MEMOIRS 
 
 Of 
 
 Qdd Adventures, 
 
 Strange Deliverances, etc. 
 
 IN THE 
 
 Captivity of John Giles, Esq., 
 
 COMMANDER OF THE GARRISON ON SAINT GEORGE RIVER, IN THE 
 DISTRICT OF MAINE. 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 
 
 Originally Published at Boston, 1736. 
 
 Printh© Foa WILLIAM, DODGE 
 
 « It fc«.«V ■■! > 
 
 '' t * 1 t f ', "I t 
 
 » I , . V t i • = ' - ; I I 
 
 ^ CINCINNATI: 
 
 8PILLER A GATES, PRINTERS, 168 VINE STREET. 
 
 1869. 
 
 o* 
 
INTROD UCTION 
 
 These private memoirs were collected from my 
 minutes, at the earnest request of my second consort , 
 for the use of our family, that we might have a me 
 mento ever ready at hand, to excite in ourselves grat- 
 itude and thankfulness to God ; and in our offspring a 
 due sense of their dependence on the Sovereign of the 
 universe, from the precariousness and vicissitudes of 
 all sublunary enjoyments. In this state, and for this 
 end, they have laid by me for some years. They at 
 length falling into the hands of some, for whose judg- 
 ment I had a value, I was pressed for a copy for the 
 public. Others, desiring of me to extract particulars 
 from them, which the multiplicity and urgency of ray 
 affairs would not admit, I have now determined to 
 suffer their publication. I have not made scarce any 
 addition to this manual, except in the chapter of crea- 
 tures, which I was urged to make larger. I might 
 have greatly enlarged it, but I feared it would grow 
 beyond its proportion. I have been likewise advised 
 to give a particular account of my father, which I am 
 not very fond of, having no dependence on the virtues 
 or honors of mv ancestors to recommend me to the 
 
iv Introduction, 
 
 favor of God or men ; nevertheless, because some think 
 it is a respect due to the memory of ray parents, whose 
 name I was obliged to mention in the following story, 
 and a satisfaction whicli their posterity might justly 
 expect from me, I shall give some account of him, 
 though as brief as possible. 
 
 The flourishing state of New England, before the 
 unhappy eastern wars, drew my father hither, whose 
 first settlement was on Kennebeck river, at a place 
 called Merry meeting Bay, where he dwelt for some 
 years; until, on the death of my grand parents, he, 
 with his family returned to England, to settle his 
 affairs. This done, he came over with the design to 
 have returned to his farm ; but on his arrival at Bos- 
 ton, the eastern Indians had begun thei'.- hostilities. 
 He therefore begun a settlement on Long Island. The 
 air of that place not so well agreeing with his constitu- 
 tion, and the Indians having become peaceable, he 
 again proposed to resettle his lands in Merrymeeting 
 Bay ; but finding that place deserted, and that planta- 
 tions were going on at Pemmaquid, he purchased sev- 
 eral tracts of land of the inhabitants there. Upon his 
 highness the duke of York resuming a claim to those 
 parts, my father took out patents under that claim ; 
 and when Pemmaquid was set off by the name of the 
 county of Cornwall, in the province of New York, he 
 
Introduction, 
 
 was c'ominiHsioiK'(l cliii^t' justice of the same bv Gov. 
 Duncan [Dongan.J'^' l[o was a strict Sabbatarian, and 
 met witli considerable difficulty in tlie discharge of liis 
 office, from the immoralities of a people who had long 
 lived lawless. He laid out no inconsiderable income, 
 which he had annually from England, on the place, 
 and at last lost his life there, as will hereafter be 
 related. 
 
 I am not insensible of the truth of an assertion of 
 Sir Roger L'Estrange, that " Books and dishes have 
 this common fate : no one of either ever pleased all 
 tastes." And I am fully of opinion in this: "It is as 
 little to be wished for as expected ; for a universal 
 applause is, at least, two-thirds of a scandal." To 
 conclude with Sir Roger, " Though I made this com- 
 position principally for my family, yet, if any man has 
 a mind to take part with me, he has free leave, and is 
 welcome;" but let him carry this consideration along 
 with him, " that he is a very unmannerly guest who 
 forces himself upon another man's table, and then quar- 
 rels with his dinner." 
 
 * He had bocn nppointeJ Governor of Now York, •in Sept. 1082.—,'!. CJ. Dhake. 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OP 
 
 Odd Adventures, Strange Deliverances, Etc. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 CONTAINING THE OCCURRENCES OF THE FIRST YEAR. 
 
 On the second day of August, 1689, in the morning, 
 my honored father, Thomas Gyles, Esq., went with 
 some laborers, my two elder brothers and myself, to 
 one of his farms, whicli laid upon the river about three 
 miles above fort Charles,* adjoining Pemniaquid falls, 
 there to gather in his p]nglish harvest, and we labored 
 securely till noon. After we had dined, our people 
 went to their labor, some in one field to their English 
 liay, the others to another field of English corn. My 
 father, the youngest of my two brothers, and myself, 
 tarried near the farm-house in which we had dined till 
 about one of the clock, at which time we heard the 
 report of several great guns at the fort. Upon which 
 my father said he hoped it was a signal of good news, 
 
 *Fort Charles stood on the spot where fort Frederick wns, not loiix since, foiimlfd 
 by Colonel Dunbar. The townshiii ad.joinitiia; thereto was eallod .Iiinu'stown, in honor 
 to the duke of York. In this town, within a quarter of a mile of the fort, was my 
 father's dwelling-house, from which he went out that unhappy morning. 
 
8 Memoirs of Odd AdventureSy 
 
 aiul that the groat council laid sent back the soldiers, 
 to cover the inhabitants; (for on report of the revolu- 
 tion tiiey had deserted.) But to our great surprise, 
 about thirty or forty Indians,'" at that moment, dis- 
 cliarg«'d a volley of shot at us, from behind a rising 
 ground, near our barn. The yelling of the Indians,*}* 
 the whistling of their shot, and the voice of my father, 
 whom J heard cry out, "What now! what now!" so 
 terrilied me (though he seemed to be handling a gun), 
 that ] endeavored to make my escape. My brother 
 ran one way and I another, and looking over my 
 shoulder, I saw a stout fellow, painted, pursuing me, 
 witii a gun, and a cutlass glittering in his hand which 
 I expected every moment in my brains. I soon fell 
 down, and the Indian seized mo by the left hand. He 
 offered me no abuse, but tied my arms, then lifted me 
 up and pointed to the place where the people were at 
 work about the hay, and led rae that way. As we 
 went, we crossed where my father was, who looked 
 vely pale and bloody, and walked very slowly. When 
 we came to the place, I saw two men shot down on 
 the flats, and one or two more knocked on their heads 
 with hatchets, crying out "0 Lord," dc. There the 
 Indians brought two captives, one a man, and my 
 brother James, who, with me, had endeavored to 
 escape by running from the house when we were first 
 attacked. This brother was about fourteen years of 
 
 *Tlu> wholo company of Indians, m^cording to Charlevoix, was one hundred. — S. G. 
 Dhake. 
 
 t The Indians have a custom of uttering a most horrid howl when they discharge 
 guns, designing thereby to terrify those wlioni they fight against. 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc. 
 
 a^c. A[y oKlost Id'otlicr, wliosc nainc was Thomas, 
 woiidorl'iilly cscapcMl liy land to the l>ai'I)i('aii, a point 
 of land on the west sido of tlio river, opposite tlu' fort, 
 wlieru .several iisliiii<^ vessels lay. He j^ot on board 
 one of tlieni and sailed that ni,<i;lit. 
 
