PETER MARTYR-HERRERA-RALPH LANE-HUBBARD.

échapée. 'Quelle ingratitude! quelle scelératesse ! quelle cruauté!' s'écrioient-ils, dans leurs lugubres et discordans concerts, nous n'avons cessé depuis la paix de pourvoir à la subsistance de ce fort par nôtre pêche, et par nôtre chasse. Nous avons enrichi les François de nos Castors, et de nos autres pelleteries, et pour récompense, on vient traitreusement dans nos villages; on massacre nos pères et nos vieillards; on nous fait esclaves, et l'on nous tient dans une posture ou l'on ne peut se défendre des moucherons, ni par conséquent attraper le sommeil. On nous a fait souffrir mille morts quand on a versé devant nos yeux le sang de nos pères, et si l'on nous conserve la vie, c'est pour nous la rendre plus affreuse que la mort même. Est-ce donc là cette nation dont les Jésuites prônent si fort la droiture et la bonne foi ? Mais les cinq villages auront soin de nôtre vengeance, et nos compatriotes n'oublieront jamais l'horrible violence qu'on nous fait.' C'est la substance de ce qu'ils chantoient."—Ibid.

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him to the dogs to be devoured alive, exulted with a spirit like Regner Lodbrog, and bade the dogs bite bravely! saying that his countrymen would paint him in the skin of a tyger, as a good and brave man, who would not betray his lord. -HERRERA, 4, 9, 7.

[Dead Men more hurtful than the living, an aboriginal Notion of Savage Tribes.]

"THAT we being dead men were able to do them more hurt than now we could do being alive, is an opinion very confidently at this day holden by the wisest among them, and of their old men; as also that they have been in the night, being one hundred miles from any of us, in the air shot at, and struck by some men of ours, that by sickness had died among them; and many of them hold opinion, that we be dead men returned into the world again, and that we do not remain dead but for a certain time, and that then we return again."-Ralph Lane, in Hakluyt.

[The Panches and their Shield of Skins.]

THE Panches of the N. Reyno de Granado used a shield of skins, which covered them from head to foot, and in this, as in a pocket, they carried all their arms.-HERRERA, 6, 5, 5.

["Vincit Amor Patria."-VIRG.]

THE Biscayans and Catalonians are said to be the only Spaniards whose love of their country is not easily extinguished. Others who emigrate to America rarely wish to return. Such are the effects of freedom, and of the spirit which even the proud remembrance of freedom preserves.

[Extraordinary Instance of Natural Eloquence, or, Columbus and the Old Man of Cuba.] "As Columbus hearde masse on the shore of Cuba, there came towarde him a certaine governour, a man of fourescore yeares of age, and of great gravitie, although hee were naked saving his privie parts. Hee had a great trayne of men wayting on him. All the while the prieste was at masse he shewed himselfe very humble, and gave reverent attendance, with grave and demure countenance. When the masse was ended, hee presented to the admirall a basket of the fruites of his countrey, delivering the same with his own handes, when the admirall hadde gentlely entertained him, desiring leave to speake, he made an oration in the presence of Didacus the interpreter, to this effect, I have bin advertised (most mighty prince) that you have of late with great power subdued many lands and regions, hitherto unknown to you, and have brought [The Blood Stone of New Spain.] no little feare upon all the people and the inhab- "THEY doo bring from the new Spain a stone itantes of the same: the which your good for- of great virtue, called the Stone of the Blood. tune you shall beare with lesse insolency, if you The Blood Stone is a kind of jasper of divers remember that the soules of men have two jour-colours, somewhat dark, full of sprinkles like to neyes after they have departed from this body. The one, foule and darke, prepared for such as are injurious and cruell to mankinde: the other, pleasant and delectable, ordained for them which in their life time loved peace and quietness. If therefore you acknowledge yourself to be mortal, and consider that every man shall receive condigne rewarde or punishment for such thinges as hee hath done in this life, you will wrongfully hurt no man.' When hee had saide these wordes and other like, which were declared to the admirall by the interpretation, hee marveiled at the judgment of the naked olde man."-PETER MARTYR.

[Natural Courage of the Miges.] ONE of the Miges, when the Spaniards threw A A

In

And as

blood, beeing of colour red: of the which stones
the Indians dooth make certeyne Hartes, both
great and small. The use thereof both there
and here is for all fluxe of blood, and of wounds.
The stone must be wet in cold water, and the
sick manne must take him in his right hand, and
from time to time wet him in cold water.
this sort the Indians doe use them.
touching the Indians they have it for certain, that
touching the same stone in some part where the
blood runneth, that it dooth restrain, and in this
they have great trust, for that the effect hath
been seen."-A Booke of the Thinges that are
brought from the West Indies. Newly compyled
by DOCTOR MONARDUS of Seville, 1575, trans-
lated out of Spanish by JOHN FRAMPTON, 1580

1 F. DEPONS, Travels in the Caraccas.

DR. MONARDUS-WILLIAM HUBBARD.

