ARRIVAL OF THE THIRD SHIP. 353 XXII. tation. The bigger ship, called the ANNE,' was hired, CHAP. and there again freighted back;2 from whence we set sail the 10th of September. The lesser, called the 1623. Sept. LITTLE JAMES,3 was built for the company at their charge. She was now also fitted for trade and discovery to the southward of Cape Cod, and almost ready to set sail; whom I pray God to bless in her good and lawful proceedings. 1 "Mr. William Pierce, master." Bradford, in Prince, p. 220. 2 "Being laden with elapboards, and all the beaver and other furs we have; with whom we send Mr. Winslow, to inform how things are and procure what we want." Bradford, in Prince, p. 221. 3 "A fine new vessel of 44 tons, Mr. Bridges, master." Bradford, in Prince, p. 220. "They bring about 60 persons, some being very useful and become good members of the body; of whom the principal are Mr. Timothy Hatherly and Mr. George Morton, who came in the Ann, and Mr. John Jenny, who came in the James. Some were the wives and children of such who came before; and some others are so bad we are forced to be at the charge to send them home next year. "By this ship R. C. [i. e. doubtless Mr. Cushman, their agent] writes, Some few of your old friends are come; they come dropping to you, and by degrees I hope ere long you shall enjoy them all, &c. "From the general, [that is, the joint concern, the company] subscribed by thirteen, we have also a letter wherein they say, Let it not be grievous to you, that you have been instruments to break the ice for others who come after with less difficulty; the honor shall be yours 45 to the world's end. We bear you own. "When these passengers see our poor and low condition ashore, they are much dismayed and full of sadness; only our old friends rejoice to see us, and that it is no worse, and now hope we shall enjoy better days together. The best dish we could present them with, is a lobster, or piece of fish, without bread, or any thing else but a cup of fair spring water; and the long continuance of this diet, with our labors abroad, has somewhat abated the freshness of our complexion; but God gives us health, &c. August 14. The fourth marriage is of Governor Bradford to Mrs. Alice Southworth, widow." Bradford, in Prince, pp. 220, 221. Her maiden name was Carpenter, as appears from the following entry in the records of the Plymouth Church: "1667. Mary Carpenter, (sister of Mrs. Alice Bradford, the wife of Governor Bradford,) a member of the church at Duxbury, died in Plymouth, March 19-20, being newly entered into the 91st year of her age. She was a godly old maid, never married." CHAPTER XXIII. OF THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND XXIII. CHAP. THUS have I made a true and full narration of the state of our Plantation, and such things as were most 1623. remarkable therein since December, 1621. If I have omitted any thing, it is either through weakness of memory, or because I judged it not material. I confess my style rude, and unskilfulness in the task I undertook; being urged thereunto by opportunity, which I knew to be wanting in others, and but for which I would not have undertaken the same. Yet as it is rude, so it is plain, and therefore the easier to be understood; wherein others may see that which we are bound to acknowledge, viz. that if ever any people in these later ages were upheld by the providence of God after a more special manner than others, then we; and therefore are the more bound to celebrate the memory of his goodness with everlasting thankfulness. For in these forenamed straits, such was our state, as in the morning we had often our food to seek for the day, and yet performed the duties of our callings, I mean other daily labors, to provide for after time ; and though at some times in some seasons at noon I RELIGION OF THE INDIANS. How 355 XXIII. have seen men stagger by reason of faintness for want CHAP. of food, yet ere night, by the good providence and blessing of God, we have enjoyed such plenty as though the 1623. windows of heaven had been opened unto us. few, weak, and raw were we at our first beginning, and there settling, and in the midst of barbarous enemies! Yet God wrought our peace for us. How often have we been at the pit's brim, and in danger to be swallowed up, yea, not knowing till afterward that we were in peril! And yet God preserved us; yea, and from how many that we yet know not of, He that knoweth all things can best tell. So that when I seriously consider of things, I cannot but think that God hath a purpose to give that land as an inheritance to our nation, and great pity it were that it should long lie in so desolate a state, considering it agreeth so well with the