Etext of Colonial Children 
edited by Albert Bushnell Hart, with Blanche E. Hazard 
The Macmillan Company 
New York 
1914 

COLONIAL CHILDREN
SELECTED AND ANNOTATED BY
ALBERT BUSHNELL HART
OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY
WITH THE COLLABORATION OF
BLANCHE E. HAZARD
OF THE RHODE ISLAND NORMAL SCHOOL 
NEW YORK
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD. 1914 
All rights reserved  COPYRIGHT, 1902,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped
June, 1902. Reprinted April 1903; January, July, August, October,
1905; January, 1906; June, 1910; April, 1911; August, 1912;
August, 1913; February, 1914. 

TO
Little A. and Little A.
LOVERS OF PAPA'S STORIES
THESE VERITIES 

Preface

IN the conviction that the freshest and most direct writings are
those which most appeal to children of every age, this volume and
its three companions have been prepared. The books are made up
of sources, but not of sources in the garb of three centuries ago,
unfamiliar to modern children. The language and spelling have
been freely altered, while the thought has been preserved. Much
has been omitted, but it; has not been the intention to add any
statement not expressed in the original. If children are interested in
this book, it will be because their ancestors were interesting, and
not because a modern mind has invented a story for them. History
has been taken in its large sense, as a record of the life of the
people, and hence many descriptions of manners and customs have
been included. While long narratives in general had to be avoided,
the lack of verse is due simply to the fact that colonial poetry is in
general too rugged or too stupid for children, and cannot be
modernized. In later volumes verse will appear more freely. 

ALBERT BUSHNELL HART 
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, 
December 19, 1900. 

Contents

INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS
PART I DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
PART II ON THE SEA
PART III IN THE WILDERNESS
PART IV BIG INDIANS AND LITTLE INDIANS
PART V HOW THE COLONIES GREW
PART VI LITTLE FOLKS
PART VII COLONIAL SCHOOLS

INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS
BY BLANCHE E. HAZARD

THE demand at the present day for reading-books is not like that
of fifty or even fifteen years ago. Any collection of poetry and
prose used to be thought adequate, if made up of words of certain
brevity and paragraphs of appropriate choppiness about
miscellaneous subjects. Such a Reader was a good exercise book
for a drill in the mechanical process of reading. 

In these days of teaching children instead of subjects, the demand
is not merely for something to read, but for something worth
reading, both for its style and its matter. During the last ten years
various Readers have appeared, made up of selections which were
good literature and at the same time suited to young pupils. The
subject-matter of such Readers covers a wide range, including
science, geography, and history, descriptions of people and the
world we live in; for we are teaching children to live and to be
interested in the lives of others. 

Good reading-books may also be applied to the problems of
"anticipation and correlation" in education; we have come to
realize that at a given age certain faculties can be developed more
advantageously than at other times. When the first bold pioneers of
"anticipation" tried to urge that some subjects formerly reserved
for secondary schools should be taught in the grammar grades,
there were cries of dismay and honest fears of a "stuffing process"
by which Latin and algebra were to be brought back into grammar
grades, and science and history into primary grades. Yet many
schools throughout the United States have proved that good
teachers working with good tools on wise plans can perform the
impossibility. Among the necessary tools are supplementary
Readers so used as to correlate the work of the grades. 

For this reform it is not essential to ask faithful and efficient
teachers to do more work, but to use effectively their time and
strength and that of their pupils, so that they may reach the ideals
of the present day education. While they are teaching reading, they
are to think of the children not only as acquiring a mechanical
skill, but also as getting ideas about things in life; hence the
growing use of "nature readers," "history readers," and "geography
readers," or as commonly termed "Supplementary Readers." The
very name involves the conclusion that these books are helping
children to a knowledge of subjects. 

What are the characteristics of a good modern reading-book ? (1)
Clear thought simply expressed; (2) Good English; (3) Interesting
pieces that will train in expression; (4) Valuable matter that is
worth remembering for its own sake. In my own work of teaching
methods to Normal School classes in the Rhode Island Normal
School and of supervising the history study in the primary and
grammar grades of the Observation School connected with this
Normal School I have found the system of supplementary readers
an aid to the teacher and a stimulus to the pupil. In talking with
young children both in and out of school, reading to them, hearing
them read to me, and listening to their unconstrained and valuable
criticisms, I have been convinced that they can understand and
enjoy proper selections from real literature. 

Colonial Children, like the other Readers of this series which are
to follow, is an attempt to give good literature to children, and at
the same time to do two other things: to let people of bygone days
speak for themselves; and to lay good foundations for accurate
knowledge of history. Hence the sources of American history have
been re-examined and narratives have been selected which seem
interesting to children, and simple enough in thought for them to
understand. 

The stories are the same in substance as when they were first told,
two and three centuries ago; but their garb has been changed
without adding a detail or altering a statement of fact. The spelling
and phraseology of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries have
been corrected so that the story may be easily understood by young
children. Nevertheless as much of the quaintness of expression has
been kept as was allowable by rules of present good usage, with
due reference to the mental development of the pupils of the fourth
to the sixth grade. Those children can now read aloud to their
listening schoolmates the words uttered by such leaders as
Governor William Bradford, Governor John Winthrop, John
Smith, and William Penn, great men of action, who were also
writers of clear thought and pure English style. 

Perhaps a proper definition of oral reading might be this, getting
the thought out of a writer's words, and then expressing it in such a
way as to pass that thought on to others. An interest that awakens
imagination leads readily into an ability to get and to transmit
another's thought. This volume should have in the training of
expression as much helpfulness as the many artificial story books,
for it is full of adventure, wonderful happenings, graphic
descriptions, and altogether delightful tales. I have seen and heard
history stories read by children in all the grades from the third to
the sixth; and I have observed that even little children cannot help
giving the right expression when they read of triumph or of
sorrow, for their voices are unconsciously modulated to suit the
thought, because the feelings which control the voice are
awakened. 

Reading aloud with taste and expression is only part of the school
training. Children must learn to read both to and for themselves; to
get the sense by the appeal of the printed page to the eye, as well
as of the spoken words to the ear. That children do not acquire this
power generally in the primary and grammar schools is known to
secondary school teachers; repeatedly in my high school classes I
have found that reading twenty pages of a comparatively easy
history or even of a novel, was a "time-taking task" without
definite results in the way of securing the ideas. Since this power
cannot be acquired without years of training, a beginning should
he made in the elementary schools. There is no doubt that many of
these stories would be most profitable and engrossing "seat work,"
a means of relaxation, which would not involve mischief making. 

Varying conditions in schools and courses in the East and in the
West, and in different schools also of one state, prevent a general
statement as to the grade for which this reading-book is intended.
In selecting and revising the extracts we hoped that it might fit the
average fifth grade, or say children ten or twelve years old, and my
own experience and a test of many of the pieces show that average
children of that age can use it pleasurably. 

The fourth requirement for a Reader is that it contain valuable
subject-matter, worth remembering for itself: we believe that the
pieces in this book not only cultivate the imagination and train the
vocal expression, but may aid the memory and aid the judgment so
as to be an ultimate help in the study of history in the fifth or in
higher grades. While intended primarily as a reading-book, the
volume has been made up in accordance with the principles of the
scientific study of history: large bodies of sources have been
searched; opinions have been weighed and balanced; and the
merits of the writers and their writings have been considered;
kindred subjects have been grouped; chronological order and
historical perspective have been kept in mind. If a teacher in the
fifth grade is required to teach American history, in a simple
though formal way, with a text-book or without, she will find in
this book a tool adapted for her work. 

For example, to make real the Norsemen who visited our country
so long ago, leaving few or no traces of their coming, she can turn
those shadowy beings into seeming flesh and blood by reading the
story of the Wineland Baby (No. 1). She can be sure that children
will remember not only the story, but the story-teller, when
Columbus (No. 2) or Higginson (No. 20) tell what they saw in the
New World. The real nature of exploration will come home to the
pupils with force as they read about Balboa (No. 5) and Pizarro
(No. 6) and De Soto (No. 7). A fuller appreciation of the courage
of the colonists will be possible for the children who notice the
dangers, real and imaginary, which were faced in the journey over
the ocean and during the first years in the wilderness; any of the
selections grouped in the chapter "On the Sea" and "In the
Wilderness" will furnish these pictures. 

The volume contains some of the earliest and most authentic
accounts of the native Indians: but it was not all scalping and war
dances. The girls who read of their home-life (Nos. 33 and 34) and
the true story of Pocahontas (No. 35) will find that the Indians can
interest as well as frighten them; the boys will get enough
excitement in the stories of rescue from Indian captivity found in
Nos. 41 and 43; while both boys and girls will find much to admire
in the character of the Indian chieftain, Passaconnaway (No. 39).
Colonies seem more real to boys and girls when they find that
there were real children on the Virginia plantations and in the New
England towns; as "fathers" and "mothers" the parents of these
children (read Nos. 56 and 59, 60 and 61, 65, 66, and 67) become
infinitely more interesting than the old-fashioned "colonists" could
ever be. That personal impression once gained, pupils may read
Nos. 46 to 55 about "How the Colonies Grew." That the accounts
of the colonial schools, in the closing chapter of this Reader, will
make the children more eager to go to their own schools, is,
perhaps, too much to promise, but that all these stories wisely used
will tend to keep this rising generation from "hating history" is
confidently expected. 

To a sixth grade teacher, who takes up the formal study of
American history, with a class that has become acquainted with
Colonial Children during the previous year, there will come a
grateful appreciation of the worth of a supplementary Reader that
gave the children something not only to read, and to read with
expression, but to remember; she will see a practical outcome of
the system of "anticipation and correlation," and she will be doing
her share in working out this problem in our primary and grammar
schools.

PART I DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

1. Saga of a Wineland Baby1
BY HAUK ERLENDSSON (ABOUT 1000)

ONE summer a ship came from Norway to Greenland. The
skipper's name was Thorning Karlsefni, and he was the son of
Thord called "Horsehead," and a grandson of Snorri. Thorning
Karlsefni, who was a very wealthy man, passed the winter there in
Greenland, with Lief Ericsson. He very soon set his heart upon a
maiden called Gudrid, and sought her hand in marriage. 

That same winter a new discussion arose concerning a Wineland
voyage.2 The people urged Karlsefni to make the bold venture, so
he determined to undertake the voyage, and gathered a company of
sixty men and five women. He entered into an agreement with his
shipmates that they should each share equally in all the spoils.
They took with them all kinds of cattle, as they intended to settle
the country if they could. Karlsefni asked Lief for his house in
Wineland.3 Lief replied that he would lend it but not give it. 

They sailed out to sea with the ship and arrived safe and sound at
Lief's booths,4 and carried their hammocks ashore there. They
were soon provided with an abundant supply of food, for a whale
of good size and quality was driven ashore and they secured it.
Their cattle were turned out upon the land. Karlsefni ordered trees
to be felled; for he needed timber wherewith to load his ships.
They gathered some of all the products of the land, grapes, all
kinds of game, fish, and other good things.5 

In the summer after the first winter the Skrellings were
discovered.6 A great throng of men came forth from the woods;
the cattle were close by and the bull began to bellow and roar with
a great noise. At this the Skrellings were frightened and ran away
with their packs, wherein were gray furs, sables, and all kinds of
skins. They fled towards Karlsefni's dwelling and tried to get into
the house, but Karlsefni caused the doors to be defended. Neither
people could understand the other's language. The Skrellings put
down their packs, then opened them and offered their wares, in
exchange for weapons, but Karlsefni forbade his men to sell their
weapons. He bade the women to carry out milk to the Skrellings;
as soon as these people had tasted the milk, they wanted to buy it
and nothing else.7 

Now it is to be told that Karlsefni caused a strong wooden palisade
to be constructed and set up around the house. It was at this time
that a baby boy was born to Gudrid and Karlsefni and he was
called Snorri.8 In the early part of the second winter the Skrellings
came to them again in greater numbers than before, and brought
with them the same kind of wares to exchange. Then said
Karlsefni to the women, "Do ye carry out now the same thing
which proved so profitable before and nothing else." The
Skrellings seemed contented at first, but soon after, while Gudrid
was sitting in the doorway beside the cradle of her infant son,
Snorri, she heard a great crash made by one of the Skrellings who
had tried to seize a man's weapons. One of Karlsefni's followers
killed him for it. "Now we must needs take counsel together," said
Karlsefni, "for I believe they will visit us a third time in greater
numbers. Let us now adopt this plan: when the tribe approaches
from the forest, ten of our number shall go out upon the cape in
front of our houses and show themselves there, while the
remainder of our company shall go into the woods back of our
houses and hew a clearing for our cattle. Then we will take our
bull and let him go in advance of us to meet the enemy." The next
time the Skrellings came they found Karlsefni's men ready and fled
helter-skelter into the woods. Karlsefni and his party remained
there throughout the winter, but in the spring Karlsefni announced
that he did not intend to remain there longer, for he wished to
return with his wife and son to Greenland. They now made ready
for the voyage and carried away with them much in vines and
grapes and skins.9

[1] This story was handed down by tradition for many centuries;
but it describes a real settlement, the first by Europeans in
America nine centuries ago. 

[2] I.e. to a place called Wineland. 