"Some melancholy fanciers would not be per- [Incursion of the Indians, and Hair-breadth Essuaded, but that the eclipse falling out at that instant of time was ominous, conceiving also that in the centre of the moon they discerned an unusual black spot, not a little resembling the scalp of an Indian.

WILLIAM HUBBARD.

pulse put such a check upon the pride of the enemy, that they made no attempt upon any of the towns for the present; but winter drawing on, they retired all of them to their general rendezvous at Narhagonset."-Ibid., p. 43.

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either to draw up in any order or form of battle, nor yet opportunity to consult where or how to assault.

"As they marched, Captain Moseley and Captain Davenport led the van; Major Appleton and Captain Oliver brought up the rear of the whole body; but the frontiers, discerning Indians in the [Palisadoes against the Indians.] edge of the swamp, fired immediately upon them, "THE English plantations about Hadly being who answering our men in the same language, for the present set a little at liberty by the In-retired presently into the swamp, our men foldians drawing off, like seamen after a storm, they counted it the best courage to repair their tackling against another that might be next coming; wherefore the inhabitants concluded it the safer way to make a kind of barricado about their towns, by setting up palisadoes, or cleft wood about eight feet long, as it were to break the force of any sudden assault which the Indians might make upon them, which counsel proved very successful; for although it be an inconsiderable defence against a warlike enemy that hath strength enough, and confidence to besiege a place, yet it is sufficient to prevent any sudden assault of such a timorous and barbarous enemy as these were; for although they did afterwards in the spring break through those palisadoes at Northampton, yet as soon as ever they began to be repulsed, they saw themselves like wolves in a pound, that they could not fly away at their pleasure, so as they never adventured to break through afterward upon any of the towns so secured."-Ibid., p. 46.

[Indian Tactics.]

lowed them in amain, without staying for the word of command, as if every one were ambitious who should go first, never making any stand till they came to the sides of the fort, into which the Indians that first fired upon them betook themselves. It seems, there was but one entrance into the fort, though the enemy found many ways to get out; but neither the English nor their guide well knew on which side the entrance lay, nor was it easy to have made another; wherefore, the good providence of Almighty God is the more to be acknowledged, who, as he led Israel sometime by the pillar of fire, and the cloud of his presence, a right way through the wilderness, so did he now direct our forces upon that side of the fort where they might only enter, though not without the utmost danger and hazard. The fort was raised upon a kind of island, of five or six acres of rising land in the form of a swamp: the sides of which were made of palisades set upright, the which was compassed about with a hedge about a rod in thickness, through which there was no passage, unless they could have fired a way through, which then they had no time to do.

"The place where the Indians used ordina

"THE whole number of all our forces being now come, the want of provision, with the sharp-rily to enter themselves, was over a long tree ness of the cold, minded them all of expedition, wherefore the very next day the whole body of the Massachusetts and Plymouth forces marched away to Pettiquam Scot, intending to engage the enemy upon the first opportunity that next offered itself, to the which resolutions those of Connecticut presently consented, as soon as they met together, which was about five o'clock in the afternoon: Bull's house intended for their general rendezvous, being unhappily burnt down two or three days before, there was no shelter left for officer or private soldier, so as they were necessitated to march on toward the enemy through snow, in a cold stormy evening, finding no other defence all that night save the open air, nor other covering, than a cold and moist fleece of snow. Through all these difficulties they marched from the break of the next day, December 19th, till one o'clock in the afternoon, without any fire to warm them, or respite to take any food, save what they could chew in their march. Thus having waded fourteen or fifteen miles through the country of the old queen, or Sunke Squaw of Narhagonset, they came at one o'clock upon the edge of the swamp, where their guide assured them, they should find Indians enough before night.

"Our forces chopping thus upon the seat of the enemy, upon the sudden, they had no time

upon a place of water, where but one man could enter at a time, and which was so waylaid, that they would have been cut off that ventured there. But at one corner there was a gap, made up only with a long tree, about four or five feet from the ground, over which men might easily pass; but they had placed a kind of blockhouse right over against the said tree, from whence they sorely galled our men that first entered, as was Captain Davenport, so as they that first entered were forced presently to retire, and fall upon their bellies, till the fury of the enemy's shot was pretty well spent, which some companies that did not discern the danger, not observing, lost sundry of their men; but at last, two companies being brought up, besides the four that first marched up, they animated one another to make another assault, one of the commanders crying out, 'They run, they run,' which did so encourage the soldiers, that they presently entered amain. After a considerable number were well entered, they presently beat the enemy out of a Ponker on the left hand, which did a little shelter our men from the enemy's shot, till more company came up, and so by degrees made up higher, first into the middle, and then into the upper end of the fort, till at last they made the enemy all retire from their sconces and fortified places, leaving multitudes of their dead

