tunity was frustrated; and several other passages he relates of them, declaring their prudence, and fidelity, and courage. Again, in another letter from the same person, dated April 9th, which was about the time of the army's return home as far as Marlborough, saith he, ”Our pilots (i. e. the Indians) were labored with to represent the way to watch [Watchuset?] (where the body of the enemy quartered) very difficult, before they came to speak before the Council; and had ill words given them, that so they might be afraid to speak any thing that should afford encouragement. The poor Indians, our pilots, as soon as they arrived at Marlborough, were much abused by the townsmen, insomuch that they were unwilling to go into any house.” Thus much of Mr. Nowell's letters, touching those six Indians, of whom the general also gave a good character.
16756. In the months of February, March, and April, the enemy Indians were very violent in their attempts and assaults upon all the frontier English plantations, burning several villages[1] or part of them, and murdering many people in the highways;[2] so that weekly, yea almost daily, messengers with sad tidings were brought into the Council, insomuch that the Lord seemed to threaten great calamity to ensue upon the English nation; for none of our enterprises against the enemy were blessed with success, and it was groundedly feared and judged that seed-time and harvest would be greatly obstructed, and thereby occasion famine to follow the war. These things occasion great thoughts of heart unto the godly wise, especially such as were at the helm of government; and the rather because God seemed to put us to shame, and not to go forth with our arms, but to render our endeavours to quell the rage and fury of the enemy fruitless. In this conjunction of our affairs, some made application to the Council, to arm and send forth a company of the Christian Indians that were at Deer Island, who had manifested themselves very desirous and willing to engage against the enemy in this distressing time; particularly Capt. Daniel Henchman, who was appointed by the Council to look to the Indians at Deer Island, and to put them upon employ. This gentle-
- ↑ Warwick, Lancaster, Medfield, Weymouth, Groton, Marlborough, Rehoboth, Providence, and many other places were among those destroyed or damaged.
- ↑ "May 3, at Haverhill and Bradford, a small company of Indians killed two men, and carried away a man and woman and five children captive." — I. Mather, 28.