[3] Lief had already made a voyage to Wineland and built a house
there. 

[4] The name of Lief's place. 

[5] The ships which had brought out the colonists were sent back
with a cargo from Wineland. 
[6] The Skrellings were natives, probably Esquimaux or other
northern tribes. 

[7] The Skrellings had neither cows nor goats, so that milk was a
novel luxury for them. 

[8] The first child of European race born in America. 

[9] We do not know what became of these people.

2. Throngs of Children to see Columbus10
BY CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (1492)

THIRTY-THREE days after my departure from Cadiz I reached
the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands which were
thickly peopled. I took possession of these without resistance in
the name of our most illustrious Monarch,11 by a public
proclamation and with unfurled banners. To the first of these
islands, which is called by the Indians Guanahani, I gave the name
of the blessed Saviour, San Salvador,12 relying upon whose
protection I had reached this as well as the other islands. As soon
as we arrived at the great island, which I have said was named
Juana,13 I proceeded along its coast a short distance westward,
and found it to be so large and apparently without termination, that
I could not suppose it to be an island, but the continental province
of Cathay.14 In the meantime I had learned from some Indians
whom I had seized, that that country was certainly an island: and
therefore I sailed towards the east, coasting to the distance of three
hundred and twenty-two miles, which brought us to the extremity
of it. From this point I saw lying eastwards another island,
fifty-four miles distant from Juana, to which I gave the name of
Espanola.15 All these islands are very beautiful; they are filled
with a great variety of trees of immense height which retain their
foliage in all seasons, I believe, for when I saw them they were as
verdant and luxuriant as they usually are in Spain in the month of
May. 

Some of them were blossoming, some bearing fruit, and all
flourishing in the greatest perfection. Yet the islands are not so
thickly wooded as to be impassable. The nightingale and various
birds were singing in countless numbers, and that in November,
the month in which I arrived there. 

The inhabitants are very simple and honest, and exceedingly
liberal with all they have; none of them refusing anything he may
possess when he is asked 

for it; but on the contrary inviting us to ask them. They exhibit
great love towards all others in preference to themselves: they also
give objects of area value for trifles, and content themselves with
very little in return. I, however, forbade that these trifles and
articles of no value, such as pieces of dishes, plates, and glass,
keys, and leather straps should be given to them; although if they
could obtain them, they imagined themselves to be possessed of
the most beautiful trinkets in the world. 

On my arrival in the new world I took some Indians by force from
the first island to which I came, in order that they might learn our
language. These men are still travelling with me, and although
they have been with us now for a long time, they continue to
entertain the idea that I have descended from heaven. On our
arrival at any new place they publish this, crying out immediately
with a loud voice to the other Indians, "Come, come and look upon
beings of a celestial race": upon which both women and men,
children and adults, young men and old, when they get rid of the
fear they at first entertain, will come out in throngs, crowding the
roads to see us, some bringing food and others drink, with
astonishing affection and kindness.16

[10] This extract is part of Columbus's own account of his
discovery of the new world. 

[11] King Ferdinand of Spain. 

[12] I.e., one of the names applied to Jesus Christ. 

[13] Juana = Cuba. 

[14] Cathay = China, which Columbus had expected to reach. 

[15] Or Hispanola, now San Domingo. 

[16] The friendly people were soon after made slaves by the
Spaniards, and in a few years were almost all dead from the cruel
treatment of their masters. 

3. A Father dressed in Silk
BY TWO ITALIAN GENTLEMEN (1497)

LONDON, 23d August, 1497. 

OUR Venetian, John Cabot, who went with a small ship from
Bristol to find new islands, has come back, and says that he has
discovered, seven hundred leagues off, the mainland of the country
of China.17 He coasted along it for three hundred leagues,18 and
landed but did not see any people. But he has brought here to the
king certain snares spread to take game, and a needle for making
nets. He found some notched trees, from which he judged that
people lived about there. Being in doubt, he came back to the ship.
He had been away three months on the voyage, and, in returning,
he saw two islands to the right; but he did not wish to land, lest he
should lose time, for he was in want of provisions. The king of this
country has been much pleased.19 He has promised for another
time ten armed ships such as Cabot desires, and has given him all
the prisoners, except such as are confined for high treason, to go
with him.20 The king has granted him money also, with which to
amuse himself till then. Meanwhile, he is with his Venetian wife
and his sons at Bristol. His name is John Cabot and he is called the
Great Admiral; great honor is paid to him, and he goes about
dressed in silk. The English are ready to go with him, and so are
many of our rascals.21 As discoverer of these things, Cabot has
planted a large cross in the ground with a banner of England, and
one of St. Mark, as he is a Venetian;22 so that our flag has been
hoisted very far away. 

18th December, 1497. 

Perhaps amidst so many occupations of your Excellency it will not
be unwelcome to learn how the King of England has gained a part
of Asia without drawing his sword.23 In this kingdom there is a
certain Venetian named John Cabot, of gentle disposition, very
expert in navigation, who, seeing that the most serene Kings of
Portugal and Spain had occupied unknown islands, wished to gain
new territory for the English king. Having obtained the king's
promise that he might have the lordship of the dominions which he
might discover, Cabot embarked in a small vessel with a crew of
eighteen persons, and set out from Bristol, a port in the western
part of this kingdom. He wandered for a long time; at length he
came to land, where he hoisted the royal standard, and took
possession for his Highness; then, having obtained various proofs
of his discovery, he returned. 

Since John was a foreigner and poor, he would not have been
believed if the crew, who are nearly all English, and belong to
Bristol, had not testified that what he said was the truth. This
Cabot has the description of the world on a chart, and also on a
solid sphere which he has made. On this he shows where he has
been. They say that the new land is excellent and the climate is
temperate; they also say that perhaps dye-wood and silk grow
there. They affirm that the sea is full of fish which are taken not
only with a net, but also with a basket, which has a stone fastened
to it in order to keep it in the water. This I have heard John Cabot
himself say. People look upon him as a prince.24

[17] John Cabot was sent out by Henry VII, King of England, and
this was the first English voyage to America. 

[18] A league = three miles. 

[19] Henry VII of England. 

[20] I.e. let Cabot take them as seamen, so as to relieve the
crowded English prisons. 

[21] Rascals = poor men. 

[22] St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice. 

[23] It was still supposed that the coast of America was a part of
China or Japan. 

[24] These two letters were written to the governments of Venice
and Milan. 

4. The Name America25
BY HYLACOMYLUS (1507)

AND the fourth part of the world having been discovered by
Americus, it may be called Amerige; that is, the land of Americus
or America. 

Now truly, since these regions are more widely explored, and
another fourth part is discovered by Americus Vesputius, as may
be learned from the following letters, I do not see why any one
may justly forbid it to be named Amerige, that is, Americ's Land,
after Americus the discoverer, who is a man of sagacious mind; or
call it America, since both Europa and Asia derived their names
from women.

[25] The first man to suggest the name of America was a German
schoolmaster whose name means "Miller of the Wood Pond."
Really Americus Vespucius discovered very little, and does not
deserve to have the continents named for him. 

5. How to find an Ocean
BY ANTONIO HERRERA (1513)

BALBOA, having resolved to march over to the South Sea, and
having provided all things necessary for it, set out from Darien in
the beginning of September, 1513.26 He went by sea as far as the
land of the Cacique Careta. There he left the brigantines and the
canoes and advanced towards the mountain. Careta who was
friendly to him commanded some of his subjects to attend Balboa.
A neighboring Cacique, Ponca, by name, who had spies abroad,
was informed that the Spaniards were coming up his mountain,
and hid himself in an out of the way part of his territory. Balboa
sent some of the Careta Indians to assure him that he was doing no
harm but would be his friend as he was Careta's. So Ponca came,
bringing a present of gold. 

Balboa received him with much joy because he did not wish to
leave an enemy behind. He gave him an abundance of beads,
looking glasses, and some iron axes. In return, Balboa demanded
of Ponca some guides and men to carry burdens. The Cacique27
granted all he desired, and gave him plenty of provisions. 

Then Balboa proceeded to the top of the mountain whence he had
been told that the other sea might be seen. From Ponca's land to
the top was about six days' journey; but they spent twenty-five days
because of the roughness of the land, and because they were short
of provisions. At length they arrived at the top of the high
mountain, on the twenty-fifth of September, 1513 , whence the sea
could be seen. Balboa was given notice a little while before they
came to the top that they were very near it. Commanding all to halt
there, Balboa went up alone and saw the South Sea; then, with
uplifted hands and on his knees, he returned thanks to heaven for
being the first who had seen this sea. 

After performing this act of devotion he called his men and
repeated the same, and they followed his example, while the
Indians stood amazed to see them so overjoyed. Balboa praised
Camegra's son for giving him this news, and promised all his
followers much wealth and happiness. They all believed him, for
he was very much beloved because he made no difference between
himself and the common soldiers, He always showed sympathy for
the sick and wounded, every one of whom he visited and
comforted. He was himself undaunted in dangers, never showing
the least fear in the greatest perils. 

Balboa next ordered that a certificate should be drawn of his
taking possession of that sea and all that was in it for the Crown of
Castile;28 as a testimony of this he cut down trees, raised crosses
and heaps of stones, and cut the name of the King of Spain on
some of the trees. He then resolved to go down the mountains to
observe what there was on them and on the sea-coast. He sent
Captain Francis Pizarro to view the sea-coast and the country
round about.29 John Escaray and Alonzo Martin, with twelve men
each, he sent to find the shortest way to this sea. 

Alonzo Martin hit upon the shortest road and in two days came to
a place where he found two canoes upon dry land, yet saw no sea;
but whilst he was considering how those canoes were up on the
land, the sea water came in and lifted them up about a fathom in
height;30 for upon that coast the sea ebbs and flows every six
hours, two or three fathoms, so that great ships are left dry and no
sea water appears for half a league at least. Alonzo Martin, seeing
the canoes begin to swim, went into one of them and bid his
companions to bear witness that he was the first to enter the South
Sea. Another man whose name was Atienza did the like and bid
them bear witness that he was the second. They returned to Balboa
with the news, which made them all rejoice.31

[26] The South Sea, which we call the Pacific Ocean, which
washed the eastern shores of India and China, was what most of
the early European Explorers set out to find. Balboa, a Spanish
officer, had heard from a native chief that there was a great sea
across the mountains. 

[27] Cacique = chief. 

[28] The state of Castile was a part of Ferdinand's Spanish
kingdom. 

[29] We shall meet Pizarro again presently. 

[30] The tide rose a fathom -- that is, 6 feet. 

[31] Nobody then guessed that there was an opening south of the
land, by which they could sail into the Pacific Ocean. 

6. A Room Full of Gold
BY FRANCISCO XERES (1533)

GOVERNOR PIZARRO received news from the natives that the
way to Cuzco passed through very populous districts which were
rich and fertile;32 that there was an inhabited valley called
Caxamalca ten or twelve days' journey from the settlement where
Atahuallpa, the greatest lord among these natives, resided.33
When Atahuallpa had come to the province of Caxamalca years
before he found it to be so rich and pleasant that he settled there
and continued to conquer other lands from thence. This lord was
held so much in dread, that the natives of the valley did not dare to
leave his service for the service of the king of Spain; so they told
the Christians and their leader, Governor Pizarro, that a small
detachment of Atahuallpa's army would be sufficient to kill all the
Christians. Governor Pizarro thereupon resolved to march in
search of Atahuallpa to reduce him to the service of the king of
Spain and to win over the surrounding countries. 

The Governor departed from the city of San Miguel in search of
Atahuallpa on the twenty-fourth of September, 1532.34 He arrived
at the town of Caxamalca two months later at the hour of vespers.
In the middle of the town there was a great open space surrounded
by walls and houses. The Governor occupied this position and sent
a messenger to Atahuallpa to announce his arrival, to arrange a
meeting, and in order that he might show him where to lodge;
meanwhile he ordered the town to be examined with a view to
discovering a strong position where he might pitch his camp. He
ordered all the troops to be stationed in the open space and the
cavalry to remain mounted until it was seen whether Atahuallpa
would come. 

This town, which is the principal place in the valley, is situated on
the edge of a mountain, with an open plain in front of it. Two
rivers flow through the valley, which is level and well peopled
with about two thousand inhabitants. Near the entrance there are
two bridges because two rivers flow past: The plaza35 is larger
than any in Spain, surrounded by a wall and entered by two
doorways which open upon the streets of the town. The houses are
more than two hundred paces in length, very well built, being
surrounded by strong walls, three times the height of a man.36 The
roofs are covered with straw and wood, the interiors are divided
into eight rooms, much better than any we had seen before. Their
walls are of well cut stones, and each lodging is surrounded by a
wall of masonry with doorways, and has its fountain of water in an
open court brought from a distance by pipes for the supply of the
house. 

Atahuallapa feared that the Spaniards would kill him, so he told
Governor Pizarro that he would give his captors a great quantity of
gold and silver.37 The Governor asked him: "How much can you
give and in what time ?" Atahuallapa said: "I will give gold enough
to fill a room twenty-two feet long and seventeen wide up to a
white line which is half way up the wall. The height will be once
and a half that of a man's stature." Atahuallapa also said, that up to
that mark he would fill the room with different kinds of golden
vessels, such as jars, pots, vases, besides lumps and other pieces.
As for silver, he said that he would fill a whole chamber with it
twice over. He undertook to do this in two months. Governor
Pizarro told him to send off messengers for this purpose, and that
when it was accomplished he need have no fear. 