 After doing what niisehief they could, they sat 
 down and made us sit with tluMn. After some time 
 we arose, and the IndianH pointed for us to go eastward. 
 We marched about a quarter of a mile, and then made 
 a halt. Itcre they brought my father to us. They 
 made proposals to liim, by old Moxus, who told him 
 that those wore strange Indians who shot him, and 
 that he was sorry for it. My father replied that he 
 was a dying man, and wanted no favor of them, but to 
 pray with his children. This being granted him, he 
 recommended us to the protection and blessing of God 
 Almighty ; then gave us tby best advice, and took his 
 leave for this life, hoping in God that we should meet 
 in a better. He parted with a cheerful voice, but 
 looked very pale, by reason of his great loss of blood, 
 which now gushed out of his shoes. The Indians led 
 him aside I — I heard the blows of the hatchet, but 
 neither shriek nor groan! I afterwards heard that he 
 had five or seven shot-holes through his waistcoat or 
 jacket, and that he was covered with some boughs. 
 
 The Indians led us, their captives, on the east side 
 of the river, towards the fort, and when we came within 
 a mile and a half of the fort and town, and could see 
 the, fort, we saw fire and smoke on all sides. Here 
 we made a^ short stop, and then moved within or near 
 the distance of three-quarters of a mile from the fort, 
 
 2 
 
I o Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 into a thick swamp. There I saw my mother and ray 
 two Httle sisters, and many other captives who were 
 taken from the town. My mother asked me about 
 my lather. I told her lie was killed, but could say no 
 more for grief. She burst into tears, and the Indians 
 moved me a little farther off, and seized me with cords 
 to a tree. 
 
 The Indians came to New Harbor, and sent spies 
 several days to observe how and where the people 
 were employed, (fee, who found the men were generally 
 at work at noon, and left about their houses only 
 women and children. Therefore the Indians divided 
 themselves into several parties, some ambushing the 
 way between the fort and the houses, as likewise be- 
 tween them and the distant fields ; and then alarming 
 the farthest off first, they killed and took the people, 
 as they moved toward the town and fort, at their 
 pleasure, and very few escaped to it. Mr. Pateshall 
 was taken and killed, as he lay with his sloop near the 
 Barbican. 
 
 On the first stir about the fort, my youngest brother 
 was at play near it, and running in, was, by God's 
 goodness, thus preserved. Captain Weems, with great 
 courage and resolution, defended the weak old fort* 
 two days ; when, being much wounded, and the best 
 of his men killed, beat for a parley, which eventuated 
 in these conditions : 
 
 * I presimio Charlevoix wns misinformed nliout the strengtli of this pliioe. He snys: 
 " lis (the English) y avoient fait un fort bel establissement, defendu par un fort, qui 
 n'etoit a la verite que de pieux, mais assez regulierement construit, avec •v'tngt canons 
 monies." 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc. 1 1 
 
 1. That tliey, the Indians, should give him Mr. 
 Pateshall's sloop, 
 
 2. That they should not molest him in carrying off 
 the few people that had got into the fort, .uid three 
 captives that they had taken. 
 
 3. That the English should carry off in their hands 
 what they could from the fort. 
 
 On these conditions the fort was surrendered, and 
 Captain Weems went off; and soon after, the Indians 
 set on fire the fort and houses, which made a terrible 
 blast, and was a melancholy sight to us poor captives, 
 who were sad spectators, . • • 
 
 After the Indians had thus laid waste Pemmaquid, 
 they moved us to New Harbor, about two miles east 
 of Pemmaquid, a cove much frequented by fishermen. 
 At this place there were, before the war, about twelve 
 houses. These the inhabitants deserted as soon as the 
 rumor of war reached the place. When we turned our 
 backs on the town, my heart was ready to break ! I 
 saw my mother. She spoke to me, but I could not 
 answer her. That night we tarried at New Harbor, 
 and the next day went in their canoes for Penobscot. 
 About noon, the canoe in which my mother was, and 
 that in which I was, came side by side ; whether acci- 
 dentally or by my mother's desire, I can not say. She 
 asked me how I did, I think I said "pretty well," 
 but my heart was so full of grief I scarcely knew 
 whether audible to her. Then she said, " Oh ! my 
 child ! how joyful and pleasant it would be if we were 
 going to old England,, to see your uncle Chalker and 
 other friends there ! Poor babe, we are going into the 
 
1 2 Memoirs of Odd Adventures, 
 
 wilderness, the Lord knows where f-" Then bursting 
 into tears, the canoes parted. Tliat niglit following, 
 the Indians with their captives, lodged on an island. 
 
 A few days after, we arrived at Penol>scot lort, 
 where I again saw my mother, my brother and sisters, 
 and many other captives. I think we tarried here 
 eight days. In that time, the Jesuit of the place had 
 a great mind to buy me. My Indian master made a 
 visit to the Jesuit, and carried me with him. And 
 here I will note that the Indian who takes a captive is 
 accounted his master, and has a perfect right to him, 
 until he gives or sells him to another. I saw the 
 Jesuit 'show my master pieces of gold, and understood 
 afterward that he was tendering them for my ransom. 
 He gave me a biscuit', which I put into my pocket, 
 and not daring to eat it, buried it under a log, fearing 
 he had put sometliing in it to make me love him. Be- 
 ing very young, and having heard much of the Papists 
 torturing the Protestants, caused me to act thus ; and 
 I hated the sight of a Jesuit.* When my mother 
 heard the talk of ray being sold to a Jesuit, she said 
 to me, "Oh! my dear child, if it were God's will, I 
 had rather follow you to your grave, or never see you 
 more in this world, than you should be sold to a J esuit ; 
 for a Jesuit will ruin you, body and soul !"f It pleased 
 
 * It is not to be wondoiod iit that antipiithy should ho so plninly oxhihitod nt this 
 timo, ooiisiilpriiis vvliiit hiid t)crn K"i>iK "'i '" Eiislmiil up to tlio hitpst dates ; but tliiit 
 cliildioii should liiivo boon taught that ('at!ioIi<'s had tho jxnvoi' of whining ovor hore- 
 tios by any mysterious powders, or other arts furnished them by his satnnie nnijosty, 
 is a matter, to say tho least, of no little admiration.— S. ii. Drake. 
 
 f It may not be improper to hear how the Jesuits themselves viewed these matters. 
 The settlement here was, according to the French account, in their <lominions, and 
 the English settlers " incommoded extremely from thence all the Indians in the 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 13 
 
 God to grant her request, for she never saw me more ! 
 Yet she and ray two little sisters were, after several 
 years' captivity, redeemed, but she died ere I returned. 
 My brother, who was taken with me, was, after sev- 
 eral years' captivity, most barbarously tortured to 
 death by the Indians. 
 
