Courtesy of the Gutenberg Project.
THE SIXTH REMOVE
On Monday (as I said) they set their
wigwams on fire and went away. It was a cold morning, and before us there was a
great brook with ice on it; some waded through it, up to the knees and higher,
but others went till they came to a beaver dam, and I amongst them, where
through the good providence of God, I did not wet my foot. I went along that
day mourning and lamenting, leaving farther my own country, and traveling into a
vast and howling wilderness, and I understood something of Lot's wife's
temptation, when she looked back. We came that day to a great swamp, by the
side of which we took up our lodging that night. When I came to the brow of the
hill, that looked toward the swamp, I thought we had been come to a great
Indian town (though there were none but our own company). The Indians were as
thick as the trees: it seemed as if there had been a thousand hatchets going at
once. If one looked before one there was nothing but Indians, and behind one,
nothing but Indians, and so on either hand, I myself in the midst, and no
Christian soul near me, and yet how hath the Lord preserved me in safety? Oh
the experience that I have had of the goodness of God, to me and mine!
THE SEVENTH REMOVE
After a restless and hungry night there,
we had a wearisome time of it the next day. The swamp by which we lay was, as
it were, a deep dungeon, and an exceeding high and steep hill before it. Before
I got to the top of the hill, I thought my heart and legs, and all would have
broken, and failed me. What, through faintness and soreness of body, it was a
grievous day of travel to me. As we went along, I saw a place where English
cattle had been. That was comfort to me, such as it was. Quickly after that we
came to an English path, which so took with me, that I thought I could have
freely lyen down and died. That day, a little after noon, we came to Squakeag,
where the Indians quickly spread themselves over the deserted English fields,
gleaning what they could find. Some picked up ears of wheat that were crickled
down; some found ears of Indian corn; some found ground nuts, and others
sheaves of wheat that were frozen together in the shock, and went to threshing
of them out. Myself got two ears of Indian corn, and whilst I did but turn my
back, one of them was stolen from me, which much troubled me. There came an
Indian to them at that time with a basket of horse liver. I asked him to give
me a piece. "What," says he, "can you eat horse liver?" I told
him, I would try, if he would give a piece, which he did, and I laid it on the
coals to roast. But before it was half ready they got half of it away from me,
so that I was fain to take the rest and eat it as it was, with the blood about
my mouth, and yet a savory bit it was to me: "For to the hungry soul every
bitter thing is sweet." A solemn sight methought it was, to see fields of
wheat and Indian corn forsaken and spoiled and the remainders of them to be
food for our merciless enemies. That night we had a mess of wheat for our
supper.
THE EIGHTH REMOVE
On the morrow morning we must go over the
river, i.e. Connecticut, to meet with King Philip. Two canoes full they had
carried over; the next turn I myself was to go. But as my foot was upon the
canoe to step in there was a sudden outcry among them, and I must step back,
and instead of going over the river, I must go four or five miles up the river
farther northward. Some of the Indians ran one way, and some another. The cause
of this rout was, as I thought, their espying some English scouts, who were
thereabout. In this travel up the river about noon the company made a stop, and
sat down; some to eat, and others to rest them. As I sat amongst them, musing
of things past, my son Joseph unexpectedly came to me. We asked of each other's
welfare, bemoaning our doleful condition, and the change that had come upon us.
We had husband and father, and children, and sisters, and friends, and
relations, and house, and home, and many comforts of this life: but now we may
say, as Job, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I
return: the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the
Lord." I asked him whether he would read. He told me he earnestly desired
it, I gave him my Bible, and he lighted upon that comfortable Scripture "I
shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord: the Lord hath
chastened me sore yet he hath not given me over to death" (Psalm
118.17-18). "Look here, mother," says he, "did you read
this?" And here I may take occasion to mention one principal ground of my
setting forth these lines: even as the psalmist says, to declare the works of
the Lord, and His wonderful power in carrying us along, preserving us in the
wilderness, while under the enemy's hand, and returning of us in safety again.