Then Atahuallapa sent messages to his captains who were in the
city of Cuzco, ordering them to send two thousand Indians, laden
with gold and silver. After some days, several of the family of
Atahuallapa arrived. There was his brother, who came from
Cuzco, and sisters and wives. The brother brought many vases,
jars, and pots of gold and much silver, and he said that there were
more on the road; but that as the journey was long, the Indians who
were bringing the treasure became tired and could not come so
quickly, but that every day more gold and silver would arrive . And
it came. On some days twenty thousand, on others fifty or sixty
thousand pesos of gold arrived.38 The Governor ordered it to be
put in the house where Atahuallapa had his guard, and to be stored
there until he had accomplished what he had promised. 

And so the gold was delivered to the Christians by little and little
and slowly, because it was necessary to employ many Indians who
had to go from village to village to collect it.39 The Governor
ordered the pieces of gold to be counted, and the gold vessels and
plates to be melted down and weighed. It was found 

that there was over three million pesos of good gold. Of this,
Governor Pizarro had as his share two hundred thousand pesos of
gold and fifty thousand of silver. The "royal fifth" was set aside for
the Spanish king. All the rest was divided among all the
conquerors who had accompanied Governor Pizarro, and the men
who had been friendly to them during the expedition. Thus every
one of Pizarro's helpers in the country received something out of
this room full of gold.40

[32] Pizarro was a Spanish officer who had got permission from
Spain to conquer the region in South America which we call Peru.
Cuzco was the native capital. 

[33] Atahuallpa was king of the natives. 

[34] Pizarro had only 213 men and 63 horses. 

[35] Plaza = the Spanish name for public square. 

[36] A pace is about three feet. 

[37] A great battle between Atahuallapa's forces and Pizarro's took
place, in which Atahuallapa was taken prisoner. Throughout his
captivity he was kindly treated, but he felt uneasy about his safety. 

[38] A peso = a dollar. 

[39] Worth about $17,500,000 in our money. The Spanish king
demanded a certain fixed share of treasures found in the new
world. 

[40] Having got the gold, Pizarro murdered Atahuallpa, and
enslaved the people. 

7. Buried in the Mississippi
BY A PORTUGUESE GENTLEMAN OF ELVAS (1542)

CAPTAIN DE SOTO was the son of a Spanish squire. He went
into the Spanish Indies when Peter Arias was governor of the West
Indies.41 There he was without anything of his own save his sword
and shield. For his good qualities and valor, Peter Arias made him
captain of a troop of horsemen, and by his own command De Soto
went with Fernando Pizarro to the conquest of Peru. Afterwards
the Spanish Emperor made him governor of the Isle of Cuba and
President of Florida, with the title of Marquis over a certain part of
the lands which he might conquer. 

On Sunday, the eighteenth day of May, in the year 1539, President
De Soto departed from Havana in Cuba with his fleet, which
consisted of nine vessels, five great ships, two caravels and two
brigantines.42 They sailed for seven days with a prosperous wind.
On Friday they landed on the western coast of Florida. 

De Soto left Captain Caldero there with thirty horsemen and
seventy footmen with provisions for two years. Then he himself
with all the rest of his men marched into the mainland in search of
the "Great River"; and after many adventures they found the river;
but the natives were hostile and the country was poor. 

After many weary and dangerous marches, the governor fell into
great dumps to see how hard it was to get down the Mississippi to
the sea. It seemed even worse, because the number of his men and
horses was every day diminished, as they could not find enough
food to sustain them in this country. Discouraged by that thought
De Soto fell sick. Before he took his bed, he sent an Indian to the
cacique at Quigalta to tell him that he, Fernando De Soto, was the
Child of the Sun, and that all the way on his journey thither, all
men had obeyed and served him; that he requested him to accept
of his friendship, and come to him, for he should be very glad to
see him; and in sign of love and obedience to bring something with
him of that which in his country was most prized. The cacique
answered by the same Indian, saying that whereas De Soto said
that he was the Child of the Sun, if he would dry up the Great
River he would believe him; and touching the rest, that he was
wont to visit none; but rather that all those of whom he had notice
did visit him, served, obeyed, and paid him tributes willingly or
perforce. Therefore, if De Soto desired to see him, it were best he
should come to his place. That if he came in peace, he would
receive him with special good will. Or if De Soto came in war,
even then the chief told him to come and find the Indians in the
town where, they were, adding, that for De Soto or any other
person he would not shrink one foot back. 

By the time the Indian returned with this answer, the governor had
betaken himself to bed, very ill with fever and much grieved that
he was not able to pass over the river and seek this cacique to see
if he could lessen that pride of his. But the current of the river was
very strong in those parts, where it was nearly half a league broad
and sixteen fathoms deep.43 On both sides there were many
Indians, and his power was not now so great but that he had need
to help himself when he could by flight rather than by force. 

Before he could do either, on the twenty-first of May, in the year
1542, Don Fernando De Soto, the valorous, virtuous, and valiant
captain, Governor of Cuba, and President of Florida, departed out
of this life. He departed in such a place and at such a time that
during his sickness he had had but little comfort, and the danger
wherein all his people found themselves of perishing in that
strange country, is the reason why they did not visit nor stay with
him as they ought to have done. 

Luys de Moscoso44 determined to conceal this death from the
Indians because Fernando De Soto had made them believe that the
Christians were immortal; and, since they had considered him to
be hardy, wise, and valiant, Moscoso feared that if they should
know that he was dead they would be bold to set upon the
Christians, even if the Spaniards tried to live peaceably among
them. 

As soon as De Soto was dead, therefore, Luys de Moscoso
commanded the men to put him in a house secretly. Here he
remained for three days. Removing him thence, Moscoso
commanded them to bury him in the night at one of the gates of
the town  just within the wall. As the Indians had seen De Soto
sick and had missed him, they suspected what had happened.
Passing by the place where he was buried and seeing the earth
disturbed, they looked and spoke one to another. Luys de Moscoso,
understanding it, gave the order that De Soto should be taken up
by night and a great deal of sand cast into the mantles wherein he
was wrapped. Then De Soto was carried in a canoe and thrown
into the midst of the Great River. 

The cacique of Guachaya inquired for him, demanding what was
become of his brother, the governor. Luys de Moscoso told him
that he had gone to heaven as he had many other times, and
because he was to stay there certain days, he had left him in his
place. 

The cacique still thought that the governor was dead, and
commanded two young and well proportioned Indians to be
brought thither, praying Luys to command them to be beheaded
that they might attend and serve his lord and brother after his
death. Luys told him that the governor was not dead but had gone
to heaven and that he had taken such of his own Christian soldiers
as he needed away with him; but the Indians believed nothing of
what he said.45

[41] This is one of the unsuccessful expeditions made by the
Spaniards. De Soto expected to find gold as Pizarro had done. 

[42] Caravel = a four masted ship. 
[43] A mile and a half wide and hundred feet deep. 

[44] Next in command in the expedition. 

[45] A small remnant of the proud expedition, at last escaped to
the sea. Neither De Soto's pride nor Moscoso's lies helped them. 

8. Esquimaux Foot-ball
BY RICHARD HAKLUYT (ABOUT 1590)

I FIND that in the manner of living the people of the northeast and
those of the northwest are alike.46 They have an olive complexion,
are very active and nimble men, and are a strong, warlike people;
for even in our sight on the tops of the hills they would muster
themselves, and in a mimic skirmish scamper over the ground very
nimbly. They man. age their bows and arrows with great dexterity. 

They go about clad in skins of beasts such as seals, deer, bears,
foxes, and hares.47 They have also some garments of feathers,
finely sewed and fastened together. In summer they wear the hairy
side of the skins outward, and in winter they wear four or five
thicknesses with the hairy sides turned inward. 

These people are by nature subtle and sharp-witted, ready to
understand our meaning by signs and make answers that can be
well understood. If they have not seen the thing whereof we ask,
they will wink or cover their eyes with their hands as if to say it
had been hid from sight. If they do not understand what you ask
them, they will stop their ears. They are willing to teach us the
names of anything in their language which we desire to know, and
are quick to learn anything of us. They delight in music and will
keep time and stroke to any tune which we may sing, both with
their voice, head, hands, and feet, and will sing the same tune after
us. 

They live in caves in the earth and hunt for their dinners just as the
bears and other wild beasts do. They eat raw flesh and fish. 

On the twenty-first of August the captain of our ship sent a boat on
shore for wood with six of our men who had friendly dealings with
these Esquimaux. After that, they beckoned us on shore several
times to play foot-ball with them, and some of our company went
on shore to play with them; but nimble as they were, as often as
they struck at the ball our men won the game.

[46] That is, of two ports of the northern lands visited by English
explorers. 

[47] The Esquimaux still wear such garments. 

PART II ON THE SEA

9. The Joke of the Pilot's Boy48
BY FRANCIS PRETTY (1578)

FROM thence we went to a certain port called Tarapaca, where we
landed and found by the seaside a Spaniard lying asleep. Beside
him there lay thirteen bars of silver, which we took, leaving the
man. 

Not far from thence we went on land for fresh water, and met a
Spaniard and an Indian boy driving eight lames, or Peruvian sheep,
which were as big as donkeys; each one of these sheep had on his
back two bags of leather, each bag containing fifty pounds of fine
silver. So we brought both the sheep and their burden to the ship
and found we had obtained eight hundred weight of fine silver. 

From here we sailed to a place called Arica. When we entered port
we found three small brigs which we rifled, and found in one of
them fifty-seven wedges of silver, each of them weighing about
twenty pounds weight. In these brigs we did not find a single
person, for all had gone ashore to the town, which consisted of
about twenty houses. If our company had been larger we would
have rifled the  town, but our general contented himself with the
spoils of the ships, put off to sea again, and set sail for Lima. 

To Lima we came on the thirteenth of February, and entering port,
we found there about twelve ships lying fast moored to their
anchors, their sails having been carried on shore. Their captains
and the merchants felt most secure here, never having been
assaulted by the negroes. Our general rifled these ships and found
in one of them a chest full of plate and good store of silks and
linen cloth. This chest he took to his own ship.49 While he was on
board this ship he got news of another ship, called the Spitfire,
laden with treasure: hereupon we stayed there no longer, but
cutting all the cables of the enemies' ships in the haven, we left
them drift whither they would, either to sea or to shore, and with
all speed we followed the Spitfire towards Paita. Before we arrived
there, the Spaniards shot out again towards Panama. Our general
speedily pursued. But we met a brig laden with ropes and tackling;
we boarded and searched it until we found a quantity of gold and
golden crucifixes set with large emeralds. 

Thence we departed, still following the Spitfire. and our general
promised the company that whosoever should first descry her
should have his reward of gold for his good news. It happened that
John Drake, going up to the top, descried her at about three
o'clock. About six o'clock we came to her, shot at her with three
pieces of ordnance, and struck down her mizzenmast.50 Next we
entered the boat and found in her great riches, such as jewels,
precious stones, thirteen chests of fine plate, four-score pound
weight of gold, and twenty-six tons of silver. 

The place where we took this prize was called Cape de San
Francisco, about one hundred and fifty leagues from Panama.51 

The name of the pilot of this ship was Francisco. He owned two
fair gilt bowls of silver which our General found, and said: "Signor
Pilot,52 you have here two silver cups, I must needs have one of
them." The pilot, because he could not choose otherwise, yielded,
giving one to the General and the other to the steward of our ship.
When the pilot left us, his boy said to our General: "Captain, our
ship shall be called no more the Spitfire, but the Spittreasure, and
your ship shall be called the Spitfire." This bright speech of the
pilot's boy made us all laugh, both then and long after.

[48] Although England was not formally at war with Spain, Sir
Francis Drake made a voyage around the world during the years
1577 1580, with the purpose of capturing Spanish vessels and
towns; and Queen Elizabeth refused to punish him. The Spaniards
had never before seen an enemy in the Pacific Ocean. The places
mentioned here are on the west coast of South America. 

[49] It is plain that Drake was little better than a common pirate,
robbing innocent people right and left. 

[50] Ordnance = cannon. 

[51] Not San Francisco, California; though Drake went there later.
Signor = the Spanish word for sir. 

[52] The General was Drake. 

10. Far, Far at Sea
BY THE REV. FRANCIS HIGGINSON (1629)53

THE names of the five ships were as follows: -- 

The first was called the Talbot, a good and strong ship of three
hundred tons and nineteen pieces of ordnance, with a crew of
thirty mariners. This ship carried more than a hundred planters,54
six goats, five great pieces of ordnance, with all manner of
ammunition and provisions for the Plantation for a
twelfth-month.55 

The second ship was called the George. This also was a strong ship
of about three hundred tons, with a crew of thirty mariners. Her
general cargo was of cattle, twelve mares, thirty cows, and some
goats. She had fifty-two planters on board. 

The third ship was called the Lion's Whelp, and was a nimble ship
of one ' hundred and twenty-two tons, carrying many mariners and
over forty planters with provisions. 

