tied together with a snake’s skin, which their interpreter Squanto told them was a threatening, and a challenge; upon which the governor of Plimouth sent them a rough answer, namely, that if they loved war rather than peace, they might begin when they would, they had done them no wrong, neither did they fear them, nor should they find them unprovided; and by another messenger sent the snake’s skin back again, with bullets in it, but they would not receive it, but sent it back again. It is probable the reason of this their message to the English was their own ambition, who, since the death of so many Indians, thought to domineer and lord it over the rest, and conceived the English would be a bar in the way, and saw that Massasoit took shelter already under their wings. But this made the English more carefully to look to themselves, so they agreed to close their dwellings with a good strong pale, and made flankers in convenient places, with gates to shut, which were every night locked, and a watch kept, and when need required, there was also warding in the daytime; and the company was, by the governor and captain’s advice, divided into four squadrons, and every one had their quarter appointed them, unto which they were to repair; and if there should be any cry of fire, a company was appointed for a guard with muskets, whilst others quenched the fire; the same to prevent Indian treachery. And herewith I shall end the passages of this year.

1622.⁵

At the spring of this year, the English having certified the Indians of the Massachusetts, that they would come again unto them, they accordingly prepared to go thither; but upon some rumours which they heard from Hobamak their friend forenamed, who feared that the Massachusetts were joined with the Narragansets, and might betray them if they were not careful; and intimated also his jealousies of Squanto, by what he gathered from some private whisperings between him and other Indians, that he was not really cordial to the English in what he pretended, made them cautious. Notwithstanding, they sent out their boat, with ten of their principal men, about the beginning of April, and both Squanto and Hobamak with them, in regard of the jealousy between them; but they had not been gone long, ere that an Indian belonging to Squanto’s family came running, seeming to be in great fear, and told them that many of the Narragansets, with Corbitant (and he thought Massasoit), was coming against them; at which they betook themselves to their arms, and supposing that the boat was not yet out of call, they caused a piece of ordnance to be discharged, to call them in again; but this proved otherwise, for no Indians came. After this they went to the Massachusetts, and had good trade, and returned in safety, God be praised.

But by the former passages and things of like nature, they began to see that Squanto sought his own ends, and played his own game, by putting the Indians in fear, and drawing gifts from them to enrich himself; making them believe he could stir up war against them when he would, and make peace for them when he would; yea, he made them believe that the English kept the plague buried in the ground;⁶ and could send it amongst whom they would, which did much terrify the Indians; and made them more depend on him and seek more to him than to their great sachem Massasoit: which procured him envy, and had like to have cost him his life; for after the discovery of these practices, the said Massasoit sought it both privately and openly; which caused him to stick close to the English, and never after durst go from them until his death. They also made good use of the emulation that grew between Hobamak and him, which made them both carry more squarely; and the governor seemed to countenance the one, and their captain the other; by which they had the better intelligence, and made them both the more diligent.

About the latter end of May they espied a vessel at sea, which at the first they thought to be a Frenchman, but it proved one that belonged to Mr. Thomas Weston, a merchant; which came from a ship which he and another had sent out on fishing to a place called Damarel’s Cove, in the eastern parts of New England. This boat brought seven men, and some letters, but no provisions to them, of which they were in continual expectation from England, which expectations were frustrated in that behalf; for they never had any supply to any purpose after this time, but what the Lord helped them to raise by their industry among themselves; for all that came afterwards was too short for the passengers that came with it.

After this the same year, the above-named Mr. Thomas Weston, who had formerly been one of the merchant adventurers to the plantation of New Plimouth (but had now broken off and deserted the general