 My Indian master carried me up Penobscot river to- 
 a village called Madawamkee, which stands on a point 
 of land between the main river and a branch which 
 heads to the east of it. At home I had ever seen 
 strangers treated with the utmost civility, and being a 
 stranger, I expected some kind treatment here ; but I 
 soon found myself deceived, for I presently saw a num- 
 ber of squaws, who had got together in a circle, danc- 
 ing and yelling. An old grim-looking one took me by 
 the hand, and leading me into the ring, some seized me 
 by the hair, and others by my hands and feet, like 
 so many furies ; but my master presently laying down 
 a pledge, they released me. 
 
 A captive among the Indians is exposed to all man- 
 ner of abuses, and to the extremest tortures, unless 
 their master, or some of their master's relations, lay 
 down a ransom, such as a bag of corn, a blanket, or 
 the like, which redeems them from their cruelty for 
 
 iidjnoent country, who were the avowed frienas of the French, and caused the govern- 
 ment of Acadia no less inquietude, who feared, with reason, the effect of their intrigues 
 in detaching the Indians from their alliance. The Indians, who undertook to break 
 up the post at Pemmaquid, were Peuobscots, among whom ii Jesuit, named M. Tiiuby, 
 a good laborer in the faith, had a numerous mission. The fir.«t attention before setting 
 out of these brave Christians was to secure aid of the God of battles, by confessions and 
 the sacrament ; and they took care that their wives and children performed the same 
 rites, and raised their pure hands to heaven, while their fathers and mothers went 
 out to do battle against the heretics." See Charlevoix.— S. O. Dbake. 
 
:4 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 that dance. The next day we went up that eastern 
 branch of Penobscot river many leagues; carried over 
 land to a large pond, and from one pond to another, 
 till, in a few days, we went down a river called Me- 
 docktack, which vents itself into St. John's river. But 
 before we came to the mouth of this river, we passed 
 over a long carrying place, to Medocktack fort, which 
 stands on a bank of St. John's river. My master went 
 before, and left me with an old Indian, and two or 
 three squaws. The old man often said (which was all 
 the English he could speak), " By and by come to a 
 great town and fort." I now comforted myself in 
 thinking how finely I should be refreshed when I came 
 to this great town. 
 
 After some miles' travel we came in sight of a 
 large cornfield, and soon after of the fort, to my great 
 surprise. Two or three squaws met us, took off my 
 pack, and led me to a large hut or wigwam, where 
 thirty or forty Indians were dancing and yelling round 
 five or six poor captives, who had been taken some 
 months before from Quochech, at the time Major Wal- 
 dron was so barbarously butchered by them. And 
 before proceeding with my narrative, I will give a 
 short account of that action. 
 
 Major Waldron's garrison was taken on the night of 
 the 27th of June, 1689.* I have heard the Indians 
 
 *The date stnndn in the old narrativp, " in the beginning of April on the night after 
 a Sabbath," which being an error, I have corrected it. What time in the night of the 
 27th the place was attacked, is not mentioned, but the accounts of it are chiefly dated 
 the day following, viz. the 28th* when the tragedy was finished. The squaws had taken 
 up their lodging there on the night of the 27th, .and if the attack begun before midnigt, 
 which it probably did, the date in the text is the true one.— H. G. Drake. 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, tg 
 
 say at a feast that as there was a truce for some days, 
 they contrived to send in two squaws to take notice of 
 the numbers, lodgings, and other circumstances of the 
 people in his garrison, and if they could obtain leave to 
 lodge there, to open the gates and whistle. (They said 
 the gates had no locks, but were fastened with pins, 
 and that they kept no watch.) The squaws had a 
 favorable season to prosecute their projection, for it 
 was dull weather when they came to beg leave to lodge 
 in the garrison. They told the major that a great 
 many Indians were not far from thence, with a consid- 
 erable quantity of beaver, who would be there to trade 
 with him the next day. Some of the people were very 
 much against their lodging in the garrison, but the 
 major said, " Let the poor creatures lodge by the fire." 
 The squaws went into every apartment, and observing 
 the numbers in each, when all the people were asleep, 
 arose and opened the gates, gave the signal, and the 
 other Indians came to them ; and having received an 
 account of the state of the garrison, they divided 
 according to the number of people in each apartment, 
 and soon took and killed them all. The major lodged 
 within an inner room, and when the Indians broke in 
 upon him, he cried out: "What now! what now!" 
 and jumping out of bed with only his shirt on, seized 
 his sword and drove them before him through two or 
 three doors ; but for some reason, turning about toward 
 the apartment he had just left, an Indian came up be- 
 hind him, knocked him on the head with his hatchet, 
 which stunned him, and he fell. They now seized 
 him, dragged him out, and setting him upon a long 
 
6 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 table in his hall, bid him "judge Indians ao;jiin." 
 Then they cut and stabbed him, and ho cried out "0, 
 Lord! 0, Lord!" They bid him order his book of 
 accounts to be brought, and to cross out all the Indians' 
 debts* (he having traded much with them). After 
 they had tortured him to death, they burned the gar- 
 rison and drew off. This narration I liad from their 
 own mouths, at a general meeting, and have reason to 
 think it true.f But to return to my narrative. 
 
 I was whirled in among the circle of Indians, and 
 we prisoners looked on each other with a sorrowful 
 countenance. Presently one of them was seized by 
 each hand and foot, by four Indians, who, swinging 
 him up, let his back fall on the ground with full force. 
 This they repeated till they had <lanced, as they called 
 it, round the whole wigwam, wliicli was some thirty or 
 forty feet in length. But when they torture a boy 
 they take him up between two. This is one of their 
 customs of torturing captives. Another is to take up 
 a person by the middle, with his head downward, and 
 jolt him till one would think his bowels would shake 
 out of his mouth. Sometimes they will take a captive 
 by the hair of the head, and stooping him forward, 
 strike him on the back and shoulder, till the blood 
 gushes out of his mouth and nose. Sometimes an old 
 shriveled squaw will take up a shovel of hot embers 
 and throw them into a captive's bosom. If he cry 
 
 * When they gnehed his naked breast, they said in derision, " /c/os.s out my account." 
 — S. G. Dbakb. 
 
 t In a previous note to another narrative, I have referred the reader to my Inrge 
 work (The Book of the Indians), where all the circumstances of this shocking nffair 
 are detailed.— S. 6. Dkaci. 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, ij 
 
 out, the Indians will laugh and siiout, and say, "What 
 a brave action our old grandmother has done." Some- 
 times they torture thein with whips, &c. 
 