The fourth ship was called the Four Sisters. 

The fifth ship was called the Mayflower.56 This did carry both
passengers and provisions. 

The George having some special urgent reasons for hastening her
passage set sail before the rest, about the middle of April. We who
took ship in the Talbot and the Lion's Whelp hoisted sail from
Gravesend on Saturday, the 25th of April.57 On Tuesday, a week
later, we entered the channel early in the morning, and passed by
Portsmouth very slowly for the wind was weak and calm.58 In the
afternoon the wind slackened and we were forced to anchor, a
little this side of Cowes Castle, where I and my wife and daughter
Mary, the two mates, and some others with us obtained leave from
the master of the ship to go ashore to wash our linen, but the wind
turning when we were absent, they hoisted sail and left us there at
Cowes.59 

Wednesday, early in the morning a shallop was sent from the ship
to fetch us to Yarmouth,60 but the weather proved rough and our
women desired to be set on shore at a point three miles short of
Yarmouth, and the rest of the way we went on foot, and then
regained the ship. The next Sabbath being the first Lord's Day on
which we had been at sea we were disturbed in our morning
services by the charge of a man-of-war.61 The captain of this ship
finding us too strong for him durst not venture to assail us, but
made off. 

This day, my two children, Samuel and Mary, began to be sick of
the small pox, which was brought into the ship by one Mr. Brown
who was sick with the small pox at Gravesend.62 By Tuesday,
towards night, my daughter grew sicker. She died by five o'clock
that night, and was the first of our ship to be buried in the great
Atlantic Sea. By the following Saturday we were comforted with
the hope that my son Samuel would get well. One morning while
we were at prayers, a strong sudden blast of wind came from the
south, stirred up the waves and tossed us more than ever before.
Towards night the wind abated by little and little until it was calm.
Mr. Goffe's great dog, that fell overboard during the gale, could
not be recovered. 

On Wednesday, just two months63 after we left our English port,
we had a clear sight of America, and of Cape Sable which was
seven or eight leagues to the south.64 On the sea about us we saw
yellow gilly-flowers.65 About the afternoon of the next day we had
a clear sight of many islands and hills by the seashore. We saw an
abundance of mackerel, and a great store of whales puffing up
water as they went by our ship. Their enormous size astonished
those of us who had not seen them before; their backs appeared
like small islands. 

Friday, after the fog cleared, we saw many schools of mackerel on
every side of our ship. . The sea was abundantly stored with
rock-weed and yellow flowers. By noon we were within three
leagues of Cape Ann; and as we sailed along the coast we saw
every hill and dale and every island full of great woods and high
trees. The nearer we came to the shore the more flowers we saw,
sometimes scattered abroad, sometimes joined in sheets nine or
ten yards long. Towards night, we came near the harbor of Salem,
whither we were bound.

[53] Higginson called this narrative "The true story of the voyage
to New England, made during the last summer. Begun on the 25th
April, 1629." 

[54] Planters =settlers. 

[55] Plantation = settlement or colony. 

[56] This is not the celebrated voyage of the Mayflower to
Plymouth; that had been nine years earlier. 

[57] Gravesend, at the mouth of the Thames, below London. It
often took a sailing vessel a week to get around the south of
England. 

[58] Channel = English Channel. 

[59] Cowes, on Isle of Wight. 

[60] Shallop = a boat without a mast. 

[61] Of course a hostile vessel. 

[62] Small-pox was very common and very dangerous till
vaccination came about a century ago. 

[63] Sixty days! The fastest steamers now cross the same distance
in six days. 

[64] Cape Sable, near Newfoundland. 

[65] These "gilly-flowers" were and ordinary species of marine
flower. 

11. The Ship and the Indians
BY EDWARD JOHNSTON (1628)

THE whole Indian nation of Massachusetts was frightened at a
ship that arrived in the bay, for they had never seen one before.66
They themselves report that when some Indians saw a great thing
moving toward them upon the waters, wondering what creature it
could be, they ran with their light canoes from 

place to place, and stirred up all their countrymen to come forth
and behold this monstrous thing. At this sudden news the shores
for many miles were filled with the people of this unclothed
nation. They gazed at this wonder till some of the bravest among
them manned their canoes.67 

Armed with bows and arrows, they approached within bow shot of
the ship, and let fly their long arrows at her. These were headed
with bone and some stuck fast in the wood. Others dropped into
the water. The Indians wondered that the ship did not cry out, but
kept moving quietly on toward them,  and that its passengers made
no defence. All of a sudden the master caused a cannon to be fired.
This struck such fear into the poor Indians that they hurried to
shore, and their wonder was greatly increased. 

Once again the great crowd of Indians waited with amazement to
see the outcome. The seamen furled up their sails and came to
anchor, then manned their long boat, and went ashore. At their
approach most of the Indians fled, but some saw that the
newcomers were men, who made signs to stop their flight, in order
that they might trade with the natives. For that purpose the
newcomers had brought some copper kettles, and the Indians by
degrees made their approach nearer and nearer. 

Then they saw clearly the kettles which had been set forth before
them. The Indians knocked on them and were much delighted with
the sound. They were much more astonished to see that they would
not break, although they were so thin. 

To obtain those kettles the Indians brought the white men many
beaver skins. They loaded the strangers richly according to their
wishes.

[66] The Massachusetts settlement was made by a rich
corporation, which could send over hundreds of people at a time. 

[67] Birch bark canoes, fastened together with the roots of white
cedar trees. 

12. The Ship in the Air68

OVER the harbor of New Haven appeared, in the evening, the
form of a ship with three masts. Suddenly all the tackling and sails
were to be seen. Shortly after, upon the ship there appeared a man,
standing with one arm akimbo under his left side; and holding in
his right hand a sword stretched out towards the sea. 

Then from the side of the ship which was toward the town arose a
great smoke, which covered all the ship; and in that smoke she
vanished away. But some saw her keel sink into the water. This
was seen by many men, women, and children, and it lasted about a
quarter of an hour. 

The unhappy mourners of relatives lost in a ship nearly two years
before, tried to find some connection between the ship in the air
and their own sufferings. In the gloomy and sad state of their
minds they tried to find some meaning in the strange appearance. 

There are many accounts of this air-ship. One says: "After the
failure of news of their ship from England, prayers, both public
and private, were offered by the distressed people. They prayed
that the Lord would, if it was His pleasure, let them hear what He
had done with their dear friends, and that He would help them to
bow humbly to His holy will. 

"Then a great thunder storm arose out of the northwest, and a ship
was seen sailing against the wind. The very children cried out,
'There's a brave ship.' The air-ship remained before their eyes and
came up as far as there was water for such a vessel. It came so near
to some persons, that they thought a man might throw a stone on
board her." 

The people were so sure and satisfied that they had seen the ship
that they believed that God, for the quieting of their troubled
hearts, had been willing to send this wonderful ship to tell of what
He had done to those for whom so many prayers had been made.

[68] This wonderful appearance was probably a mirage, or image
of a very distant ship. 

13. Treasure at the Bottom of the Sea
BY COTTON MATHER (1692)69

CAPTAIN WILLIAM PHIPS frequently told his wife that he
would yet be captain of a king's ship, and that he should be the
owner of a fair brick house in the green land north of Boston.70
One year Captain Phips arrived with a ship and a tender at Port de
la Platta.71 There he made a stout canoe of a stately cotton tree,
large enough to carry eight or ten persons. In doing this he used his
own hand and adze and endured no little hardship, living out of
doors in the woods many nights together. With this canoe he had
his men explore the reefs of shoals thereabouts for they rise to
within two or three feet of the surface of the sea, and are so steep
that a ship striking on them would immediately sink. Captain
Phips had dragged from an old Spaniard in a previous voyage a
few facts about this spot, which was supposed to be the very spot
where a wreck lay. This wreck was supposed to hold a great
treasure. 

One day after the men in the canoe were returning to Captain
Phips and his large boat with bad news about their day's search,
one of the men, looking over the side of the canoe into the calm
water, spied a sea feather growing, as he judged, out of a rock. He
bade one of the Indians to dive down and fetch this feather that
they might carry home something with them. The diver who
brought up the feather brought also a surprising story. He said that
he saw a number of great guns down in the watery land 

where he found the feather. That report of these guns astonished
the whole company exceedingly, and at once turned their
discouragement for their ill-success into assurances that they had
now come to the true spot of ground for which they had been
looking. 

Upon further diving the Indian fetched up a lump of silver worth
perhaps two or three hundred pounds.72 They prudently marked
the spot with a buoy, that they might find it readily again. Then
they went back to their captain, who for some time had despaired
of anything but bad news. They gave a similar report now,
meanwhile slipping the lump of silver under the table where the
captain was sitting. After hearing him express his determination to
wait patiently they pushed the lump to the spot where he was, then
he cried out: "Why, what is this?" With changed countenances the
men told him how and where they had got it. Then said Captain
Phips: "Thanks be to God. We are made." 

So away they went, all hands to work. Now most happily they first
fell upon that ruined wreck where the bullion had been stored, and
they prospered so in this "New Fishery" that in a little while they
brought up thirty-two tons of silver; for now it had come to
measuring silver by tons.73 

Thus once again there came into the light of the sun a treasure
which had been groaning under the waters for half a hundred
years. In this time there had grown upon the plate a crust like
limestone seven inches thick. Besides this incredible treasure of
plate in various forms, they fetched up from seven or eight
fathoms of water vast riches of gold, pearls and jewels.74

[69] Cotton Mather was one of the greatest New England
ministers. 

[70] Phips was a Massachusetts trader. 

[71] Now Buenos Ayres. 

[72] $1000 to $1500 

[73] This find was worth about a million dollars. 

[74] For this feat Phips was made "Sir William Phips" by the king
of England. 

14. A Pirate's Pastimes75
BY ESQUEMELIN (1666)

BEFORE the pirates go to sea, they give notice to all concerned of
the day on which they are to sail. They oblige each man to bring so
many pounds of powder and gunballs. When all have come aboard
they decide where to get food, especially meat; for they eat
scarcely anything else. 

Sometimes they rob such and such hog-yards, where the Spaniards
often have a thousand hogs together. They come to these places in
the night. They surround the keeper's house and force him to get
up and give them as many hogs as they wish to have. They threaten
to kill him if he will not obey or if he makes any noise. When they
have meat enough for their trip they return to their ship. When
well supplied with food, they begin to plan where they will go to
seek their fortunes. 

These pirates keep very good order among them. selves. They are
very polite and kind to each other, so that if any one wants what
another has, he very willingly gives it to him.76 

There was one noted pirate who lived afterwards at Jamaica. He
did many surprising things. His real name was not known. His
companions called him Rache Brasiliano because he had long
lived in Brazil. He joined the pirates and was liked so much that
they made him captain. In a few days he took a great ship coming
from New Spain.77 It had a great quantity of gold and silver on
board which he carried to Jamaica. 

For this the pirates thought very highly of him. 

But in his private affairs he governed himself very poorly. He
would sometimes appear brutal and foolish when in drink, running
up and down the streets and beating or injuring those he met. No
person dared to oppose him. 

Once while on a journey with his men, all were very hungry and
thirsty; for it was a desert place. 

They were chased by a troop of a hundred Spaniards. Brasiliano
seeing their danger encouraged his companions by telling them
that they were better soldiers than the Spaniards and ought, at
least, to die with their arms in their hands fighting, like men of
courage. That, he said, would be better than to surrender to the
Spaniards who would take away lives with torments. 

The pirates were but thirty in number, yet seeing their brave
captain show such courage they resolved to do the same. So they
faced the troop of Spaniards, and discharged their guns at them so
well that they killed one horseman with almost every shot. The
fight lasted an hour; then the Spaniards were put to flight. The
pirates took from the dead what was most useful. 

Captain Henry Morgan was another noted pirate He was born in
England. His father was a rich farmer of good rank. When Morgan
was young he had no wish to be a farmer. So he left his own
country, and found two pirates ready to go to sea; and he went with
them. He learned their manner of living so exactly that he became
in time a pirate captain. Finally he had twelve ships with seven
hundred fighting men. They decided to attack the town of Puerto
de Principe. It was at a distance from the sea, and had never been
plundered by any pirates and they knew that the people living there
were rich. 

Captain Morgan and his men set sail, steering towards Puerto de
Principe.78 When they came into its bay, a Spaniard who was a
prisoner aboard the pirate ships swam ashore by night to the town
and told its people of the plan of the pirates. This he had overheard
in their talk while they thought he did not understand English.
Upon hearing this the Spaniards began to hide their riches and
carry away their movables. 

The governor gathered together all the men of the town and took a
stand where the pirates would be obliged to pass. He commanded
many trees to be cut down and laid across their path to hinder their
passing, when the pirates arrived. The Spaniards charged them
very bravely for a while, but the pirates were very skilful with their
guns. The governor with many of his companions was killed, and
the Spaniards fled into the woods to save themselves. But before
they could reach it, most of them were killed by the pirates. 

Many people upon seeing the pirates in the town, shut themselves
up in their houses, and from them shot at the pirates. The pirates
then threatened them saying, "If you do not give up willingly you
shall soon see the town in flames.; Your wives and children also
will be killed before your faces." 