And His goodness in bringing to my hand so many comfortable and suitable
scriptures in my distress. But to return, we traveled on till night; and in the
morning, we must go over the river to Philip's crew. When I was in the canoe I
could not but be amazed at the numerous crew of pagans that were on the bank on
the other side. When I came ashore, they gathered all about me, I sitting alone
in the midst. I observed they asked one another questions, and laughed, and
rejoiced over their gains and victories. Then my heart began to fail: and I
fell aweeping, which was the first time to my remembrance, that I wept before
them. Although I had met with so much affliction, and my heart was many times
ready to break, yet could I not shed one tear in their sight; but rather had
been all this while in a maze, and like one astonished. But now I may say as
Psalm 137.1, "By the Rivers of Babylon, there we sate down: yea, we wept
when we remembered Zion." There one of them asked me why I wept. I could
hardly tell what to say: Yet I answered, they would kill me. "No,"
said he, "none will hurt you." Then came one of them and gave me two
spoonfuls of meal to comfort me, and another gave me half a pint of peas; which
was more worth than many bushels at another time. Then I went to see King
Philip. He bade me come in and sit down, and asked me whether I would smoke it
(a usual compliment nowadays amongst saints and sinners) but this no way suited
me. For though I had formerly used tobacco, yet I had left it ever since I was
first taken. It seems to be a bait the devil lays to make men lose their
precious time. I remember with shame how formerly, when I had taken two or
three pipes, I was presently ready for another, such a bewitching thing it is.
But I thank God, He has now given me power over it; surely there are many who
may be better employed than to lie sucking a stinking tobacco-pipe.
Now the Indians gather their forces to go
against Northampton. Over night one went about yelling and hooting to give
notice of the design. Whereupon they fell to boiling of ground nuts, and
parching of corn (as many as had it) for their provision; and in the morning
away they went. During my abode in this place, Philip spake to me to make a
shirt for his boy, which I did, for which he gave me a shilling. I offered the money
to my master, but he bade me keep it; and with it I bought a piece of horse
flesh. Afterwards he asked me to make a cap for his boy, for which he invited
me to dinner. I went, and he gave me a pancake, about as big as two fingers. It
was made of parched wheat, beaten, and fried in bear's grease, but I thought I
never tasted pleasanter meat in my life. There was a squaw who spake to me to
make a shirt for her sannup, for which she gave me a piece of bear. Another
asked me to knit a pair of stockings, for which she gave me a quart of peas. I
boiled my peas and bear together, and invited my master and mistress to dinner;
but the proud gossip, because I served them both in one dish, would eat
nothing, except one bit that he gave her upon the point of his knife. Hearing
that my son was come to this place, I went to see him, and found him lying flat
upon the ground. I asked him how he could sleep so? He answered me that he was
not asleep, but at prayer; and lay so, that they might not observe what he was
doing. I pray God he may remember these things now he is returned in safety. At
this place (the sun now getting higher) what with the beams and heat of the
sun, and the smoke of the wigwams, I thought I should have been blind. I could
scarce discern one wigwam from another. There was here one Mary Thurston of
Medfield, who seeing how it was with me, lent me a hat to wear; but as soon as
I was gone, the squaw (who owned that Mary Thurston) came running after me, and
got it away again. Here was the squaw that gave me one spoonful of meal. I put
it in my pocket to keep it safe. Yet notwithstanding, somebody stole it, but
put five Indian corns in the room of it; which corns were the greatest
provisions I had in my travel for one day.
The Indians returning from Northampton,
brought with them some horses, and sheep, and other things which they had
taken; I desired them that they would carry me to Albany upon one of those
horses, and sell me for powder: for so they had sometimes discoursed. I was
utterly hopeless of getting home on foot, the way that I came. I could hardly
bear to think of the many weary steps I had taken, to come to this place.
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