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

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
we aimed at, being now in warr with ye Dutch and ye rest of their neigbours).
To this they readily agreed; and that we should meadiate a peace betweene
them and the Narigansetts; for which end they were contente we should give
the Narigansets parte of yt presente, they would bestow on us (for they stood
so much on their honour, as they would not be seen to give any thing of them
selves). As for Captein Stone, they tould us ther were but 2. left of those who
had any hand in his death; and that they killed him in a just quarell, for (say
they) he surprised 2. of our men, and bound them, to make them by force to
shew him ye way up ye river; and he with 2. other coming on shore, 9. Indeans
watched him, and when they were a sleepe in ye night, they kiled them, to
deliver their owne men; and some of them going afterwards to ye pinass, it was
suddainly blowne up. We are now preparing to send a pinass unto them, &c.
In an other of his, dated ye 12. of ye rst month, he hath this.
Our pinass is latly returned from ye Pequents; they put of but litle comoditie,
and found them a very false people, so as they mean to have no more to doe
with them. I have diverce other things to write unto you, &c.
Yours ever assured,
Jo: Winthrop.
Boston, 12. of ye 1. month, 1634.
After these things, and, as I take, this year, John Oldom, (of whom much is
spoken before,) being now an inhabitant of ye Massachusetts, went wth a small
vessell, & slenderly mand, a trading into these south parts, and upon a quarell
betweene him & ye Indeans was cutt of by them (as hath been before noted) at
an iland called by ye Indeans Munisses, but since by ye English Block Iland. This,
with ye former about the death of Stone, and the baoyling of ye Pequents with
ye English of ye Massachusetts, moved them to set out some to take revenge, and
require satisfaction for these wrongs; but it was done so supertially, and without
their acquainting of those of Conightecute & other neighbours with ye same, as they
did litle good. But their neigbours had more hurt done, for some of ye murderers
of Oldome ed to ye Pequents, and though the English went to ye Pequents, and
had some parley with them, yet they did but delude them, & ye English returned
without doing any thing to purpose, being frustrate of their oppertunitie by ye
others deceite. After ye English were returned, the Pequents tooke their time and
oppertunitie to cut of some of ye English as they passed in boats, and went on
fouling, and assaulted them ye next spring at their habytations, as will appear in its
place. I doe but touch these things, because I make no question they wall be more
fully & distinctly handled by them selves, who had more exacte knowledg of them,
and whom they did more properly concerne.
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