At these threats the Spaniards surrendered. As soon as the pirates
got possession of the town, they shut up all the men, women and
children and slaves in several churches. They stole everything they
could find. They also searched the country round about, bringing
in daily many goods and prisoners and much food. 

Then they had a merry time as is their way. They did not
remember the poor prisoners, but gave them nothing to eat so that
nearly all died of their misery.79

[75] Pirates or sea-robbers were the curse of their times; and there
are still some of them in the seas east of Asia. Many good ships
were destroyed by them, and thousands of people killed, for the
small gain to be had from plundering vessels and passengers of
their valuables. Sometimes they landed and sacked towns. 

[76] This does not seem very likely, many times they fought with
each other. 

[77] New Spain = the Spanish possessions in the new world. 

[78] On the island of San Domingo. To be attacked by pirates was
exactly like being attacked by a horde of furious wild beasts,
except that no wild animals could be so cruel as men. 

[79] The pirates got away with their booty, but at a later attack on
another Spanish town, Morgan and his followers were beaten by
the Spaniards. 

15. The Privateers' Attack80BY JOHN FONTAINE (1708)

WITH a constant apprehension of attack before us, we lived on the
qui vive from the first day of June, 1704, until the eighth day of
October, 1708, when, with all our precautions, we were actually
taken by surprise. 

A French privateer entered the harbor during the night, and
anchored off Bear Haven, about five miles from my house, and
entirely out of our sight. She hoisted English colors by way of
deception. She succeeded in her wish, for the officer no sooner
discovered her, than he concluded she was a vessel just arrived
from America, and went down with two or three soldiers of his
company. 

He was in great haste to be the first to board her, in order to regale
himself with rum punch, a beverage of which he was unhappily
much too fond. He was made a prisoner the instant his foot
touched the deck of the vessel, but the captain and the officers
behaved towards him with the greatest civility. 

He was a little shocked at first, but they made him so very
welcome, treating him to the best of wine and brandy, that he soon
lost the remembrance of his situation. He gave the captain all the
information he wanted, and it was of a nature to encourage him to
proceed. He told him that the soldiers were dispersed without any
commander, for the captain and lieutenant were both absent, as
well as himself. He was sure it would be very easy to surprise my
house, for I had no one near enough to help me but my own family.
Upon the strength of this information, the captain prepared for
going ashore, and sent eighty men in three boats, commanded by
two lieutenants. 

They quitted the ship at midnight, and landed before it was light.
They commenced their march about daybreak, in perfect silence,
and stooping very low, in order that they might be neither seen nor
heard. An Irish servant who was fetching home the cows was the
first person to discover them, marching in good order, and only the
distance of a long musket shot from the house. He ran home as fast
as he could, and cried out that we were lost, for a number of armed
men were in sight. 

We got up directly, and I ordered every door to be shut, but there
was so much confusion that the gates of the large court in front,
and even the house door below the tower were forgotten and left
open for some time. This was perceived by the enemy as we
afterwards learned; but it was supposed to have been done on
purpose as a feint, and that we must have a loaded cannon within 

ready to fire if any one approached. When the men were near
enough to hear me, I hailed them through a speaking-trumpet. I
told them if they were friends to stop, and let us know who they
were, and if enemies, to come forward, and we would receive
them with vigor. 

In the meantime my children were busily engaged loading our
arms and putting them in order. The men continued to advance. I
ordered my son James to fire upon them from a garret window
with our largest gun, which was six feet long. This made them
lower their heads; they then separated into six detachments and
took various posts. Some of them, under cover of hedges and
ditches, contrived to get round to the back of the house. They had
determined to root us out this time, for their first act was to set fire
to the malt-house, which was towards the east, then to the stacks of
hay, straw and grain which were at the north and east, and after
that to the cow-house, stable, and long fish-press which were at the
west of my house. 

These were all very combustible. In less than half an hour we were
encompassed with flames on every side but one. By reason of the
fire and smoke between them and us, we were unable to see our
enemies, and we suffered much from the smoke, which found its
way to us through every crevice. 

I ordered the servants to put water in every tub and bucket that
could be found, and then immerse sheep-skins with wool upon
them, and ox-skins, of both which we had many in the house.
When these were thoroughly saturated I had them placed in the
windows, as being the most exposed parts of the house. My dear
wife superintended these arrangements. 

The roof was slated, so there appeared but little danger of fire
being communicated to us through that channel. 

The whole garrison consisted of my wife and myself, our children
and four servants. Two of the latter were mere cowboys, and the
other two had never seen a battle. We fired hap-hazard, as fast as
we could load. We did so, because we could actually see nothing
but fire and smoke, and therefore could not aim at our enemies. 

My chief apprehension arose from the fear that they might possess
themselves of our cannon and turn them against ourselves.
Therefore I thought that while unable to see what our assailants
were doing, I could not employ myself better than in firing my
large blunderbuss every few minutes in the direction of the
cannon. 

While I was firing at random, I had a glimpse of a man setting fire
to the covering of the fish-press. I took deliberate aim at him with
my blunderbuss, loaded as usual with swan-shot, and wounded him
in several places, but not seriously. 

While we were blinded and suffocated by the smoke from the
burning stacks, our adversaries raised a small mound of turf and
wood, behind which they intrenched themselves. They set to work
with long poles to detach the slates from the roof of the north-east
tower. As soon as they uncovered a portion, they applied fire to it,
by means of burning straw at the end of their poles, and in this way
the roof was on fire three times, and we as often extinguished it
from within.

[80] This is one of the boldest defences known in American
history. A privateer was a vessel authorized to capture an enemy's
property, but the privateersmen often were little better than pirates,
as in this case. 

16. How the Boys fought the Privateersmen
BY JOHN FONTAINE (1708)

ABOUT two o'clock in the afternoon, they accomplished making a
breach in the wall of this same northeast tower. We could see them
at work with iron bars. While they were so engaged my children
fired upon them. They formed a sort of rampart with a mattress on
the top of a large basket, such as is used in the country for carrying
peat. They knelt behind this rampart, and fired as fast as they could
one after the other, without daring to show their noses. 

The enemy still continued at work with their long poles and
firebrands endeavoring to set the roof on fire. When the smoke had
subsided a little, I hit upon a position from which I could see to
take aim at their hands, as they raised them above their
intrenchment to guide the poles. 

I fired, and I thought I hit them, but as they still persevered in their
work I began to think it probable that I had not put a sufficient
charge in the piece, so when I loaded again I put in a double
quantity of powder. I had no sooner loaded than I had the
opportunity of aiming at a hand I saw raised. I fired, but my piece
was overloaded, and it burst, by which unfortunate accident I was
thrown down with much violence. Three of my ribs and my right
collar-bone were broken, and the flesh of my right hand was much
torn. I was so completely stunned that I had no power to move, or
even to breathe for some seconds. 

My wife saw me fall, and she naturally concluded I had been
struck by a ball from the enemy. She ran to my assistance, and
raised me up without making any noise whatever. As soon as I was
able to articulate, I told her how it had happened. After I was
prostrated, my dearest wife assumed the command. She had an eye
to every thing. She went round to furnish ammunition as it was
required, and she gave courage as well by her exhortations as by
her example. 

My sons defended the breach by an incessant fire from behind
their mattress rampart. At last, a grenade was thrown in at the
breach, which ran under the basket. It overturned the whole affair,
but without doing any harm, thanks be to God, except giving the
boys a fright which made them abandon their post; but only for a
very short time. 

One of them ran to me, in great dismay, to tell me that the hole
was as large as any door, and that the enemy were entering by it.
The other boys were still firing from the dormer windows. 

I immediately rose from my bed, and asked them to give me a
pistol ready. cocked and loaded, which I took in my left hand, the
right being useless. I called my family around me, and I said to
them, "I see, my dear children, that we must be overpowered by
the great number of those who are attacking us. It is inevitable; but
we will not stand quietly to be killed like dogs. Let us rather sell
our lives dearly, and die like lions." I was advancing towards the
breach while I said these words. 

As soon as I had done speaking, my poor boys re-entered the room,
and took up their old position without a word or a gesture
indicative of fear. They replaced their basket and mattress,
exposed to the fire of more than ten muskets. It was, indeed, a
melancholy sight! At the same time, I was gratified with their
display of unflinching courage. Blessed be thou, O my God! who
preserved them from injury amid such a shower of balls. 

When they resumed the fire, the enemy retreated from the breach,
and did not dare to show their heads, or even their hands. This
caused all their fire to be thrown away; for, by not raising the
butt-end of their muskets, they carried too high, and the shot went
far above us every time. Seeing that we did not give way in the
least, they began to tire of our obstinate resistance. They might
possibly have heard me speak to the children, and it is very certain
they overrated our force extremely. From the constant fire in all
directions, as well as upon the main point of attack, they
concluded that we must have at least twenty men. They called out
to us to surrender, and they would give us good quarter. 

I held a conversation with my wife and children, and we
determined, at any rate, to hear what terms they offered. The firing
was stopped on both sides, and I advanced to the breach to hold
parley with them. One of the lieutenants came forward and took
aim at me. My second son, Peter, saw what he was about, before I
observed him. He immediately caught hold of me and drew me to
one side, barely in time to save me from being the victim of their
treachery; for the ball passed within two or three inches of my
stomach. 

I was extremely indignant, and said, "Ah ! you traitors ! was it then
merely with the view of surprising me, that you proposed a parley
? Fire upon these traitors, my sons. Fire, I say." The boys obeyed
me without loss of time, and fired upon the deceitful miscreants. I
had foolishly exposed myself to a very great danger, by placing
confidence in the good faith of an enemy whom I might have
known was destitute of all honorable feeling. The ever watchful
providence of God again interposed for my deliverance. 

We kept up an incessant fire for another quarter of an hour, when
the enemy called out to us again, and made a second offer of good
quarter. I reproached them with their recent perfidy, and told them
I could not trust persons who had already attempted to betray the
confidence I had reposed in them. 

They then threatened that, if we refused to surrender, they would
throw a barrel of powder in the breach and blow us all up. 

"I have three or four at your service here," said I, "and I intend to
scatter their contents over this floor and the inner hall, and
whenever you are pleased to enter, I will throw a lighted turf upon
it, and make you dance. You may depend upon it, I will not perish
without you." 

The desperate tone of this reply made them repeat once more their
offer of good quarter. So we had a cessation of hostilities on both
sides. Their proposition was, that they should have the plunder, to
which I assented. I demanded life and liberty for myself and all
who were with me. 

He was to guarantee life and liberty to all of us, and to promise on
their part the most strictly honorable deportment while in
possession, and they were to have the plunder. They swore to the
observance of these terms. I then had the doors opened, and ranged
myself, my wife, my sons and four servants in regular order, to
surrender our arms to the Commander, as he entered. 

Oh, God! our Preserver ! thou knowest, and none else can know
the state of my feelings at that moment, to see my beloved wife
and dear children, at the mercy of enemies, fourteen of whom we
had wounded. Oh! what everlasting praises do we owe to thee for
our preservation. It was thou who restrained our bloodthirsty
enemies from executing the vengeance which they had sworn
against us. Oh, my God! I beseech thee to sanctify the lives which
thou hast so miraculously preserved, and assist us to devote them
to thy service! 

The Commander, and a good many of the men came in, and seeing
only five youths, and four cowherds, they looked anxiously around,
and asked me where all my men were, evidently fearing an
ambuscade. 

"You need not fear anything dishonorable from me," said I, "you
now see our whole garrison." "Impossible," said he, "these children
could never have kept up all the firing." 

My wife then spoke to him, and said, "I am in hopes, sir, that the
fact of so few persons having made this gallant defence, will be an
inducement to you whom I trust we shall find a man of honor to
treat us with the more consideration." Struck with her courage the
Commander ordered a guard to protect us, and contented himself
with sweeping away what remained of our place.17. A Pirate's Fate
By Benjamin Colman (1726)

THE story of these wretched men is short and tragical. They sailed
from Jamaica on board a snow, John Green, Commander, bound to
Guinea. 

They had not been long at sea before they conspired to seize the
captain and mate and then go a-pirating.81 On the 27th of May,
1726, they put in execution their wicked design, in a most cruel
and barbarous manner. About one o'clock in the morning, William
Fly, then boatswain of the snow "Elizabeth,"82 after he had been
for some time forward with several of the sailors, came aft with
Alexander Mitchel and others, and said to Morrice Cunden
(gunner of the ship), then at the helm. "You, dog, if you stir hand
or foot, or speak a word, I'll blow your brains out!" 

And immediately thereupon he went into the cabin where Captain
Green was in bed, and Alexander Mitchel followed him; and while
they were there Morrice Cunden heard the captain cry out: "What's
the matter?" But they soon hauled him upon deck, and were about
to throw him overboard; he was heard calling earnestly to the
doctor to hand him a rope. But the doctor was by this time himself
in irons. Thus bloodily these inhuman creatures began their piracy,
but vengeance followed them and suffered them not to live. 

