A Relation of the Troubles Which Have Happened in New England

p. 1A RELATION OF THE FIRST TROUBLES IN New-England By reason of the INDANS there

IT is now above seventy years, since that Part of this Continent which is known by the name of NEW-ENGLAND, was discovered, and possession thereof taken by the English. No man that hath made it his Concern to be acquainted with things of this nature can be ignorant, that the Northern, (or to us Northeast) parts of this Land were the first wherein were English Inhabitants; whence it was for some years known by the name of the Northern Plantation, until such time as King Charles the first (then Prince of Wales) gave it the name of New-England.

For in Anno 1602. and in the year following, some of our Countreymen made notable discoveryes in that Land which lyeth North and by east of Virginia, between the degrees of 43▪ & 45. Northern Latitude.

Four or five years after this that noble Lord, Sr. John Popham (then Lord chief Justice) sent ou◊ a ship into these parts to make further discovery, who arriving at the place designed, quickly returned, and made such a report of what they had seen, ◊s did greatly animate the Adventurers to go on with their begun undertaking; whereupon in Anno 1607. A Gentleman p. 2whose name was Popham was sent into these Coasts, with two ships and an hundred Land-men, and Ordnance, and other things necessary for their sustentation and defence, in order to the making way for the settlement of a F◊antation. But that noble Lord being taken out of the world by sudden death, also the Planters here meeting with ◊ad disasters (for in the depth of winter, their lodgings and stores were burnt, and Capt. Pophom dyed amongst them) when the next year a vessel arrived bringing the news of the Lord Pophom's death, the whole company of the English resolved upon a return home, which proved the death of the English Plantation, at that time designed in these parts of the world. Only Sr. ◊r. Popham (son to the Lord chief Justice) sent diverse time▪ to those coasts for trade and Fishing.

As yet there was not (so far as I can learn) any disturbance from the Indians, then the only Natives of this Land. But not long after this, an unworthy Ship-Master whose name was Hunt, being sent forth into these Coasts on the account of the Fishing trade, after he had made his dispatch and was ready to sail, (under pretence of trucking with them) enticed Indians into his vessel, they in confidence of his honesty went aboard, to the number of twenty from Patu◊◊◊, since called Plimouth, and seven from Nosset (now known by the name of Es◊◊am) these did this Hunt seize upon, stowed them under hatches, and carried them to the streights of G◊braltar, and there did he sell as many as he could of them for 20l. a man, untill it was known whence they came; for then the Friars in those parts took away the rest of them, that so they might nurture them in the Popish Religion. The pernicious and avaritious ◊elony of this Ship-Master, in stealing and selling the Indians to the 〈…〉, as hath been expressed, laid the foundation to great troubles which did after that befall the English, especially in the North-east parts of this Land. Yea that inhumane and barbarous Fact was the unhappy occasion of the loss of many a mans estate and life, which the Barbarians in those beginning times did from thence seek to destroy.

p. 2For when the Gentlemen Adventurers did again dispatch a vessel hither commanded by Capt. Hobson in order to erecting a Plantation and setling a Trade with the Natives here, Hunt's forementioned scandal, had caused the Indians to contract such a mortal hatred against all men of the English Nation, that it was no small difficulty to settle any where within their Territoryes, And whereas there were two Indians called Epenow and Manaw◊◊, who having been carried out of these parts of the world into England. had learned to speak English, that were returned in Hobsons vessel, as hoping they might be serviceable toward the design on foot, it p. 3fell out otherwise, since being exa◊perated by what Hunt had done, they contrived with their Country-men how to be revenged upon the English. Mana◊et dyed within a short time after the ships arrival. Epenow secretly plotted to free himself out of the English hands, which he effected though with great hazard to himself and other Salvages that were his fellow Conspirators, which came to pa◊s after this manner.

Upon the Ships arrival, many of the Indians (some of them being Epenows kinsmen) came aboard and were kindly entertained by the Captain; at their departure they promised to return the next day, and bring some Trade with them. Epenow had not liberty granted him to go on shear, only much discourse (and probably a contrivement for his escape) was between him and the other Indians in the vessel, which no body but themselves could understand. The Indians returned at the time appointed with twenty Canoos, but were shy of coming aboard. Epenow cunningly called to them as if if he would have them come into the vessel, to trade, and suddenly did himself leap overboard: He was no sooner in the water, but me Indians sent a shower of arrows into the vessel, and came desperately near to the ship, and (in despight of all the English Musketiers aboard) went away with their Country-man Epenow.

Diverse of the Indians were then ◊◊a◊n by the English, and the Master of the English vessel, and several of the Company wounded by the Indians.

p. 3Hereupon the Captain and the whole company were discouraged, and returned to England, bringing nothing back with them but the news of their ◊ad success, and that there was a War broke out between the English and the Indians. The time when these troubles hapned, is controverted more then the things themselves. Johannes de Laet in his description India Occidentalis, writeth that it was between the years 1608 & 1615 So doth Pur◊hase. Sr. Ferdinando Gorges relates that he sent Capt. Hobson into these parts in Anno 1614, and what Hunt did was before that, as being the Grand procuring Cause of the Broyle between the English and the Indians, which first began in that year.