Pan the Shep

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'Cos a Whetstone. Cos is a Whetstone with them. Hame an instrument to take Fish, many places doe retaine the name of Pan, as Pantneket and Matta pan, so that it may be thought that these people heretofore, have had the name of Pan in great reverence and estimation, and it may heards God. bee have worshipped Pan the great God of the Heathens: Howsoever they doe use no manner of worship at all now and it is most likely that the Natives of this Country, are descended from people bred upon that part of the world, which is towardes the Tropicke of Cancer, for they doe still retaine the memory of some of the Starres one that part of thea Cælestial Globe, as the North-starre, which with them is called Maske, for Maske in their Language signifieth a Beare, and they doe divide the windes into eight partes, and it seemes originally, have had some literature amongst them, which time hath Cancelled and worne out of use, and where as it hath beene the opinion of some men, which shall be nameles, that the Natives of New-England may proceede from the race of the Tartars, and come from Tartaria into those partes, over the frozen Sea.

No part of Ame

Not to proceede I see no probality for any such Conjecture, for from the Tartars. as much, as a people once setled, must be removed by compulsion, or else tempted thereunto in hope of better fortunes, upon commendations of the place, unto which they should be drawne to remoove, and if it may be thought, that these people came over the frozen Sea, then would it be by compulsion, if so, then by whome, or when? or what part of this mane continent may be thought to border upon the rica knowne to be Country of the Tartars, it is yet unknowne, and it neare Tartary. is not like, that a people well enough at ease, will of their one accord undertake to travayle over a Sea of Ice, considering how many difficulties they shall encounter with, as first whether there be any Land at the end of their unknowne way, no Land beinge in view, then want of Food to sustane life in the meane time upon that Sea of Ice, or how should they doe for Fuell, to keepe them at night from freezing to death, which will not bee had in such a place, but it may perhaps be granted that the Natives of this Country might originally come of the scattered Trojans: For after that Brutus, who was the forth from Aneas, left Latium upon the conflict Why Brutus left had with the Latines, (where although hee gave them a great overthrow, to the Slaughter of their grand Captaine and many other of the Heroes of Latium, yet hee held it more safety to depart unto some other place, and people, then by staying to runne the hazard of an unquiet life

Latium.

or doubtfull Conquest, which as history maketh mention bee performed;) this people were dispersed there is no question, but the people that lived with him, by reason of their conversation with the Græcians and Latines, had a mixed language that participated of both, whatsoever was that which was proper to their owne nation at first; I know not for this is commonly seene where 2. nations traffique together, the one indevouring to understand the others meaning makes the both many times speak a mixed language, as is approoved by the Natives of New England, through the coveteous Two nations meetdesire they have, to commerce with our nation, and mixed language. wee with them.

inge make a

that used Sayles.

And when Brutus did depart from Latium, we doe not finde that his whole number went with him at once, or arrived at one place; and being put to Sea might encounter with a storme, that would carry them out of sight of Land, and then they might sayle God knoweth whether, and so might be put upon this Coast, as well as any other; Compasse I beleeve they had none in those dayes; Sayles they might have (which Daedalus the first Dædalus the first inventor thereof) left to after ages, having taught his Sonne Icarus the use of it, who Icarus the second to his Cost found how dangerous it is, for a Sonne that used Sayles. not to observe the precepts of a wise Father, so that the Icarian Sea, now retaines the memory of it to this day, and Victuals they might have good store, and many other things fittinge, oares without all question, they would store themselves with, in such a case, but for the use of Compasse there is no men- Troy destroyed tion made of it at that time (which was much about about Saule time. Sauls time the first that was made King of Israell.) Yet it is thought (and that not without good reason for it) the use of the Loadstone, and Compasse was knowne in Salo- The Loadstone in mons time, for as much as hee sent Shippes to fetch Salomons time, of the gould of Ophir, to adorne and bewtify that magnificent Temple of Hierusalem, by him built for the glory of Almighty God, and by his speciall appointment: and it is held by Cosmographers to be 3. yeares voyage from Hierusalem to Ophir, and it is conceaved that such a voyage could not have beene performed, without the helpe of the Loadstone and Compasse.

And why should any man thinke, the Natives of New England, to be the gleanings of all Nations, onely because by the pronunciation and termination their words seeme to trench upon severall languages, when time hath not furnished him with the interpretation thereof, the thinge that must induce a man of reasonable capacity to any manner of conjecture, of their originall, must by the sence and signification of the words, princi

pally to frame this argument by, when hee shall drawe to any conclusion thereupon, otherwise hee shall but runne rounde about a maze (as some of the fantasticall tribe use to do about the tythe of muit and comin.) Therefore since I have had the approbation of Sir Christopher gardiner Knight an able gentl. that lived amongst them & of David Tompson a Scottish gentl. that likewise was conversant with those people both Scollers and Travellers that were diligent in taking notice of these things as men of good judgement. And that have bin in those parts any time; besides others of lesse, now I am bold to conclude that the originall of the Natives of New England may be well conjectured to be from the scattered Trojans, after such time as Brutus departed from Latium.