 The Indians looked on me with a fierce countenance, 
 as much as to say, it will be your turn next. They 
 champed cornstalks, which they threw into my hat as 
 I held it in ray hand. I smiled on them, though my 
 heart ached. I looked on one and another, but could 
 not perceive that any eye pitied me. Presently came 
 a squaw and a little girl, and laid down a bag of corn 
 in the ring. The little girl took me by the hand, 
 making signs for me to ^ out of the circle with them. 
 Not knowing their custom, I supposed they designed 
 to kill me, and refused to go. Then a grave Indian 
 came and gave me a short pipe, and said in English, 
 '* Smoke it ;" then he took me by the hand and led me 
 out. My heart ached, thinking myself near my end. 
 But he carried me to a French hut, about a mile from 
 the Indian fort. The Frenchman was not at home, 
 but his wife, who was a squ .w, had some discourse 
 with ray Indian friend, whidi I did not understand. 
 We tarried about two hours, then returned to the 
 Indian village, where they gave me some vi(^tuals. 
 Not long after this I saw one of my fellow-captives, 
 who gave me a melancholy account of their sufferings 
 after I left them. 
 
 After some weeks had passed, we left this village 
 and went up St. John's river about ten miles, to a 
 branch called Medockscenecasis, where there was one 
 wigwam. At our arrival an old squaw saluted me 
 with a yell, taking me by the hair and one hand, but 
 3 
 
1 8 Memoirs of Odd Adventures, 
 
 I was so rude as "to break her liold and free myself. 
 She gave me a filthy grin, and the Indians set up a 
 laugh, and so it passed over. Here we lived upon fish, 
 wild grapes, roots, Ac, which was hard living to me. 
 
 When the winter came on we went up the river till 
 the ice came down, running thick in the river, when, 
 according to the Indian custom, wp laid up our canoes 
 till spring. Then we traveled sometimes on the ice, 
 and sometimes on tho land, till we came to a river 
 that was open, but not fordable, where we made a raft 
 and passed over, bag and baggage. I met witli no abuse 
 from them in this winter's hunting, though I was put 
 to great hardships in carrying burdens and for want of 
 food. But they underwent the same difficulty, and 
 would often encourage me, saying, in broken English, 
 "By and hy great deal inoose." Yet they could not 
 answer any question I asked them. And knowing 
 little of their customs and way of life, I thought it 
 tedious to be constantly moving from place to place, 
 though it might be in some respects an advantage ; for 
 it ran still in my mind that we were traveling to some 
 settlement ; and when my burden was over-heavy, and 
 the Indians left me behind, and the still evening coming 
 on, I fancied I could see through the bushes and hear 
 the people of some great town ; which hope, though 
 some support to rae in the day, yet I found not the 
 town at night. 
 
 Thus we were hunting three hundred miles* from 
 
 *A pardonable error, perhnps, considering the author's ignorance of the geogrnpliy 
 of the country. He could hardly haTe got three hundred miles from the mouth of 
 the Penobscot, in a northerly direction, without crossing the St. Lawrence.— S. 0. 
 Dbake, 
 
Strange Deliverances ^ etc, 19 
 
 the sea, and knew no man within fifty or si cty miles 
 of us. We were eight or ten in number, and had but 
 two guns, on which we wholly depended for food. If 
 any disaster had happened, we must all have perished. 
 Sometimes we had no manner of sustenance for three 
 or four days; but God wonderfully provides for all 
 creatures. In one of these fasts, God's providence was 
 remarkable. Our two Indian men who liad guns, in 
 hunting, started a moose, but there being a shallow 
 crusted snow on the ground, and the moose discovering 
 them, ran with great force into a swamp. The Indians 
 went round the swamp, and finding no track, returned 
 at night to the wigwam and told what had happened. 
 The next morning they followed him on the track and 
 soon found him lying on the snow. He had, in cross- 
 ing the roots of a large tree that had been blown down, 
 broken through the ice made over the water in the 
 hole occasioned by the roots of the tree taking up the 
 ground, and hitched one of his hind legs among the 
 roots so fast that by striving to get it out, he pulled 
 his thigh-bone out of its socket at the hip, and thus 
 extraordinarily were we provided for in our great strait. 
 Sometimes they would take a bear, which go into dens 
 in the fall of the year without any sort of food, and lie 
 there four or five months without food, never going out 
 till spring, in which time they neither lose or gain in 
 flesh. If they went into their dens fat they came out 
 so, and if they went in lean they came out lean. I 
 have seen some which have come out with four whelps, 
 and both very fat, and then we feasted. An old squaw 
 and a captive, if any present, must stand without the 
 
20 Memoirs of Odd Adventures ^ 
 
 wigwam, shaking their hands and bodies, as in a dance, 
 and singing, " Weuaoe oh nelo won," which in Eng- 
 lish is, " Fat is my eating." This is to signify tlieir 
 thankfulness in feasting times. When one supply was 
 spent, we fasted till further success. 
 
 The way they preserve meat is by taking the flesh 
 from the bones and drying it in smoke, l)y which it is 
 kept sound months or years without salt. We moved 
 still further up the country after moose when our store 
 was out, so that by the spring we had got to the north- 
 ward of the Lady mountains.* When the spring came 
 and the rivers broke up, we moved back to the head 
 of St. John's river, and there made canoes of moose 
 hides, sewing three or four together and pitching the 
 seams with balsam mixed with charcoal. Then wo 
 went down the river to a place called Madaiueficooh:\ 
 There an old man lived and kept a sort of trading- 
 house, where we tarried several days ; then went fur- 
 ther down the river till we came to the greatest falls 
 in these parts, called Checanekepeag, where we carried 
 a little way over the land, and putting oflf our canoes, 
 we went down stream still. And as we passed down 
 by the mouths of any large branches, we saw Indians ; 
 but when any dance was proposed, I was bought off. 
 At length we arrived at the place where we left our 
 birch canoes in the fall, and putting our baggage into 
 them, went down to the fort. 
 
 "■'" If these nre the snmo tha Frenoh cnlled lUontz Notre Dame, our captive was now on 
 the borders of the St. Laurence, to the north of the head of the bay of Chnleurs.— 
 S. 6. Dbake. 
 
 t Probably the now well known Mndawnsca, of " diupnt^d territory " memory. 
 
Siran^e Deliverances, etc* 21 
 
 TliiTf We |)laiitt'd corn, aiul at'tiT plantiiij^, wcuL a 
 ti«liiug, ami to look for and dig roots till tin- corn was 
 fit to vvet'd. At'tcr wtn'ding, we took a second tour on 
 the sanu' errand, tlien returned to hill our corn. After 
 hillincr we went some dintance from the fort clnd field, 
 up the river, to take salmon and other fish, which we 
 dried for f(;od, where we continued till roni was filled 
 with milk: souv^ of it we (Iried then, the other as it 
 ripened. To diy corn when in thr milk, they gather 
 it in lai'ge kettles and boil it on tin- eai-s, till it is [)ivtty 
 hard, then shell it from the i-ub wilh clam siiells, and 
 dry it on hark in the sun. When it is thoroughly dry, 
 a kernal is no Kigger than a pea. and wouM keep ycai's, 
 and when it is boiled again it swells a- iarii^ as when 
 on the ear, and tastes ini-Minparaoiy swi'i'tcr ilian otlu-r 
 corn. When we had gathei'cil ».<iir ci'ni and dried it 
 in the way aln-ady described, wf jtur ^■iiiiii' iiiio Indian 
 barns; that i-^. int<t iiolcs in the grounil. iiufd and 
 covered with bark, and tln'ii with dirt. '1 ii-' I'^'st we 
 carried up the river upon our next winter's liunting. 
 
