Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
This Mr. Dermer was hear the same year that these people came, as apears
by a relation written by him, & given me by a friend, bearing date June 30. Ano:
1620. And they came in Novembr: following, so ther was but 4. months dierance.
In which relation to his honored freind, he hath these passages of this very place.
I will rst begine (saith he) wth that place from whence Squanto, or Tisquantem,
was taken away; wch in Cap: Smiths mape is called Plimoth: and I would that
Plimoth had ye like comodities. I would that the rst plantation might hear
be seated, if ther come to the number of 50. persons, or upward. Otherwise
at Charlton, because ther ye savages are lese to be feared. The Pocanawkits,
which live to ye west of Plimoth, bear an inveterate malice to ye English, and
are of more streingth then all ye savags from thence to Penobscote. Their desire
of revenge was occasioned by an English man, who having many of them on
bord, made a great slaughter with their murderers & smale shot, when as (they
say) they oered no injurie on their parts. Whether they were English or no,
it may be douted; yet they beleeve they were, for ye Frenche have so possest
them; for which cause Squanto canot deney but they would have kiled me when
I was at Namasket, had he not entreated hard for me. The soyle of ye borders of
this great bay, may be compared to most of ye plantations which I have seene
in Virginia. The land is of diverce sorts; for Patuxite is a hardy but strong soyle,
Nawsel Saughtughtett are for ye most part a blakish & deep mould, much
like that wher groweth ye best Tobaco in Virginia. In ye botume of yt great bay
is store of Codd & basse, or mulett, &c.
But above all he comends Pacanawkite for ye richest soyle, and much open
ground tt for English graine, &c.
Massachussets is about 9. leagues from Plimoth, & situate in ye mids betweene
both, is full of ilands & peninsules very fertill for ye most parte.
With sundrie shuch relations which I forbear to transcribe, being now better
knowne then they were to him.
He was taken prisoner by ye Indeans at Manamoiak (a place not farr from
hence, now well knowne). He gave them what they demanded for his liberty, but
when they had gott what they desired, they kept him still & indevored to kill his
men; but he was freed by seasing on some of them, and kept them bound till they
gave him a cannows load of corne. Of which, see Purch: lib. 9. fol. 1778. But this
was Ano: 1619.
After ye writing of ye former relation he came to ye Ile of Capawack (which
lyes south of this place in ye way to Virginia), and ye foresaid Squanto wth him,
wher he going a shore amongst ye Indans to trad, as he used to doe, was betrayed
& assaulted by them, & all his men slaine, but one that kept the boat; but him
selfe gott abord very sore wounded, & they had cut of his head upon ye cudy of his
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