538 RALPH LANE - HERRERA - DOCTOR MONARDUS. [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 Patriæ.”—VIRG.] THE Biscayans and Catalonians are said1 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. [The Blood Stone of New Spain.] "THEY doo bring from the new Spain a stone of great virtue, called the Stone of the Blood. The Blood Stone is a kind of jasper of divers colours, somewhat dark, full of sprinkles like to blood, beeing of colour red of the which stones the Indians dooth make certeyne Hartes, both great and small. 1 F. DEPONS, Travels in the Caraccas. 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. In this sort the Indians doe use them. And as 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, 1574, translated out of Spanish by JOHN FRAMPTON, 1580. [Effects of an Eclipse on Indian Military Tactics.] "ON the 20th of June a foot company under Captain Daniel Henchman, with a troop under Captain Thomas Prentice, were sent out of Boston towards Mount Hope; it being late in the afternoon before they began to march, the central eclipse of the moon in Capricorn happened in the evening before they came up to Napensee river, about twenty miles from Boston, which occasioned them to make a halt for a little repast, till the moon recovered her light again. "Some melancholy fanciers would not be persuaded, 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. "As some others not long before imagined they saw the form of an Indian bow, accounting that also ominous (although the mischief following was done with guns, not bows), but the one and other might rather have thought of what Marcus Crassus, the Roman general, going forth with an army against the Parthians, once wisely replied to a private soldier, that would have persuaded him from marching at the time because of WILLIAM HUBBARD. เ an eclipse of the Moon in Capricorn, that he was more afraid of Sagittarius than Capricornus,' meaning the arrows of the Parthians (accounted very good archers), from whom, as things then fell out, was his greatest danger. But after the moon had waded through the dark shadow of the earth, and borrowed her light again, by the help thereof the two companies marched on."- WILLIAM HUBBARD'S Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians, &c. www [Indian Cruelty.] "CAPTAIN BEERS, for fear of the worst, with thirty men, was sent up to the said Squaheag, with supplies both of men and provision, to secure the small garrison there; but before they came very near to the town, they were set upon by many hundreds of the Indians out of the bushes, by a swampside, of which Captain Beers (who was known to fight valiantly to the very last) with about twenty of his men were there slain by this sudden surprisal; the rest flying back to Hadly. Here the barbarous villains shewed their rage and cruelty more than ever before, cutting off the heads of some of the slain, and fixing them upon poles near the highway; and not only so, but one, if not more, was found with a chain hooked into his under jaw, and so hung up on the bough of a tree ('tis feared he was hung up alive), by which means they thought to daunt and discourage any that might come to their relief, and also to terrify those that should be spectators with the beholding so sad an object: insomuch that Major Treal with his company, going up two days after to fetch the residue of the garrison, were solemnly affected with that doleful sight, which made them make the more haste to bring down the garrison, not waiting for any opportunity to take revenge upon the enemy, having but an hundred with him, too few for such a purpose. Captain Appleton going up after him, met him coming down, and would 539 willingly have persuaded them to have turned back to see if they could have made any spoil upon the enemy; but the greatest part advised to the contrary, so that they were all forced to return with what they could carry away, leaving the rest for a booty to the enemy."—Ibid. p. 39. [Incursion of the Indians, and Hair-breadth Escape.] "MAJOR PINCHON being so full of incumbrances, by reason of the late spoils done to himself and his neighbours at Springfield, could not any longer attend the service as commander in chief as he had done before; wherefore being, according to his earnest request to the counsel, eased of that burden, Captain Samuel Appleton was ordered to succeed in taking the charge of the soldiers in these upper towns, by whose courage, skill, and industry, those towns were preserved from running the same fate with the rest, wholly, or in part, so lately turned into ashes. For the enemy, growing very confident by their late successes, came, with all their fury, the 19th of October following, upon Hadfield, hoping no less than to do the like mischief to them they had newly done to Springfield; but according to the good providence of Almighty God, Major Treal was newly returned to Northampton, Captain Moseley and Captain Pool were then garrisoning the said Hadfield, and Captain Appleton for the like end quartering at Hadly, when on the sudden seven or eight hundred of the enemy came upon the town in all quarters, having first killed or taken two or three scouts belonging to the town, and seven more belonging to Captain Moseley his company: but they were so well entertained on all hands, where they attempted to break in upon the town, that they found it too hot for them. Major Appleton with great courage defended one end of the town, and Captain Moseley as stoutly maintaining the middle, and Captain Pool the other end: that they were by the reso lution of the English instantly beaten off, the spring break through those palisadoes without doing much harm. "Captain Appleton's serjeant was mortally wounded by his side, another bullet passing through his hair, by that whisper telling him that death was very near, but did him no other harm. Night coming on, it could not be discerned what loss the enemy sustained, divers were seen to fall, some run through a small river, others cast their guns into the water (it being their manner to venture as much to recover the dead bodies of their friends, as to defend them when alive.) At last, after the burning of some few barns, with some other buildings, the enemy hasted away as fast as they came on, leaving the English to bless God, who had so mercifully delivered them from the fury of their merciless foes, who had in conceit, without doubt, devoured all. But this resolute and valiant repulse 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. [Palisadoes against the Indians.] "THE English plantations about Hadly being for the present set a little at liberty by the Indians 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 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.] "THE whole number of all our forces being now come, the want of provision, with the sharpness 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 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 WILLIAM HUBBARD. 541 Captain Davenport led the van; Major Ap- | sently to retire, and fall upon their bellies, pleton and Captain Oliver brought up the rear of the whole body; but the frontiers, discerning Indians in the edge of the swamp, fired immediately upon them, who answering our men in the same language, retired presently into the swamp, our men followed 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 it 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 ordinarily to enter themselves, was over a long tree 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 pre till the fury of the enemy's shot was pretty "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 carcases. diers is much wrapped up in the lives of faithfulness, though all ought to say, 'Not their commanders, which made them redou- unto us, but unto thy Name, O Lord,' ble their courage, and not give back after &c. 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-r x-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 enemy, others haling off and carrying away their dead and wounded men, which I rather note, that none may want the due testimony of their valour and "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 |