 Thus God wonderfullv I'avored me, and carried me 
 through the first year of my captivity. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OF THE ABUSIVE AND BARBAROUS TREATMENT WHICH SEV- 
 ERAL CAPTIVES MET WITH FROM THE INDIANS. 
 
 WhivX any great number of Indians met, or when 
 any captives liad been lately taken, or when any cap- 
 tives desert and are retaken, tliey have a dance, and 
 
2 2 Memoirs of Odd Adventures ^ 
 
 torturt' tlif iitihiippy people vvlio liavc fullen into tlioir 
 hiiiids. My uiilortutuito hrotlicr, who was tiiken witli 
 inc. alter ahout three years' eaptivity, deserted with 
 another Kiij^lishiaan. who had l)oen taken from ( 'aseo 
 Jiay, and was retaken by tiie Indians at New lIarl)or, 
 and cai-ried hack to Penobscot fort. Here they were 
 botli tortured at a stake by fire, tor some time; then 
 their noses and ears were eut off. and thev made to eat 
 
 » 
 
 tliem. After tiiis they were burnt to death at the 
 stake, tiie Indians at the same time dcehiring tiiey would 
 serve all deserters in the same manner. Thus they 
 divert themselves in their danees. 
 
 On tiie second spring of my captivity, my Indian 
 master and his squaw went to Canada, but sent me 
 down the river with several Indians to the fort, to 
 plant corn. Tiie day before we came to the ])lanting 
 ground, we met two young Indian men who seemed to 
 be in great haste. After they had passed us, T under- 
 stood they were going with an express to Canada, and 
 that there was an P^nglish vessel at the mouth of the 
 river. I not being perfect in their language, nor know- 
 ing that Englisii vessels traded witli them in tirnc of 
 war, supposed a peace was concluded on, and that the 
 captives would be released. I was so transported with 
 tliis fancy, that I slept but little if any that night. 
 Early the next morning we came to the village, where 
 my eestacy ended; for I had no sooner landed, but 
 three or four Indians dragged me to the great wigwam, 
 where they were yelling and dancing round James 
 Alexander, a Jersey man, who was taken from Fal- 
 mouth, in Casco Bay. This was occasioned by two 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 23 
 
 t'iUiiilicH of Ciipf Hiilile Iruliiiiis, wlm, liuviiii^ lost .sonu' 
 t'riciuls l>y a number of I'^ii^lisli ti.sli<'niu;ii, came woino 
 liuiidri'ils of miles to revoiigo thcmsolveH on poor cap- 
 tives. Tli(>v Hoon caiiu' to iiU' and tossed me ahout till 
 I was almost breathless, and then threw ww into the 
 rin^ to my fellow eaptivf, and taking him out repeated 
 their liarl>arities(jn him. Then I was hauled out again 
 bv three Indians, wlio si'ized me bv the hair of the 
 Ji<^ad. and bencbng me down by my hair, one beat me 
 on the back and shouhlers so long that my lireath was 
 ahnt)st beat out of my body. 'riit-n others put a 
 linnhuh'^ | tomahawk] into my hands, and ordereil me 
 to gel up and sing and tlance Indian, which I {)er- 
 formed with the gn-aiest rebiclance. and while in the 
 act, seemeil determined to purchase my death l)y kill- 
 ing two or three of those monsters of cruelty, thinking 
 it impossible to survive their bloody treatment ; but it 
 was impressed on my mind that it was not in their 
 power to take away my life, so I desisted. 
 
 Then those Caj)e Salde Indians came to me again 
 like bears bereaved of their whelps, saying, " Shall we 
 who have lost relations by the English, :suffer an Eng- 
 lish voice to be heard amonj; us?" ttc. Then thev 
 beat me again witli the axe. Now 1 repented that I 
 
 <'Thn tnmh'iki' is a wnrliko olub, the slmpo of whii'h in;iy tm (icfn in ciitjs of Krnwoii- 
 KiivM, 1)110 of tli(> four Iiiiliiui cliitifs, wliirli cuts iiri' I'liiiinion iunong us. (Mr. (iylos 
 refers to tlie four Innjiiois I'liicfs who visited Entjlund iii tin- rt'j;{ii of (iupeii Aiinf. 
 .Vlioiil thosi) I'liicfs I have lollc'cti'il nml jiublisht'il the imrtieiilurs in the I'.ook of the 
 Indians. And I will here reumrk thiit the coiiipihTs of the |ioiideroiiH Indian Hio«- 
 riijiliy lUiil History, now in eonrse of |>iihlic;ition under the n inies of James HhII and 
 T. \j. .McKenny, have horniwol my hihurs witii no sparing liand— they have not even 
 owned it, havinK no faith, prohably, tliat by so doin;: they i.iiijlit ])ay half the debt. 
 " lie who steals my purse stenhs trash," but he who robs me of niy labors • ■:■ 
 — S. (i. Dbakb.] 
 
24 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 liiui not si'iit two or throe of tli<Mu out of tlie world 
 before me, for I thoiiglit I had much ratlier die than 
 suflfer any longer. They left nie the second time, and 
 the other Indians put the tomhake into uiy liands again 
 and compelled me to sing. Then I seemed more reso- 
 lute than before to destroy some of them ; but a strange 
 and strong impulse that I should return to ray own 
 place and people supi)ressed it as otbm as such a motion 
 rose in mv breast. Not one of them showed the least 
 compassion, but 1 saw the tears run down plentifully 
 on the cheeks of a Frenchman who sat l)ehind, though 
 it did not relieve the tortures that poor James and I 
 were forced to endure for the most part of this tedious 
 day, for they were continued till the evening, and were 
 the most severe that ever I met with in the whole six 
 years that I was a captive with the Indians. 
 
 After thev had thus inhumanlv abused us, two In- 
 dians took us up and threw us out of tlie wigwam, and 
 we crawled away on oui' hands and feet, and were 
 scarce able to walk for several days. Some time after 
 tiiey again concluded on a merry dance when I was at 
 some distance from the wigwaui dressing leather, and 
 an Indian was so kind as to tell me that they had got 
 James Ale.Kander, and were in search for me. Mv 
 Indian master and his squaw l^id me run for my life 
 into a swamp and hide, and not to discover myself 
 unless they both came to me, for then T might be as- 
 sured the dance was over. I was now master of their 
 language, and a word or a wink was enough to exi.'ite 
 me to take care of one. T ran to the swamp and hid in 
 :the thickest place I could tind. I heard hallooing and 
 
