History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1676.] KING PHILIP'S WAR—MRS. ROWLANDSON's STORY. 301
Length of her Cap- Slie WES witli tlie Indians til] May V\ a peti^ity.
pJQ(;| of eighty-two days. During this time
they were almost constantly on the move.
They did not remain long at anj^ jjlace, and during the
period of her captivity the location of their camp was
changed twenty times. Occasionally they went forward
swiftly, as if hotly pursued, but generally their pace was
moderate. Their wanderings were mostly within the limits
of what was then the County of Hampshire, and to her
they ajopeared aimless.
The Indians Re- Mrs. Rowlaudsou was captured by a Narrajoice
over their gansett Indian, who sold her to Quinnapin,
l)rother-in-law to Philip. While they were
in camp at Wennimisset, the Indians sent out expeditions
against Medfield. Sudbury, and other places. On their return
there was much rejoicing over the number of English
slain, and the spoils obtained. After the attack on Med-
field, they signified by whooping that twenty-three of their
enemies had been slain. Some scalps were brought in, and
a Bible, which was part of the plunder, was given to Mrs.
Rowlandson. They claimed to have killed one hundred
English at Sudbury, and lost but five or six of their own
number. The party was considerably increased about the
3'^ of March, and after a rapid march they soon arrived at
Paquayag River. Here dry trees were cut, a raft built, and
the whole party ferried over. There were many hundreds
of them, old and young, some sick and some lame, but
'
' the greatest number of them were squaws.
Glean the Fields On the 6"\ they bumed their Avigwams and
at Northfleid. hurried on apparently fearful of pursuit.
The next day they were at Northfield, where
the Indians gathered what had been left of the last harvest,
planted with the seed which Canonchet lost his life in ob-
taining. They threshed the sheaves of wheat, frozen together,
gleaned ears of corn and wheat scattered about, and
managed to obtain a few ground nuts. Whole fields of
wheat and corn had been abandoned and were spoiled. By
this time they had wasted the stores plundered from the
English settlements, and were in an almost starving con-
dition.
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