William Fly, the chief and worst (we may suppose) of these
barbarous rogues, took on him the command, and named the snow
the "Fame's Revenge." They were well stored with powder, and
rum and provisions, but wanted a better vessel; and in quest of this
it is likely they bent their course, first to Carol line, and from
thence to New England. On the third of June they took a sloop at
anchor off North Carolina, on board of which was Mr. William
Atkinson, a passenger; who was afterwards the happy instrument
in the hand of God for their destruction. They very much needed
one so well skilled, as Atkinson was both a mariner and pilot; and
Fly treated him well on that account, but kept a strict eye upon
him, forbidding him to have any conversation with the forced men;
and, lest he should talk to them, he had a hammock hung for him
in the cabin. 

They commanded him to carry them to Martha's Vineyard in order
to wood and water there, and in hopes to meet with some sloop
fitting for their purpose. But he resolved to run the venture of
carrying them past the Vineyard, and run them up into or near the
bay before they were aware of it. When they perceived it they
began to look upon him with an evil eye, and spake of throwing
him overboard. But as Fly was uttering his rage at him the next
morning on this account, and telling him what death he should die
if anything ill befell them through his conduct. a schooner came in
sight, which put an end to Fly's rage, for the joy of a good prize.
They found it a schooner of Marblehead, George Girdler, Master. 

Mr. Atkinson had some time before this meditated the seizing on
Fly and his company, and found means secretly to communicate
his mind to some on board, whom he thought he might trust;
particularly to Samuel Walker, and Thomas Streaton; and Walker
had spoken of it to James Benbrook; who all consented if a fair
opportunity should offer. 

It was very necessary to his design to ingratiate himself, as far as
he honestly and with a good conscience could, with Fly and his
pirates. Yet in doing this he ran a risk both of his innocence and
his life of his innocence, for "with a furious man thou shalt not go,
lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul;" and of his life,
for as some of the pirates, the captain especially, began to think
friendly of him and to hearken to his advice (they all depending on
him to navigate the ship). If a ship of war had taken them, it is to
be feared that he had in vain pleaded his innocence and good
intentions. But the good God who preserved, has also pleaded his
innocence. And we ought to praise his virtue, conduct and courage,
and give God the glory of it. 

Fly had no sooner taken the schooner of Marblehead, when they
discovered another at a distance from them. Whereupon he put
three men on board the schooner, and purposed to bear down on
the new sail with both his vessels. But Mr. Atkinson with a ready
thought advised him to put six men into the schooner, and send her
down on the fishing vessels, for the schooner had been one of their
company but a day before, and so there would be no likelihood of
their flying from her: "but," said he, "if the snow  and the schooner
now bear down together, they'll take you for what you are, and
make away from you." Fly came into his advice and put three men
more into the schooner, and parted with her, standing a course
wide from her. 

Now Atkinson's thoughts were hard at work how to draw Fly away
from his arms on the quarter-deck. For there he kept alone, nor
would suffer Atkinson to step up, so much as to set down the bowl
of punch after he had drank to him. And probably a message which
he received from a chief pirate on board the schooner, "To have a
special care of his friend," did increase his jealousy; though he
seem. d only to laugh at it. 

Within a little while Atkinson spied a sail ahead to the leeward,
and informed Fly of it. And presently after he pretended to
discover two or tier, more sail, and told him he would have a fleet
of prizes. But Fly with his glass could see but one. "Why," said
Atkinson, "if you were but here, sir, with your glass, ahead, you
would easily see them all." On a sudden Fly forgot his caution, and
comes off the quarter-deck, where his arms lay, and sits him down
ahead to spy the sails spoken of. Then Atkinson gave the sign to
his friends, and Walker followed by Benbrook came up,
pretending at first to direct the captain to look a point or two on
such a side, while Atkinson (a spare and slender man) passed aft
toward the arms, and in the instant that Walker laid hold of Fly he
took the fire-arms, and returned pointing the gun to the pirate's
breast, and telling him "He was a dead man if he did not
immediately submit himself his prisoner." The wicked Fly
earnestly begged for his life, and now found that mercy which he
had so barbarously denied to his innocent captain. 

When Fly found himself chained down and effectually secured, he
fell at times into the most desperate ragings; the same blasphemer
now in his furious despair, or worse than he ever was before in his
jollity and pride; when he would sometimes even dare to ridicule
the noise of God's thunder, as it rattled over him, saying, "That
they were playing bowls in the air," etc., and as the lightnings
sometimes flashed upon them, he would say "Who fires now?
Stand by," etc. So he dared the dreadful vengeance, which pursued
him swift as the lightnings and suddenly struck him. 

But Capt. Atkinson and his brave mates are much to be praised,
that they dealt so mercifully with these bloody men; and neither
"blew their brains out" (their own phrase) nor threw them
overboard. Blessed be God that kept them that day from shedding
blood, and from avenging themselves with their own hands. It was
much better to reserve the murderers to the judgment of the law, in
the proper course of it. Capt. Atkinson and his company now made
the best of their way for the port of Boston.

[81] In many cases piracy began with mutiny and The seizure of
the ship by the sailors. 

[82] A snow is a sort of brig. 

18. Sharks and Water Spouts
BY Rev. George Whitefield (1737)83

My dear Friends, 

Though I know no reason why you should be solicitous about
anything that happens to such a dead dog as I am, yet as your love
(O unmerited Kindness) abounds exceedingly towards me, I send
you a full and particular account of my voyage. 

Monday, Feb. 20, 1737. I spent the morning on board in writing
letters to my dear friends in England. Went in the afternoon on
shore to Gibralter, and was unspeakably delighted with the
prospect of the place The seeing persons of all nations and
languages gave me great pleasure. 

Saturday, March 18. The weather being exceedingly fair, and the
sea calm, I went with the Captain on board the Lightfoot. Dined
with the gentlemen belonging to the ship; married a couple;
dispersed Bibles, testaments and soldiers' monitors amongst the
men. Exchanged some books for some cards which I threw
overboard. Preached a sermon against drunkenness which God
enabled me to finish yesterday; and returned in the evening highly
delighted with seeing the porpoises roll about the great deep. 

Monday, March 20. To-day the Colonel came to dine with us, and
in the midst of our meal we were entertained with a most
agreeable sight. It was a shark about the length of a mall. It
followed our ship, and was attended with five little fishes, called
the pilot fish, much like a mackerel, but larger. 

These I am told always keep the shark company. And what is most
surprising, though the shark is so ravenous a creature, yet let it be
never so hungry, it never touches one of them. Nor are they less
faithful to him. For if at any time the shark is hooked, these little
creatures will not forsake him. They cleave close to his fins and
are often taken up with him. Go to the pilot-fish, thou that
forsakes" a friend in adversity. Consider his ways and be abashed. 

Tuesday, April 18. Was greatly delighted in seeing two water
spouts, which ran along for several miles, and by the especial
Providence of God escaped US. We saw one of them coming, and
were surprised to observe a sudden calm for about six minutes. 

The other parts of the sea boiled like a pot. But surely the
everlasting I AM said to the sea at that instant, "Let there be a calm
in that place." For by that means our ship was immediately stopped
in her course. So the water spout passed by before we came up to
it. Otherwise it would have torn our sail in pieces. God's hand was
so visible in this, that several said they never beheld the like
before. 

Saturday, April 22. Fled as it were on the wings of the wind for
three days past. I find that God generally sends us strongest winds
when nearest our port. 

Friday, May 5. This afternoon, after having lain about a week on
this coast, we saw Savannah River, and sent off for a pilot. Oh
what joy appeared in everyone's countenance! 

Sunday, May 7. Last night, by the blessing of God, we cast anchor
near Tyby Island about fourteen miles off Savannah. After this I
took boat and arrived safe at Savannah, having a most pleasant
passage, about seven in the evening.

[83] Rev. George Whitefield, the great preacher, describes some of
the incidents of his voyage to America in 1737. 

PART III IN THE WILDERNESS

19. How to grow Indian Corn
BY HENRY SPELMAN (1689)

THE Indians have houses, but few of the greatest towns have more
than twenty or thirty of them. Their buildings are made like an
oven, with a little hole through which they go out and in. In the
midst of the house there is a hole through which the smoke goes
out. The king's houses are broader and longer than those of the
other people, having many dark windings and turnings.84 

When the Indians go hunting, the women go to a place assigned
beforehand to build wigwams for their husbands to sleep in at
night. They carry mats to cover these huts, and as the men go
further in their hunting, the women go on ahead, carrying the mats. 

By the side of their dwelling-houses the Indians commonly make a
place to plant their corn. If there be much wood in that place, they
cut down the larger trees, and the smaller trees they burn to the
root, pulling most of the bark from them so as to make them die.
In these cornfields they used to dig holes with a crooked piece of
wood. Since then the English have brought them shovels and
spades. They put into these holes ordinarily four or five kernels of
their wheat, and two beans.85 When the wheat has grown up,
having a stalk as big as a cane reed, the beans run up on them, like
our hops on poles. 

The ear of the wheat is long alla thick, and yet for all its
coarseness, the stalk has commonly four or five ears. Their corn is
planted and gathered at about the same time as ours, but their
manner of harvesting is like our way of gathering apples. First they
put the ears in hand baskets, then empty them into larger baskets,
made of the bark of trees or of hemp. Then they lay the corn upon
thick mats in the sun to dry, and every night they make a great pile
of it, covering it with mats to protect it from the dew. When it is
safely weathered, they pile it up in their houses, and daily as they
want to use some of the corn they rub the kernels off into a great
basket, wringing the ears between their hands. A great basket of
this takes up the best part of some of their houses. Shelling corn is
chiefly women's work, for the men only hunt to get skins in winter
and dress them in summer. 

But though now it is out of our purpose, we may not forget
altogether the planting of the King's corn, for which a day is
appointed.86 On that day a great party of the country people meet
and work so hard that the greater part of the King's corn is planted
in one day. After the planting is over the King takes the crown
which the King of England sent him, and puts it upon his head.
This done, the people go backwards and forwards among the corn
hills he King following. Their faces are always towards the King,
expecting that he will throw some beads among them.87 It is his
custom at such a time to make those 

who had been planting corn scramble for the beads. Some of his
favorites he calls to him and gives the beads into their own hands.
This is the greatest courtesy which he offers to his people. When
his corn is ripe the country people come to him again and gather,
dry, and rub out all his corn for him and then store it in the houses
abounding for that purpose.88

[84] The early settlers called the Indian chiefs "kings." 

[85] "Their wheat" means Indian corn; the Indians did not have
real wheat. 

[86] The Indian King, that is, the chief. 

[87] The beads were brought from Europe and the Indians greatly
valued them; before the English came the had only little shells and
fresh-water pearls. 

[88] The English very soon learned to eat the Indian pone or corn
bread, baked in the ashes. 

20. Delights of New England
BY REV. FRANCIS HIGGINSON (1630)89

THE variety of the soil of New England is to be admired. It
appears in the abundance of grass which grows everywhere, very
thick and very high in different places; but it grows very wild with
a great stalk and broad wide blade, because it has never been
cropped by cattle, nor mown with the scythe, and seldom trampled
under foot. It can scarcely be believed how our cows and goats,
horses and pigs, do thrive and prosper here in this country. 

In our plantation we can already buy a quart of milk for a penny.
The abundant increase of grain proves this country to be a wonder.
Thirty, forty, and Sixty fold harvests are ordinary here. Our
planters hope to have more than a hundred-fold here this year. Our
children, by planting corn, may earn more than their own support. 

This country abounds with roots of great variety which are good to
eat. Our turnips, parsnips, and carrots are both bigger and sweeter
than those ordinarily found in England. Barberries grow in plenty,
and pennyroyal, sorrel and water-cress, leeks and onions. There
also is an abundance of other wild herbs, delightful to smell,
whose names we do not know. There is a plenty of single damask
roses, very sweet; and two kinds of herbs which bear two kinds of
flowers, which they say are as good to make cordage or cloth as
our hemp or flax. We have mulberries, plums, raspberries,
currants, chestnuts and walnuts, all of which grow in plenty here. 

New England has water enough, both salt and fresh, as the Atlantic
sea runs all along this coast. We have a number of excellent
harbors, such as Cape Ann and Massachusetts Bay and Salem. The
abundance of sea-fish is almost beyond believing, and usually I
can scarce believe it with my own eyes. I often see a great number
of whales, mackerel, and codfish taken in. Then there is a fish
called bass, as sweet and wholesome a fish as ever I did eat. It is
altogether as good as our fresh herring. They come in June, and
again three months later. Of this fish one may take many hundreds
together. Indeed, their nets ordinarily take more than the fishermen
are able to haul to land, so that they want for boats and men and
often are forced to let many go that they have taken. Besides bass,
we took plenty of thornbacks, and an abundance of lobsters, so that
the smallest boy in the plantation may both catch and eat as many
as he may wish of them. 

The air of New England is one special thing that commends this
place. Experience shows that there is hardly a more healthful place
to be found in the world, or one that agrees better with our English
bodies. Many who were weak and sickly in Old England, by
coming hither, have been safely healed, and grown healthful and
strong. A sup of New England's air is better than a whole draught
of Old England's ale.

[89] The writer of this piece is the same Francis Higginson, whose
voyage we read about in the last chapter. He is here writing home
to his friends, urging them to come; and thousands of English
people did come over at that time. 