CHAP. III.

Of a great mortality that happened amongst the Natives of New England neere about the time, that the English came there to plant.

I'

-T fortuned some few yeares, before the English came to inhabit at new Plimmouth in New England; that upon some distast given in the Massachusetts bay, by Frenchmen, then trading there with the Natives for beaver, they set upon the men, at such advantage, that they killed manie of them burned their shipp then riding at Anchor by an Island there, now called Peddocks Island in memory of Leonard Peddock that landed there (where many wilde Anckies haunted that time which hee thought had bin tame, distributing them unto 5. Sachems which were Lords of the severall territories adjoyninge, they did keepe them so longe as they lived, onely to sport themselves at them, and made these five Frenchmen kept by the Salva fetch them wood and water, which is the generall worke that they require of a servant, one of these five men out livinge the rest had learned so much of their language, as to rebuke them for their bloudy deede, saying that God would be angry with them for it; and that hee would in his displeasure destroy them; but the Salvages (it seemes boasting of their strenght,) replyed and sayd, that they were so many, that God could not kill them.

Five Frenchmen

ges.

The Plague fell on the Indians.

But contrary wise in short time after, the hand of God fell heavily upon them, with such a mortall stroake, that they died on heapes, as they lay in their

houses and the living; that were able to shift for themselves would runne away, & let them dy, and let there Carkases ly above the ground without buriall. For in a place where many inhabited, there hath been but one left a live, to tell what became of the rest, the livinge being (as it seemes) The livinge not not able to bury the dead, they were left for Crowes, able to bury the Kites, and vermin to pray upon. And the bones and skulls upon the severall places of their habitations, made such a spectacle after my comming into those partes, that as I travailed in that Forrest, nere the Massachussets, it seemed to mee a new found Golgatha.

dead.

But otherwise it is the custome of those Indian people, to bury their dead ceremoniously, and carefully, and then to abandon that place, because they have no desire the place should put them in minde of mortality: and this mortality was not ended, when the Brownists of new Plimmouth were setled at Patuxet in New England, and by all likely hood the sicknesse that these Indians died of, was the Plague, as by conference with them since my arrivall, and habitation in those partes, I have learned. And by this meanes there is as yet but a small number of Salvages in New England to that, which hath beene in former time, and the place is made so much the more fitt, for the English Nation to inhabit in, and erect in it Temples to the Glory of God.

T

CHAP. IV.

Of their Houses and Habitations.

2. Sam. 24.

He Natives of New England are accustomed to build them houses, much like the wild Irish, they gather

Poles in the woodes and put the great end of them in the ground, placinge them in forme of a circle or circumference, and bendinge the topps of them in forme of an Arch, they bind them together with the Barke of Walnut trees, which is wondrous tuffe, so that they make the same round on the Topp.

For the smooke of their fire, to assend and passe through? these they cover with matts, some made of reeds, and some longe flagges, or sedge finely sowed together with needles made of the splinter bones of a Cranes legge, with threeds, made of their Indian hempe, which their groueth naturally, leaving severall places for, dores, which are covered with mats, which may be rowled up, and let downe againe at their pleasures,

making use, of the severall dores, according as the winde sitts, the fire is alwayes made in the middest of the house, with winde fals commonly yet some times they fell a tree, that groweth neere the house and by drawing in the end thereof maintaine the fire on both sids, burning the tree by Degrees shorter and shorter, untill it be all consumed; for it burneth night and day, their lodging is made in three places of the house about the fire they lye upon plankes commonly about a foote or 18. inches above the ground raised upon railes that are borne up upon forks they lay mats under them, and Coates of Deares skinnes otters beavers Racownes and of Beares hides, all which they have dressed and converted into good lether with the haire on for their coverings and in this manner they lye as warme as they desire in the night they take their rest, in the day time, either the kettle is on with fish or flesh, by no allowance or else, the fire is imployed in roasting of fishes, which they delight in, the aire doeth beget good stomacks, and they feede continually, and are no niggards of their vittels, for they are willing, that any one shall eate with them, Nay if any one, that shall come into their houses, and there fall a sleepe, when they see him disposed to lye downe, they will spreade a matt for him, of their owne accord, and lay a roule of skinnes for a boulster, and let him lye? if hee sleepe untill their meate be dished up, they will set a wooden boule of meate by him that sleepeth, & wake him saying Cart up keene Meckin: That is, if you be hungry, there is meat for you, where if you will eate you may, such is their Humanity.

Likewise when they are minded to remoove, they carry away the mats with them, other materiales the place adjoyning will yeald, they use not to winter and summer in one place, for that would be a reason to make fuell scarse, but after the manner of the gentry of Civilized natives, remoove for their pleasures, some times to their hunting places where they remaine keeping good hospitality, for that season; and sometimes to their fishing places, where they abide for that season likewise : and at the spring, when fish comes in plentifully, they have meetinges from severall places, where they exercise themselves in gaminge, and playing of juglinge trickes, and all manner of Revelles, which they are delighted in, that it is admirable to behould, what pastime they use, of severall kindes, every one striving to surpasse each other, after this manner they spend their time.