constitution of our bodies, being both fertile, and so temperate for heat and cold, as in that respect one can scarce distinguish New England from Old. A few things I thought meet to add hereunto, which I have observed amongst the Indians, both touching their religion and sundry other customs amongst them. And first, whereas myself and others, in former letters, (which came to the press against my will and knowledge,) wrote that the Indians about us are a people without any religion, or knowledge of any God,' therein I erred, though we could then gather no better; for as they conceive of many divine powers, so of one, whom they call Kiehtan, to be the principal and maker of all the rest, and to be made by none. He, they say, created the heavens, earth, sea and all creatures 1 See page 233. The meaning of the word Kiehtan, I think, hath reference to antiquity; for Chise is an old man, 356 XXIII. 1 KIEHTAN, THE INDIAN GOD. CHAP. contained therein; also that he made one man and one woman, of whom they and we and all mankind 1623. came; but how they became so far dispersed, that know they not. At first, they say, there was no sachim or king, but Kiehtan, who dwelleth above in the heavens, whither all good men go when they die, to see their friends, and have their fill of all things. This his habitation lieth far westward in the heavens, they say; thither the bad men go also, and knock at his door, but he bids them quatchet, that is to say, walk abroad, for there is no place for such; so that they wander in restless want and penury. Never man saw this Kiehtan; only old men tell them of him, and bid them tell their children, yea to charge them to teach their posterities the same, and lay the like charge upon them. This power they acknowledge to be good; and when they would obtain any great matter, meet together and cry unto him; and so likewise for plenty, victory, &c. sing, dance, feast, give thanks, and hang up garlands and other things in memory of the same. Another power they worship, whom they call Hobbamock, and to the northward of us, Hobbamoqui ; 3 this, as far as we can conceive, is the devil. Him they call upon to cure their wounds and diseases. When they are curable, he persuades them he sends the same "They relate how they have it from their fathers, that Kautantowwit made one man and woman of a stone, which disliking he broke them in pieces, and made another man and woman of a tree, which were the fountains of all mankind." Roger Williams's Key, ch. xxi. "Kautantowwit, the great southwest God, to whose house all souls go, and from whom came their corn and beans, as they say. They believe that the souls of men and women go to the southwest; their great and good men and women to Kautantowwit's house, where they have hopes, as the Turks have, of carnal joys; murtherers, thieves and liars, their souls, say they, wander restless abroad." Williams's Key, ch. xxi. Wood, in his New England's Prospect, ch. xix. spells this word Abamacho. THE POWOW, OR MEDICINE MAN. 357 XXIII. for some conceived anger against them; but upon their CHAP. calling upon him, can and doth help them; but when they are mortal and not curable in nature, then he per- 1623. suades them Kiehtan is angry, and sends them, whom none can cure; insomuch as in that respect only they somewhat doubt whether he be simply good, and therefore in sickness never call upon him. This Hobbamock appears in sundry forms unto them, as in the shape of a man, a deer, a fawn, an eagle, &c. but most ordinarily a snake. He appears not to all, but the chiefest and most judicious amongst them; though all of them strive to attain to that hellish height of honor. He appeareth most ordinary and is most conversant with three sorts of people. One, I confess I neither know by name nor office directly; of these they have few, but esteem highly of them, and think that no weapon can kill them; another they call by the name of powah; and the third pniese. The office and duty of the powah is to be exercised principally in calling upon the devil, and curing diseases of the sick or wounded. The common people join with him in the exercise of invocation, but do but only assent, or as we term it, say Amen to that he saith; yet sometime break out into a short musical note with him. The powah is eager and free in speech, fierce in countenance, and joineth many antic and laborious gestures with the same, over the party diseased.' If the party be wounded, he will also seem to suck the wound; but if they be curable, (as they say,) he toucheth it not, but askooke, that is, the snake, or wobsacuck, that is, the eagle, sitteth on his shoulder, and licks the same. This none see but the powah, who tells them he doth it 1 See page 317. |