21. All Sorts of Creatures
BY JOHN JOSSELYN (1663-1672)90

THE humming birds, the smallest of all birds, are of changeable
colors, and are found in New England They feed upon honey
which they suck out of flowers with their long needle-like bills.
They sleep all winter and are not to be seen until the spring, at
which time they brood in little nests, made of soft, silk-like stuff.
Their eggs are no bigger than white peas, and they hatch four or
five at a time. 

The turkeys are blacker than ours.91 I have heard several
trustworthy persons say that they have seen turkey-cocks that
weighed forty, even sixty pounds. Out of my personal experience, I
can assure you that I have eaten my share of a turkey that weighed
thirty pounds after he was dressed. I have also seen sixty broods of
young turkeys on the side of a marsh, sunning themselves early in
the morning. The English and the Indians have, by this time, nearly
destroyed the breed, so that it is very rare to meet with a wild
turkey in the woods. Some of the English people, however, have
numbers of them in their yards. 

The wild turkeys hatch twice or three times in a year. If you would
keep the young alive, you must give them little water, for if they
have their fill Or water, they will grow weak, and you will never
be able to raise any of them. The squaws weave coats of turkey
feathers for their children.92 

Of pigeons there are millions upon millions. In the spring and in
the fall when they return southward I have seen a flight of pigeons
four or five miles long. To my thinking, they had neither beginning
nor ending. So thick they were that I could see no sun. In one tree
might be seen nest after nest. And one tree after another for miles
among the pine trees, I have seen, filled with these nests. But they
are fewer now.93 

The owl is the dullest bird there is. Of these there are three sorts, a
great grey owl with ears, a little gray owl, and a white owl. Poor,
ragged birds they are, and have no glittering, golden feathers. 

Of beasts of the earth there are not many kinds here. The wolves
have their kennels under thick bushes by great trees, in far-off
places in the swamps. 

A dog caught a wolf which had got into the sea, and held him there
until some one went in and led him out. The dog kept his hold
upon the wolf until they had tied its legs. When they brought the
wolf into the house, they unbound his legs, and he did not offer to
bite. He did not so much as show his teeth. He put his head down,
and looked toward the door, as if he would willingly have his
liberty But they killed him, as they did other wolves. 

The bear at certain seasons is a terrible creature. When hunted
with dogs, he goes up a tree, where he is shot. When he is fat,
which is in acorn time, and in winter, he makes good food. But
then there is no one who dares to kill him but the Indians. 

The bear makes his den among thick bushes, pushing in here and
there a dot of moss.94 This moss, being covered with snow, melts
in the daytime with the heat of the sun: but in the night it is frozen
in a thick coat of ice. The mouth of the den is very narrow. Here
they lie single, never two in a den all winter. 

The Indian, as soon as he finds them, creeps in upon all fours.
With his left hand, he seizes the neck of the sleeping bear, drags
him to the mouth of the den, where with a club or small hatchet he
kills him, before he can open his eyes. But sometimes the bear is
too quick for the Indian, as one of them called Black Robin can
tell. He was badly hurt by the bear before he could strike it. 

The females among beasts and birds of prey, in size and beauty,
surpass the males. So do they especially among fishes. 

To speak of fishes I shall begin first with the whale.95 The whale
is a kingly fish as all fishes of  great size are. There was one of
them thrown up on the shore about eight miles from where I lived
This whale was fifty-five feet long. These sea creatures are of great
strength and size. 

The herring are very numerous. The people catch them all summer
long. We saw them once driven into the harbour by other great fish
that feed upon them near the shore. It was at the time of high
water. They threw themselves upon the land in such great numbers
that we could have gone up to the knee among them for a quarter
of a mile. 

I have seen a lobster that weighed twenty pounds.96 They cast off
their shell-coats in the spring, and so do crabs. They have,
underneath, a thin, red skin which grows thick and hard in a short
time, and forms a new shell-coat . The Indians feed much upon the
lobster. Some they roast and some they dry. 

The starfish has five points like a star. The whole fish is no bigger
than the palm of a man's hand. It is of a tough substance, like
leather. It is about an inch in thickness, whitish underneath, of the
color of a cucumber above and somewhat rough. 

When it is warm in one's hand, you may see it make a stiff motion,
turning down one of its points and putting up another. The starfish
is very common, and is found thrown up on the rocks by the
sea-tide.

[90] John Josselyn was very fond of the country, and also fond of
telling a big story; the hummingbirds disappear in winter, because
they go south. 

[91] Wild turkeys. 

[92] Young turkeys are still thought very hard to raise. 

[93] Two centuries later such pigeon roosts existed near the Ohio
River. 

[94] The white people killed lots of them. 

[95] The whale is not a fish, but an animal living in the water; it
cannot stay long under water without rising to take breath. 

[96] No such big lobsters are left now. 

22. How to raise Tobacco
By Alsop (1666)

THE three main commodities this country affords for trade, are
tobacco, furs, and flesh.97 Furs and skins, as those of beavers,
otters, musk-rats, raccoons, wild-cats, and elk or buffalo, with
several others, were first sold by the Indians of the country. They
were sold to the white people living near, and by them to the
merchants who carried them into England and other places where
they became salable. 

Tobacco is the only regular article of trade of this province. The
use of it was first found out by the Indians many ages ago. Its use
was brought into the Christian world by that great discoverer of
America, Columbus.98 It is generally made by all the people of
this province. Between the months of March and April, they sow
the seed, which is much smaller than mustard-seed, in small beds
and patches. These patches are dug up and made with care. About
May the plants commonly appear green in those beds. In June they
are transplanted from their beds, and set in little hillocks in distant
rows, dug up for the same purpose. 

Twice or thrice they are weeded, and freed from poor leaves that
are peeping out from the body of the stalk.99 They cut off the tops
of the several plants as they find occasion, when they grow too
fast. About the middle of September they cut the tobacco down,
and carry it into houses, made for that purpose, to bring it to its
purity. And after time has brought it to perfection, it is then tied up
in bundles, and packed into hogsheads. It is then laid away for
trade. 

Between November and January there arrive in this province ships
to the number of twenty sail and upwards. All are trading vessels
loaded with goods to sell or trade. They trade with the planter for
silks, hollands, woolens, and broadcloths, and other necessary
goods, at such rates as shall be thought fair and lawful for tobacco
at so much the pound. Advantage on both sides is considered. The
planter has given his work, and the merchant has risked coming;
with his goods into a far country. Thus is the trade on both sides
made in a fair and honest way. 

The people of this province are seldom or never put to the fear of
being robbed of their money, nor of dirtying their fingers by
counting vast sums. They have more bags to carry corn than coin;
but the very product of the dirty ground of this province affords as
great a profit to the inhabitants as the gold of Peru does to the
Spaniard. 

Our shops of Maryland are the merchants' storehouses, where with
few words goods are bought and delivered. They are not like those
shop-keepers' boys in London that continually cry, "What do ye
lack, sir ? What do ye buy ?" 

Tobacco is the coin of Maryland, and will purchase goods from the
merchant quicker than money. I must confess the New England
men that trade into this province, had rather have fat pork for
goods, than tobacco or furs.

[97] Tobacco was the main crop in the South in the colonial time,
and therefore we ought to know how it was grown. 

[98] Sir Walter Raleigh introduced smoking into England. 

[99] To top tobacco = to cut off young growing heads. 

23. Carolina Beasts
BY THOMAS ASH (1680)100

Fireflies.101 -- There are in Carolina great numbers of fireflies,
who carry their lanterns in their tails, in dark nights flying through
the air, shining like streaks of fire, and lighting it with their golden
spangles. I have seen a larger sort at Jamaica. These have two
lights upon their eyes and a third in their tails; on dark nights they
shine like candles, so that I have often, at a distance, mistaken
their sparkle for the lights of some distant plantation. Amongst
large orange trees in the night I have seen many of those flies
whose lights have appeared like hanging candles or hanging
torches which amidst the leaves yielded a sight truly curious. With
three of these fireflies secured in a glass bottle in a very dark night
I have read very small print. 

Turtles.102 -- The tortoises, more commonly called by our Indians
the turtles, are of three sorts: the hawksbill, whose shell is that
which we call the tortoise shell; the green turtle, whose flesh is
good to eat; the third kind is called the loggerhead turtle, and
neither its shell nor its flesh is of worth. The kind of creatures who
live both on the land and on the sea in the day usually keep in the
sea, swimming on the surface. In fair weather they delight to
expose themselves to the sun, oftentimes falling asleep, lying there
without any motion on the water, until they are disturbed by the
approach of some ship. Then, as they are very quick of hearing,
they awaken quickly and dive away. In the night they often come
on shore to feed, and lay their eggs in the sand, which once 

covered they leave for the sun to hatch. The little turtles dig their
passage out of the sand, immediately making their way towards the
water. 

Sea Cow.103 -- There is, farther to the southward of Carolina, a
fish called the sea cow, of extraordinary size, sometimes of a
thousand pounds. It feeds on the banks on the grassy herbage. She
has a head like a cow and is of a green color. Her flesh is said to be
sweeter than the tenderest veal. Its skin makes excellent whips for
horses, which are very serviceable and lasting. 

Alligator or Crocodile. -- There are in the mouths of their rivers, or
in the lakes near the sea, creatures which are little known in the
West Indies and are called alligators or crocodiles. Their backs are
scaly and impenetrable, so that a musket ball cannot pierce
them.104 It lives both on land and on water, and is such a greedy
creature that it devours everything it sees. Man, however, it dares
to take on land only by surprise or when asleep. In the water the
crocodile is more dangerous. It sometimes grows to great length,
from sixteen to twenty feet, and has a long mouth set with sharp
teeth. Its body, when full grown, is as large as that of a horse,
growing smaller towards the tail. Nature has given land creatures
an instinct to avoid the crocodile, warning them by its strong
musky smell, which can be perceived at Considerable distance, so
that poor cattle, smelling it in time, can get out of harm's way.

[100] Thomas Ash was born in England in 1650, and came over to
the part of the coast at first considered the southern part of
Virginia. but which in 1676 was chartered as the colony of
Carolina. He was Governor of that colony from 1689 to 1694, and
wrote one of the best accounts of the country that has come down
to us. 

[101] Fireflies were not known in England. 

[102] The turtles of which Ash speaks are all water turtles. The
colonists found them very useful for food, but at the present day
very few come ashore. 

[103] The sea cow is also called the manatee; it is now very scarce
in the waters of the coast of the United States. 

[104] A rifle-ball will penetrate the alligator's hide. 

24. The Dangers of the Way
BY MADAM SARAH KNIGHT (1704)

MONDAY, October 2nd, 1704. 

About three o'clock afternoon I began my journey from Boston to
New Haven, being about two hundred miles.105 When we had
ridden about an hour, we came into a thick swamp, which by
reason of a great fog, very much startled me, for it was now very
dark. 

In about an hour, or something more, after we left the swamp, we
came to Billing's tavern, where I was to lodge. My guide
dismounted and very complaisantly helped me down, and showed
the door, signing to me with his hand to go in; which I gladly did. 

But I had not gone many steps into the room ere I was interrogated
by a young lady (I understood after. wards she was the elder
daughter of the family). These were her words. 

"Law for me what in the world brings you here at this time a' night
? I never see a woman on the road so dreadful late in all the days
of my versall life.106 Who are you? Where are you going? I'm
scared out of my wits." With much more of the same kind. 

I told her she treated me very rudely, and I did not think it my duty
to answer her unmannerly questions. But to get rid of them I told
her I came there to have the mail carrier's company with me
tomorrow on my journey. I begged the Miss to show me where I
must lodge. 

She conducted me to a parlor in a little back lean to, which was
almost filled with the bedstead. It was so high that I was forced to
climb on a chair to get up to the wretched bed that lay on it.
Having stretched my tired limbs on it, and laid my head on a sad
colored pillow, I began to think on the transactions of the past day. 

TUESDAY, October 3rd. About eight in the morning I, with the
mail carrier, proceeded forward with out anything remarkable.
And about two in the afternoon, we arrived at the carrier's second
stage, where the western postman met him with letters. 

Here, having called for something to eat, the woman brought a
twisted thing like a cable, but a little whiter, which proved to be a
loaf of bread. Laying it on the table she tugged for life to bring it
into a capacity to spread. Having with great pains accomplished
this, she served also a dish of pork and cabbage. I suppose this was
the remains of dinner. 

The sauce was of a deep purple, as I thought, because it was boiled
in her dye pot. The bread was of Indian meal and everything on the
table service in keeping. As I was hungry, I got a little down. But
my stomach was soon cloyed. 

About three in the afternoon I went on with my third guide, who
rode very hard. We came to a river which they generally ride
through. But I dared not venture. So the mail carrier got a lad and
canoe to carry me to the other side, and he rode through and led
my horse. The canoe was very small and shallow, so that when we
were in it seemed ready to take in water, which greatly terrified
me. 

This caused me to be very circumspect, sitting with my hands fast
on each side, my eyes steady. I did not dare so much as to lodge
my tongue a hair's breadth more on one side of my mouth than on
the other. I dared not so much as to think of Lot's wife, for a wry
thought would have overset our wherry.107 

But I was soon put out of this pain by feeling the canoe on shore,
and I as soon almost saluted the land with my feet. 