Stra?ige Deliverances, etc. 25 
 
 whooping all around me; sometiinos some passed very 
 near rae, and T could hear some threaten and others 
 Hatter me, but I was not dis})Osed to dance. If they 
 had come upon me, T had resolved to show thein a pair 
 of heels, and they must have had good luck to have 
 ciitched me. I heard no more of them till about even- 
 ing, for I think T slept, when they came again, calling, 
 " Chon ! Chon !" but John would not trust them. After 
 they were gone, my master and his squaw came where 
 they told me to hide, but could not find me ; and when 
 I heard them say, with some concern, thev believed 
 the other Indians had frightened me into the woods 
 and that I was lost, I came out, and they seemed well 
 |)leased. They told me James had a bad day of it ; 
 that as soon as he was released he ran away into the 
 woods, and they believed he was gone to the Mohawks. 
 James soon returned and gave a melancholy account of 
 his sufFvM'ings, and the Indians fright concerning the 
 Mohawks. They often had terrible apprehensions of 
 tiie incursions of those Indians. They are called also 
 Maquas, a most ambitious, haughty, and blood-thirsty 
 people, from whom the other Indians take their meas- 
 ures and manners, and their modes and chano;es of 
 dress, &c. One very hot season, a great number gath- 
 ered together at the village, and being a very drougiity 
 [thirsty] people, they kept James and myself night and 
 day fetching water from a cold spring that ran out of 
 a rocky hill about three-quarters of a. mile from the 
 fort. In going thither, we crossed a large interval 
 cornfield, and then a descent to a lower interval before 
 we ascended the hill to the spring. James being almost 
 4 
 
26 Memoirs of Odd Advejttures^ 
 
 dead, as well as T, with this continual fatigue, con- 
 trived to frigliten the Indians. He told me of liis plan, 
 but conjured me to secrecy, yet said he knew I could 
 keep counsel ! Tlie next dark niglit, James, going for 
 water, set his kettle down on the descent to the lowest 
 interval, and running hack to the fort, puffing and blow- 
 ing as though in the utmost surprise, told his master that 
 he saw something near the spring that looked like Mo- 
 haws (which were only stumps). His master, being a 
 most courageous warrior, went with him to make discov- 
 ery. When they came to the brow of the hill, James 
 pointed to the stumps, and withal touching his kettle 
 with his toe, gave it motion down the hill ; at every turn 
 its bail clattered, whicli caused Jaifies and his master to 
 see a Mohawk in every stump, and they lost no time 
 in "turning tail to,'' and he was the best fellow who 
 could run the fastest. This alarmed all the Indians 
 in the village. They were about thirty or 'forty in 
 number, and they packed off, bag and baggage, some 
 up the river and others down, and did not return under 
 fifteen days ; and then the heat of the weather being 
 finally over, our hard service was abated for this sea- 
 son. I never heard that the Indians understood the 
 occasion of their fright : but James and I had manv a 
 private laugh about it. 
 
 But my most intimate and dear companion was one 
 John Evans, a young man taken from Quochecho. 
 We, as often as we could, met together and made 
 known our grievances to each other, which seemed to 
 ease our minds ; but as soon as it was known to the 
 Indians, we were strictly examined apart, snd falsely 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 27 
 
 accused of cotitrivinti to desert. Wo were too far from 
 the sea to have any thought of that, and finding our 
 stories agreed, did not punish us. An English captive 
 girl about this time, who was taken by Medocawando, 
 would often falsely accuse us of plotting to desert, but 
 we made tlie truth so plainly appear, that she was 
 checked and we were released. But the third winter 
 of my captivity, John Evans went into the country, 
 and the Indians imposed a heavy burden on him while 
 he was extremely weak from long fasting ; and as he 
 was going off" tlie upland over a place of ice, which was 
 very hollow, he broke through, fell down, and cut his 
 knee very much. Notwithstanding, he traveled for 
 some time, but the wind and cold were so forcible that 
 they soon overcame him, and he sat or fell down, and 
 all the Indians passed by him. Some of them went 
 back the next day, after him or his pack, and found 
 him, with a dog in his arms, both frozen to death. 
 Thus all of my fellow-captives were dispersed and dead, 
 but through infinite and unmerited goodness I was 
 supported under and carried through all difficulties. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 OF FURTHER DIFFICULTIES AND DELIVERANCES. 
 
 One winter, as we were moving from place to place, 
 onr hunters killed some moose. One lying some miles 
 from our wigwams, a young Indian and myself were 
 ordered to fetch part of it. We set out in the morn- 
 ing, wlien the weather was promising, but it proved a 
 
2 8 Memoirs of Odd Adventures ^ 
 
 very cold, cloudy day. It was late in the evening 
 before we arrived at the place where the moose lay, ho 
 that we had no time to provide materials for fire or 
 shelter. At tlie same time came on a storm of snow, 
 very thick, which continued until the next morning. 
 We made a small fire with what little rubbish we could 
 find around us. The fire, with the warmth of our 
 bodies, melted tlie snow upon us as fast as it fell, and 
 so our clothes were filled with water. However, early 
 in the morning we took our loads of moose flesh, and 
 set out on our return to our wigwams. We had not 
 gone far before ray moose-skin coat (which was the only 
 garment I had on my back, and the hair chiefly worn 
 oflf), was frozen stiff round my knees \ive a hoop, as 
 were my snow-shoes and snow-clouts to my feet. Thus 
 I marched the whole day without fire or food. At first 
 T was in great pain, then my flesh became numb, and 
 at times I felt extremely sick, and thought I could not 
 travel one foot further, but I wonderfully revived again. 
 After long traveling I felt very drowsy, and had 
 thoughts of sitting down, which had I done, without 
 doubt I had fallen on my last sleep, as my dear com- 
 panion, Evans, had done before. My Indian compan- 
 ion, being better clothed, had left me long before. 
 Again m}^ spirits revived as much as if I had received 
 the richest cordial. Some hours after sunset T reached 
 the wigwam, and crawling in with my snow-shoes on, 
 the Indians cried out, " The captive is frozen to death." 
 They took off my pack, and the place where they lay 
 against my back was the only one that was not frozen. 
 They cut off my snow shoes and stripped off" the clouts 
 
Strafige Deliver a?ices^ etc, 29 
 
 from !ny feet, which were as void of fooling as any 
 frozen Hosli could Ix'. I had not sat long by the fire 
 before the blood began to circulate, and my feet to my 
 ankles turned black, I swelled with bloody blisters, 
 and were inexpressibl\ painful. The Indians said one 
 to another, " His feet will rot and he will die.' Yet 
 I slept well at night. Soon after, the skin came off my 
 feet from my ankles, whole, like a shoe, leaving my toes 
 naked without a nail, and the ends of my great toe 
 bones bare, wljich, in a little time turned black, so that 
 I was obliged to cut the first joint off with my knife. 
 The Indians gave me rags to bind up my feet, and 
 advised me to apply fir balsam, but withal added that 
 they believed it was not worth while to use means, for 
 I should certainly die. But, by the use of my elbows 
 and a stick in each hand, I shoved myself along as I 
 sat upon the ground over the snow from one tree to 
 another, till I got some balsam. This I burned in a 
 clam-shell till it was of a consistence like salve, which 
 I applied to my feet and ankles, and, by the divine 
 blessing, within a week I could go about upon my heels 
 with my staff. And, through God's goodness, we had 
 provisions enough, so that we did not remove under 
 ten or fifteen days. Then the Indians made two little 
 hoops, something in the form of a snow-shoe, and sew- 
 ing them to my feet, I was able to follow them in their 
 tracks, on my heels, from place to place, though some- 
 times half leg deep in snow and water, which gave me 
 the most acute pain imaginable ; but I must walk or 
 die. Yet within a year my feet were entirely well • 
 and the nails came on my great toes, so that a very 
 
30 Memoirs of Odd Adventures ^ 
 
 critical cyo could scarcely perceive any part missing, 
 or that they had been frozen at all. 
 
