come an easy prey to any hostile effort against them. Before their habitations had been sufficiently secured against the inclemency of winter, many from previous exposure were seized with sickness and died. In their feeble state, ignorant of the power, fearful of renewed hostility from the Indians, who shall attempt to describe their hour of agony?

At this moment of painful suspense and apprehension of thick coming dangers, with what indescribable emotions of joy, did the Pilgrim, as he walked forth in the morning of that day, to resume the labor of defensive preparation, hear the first sounds of friendly salutation, when Samoset boldly approaching the humble dwellings, called aloud, 'Welcome! welcome Englishmen!' It little mattered that Indian proficiency had mastered only some broken fragments of the English tongue; the tones of welcome were those of rapture, and needed no medium of polished phrase to reach the heart. The interview was full of interest, and its consequences proved highly beneficial.

Samoset is not mentioned in history after the interview with Massasoit, which occurred a few days after the occurrences above narrated. It is therefore probable, that he soon returned to his native home in the eastern country, from whence it is generally supposed he came, and that no opportunity was afterwards presented to renew the friendly salutations with which he first met the Pilgrims.

WATSON'S HILL.

Massasoit.

The rising Hill, upon whose brow
Was first exchanged the solemn vow,
Where Massasoit, the Indian Chief,
So freely tendered kind relief,
And by whose early proffered aid
A lasting peace was firmly made,
While Carver, Winslow, Bradford stand,
Time honored Fathers of our land,
This chieftain too shall homage claim
Of praise far more than princely fame;
True hearted, gentle, kind and brave,
Unfading honors crown his grave.

This hill rises to an elevated height on the south side of Town Brook, and was called Strawberry Hill by the first planters. It was early owned by George Watson, an ancient and valuable settler. Its Indian name was Cantauganteest; the signification of which has not been ascertained, though diligent inquiry has been made for that purpose. Since the days of Eliot, Mayo, Cotton, and Treat, the language and the race of Indians seem to have shared one common fate. It might become an interesting subject of speculation to consider what effect would be produced on the minds of those devoted missionaries, were they permitted to visit the earth and witness the desolation which has spared hardly a solitary descendant of the numerous converts they once gathered into the fold of Christian hope.

* Indicated by the wind-mill now on its summit.

On the summit of this hill, Massasoit appeared with his train of sixty men, where hostages were exchanged between him and the Pilgrims, as a preliminary step to the treaty of peace, which immediately followed. And the interview is thus described by one present at the time of its occurrence:

Thursday, the 22d of March, was a very fair, warm day. About noon we met again about our public business. But we had scarce been an hour together, but Samoset came again, and Squanto the only native of Patuxet, where we now inhabit, who was one of the twenty captives that by Hunt were carried away, and had been in England, and dwelt in Cornhill with Master John Slanie, a merchant, and could speak a little English, with three others; and they brought with them some few skins to truck, and some red herrings, newly taken and dried, but not salted; and signified unto us that their great sagamore, Massasoyt, was hard by, with Quadequina, his brother, and all their men. They could not well express in English what they would; but after an hour the king came to the top of a hill over against us, and had in his train sixty men, that we could well behold them, and they us. We were not willing to send our governor to them, and they were unwilling to come to us. So Squanto went again unto him, who brought word that we should send one to parley with him, which we did, which was Edward Winsloe, to know his mind, and to signify the mind and will of our governor, which was to have trading and peace with him. We sent to the king a pair of knives, and a copper chain with a jewel at

it. To Quadequina we sent likewise a knife, and a jewel to hang in his ear, and withal a pot of strong water, a good quantity of biscuit, and some butter; which were all willingly accepted.

'Our messenger made a speech unto him, that King James saluted him with words of love and peace, and did accept of him as his friend and ally; and that our governor desired to see him and to truck with him, and to confirm a peace with him, as his next neighbor. He liked well of the speech, and heard it attentively, though the interpreters did not well express it. After he had eaten and drunk himself, and given the rest to his company, he looked upon our messenger's sword and armor, which he had on, with intimation of his desire to buy it; but, on the other side, our messenger showed his unwillingness to part with it. In the end, he left him in the custody of Quadequina, his brother, and came over the brook, and some twenty men followed him, leaving all their bows and arrows behind them. We kept six or seven as hostages for our messenger. Captain Standish and Master Williamson met the king at the brook, with half a dozen musketeers. They saluted him, and he them; so one going over, the one on the one side, and the other on the other, conducted him to a house then in building, where we placed a green rug and three or four cushions. Then instantly came our governor, with drum and trumpet after him, and some few musketeers. After salutations, our governor kissing his hand, the king kissed him; and so they sat down. The governor called for some strong water, and drunk to him; and he drunk a great draught

that made him sweat all the while after. He called for a little fresh meat, which the king did eat willingly, and did give his followers. Then they treated of peace, which was:

1. That neither he nor any of his should injure or do hurt to any of our people.

2. And if any of his did hurt to any of ours, he should send the offender, that we might punish him.

3. That if any of our tools were taken'away, when our people were at work, he should cause them to be restored; and if ours did any harm to any of his, we would do the like to them.

‘4. If any did unjustly war against him, we would aid him; if any did war against us, he should aid us.

5. He should send to his neighbour confederates. to certify them of this, that they might not wrong us, but might be likewise comprised in the conditions of peace.

'6. That when their men came to us, they should leave their bows and arrows behind them, as we should do our pieces when we came to them.

Lastly, that doing thus, King James would esteem of him as his friend and ally.

'All which the King seemed to like well, and it was applauded of his followers. All the while he sat by the governor he trembled for fear. In his person he is a very lusty man, in his best years, an able body grave of countenance, and spare of speech; in his attire little or nothing differing from the rest of his followers, only in a great chain of white bone beads about his neck; and at it, behind his neck, hangs a little bag