some of the company, as desirous as myself, we resolved
to hier a canow, and returne with the barge to Apocant,
there to leave the barge secure, and put ourselves
upon the adventure: the country onely a vast
and wilde wilderness, and but only that Towne:
within three or foure mile we hired a canow, and 2
Indians to row us ye next day a fowling: having
made such provision for the barge as was needfull,
I left her there to ride, with expresse charge not
any to go ashore til my returne. Though some
wise men may condemn this too bould attempt of too
much indiscretion, yet if they well consider the friendship
of the Indians, in conducting me, the desolatenes
of the country, the probabilitie of some lacke, and
the malicious judges of my actions at home, as also
to have some matters of worth to incourage our adventurers
in england, might well have caused any honest minde
to have done the like, as wel for his own discharge
as for the publike good: having 2 Indians for
my guide and 2 of our own company, I set forward, leaving
7 in the barge; having discovered 20 miles further
in this desart, the river stil kept his depth and
bredth, but much more combred with trees; here we
went ashore (being some 12 miles higher than ye barge
had bene) to refresh our selves, during the boyling
of our vituals: one of the Indians I tooke with
me, to see the nature of the soile, and to cross the
boughts of the river, the other Indian I left with
M. Robbinson and Thomas Emry, with their matches light
and order to discharge a peece, for my retreat at
the first sight of any Indian, but within a quarter
of an houre I heard a loud cry, and a hollowing of
Indians, but no warning peece, supposing them surprised,
and that the Indians had betraid us, presently I seazed
him and bound his arme fast to my hand in a garter,
with my pistoll ready bent to be revenged on him:
he advised me to fly and seemed ignorant of what was
done, but as we went discoursing, I was struck with
an arrow on the right thigh, but without harme:
upon this occasion I espied 2 Indians drawing their
bowes, which I prevented in discharging a french pistoll:
by that I had charged again 3 or 4 more did the ’like,
for the first fell downe and fled: at my discharge
they did the like, my hinde I made my barricade, who
offered not to strive, 20 or 30 arrowes were shot
at me but short, 3 or 4 times I had discharged my
pistoll ere the king of Pamauck called Opeckakenough
with 200 men, environed me, each drawing their bowe,
which done they laid them upon the ground, yet without
shot, my hinde treated betwixt them and me of conditions
of peace, he discovered me to be the captaine, my request
was to retire to ye boate, they demanded my armes,
the rest they saide were slaine, onely me they would
reserve: the Indian importuned me not to shoot.
In retiring being in the midst of a low quagmire,
and minding them more than my steps, I stept fast into
the quagmire, and also the Indian in drawing me forth:
thus surprised, I resolved to trie their mercies,