 In a time of great scarcity of provisions, the Indians 
 chased a large moose into the river, and killed him. 
 They brought the flesh to the village and raised it on 
 a scaffold, in a large wigwam, in order to make a feast. 
 I was very officious in supplying them with wood and 
 water, which pleased them so well that they now and 
 then gave me a piece of flesh half boiled or roasted, 
 which I ate with eagerness, and I doubt not without 
 due thankfulness to the divine Beinct who so extraor- 
 dinarily fed me. At length the scaffold bearing the 
 moose meat broke, and I being under it, a large piece 
 fell and knocked me on the head.* The Indians said 
 I lay stunned a considerable time. The first I was 
 sensible of, was a murmuring noise in my ears, tlien 
 my sight gradually returned, with an extreme pain in 
 my hand, which was very much bruised; and it was 
 long before I recovered, the weather being very hot. 
 
 I was once fishing with an Indian for sturgeon, and 
 the Indian darting orie, his feet slipped, and he turned 
 the canoe bottom upward with me under it. I held 
 fast to the cross-bar, as I could not swim, with my 
 face to the bottom of the canoe, but turning myself, I 
 brought my breast to bear on the cross-bar, expecting 
 every minute the I.ndian to tow me to the bank. But 
 " he had other fish to fry." Thus I continued a quar- 
 ter of aa hour, [though] without want of breath, till 
 
 <■ Whether be ware truck by a timber of the .sciitTold, or a quantity of the meat ouit,. 
 we are aBfttDicojyeGture, .ani} it .is npt v<jry material:— S. G. Dhake 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 31 
 
 tlie current drove me on a rocky point where I could 
 reacli bottom. There T stopped and turned up my ciinoe. 
 On looking about for tlie Indian, I saw him half a mile 
 off up tlie river. On going to him, I asked him why 
 he had not towed me to the bank, seeing he knew I 
 could not swim, lie said he knew I was under the 
 canoe, for there were no bubbles any where to be seen, 
 and that I should drive on the point. So while he was 
 taking care of his fine sturgeon, which was eight or ten 
 feet in lenLjth, I was left to sink or swim. 
 
 Once, as we were fishing for salmon at a fall of about 
 fifteen feet of water, I came near being drownded in a 
 deep liole at the foot of the fall. The Indians went 
 into the water to wash themselves, and asked me to 
 go with them. I told them I could not swim, but they 
 insisted, and so I went in. They ordered me to dive 
 across the deepest place, and if I fell short of the other 
 side they said they would help me. But, instead of 
 •diving across the narrowest part, I was crawling on 
 the bottom into the deepest place. They not seeing me 
 rise, and knowing whereabouts I was by the bubbling 
 of the water, a young girl dived down and brought me 
 up by the hair, otherwise I had perished ii the water. 
 Though the Indians, both male and female, go into the 
 water together, they have each of them such covering 
 on that not the least indecency can be observed, and 
 ■neither chastity nor modesty is violated. 
 
 While at the Indian village, I had been cutting 
 wood and binding it up with an Indian rope, in order 
 to carry it to the wigwam, a stout, ill-natured young 
 fellow, about twenty years of age, threw me backward, 
 
3 2 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 sat on my breast, pulled out liis knife, and said he 
 would kill me, for he had never yet killed one of the 
 English. I told him he might go to war, and that 
 would he more manly than to kill a poor eaptive who 
 was doing their drudgery for them. Notwithstanding 
 all I could say, he began to cut and stab me on my 
 breast. I seized him l)y the hair, and tumbling him 
 off of me, followed him with my fists and knee with 
 such application that he soon cried " enough." But 
 when I saw the blood run from my bosom, and felt the 
 smart of the wounds he had given me, 1 at him again, 
 and bid him get up and not lie there like a dog : told 
 him of his former abuses oflTered to me and other poor 
 captives, and that if ever he offered the like to me 
 again, I would pay him double. I sent him before me, 
 and taking up my burden of wood, came to the Indians 
 and told them the whole truth, and they commended 
 me. And I do not remember that ever he offered me 
 the least abuse afterwards, though he was big enough 
 to have despatched two of me. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 OF REMARKABLE EVENTS OF PROVIDENCE IN THE DEATHS 
 OF SEVERAL BARBAROUS INDIANS. 
 
 The priest of this river was of the order of Saint 
 Francis, a gentleman of a humane and generous dispo- 
 sition. In his sermons he most severely reprehended 
 the Indians for their barbarities to captives. He would 
 often tell them that, excepting their errors in religion, 
 
Strange Deliverances, etc, 33 
 
 the I'liigliwh were a IcttiT |»L'ii|>lr tliaii tlu'iiiscKn's, ami 
 tluitGotl would rciiiarkaltly |»niiisli such ciiU'l wretches, 
 ami laul Itcguii to cxcculf his Ncutrcaucc upon such 
 ah'eady ! llf u'ave an accduiit of the rdahatioiis ol' 
 I'rovich^iicc ujioii those inurdei'ous ( 'a|>e Sahle Indians 
 above nu'iitiout'd. one of whom L''>t a sphnter into his 
 foot, which festered and rotted his fle.sli till it killed 
 liiiM. Aiiotln'i' I'Uti a fish-hone into her hand or arm. 
 and she rotted to death, notwithstandiuL' all means that 
 W(M'e used to prevent it. In some such manner tliev 
 all died, so that not one of those two families lived to 
 return home.''' Were it not for these remarks of \\\v 
 priest, I had not. perhaps, have notieed these provi- 
 dences. 
 
 There \\a> an old s^juaw who ever endeavored to 
 outdo all others in cruelty to ca|)tives. AVherever she 
 came into a wit!;wam, where any poor, naked, starved 
 captives were sitting near the lire, if they were grown 
 persons, she would stealthily take up a shovel of hot 
 coals and throw them into their bo.soms. If they wen^ 
 voutiii' persons, she would seize them bv the hand or 
 leg, drag them through the tire, etc. The Indians with 
 whom she lived, according to their custom, left their 
 village in the fall of the year, and dispersed themselves 
 tor hunting. After the first or second removal, they 
 all strang(dy forgot that old squaw and her grandson, 
 about twelve vears of aoje. Thev were found dead in 
 the place where they were left, some months afterwards, 
 
 '•' Ixi'terenco i.i prolmbly liml to tliose IinliiiUM otHlioin tho aiitlior Iuin liol'ore .s|>okeii 
 lis Imving Cdiuo to iIk- fort of those with wlioiii ho was lunotig, to he rovenf^cil on iiny 
 whites for the hiss of some of their frieiuls who hiul hceii kilh'il hy white fislienneii. 
 
 — S. It. riRAKF. 
 