Rewarding my canoeman, again I mounted and we made the best
of our way forward. The road here was very even and the day
pleasant, near the sunset. The carrier now told me we had nearly
fourteen miles to ride to the next stopping place, where we were to
lodge. 

I asked him about the rest of the road, forseeing that we must
travel in the night. He told me there was a bad river which we were
to ride through with a current so very fierce that a horse could
hardly stem it; he said it was narrow, and we should soon be over. 

I cannot express the concern of mind caused by this account. No
thoughts but those of the dangerous river could entertain my
imagination. They tormented me with blackest ideas of my
approaching fate. Sometimes I saw myself drowning, other times
drowned, and at the best like a holy sister just come out of a
spiritual bath in dripping garments. 

Now was the glorious sun, with his swift courses, arrived at the
end of his day's journey, leaving poor me with the rest of this part
of the lower world in darkness, with which we were soon
surrounded. The only glimmering we now had was from the
spangled skies of which imperfect reflections rendered every
object formidable. 

Each lifeless tree trunk with its shattered limbs, appeared an armed
enemy, and every little stump like a ravenous devourer. Nor could
I so much as see my guide, when at any distance which added to
the terror. 

Thus absolutely lost in thought, and dying with the very fear of
drowning, I came up with the post man, whom I did not see till I
was beside his horse He told me that he was stopping for me; and
we rode on very deliberately a few paces when we entered a
thicket of trees and shrubs. 

I perceived by the horse's gait that we were on the descent of a hill.
As we came nearer the bottom it was totally dark, from the trees
that surrounded it. But I knew by the going of the horse, we had
entered the water, and my guide told me that this was the
hazardous river of which he had been talking. 

Riding up close to my side he bid me not to fear for we should be
over immediately. I now rallied all the courage I was mistress of. I
knew I must either venture the fate of drowning or be left like the
children in the wood. 

So, as the postman bade me. I gave reins to my nag, and sitting as
steady as just before in the canoe, in a few minutes got safe to the
other side, which was the Narragansett country.

[105] This brave lady started off cheerfully for her long and
dangerous journey; there were then few roads in New England, and
few bridges. 

[106] See for saw. Versall = probably universal. 

[107] Lot's wife was turned into salt for looking back. 

25. Creatures of the Wilderness
BY COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD (1728)108

WE came to the banks of a creek called in the Indian language,
"Ohimpa-moni," signifying Jumping Creek, from the frequent
jumping of fish during the spring season. 

Here we encamped, and by the time the horses were hobbled, our
hunters brought us no less than a brace and a half of deer, which
made great plenty and consequently great content in our
quarters.109 Some of our people had shot a great wild cat which
was at the fatal moment making a comfortable meal upon a
fox-squirrel. 

The wild cat is as big again as any household cat, and much the
fiercest inhabitant of the woods. Whenever it is disabled it will
tear its own flesh for madness. Although a panther will run away
from a man, a wild cat will only make a surly retreat before him.
Now and then he will face about if he be not too closely pursued.
He will even pursue in his turn, if he observe the least sign of fear
or even of caution in those that pretend to follow him. The flesh of
this beast, as well as of the panther, is as white as veal, and
altogether as sweet and delicious. 

One day a great flock of cranes flew over our quarters. They were
exceedingly noisy in their flight. They seemed to steer their course
toward the south (they are birds of passage) in quest of warmer
weather. They only took this country on their way. They are as
rarely met with in this part of the world as a highwayman or a
beggar.110 These birds travel generally in flocks. When they roost
they place upon the highest trees sentinels, which constantly stand
upon one leg to keep themselves waking. 

We forded several runs of excellent water.111 After wards we
crossed a large level of high land full of lofty walnut, poplar, and
white oak trees. As we marched along we saw many buffalo
tracks, but could not have the pleasure of seeing the animals. They
either smelt us out, having that sense of smell very lively, or else
they were alarmed at the noise which so many people must
necessarily make in marching along. At the sight of a man they
will snort and grunt, cock up their ridiculous short tails, and tear
up the ground with a fury of fear. These wild cattle hardly ever
range alone, but herd together like tame cattle. 

We had been so refreshed by a day of rest that we broke camp one
morning earlier than usual and passed the several fords of the Hico
River. The woods were very thick a great part of this day's journey,
so that we were forced to scuffle hard to advance seven miles. 

We took up our quarters again on Sugar-tree Creek. A little
distance from this creek one of the men had the luck to meet with
a young buffalo of two years old. Notwithstanding he was no older
he was as big as an ordinary ox. His legs were very thick and very
short and his hoofs exceeding broad. His back rose into a kind of
bunch a little above the shoulders. This I believe contributes not a
little to that creature's enormous strength. 

The portly figure of this animal is disgraced by a shabby little tail,
not above twelve inches long. This he cocks up on end, whenever
he is in a passion; and instead of lowing or bellowing, grunts with
no better grace than a hog. 

The hair growing on his head and neck is long and shaggy, and so
soft that it will spin into thread not unlike mohair. Some people
have stockings knit of it, that would have served an Israelite during
his forty years' march through the wilderness. 

Its horns are short and strong,112 and the Indians make large
spoons out of them, which they say will split and fall to pieces
whenever poison is put into them.113 The color of the buffalo is a
dirty brown, and its hide is so thick that it is scarcely penetratable.
Buffaloes may be easily tamed when they are taken young. 

As thick as this poor beast's hide was, a bullet made shift to enter it
and fetch him down. He was found all alone, though buffalo
seldom are. The men were so delighted with this new diet, that the
grid-iron and the frying pan had no rest all night. Before we
marched this morning, every man took care to pack up some
buffalo steaks in his knapsack, besides what he crammed into
himself. 

Another day we encamped on a pleasant hill, over looking a river
which seemed to be deep everywhere except where we forded. The
Indian killed a very fat doe, and came across a bear which had
been put to death and half devoured by a panther. 

The last named of these brutes reigns absolute monarch of the
woods. In the keenness of his hunger he will venture to attack a
bear; though then it is always by surprise, as beasts of the cat kind
come upon their prey. 

Their play is to take the poor bears napping. The bears are very
drowsy animals. And though they are exceedingly strong, yet their
strength is heavy; while the panthers are too nimble and cunning to
trust themselves within their hug. 

As formidable as the panther is to his fellow brutes, he never has
the confidence to venture upon a man. He retires from him with
great respect if there be a way open for his escape. However it
must be confessed his voice is a little contemptible for a monarch
of the forest. It is not a great deal louder or more awful than the
mewing of a household cat. 

Not far from our quarters one of the men picked up a pair of elk's
horns, not very large, and discovered the track of the elk that had
shed them. The elk is as big as a horse and of the deer kind. Only
the stags have horns and those exceedingly large and spreading. 

Their swiftest speed is a fast trot. In that motion they turn their
horns back upon their necks, and cock their noses aloft in the air.
Nature has taught them this attitude to save their antlers from
being caught in the thickets. 

The Indians say if one of the drove happen by some wound to be
disabled from making his escape, the rest will forsake their fears to
defend their friend. This they will do with great obstinacy till they
are killed on the spot, although otherwise they are so alarmed at
the sight of a man, that to avoid him they will sometimes throw
themselves down very high precipices into the river.

[108] Colonel Byrd was a great traveller in the backwoods of
Virginia, and got beyond all the settlements into the wild woods,
which are here described. 

[109] A brace and a half is three. 

[110] Of course, there could be neither robbers nor beggars where
there were no people.  

[111] I.e. Several streams. 

[112] I.e. they are strong and durable. 

[113] There was no ground for this belief. 

26. Beavers and Bears114
BY COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD (1728)

WE had difficulty in passing a water called Yapatsco or Beaver
Creek. Those industrious animals, the beavers, had dammed up the
water so high that we had much ado to get over. It is hardly
credible how much work of this kind they will do in the space of
one night. 

They bite young saplings into proper lengths with their fore-teeth,
which are exceedingly strong and sharp. Afterwards they drag
them to the place where they intend to stop the water. Then they
know how to join timber and earth together with so much skill that
their work is able to resist the most violent flood that can happen. 

In this they are qualified to instruct their betters. It is certain their
dams will stand firm when the strongest that are made by men will
be carried down the stream. 

On our return journey we again had difficulty in crossing the
Yapatsco. The beavers had dammed up the water much higher
than we found it at our going up. So we were obliged to lay a
bridge over a part that was shallower than the rest, to facilitate our
passage. 

Beavers have more of instinct -- that half brother of reason -- than
any other animal, especially in matters of self-preservation. In their
houses they always contrive a sally-port,115 both towards the land
and towards the water. This enables them to escape by one, if their
retreat should happen to be cut off by the other. 

They perform all their works in the dead of night to avoid
discovery. They are kept diligently to it by the master beaver
which by his age or strength has gained to himself an authority
over the rest. 

If any of the gang happen to be lazy, or will not exert himself to
the utmost in felling of trees, or dragging them to the place where
they are to be made use of, this superintendent will not fail to
chastise him. This he does with the flat of the tail, with which he is
able to give unmerciful strokes. 

The beavers lie snug in their houses all day, unless some
unneighborly miller chance to disturb their repose, by demolishing
their dams to supply his mill with water. It is rare to see one of
them. The Indians, for that reason, have hardly any way to take
them, except by laying snares near the place where they dam up
the water. 

Both beavers and wolves, we know, when one of their legs is
caught in a trap, will bite it off, that they may escape with the rest.
The fur of the beaver is very valuable, especially in the more
northern countries, where it is longer and finer. 

Our Indian killed a bear that was feasting upon the wild grapes. In
the fall, the flesh of this animal has a very high relish, different
from that of other creatures; but in its taste it inclines nearest to
that of pork. This beast is in truth a very clean feeder, living, while
the season lasts, upon acorns, chestnuts and chinquapins, wild
honey and wild grapes.116 About January, when there is nothing
to be got in the woods, they retire into some cave or hollow tree.
There they sleep away two or three month very comfortably. 

One of the young fellows who we sent to bring up the tired horses
entertained us in the evening with a remarkable adventure of that
day. He had strayed, it seems, from his company in a bog, and
made a bear cub a year old betake itself to a tree. While he was
new-priming his gun with intent to fetch the cub down, the old
gentle-woman appeared. Perceiving her son in distress, she
advanced open mouthed to his relief. The man was so intent on his
game that she had approached very near before he saw her. 

But finding his danger, he faced about upon the enemy. She
immediately reared upon her hind legs and put herself in battle
array. The man, wondering at the bear's assurance, endeavored to
fire upon her. But owing to the dampness of the priming, his gun
did not go off. 

He cocked it a second time, and had the same misfortune. After
missing fire twice he had the folly to punch the beast with the
muzzle of his gun. But mother Bruin was on her guard, seized the
weapon with her paws, and by main force wrenched it out of the
fellow's hands. 

The man being thus fairly disarmed, thought himself no longer a
match for the enemy. Therefore he retreated as fast as his legs
could carry him. The brute naturally grew bolder upon the flight of
her adversary, and pursued him with all her heavy speed. 

For some time it was doubtful whether fear made one run faster or
fury the other. But after an even run, the man had the mishap to
stumble over a stump and fell down at his full length. He now
would have sold his life a pennyworth. 

But the bear fearing there might be some trick in the fall, instantly
halted, and looked with much attention on her prostrate foe. In the
meanwhile, the man had with great presence of mind resolved to
make the bear believe he was dead. So he lay breathless on the
ground, in hopes that the beast would be too generous to kill him
over again. 

To carry on the farce, he lay motionless for some time without
daring to raise his head to see how near the monster was to him.
But in about two minutes, to his remarkable comfort, he was raised
from the dead by the barking of a dog. The dog belonged to one of
his companions who came seasonably to his rescue and drove the
bear from pursuing the man to take care of her cub. For she feared
it might now fall into a second distress.

[114] The beaver had the misfortune to carry a coat of beautiful
fur, and hence has been hunted almost out of the world. Very few
are now to be found in the United States. 

[115] I.e. a gate of exit. 

[116] Chinquapins are a kind of acorn. 

27. The Alligator in Georgia
(1735)

THE crocodile, which seems to be the chief of reptiles, abounds in
all the rivers of Georgia. They call them alligators. I have seen
some of these twelve feet long, I believe. 

A number of various errors are commonly reported about these
creatures. One is that their scales are musket proof; whereas I have
frequently seen them killed with small shot. Nay, I have heard
from people of good credit, that when they have found one at a
distance from the water, they have killed him with sticks. They did
not think him worth a shot. 

Mr. Horton has more than once struck one through with a sword.
The watermen often knock them on the head with their oars, as the
alligators lie sleeping upon the banks. For they are very sluggish
and timid; though they can make one or two springs in the water
with nimbleness enough. 

They can also snap with strength whatever comes within their
jaws. They are terrible to look at, stretching open a horrible large
mouth, big enough to swallow a man. Theyhave rows of dreadful
large sharp teeth. 

Their feet are like those of dragons, armed with great claws. They
have a long tail which they throw  about with great strength, and
which seems to be their best weapon. For their claws are weakly
set on; and the stiffness of their necks hinders then from turning
nimbly to bite. 

When Mr