make sport with them, and used them worse than slaves; and they conceived this ship was now come to revenge it. Two of the said French so used were redeemed by the aforesaid Mr. Dermer, the other died amongst the Indians; and as the Indians have reported, one of them lived amongst them until he was able to discourse with them, and told them, that God was angry with them