"For though there might not be above three or four hundred at any time within the fort at once, yet the rest in their turns came up to do what the exigence of the service required, in bringing off the dead and wounded men: the major of the Massachusetts regiment, together with Captain Moseley, was very serviceable : for by that means, the fort being clear of the dead bodies, it struck a greater terror into the enemy to see but eight or ten dead bodies of the English left, than to meet with so many wounded carcasses.

bodies upon the place. Connecticut soldiers | enemy, others hauling off and carrying away marching up in the rear, being not aware of the their dead and wounded men, which I rather dangerous passage over the tree, in command of note, that none may want the due testimony of the enemy's block-house, were at their first en- their valour and faithfulness, though all ought to trance many of them shot down, although they say, 'Not unto us, but unto thy Name, O Lord,' came on with as gallant a resolution as any of &c. the rest, under the conduct of their wise and valiant leader, Major Treal. The brunt of battle, or danger, that day, lay most upon the commanders, whose part it was to lead on their several companies in the very face of death, or else | all had been lost, so as all of them with great valour and resolution of mind, as not at all afraid to die in so good a cause, bravely led on their men in that desperate assault, leaving their lives in the place, as the best testimony of their valour, and of love to the cause of God and their country. No less than six brave captains fell that day in the assault, viz., Captain Davenport, Captain Gardner, Captain Johnson, of the Massachusetts, besides Lieutenant Upsham, who died some months after of his wounds received at that time. Captain Gollop also, and Captain Siely, and Captain Marshall, were slain, of those that belonged to Connecticut colony. It is usually seen that the valour of the soldiers is much wrapped up in the lives of their commanders, which made them redouble their courage, and not give back after they were entered a second time, till they had drawn out their enemies; so as, after much blood and many wounds dealt on both sides, the English, seeing their advantage, began to fire the wigwams, where was supposed to be many of the enemy's women and children destroyed, by the firing of at least five or six hundred of these smoky cells. It is reported by them that first entered the Indians' fort, that our soldiers came upon them when they were ready to dress their dinner, but our sudden and unexpected assault put them beside that work, making their Cook-rooms too hot for them at that time, when they and their Mitchin fried together, and probably some of them eat their supper in a colder place that night, most of their provisions, as well as their huts, being then consumed with fire and those that were left alive forced to hide themselves in a cedar swamp, not far off, where they had nothing to conceal them from the cold, but boughs of spruce and pine trees: for after two or three hours' fight, the English became masters of the place; but not judging it tenable, after they had burnt all they could set fire upon, they were forced to retreat after the day-light was almost quite spent, and were necessitated to retire to their quarters full fifteen or sixteen miles off, some say more, whither, with their dead and wounded men, they were forced to march, a difficulty scarce to be believed, as not to be paralleled almost in any former age. It is hard to say who best acquitted themselves in that day's service, either the soldiers, for their manlike valour in fighting, or the commanders, for their wisdom and courage, leading on in the very face of death. There might one have seen the whole body of that regimental army, as busy as bees in a hive, some bravely fighting with the

"The number of the slain was not then known on the enemy's side, because our men were forced to leave them on the ground; but our victory was found afterward to be much more complete than was at first apprehended; for although our loss was very great, not only because of the desperateness of the attempt itself, (in such a season of the year, and at such a distance from our quarters, whereby many of our wounded men perished, that might otherwise have been preserved, if they had not been forced to march so many miles on a cold frosty night, before they could be drest,) yet, the enemy lost so many of their principal fighting men, their provision also was, by the burning of their wigwams, so much of it spoiled at the taking of the fort, and by surprising so much of their corn about at that time also, that it was the occasion of their total ruin afterwards; they being at that time driven away from their habitations, and put by from planting that next year, as well as deprived of what they had in store for the present winter. What numbers of the enemy were slain is uncertain; it was confessed by one Potock, a great counsellor among them, afterwards taken at Road-Island, and put to death at Boston, the Indians lost seven hundred fighting men that day, besides three hundred that died of their wounds, the most of them the number of old men, women, and children, that perished either by fire, or that were starved by hunger and cold, none of them could tell. There were above eighty of the English slain, and a hundred and fifty wounded, that recovered afterward.

