"The Story of Squanto"
from Magnalia Christi Americana
Written @ 1698
by Cotton Mather, D.D.
A most wicked shipmaster being on this coast a few years before, had wickedly
spirited away more than twenty Indians; whom having enticed them aboard,
he presently stowed them under hatches, and carried them away to the Streights,
where he sold as many of them as he could for Slaves. This avaritious and
pernicious felony laid the foundation for grievous annoyances to all the
English endeavors of settlements, especially in the Northern parts of the
land for several years ensuing. The Indians would never forget or forgive
this injury. . . But our good God so ordered it, that one of the
stoln [sic] Indians, called Squanto, had escaped out of Spain into England;
where he lived with one Mr. Slany, from whom he had found a way to return
unto his own country, being brought back by one Mr. Dermer, about half
a year before our honest Plymotheans were cast upon this continent. This
Indian having received much kindness from the English, who generally condemned
the man that first betrayed him, now made unto the English a return of
that kindness: and being by his acquaintance with the English language,
fitted with a conversation with them, he very kindly informed them what
was the present condition of the Indians; instructed them in the way of
ordering their Corn; and acquainted them with many other things, which
it was necessary for them to understand. But Squanto did for them a yet
greater benefit than all this: for he brought Massasoit, the chief Sachim
or Prince of the Indians within many miles, with some scores of his attenders,
to make our people a kind visit; the issue of which visit was, that Massasoit
not only entred [sic] into a firm agreement of peace with the English,
but also they declared and submitted themselves to be subjects of the King
of England; into which peace and subjection many other Sachims quickly
after came, in the most voluntary manner that could be expressed. It seems
that this unlucky Squanto having told his countrymen how easie [sic] it
was for so great a monarch as K. James to destroy them all, if they should
hurt any of his people, he went on to terrifie [sic] them with a ridiculous
rhodomantado, which they believed, that this people kept the plague in
a cellar (where they kept their [gun]powder), and could at their pleasure
let it loose to make such havock among them, as the distemper had already
made among them a few years before. . . Moreover, our English guns,
especially the great ones, made a formidable report among these ignorant
Indians; and their hopes of enjoying some defence by the English, against
the potent nation nation of Narraganset Indians, now at war with them,
made them yet more to court our friendship. This very strange disposition
of things, was extreamly [sic] advantageous to our distressed planters:
and who sees not herein the special providence of the God who disposeth
all?