"There were several circumstances in this victory very remarkable :

First, the meeting with one Peter, a fugitive Indian, flying from the Narhagonsets, offered himself to the service of the English, and did faithfully perform what he promised, viz., to lead them to the swamp, where the Indians had seated themselves within a fort, raised upon an isl and of firm earth, in the midst of a swamp. whither none of the English could have piloted them without his assistance, the place being near eighteen miles from the place where they were quartered.

"Secondly their being, by a special Provi

WILLIAM HUBBARD.

dence, directed to a place where they found so easy entrance, which, if they had missed, they could never have made a way through the hedge with which they had surrounded the palisadoes of the fort, in half a day's time.

"Thirdly, if they had entered by the way left by the Indians for passage, they might have been cut off before they could have come near their fortification.

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by Captain Fenner, of Providence, who, with some of the neighbours, were pursuing some Indians that were driving away their cattle. This Tift, being one of the company, was wounded in the knee, and so was seized by the English; he had in his habit conformed to those amongst whom he lived. After examination, he was condemned to die the death of a traitor. As to his religion, he was found as ignorant as a heathen, "Lastly, in directing their motion, to begin which no doubt caused the fewer tears to be shed the assault just at the day they did: for if they at his funeral, standers by being unwilling to lavhad deferred a day longer, there fell such a storm ish pity upon him that had divested himself of of snow the next day, that they could not have nature itself, as well as religion, in a time when passed through it in divers weeks after and so much pity was needed elsewhere, and nothing then on a sudden there fell such a thaw, that left besides wherewith to relieve the sufferers." melted away both ice and snow; so that if they—Ibid., p. 59. had deferred till that time, they could have found no passage into their fortified place.

[Over-ruling of Evil Propensities.]

"Such was the goodness of God to these poor captive women and children, that they found so much favour in the sight of their enemies, that they offered no wrong to any of their persons, save what they could not help, being in many wants themselves. Neither did they offer any uncivil carriage to any of the females, nor even attempted the chastity of any of them, either being restrained of God, as was Abimelech of old, or by some accidental cause, which held them from doing any wrong of that kind.”— Ibid., p. 61.

"All which considerations put together, make it a signal favour of God, to carry them through so many difficulties to accomplish their desired end. For after they were retired to their quarters, but sixteen miles from that place, there was so great want of provision, the vessels being frozen in at the harbour about Cape Cod, that should have brought them relief, and the frost and snow set in so violently, that it was not possible for them, with all the force they could make, (so many of their ablest soldiers being killed and wounded,) to have made another onset: but the goodness of Almighty God was most of all to be admired, that notwithstanding all the hardships they had endured that winter in very cold lodgings, hard marches, scarcity of provision, yet not [Faithfulness and Courage of the Christian Inone man was known to die, by any disease or bodily distemper, save them that perished by their wounds."-Ibid., p. 55,

dians.]

"It is worth the noting, what faithfulness and courage some of the Christian Indians, with the said Captain Pierce, shewed in the fight: one of them, Amos by name, after the Captain Pierce [Cold Weather a good Besom to sweep the Cham- was shot in his leg and thigh, so as he was not

ber of the Air.]

able to stand any longer, would not leave him, but charged his gun several times, fired stoutly upon the enemy, till he saw that there was no possibility for him to do any further good to Captain Pierce, nor yet to save himself if he stayed any longer, therefore he used this policy,

"If there had not been so great a difference between the place of the fight and their quarters, and so much cold attending them in their retiring thereunto, some better account might have been given of that expedition than now they are able to do; for a march of sixteen or eight-perceiving the enemy had all blacked their faces, een miles is too much to breathe to a fresh soldier, unless he were well mounted, but enough to kill the heart of them that have been wearied with a long and tedious fight. As for the coldness of the weather, although it be a good besom to sweep the chamber of the air (which might be the reason why there were no more diseases among them), yet it is an unwelcome companion to wearied, especially to wounded men, in so long a retreat."-Ibid., p. 56.

[Joshua Tift, a Renegado Englishman.] "THE Scouts brought in one Joshua Tift, a renegado Englishman, of Providence, that upon some discontent among the neighbours, had turned Indian, married one of the Indian squaws, renounced his religion, nation, natural parents, all at once, fighting against them. He was taken

he also stooped down, pulled out some blacking out of a pouch he carried with him, discoloured his face therewith, and so making himself look as like Hobamacko as any of his enemies, he ran among them a little while, and was taken for one of themselves, as if he had been searching for the English, until he had an opportunity to escape away among the bushes, therein imitating the cuttle-fish, which when it is pursued, or in danger, casteth out of its body a thick humour, as black as ink, through which it passes away unseen by the pursuers."-Ibid., p. 65.

[Politic Stratagem of a Cape Indian.]

"It is reported of another of these Cape Indians (friends to the English at Plymouth), that being pursued by one of the enemies, he betook himself to a great rock, where he sheltered him