 5 
 
34 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 !Ui(l no lurtlicr iiotici' was laUcii of tli 'in liy llifir 
 iViciids. ( )|' this \\\v j)i'iest made special reiiai'k, I'onis 
 iiiucli as it is a lliiiiu; very uiieoiiiinoii tor tliciii to lie 
 gleet either their old or young people. 
 
 Ill the latter part of siiiiiiiier or liegiiiiiiiigot'aiitmiiii. 
 the Indians wore Ireipiently iVighlened hy the appear- 
 ance ol' strange Indians passing up and down this river 
 in canocH. aiul ahout that time tiie next year died niuri- 
 than one hundreil persons, old and young, all. or most 
 ol" those who saw those sti'angi' Indians! Tlie priest 
 said it was a sort of plague. .\ person seeming in per- 
 fect health would hlei'd al tlii' mouth and nose, turn 
 hliu' in s[»ots, and die in two or three hours. '^' It was 
 very tedi(jus to me to reiiio\'e tVoiii place to i)laee tiiis 
 cold season. The Indians applied red ochre to my 
 sore.s [which had heen ocaunoned hy the atfra}' hefore 
 uientioned], which hy <iods blessing cured me. This 
 sickness being at the worst as winter came on. the 
 Indiana all scattered, and the blow was so great to 
 thenj, that they did not settle or plant at their village 
 while I was on the river [8t. .lohus|, and I know not 
 whether they have to this day. Before they thus 
 deserted the village, when they eanie in from hunting, 
 they would be drunk and light for several days and 
 nights together, till they had spent most of their skins 
 in wine and brandy, which was brought to the village 
 by a Frenchman called Monsieur 'Siijenioiicour. 
 
 '^C'liliiliiitoiis ini>t'tiilili<'?< iii'o ol'tcii iiii'iitiiiiii'd ns liiipiu'iiin;; niiiiiii<; tlii' lii>liiiiis, lint 
 tliiit tlio iipiH'iiniucc cit' stiiinjii' IihMmus liiul iiiivtliinu to iln with it, will only I'xcitr 
 iicliiilriitliiu to the piilij:hteiioil of this ;i;;r. It wii- Ky ii iiioit.ility soiiictliiiiii siiiiiliir 
 (hat thi- iMiiiiitry iilioiit tlic const of Miissiirliiisctts whs iiciirly ilciioiniliitcil two or three 
 vem-s hefoie the settlement of Plviuoiith.— S, li. Ihiakk. 
 
Stra/tgc Deliverances^ eic, "i^^ 
 
 C H A F I" E R V . 
 
 OK THKIR KAMIMAKIIY WITH, AN'I) KKKiH IS KRt)M, THK 
 
 l)i:VII,, KTC. 
 
 Till'. Iiidiiuis ar*' vtTV ot'tfii surpriscil with tin- ap- 
 pearaiict' of n-liosts and di'iiioiis. f^onictiiiK's they arr 
 ('ii('uui'au;t'(| l(v tlio devil, lor tlu'V y;o to liiiu lor success 
 ill limitiiiii'. iV'i'. I was once luiiitiiiu; with Indians who 
 were not hroULdit over to the Hotnish I'aitli, and after 
 several days they proposed to iiKjiiire, according:; to 
 their custom, what succress they should have. They 
 accordinu'lv prepared inanv hot stones, and laviuii them 
 in a hea[), maile a small hut covered with skins and 
 mats; theii, in a dark night two of the powwows went 
 into this hot house with a large vessel of water, which 
 at times tiiey poured on those hot rocks, whicli raised 
 a thick steam, so that a third Indian was obliged to 
 stand without, and lift up a mat to give it vent when 
 tliey were almost suttboated. There was an old s(iuaw 
 who was kind to captives, and never joined with them 
 in their powwowing, to whom I manifested an earnest 
 desire to see their management. She told me that if 
 they knew of my being there they would kill nie, and 
 that when she was a girl she had known young persons 
 to be taken away by a hairy man, and therefore she 
 would not advise me to go, lest the hairy man should 
 carrv me awav. 1 told her I was not afraid of the 
 luiirv man, nor could he hurt me if she would not 
 
]() Mi'fioirs of Odd Advcfiturcs^ 
 
 (liisi'over inc to the powwows. At lt'ii*,'tli she proiiiiscd 
 
 liir slic wollM Hot. liilt fliai''j;i'il me lo lie Ciircl'ul III' 
 iiiyM'll". I Weill witliiii tliiT"' or tour t'i'cl u{ tlir hot 
 lioiisc, fin' il wiis \ci'v <\\\\\\. iiiid lii'iird ^tnui<j.'(' iioincs 
 uiid yclliiigs, siic|i ;is I iu'ViT iii'ai'd licfoi't-. At tiiiK'H 
 tlie Indian wlio tfmlfd without would hl"t u|> the mat. 
 and a steam would issue which looked like tire. 1 hiy 
 ihei'e two or three liours. liiit saw none nl' their hairy 
 men or demons. And when I I'ound they had tiiiished 
 their fi-remony, 1 Went to the wigwam and lold the 
 s((uaw what had jtasscd. She was i.dad I hail escaped 
 without hurt, and never discovered what I hiid done. 
 Alter Home time inquiry was made of the powwows 
 what success We Were likely to liave in (tur hunting. 
 They said they had very likely siens ot' sut-cess, hut no 
 I'eal ones as at othei' times. A few days alter, we 
 moved up the J'iver and had pri'tty g(jod luck. 
 
 One afternoon as 1 was in a canoe with one of the 
 powwows, the dou' hai'kiMJ. and prescMitly a moose 
 passed by within u few rods of us. so that the waves 
 he made l»y wading rolled our canoe. The hulian 
 HJiot at him, hut the moos*; took very little notice of it, 
 and went into tlie woods to the southward. The fel- 
 low said, " I will try if I cant fetch you back tor all 
 your haste." The evening following we built our two 
 wigwams on a sandy point on the upper end of an 
 island in the river, northwest of the place where the 
 moose went into the woods, and here the Indian pow- 
 wowed the greatest part of the inglit following. In 
 the morning we had a fair track of a moose round our 
 wigwams, though we did not see or taste of it. . L um 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc* 37 
 
 of opiiiiuii iliat till" devil was jK'niiitt('(| to liimiortlio.se 
 imlia|»|>y wretches soinotiiiies, in some things.'" 
 
 That it may appear how miicli they were dehnled, 
 or under the illlhleliee of sataii, I'ead the two stories 
 which Were rehited and heheved by the Indiajis. The 
 first, of a hoy who was cai'ried away hy u hirge liii'd 
 caHed a (Inlliymi, who huildcth his nest on a high rock 
 or mountain. A hoy was hunting with his how and 
 arrow at the foot of a rocky mountain, when the gul- 
 louii came diving througli the air. grasped the boy in 
 lior talons, and altliough he was eight or ten years of 
 age, she 8f)ared ahjft and hiid liini in her nest, food lor 
 her young. The hoy lay still on his face, but observed 
 two of the young birds in the nest with him having 
 nuich lish and tiesh to feed upon. The <dd bird seeing 
 they would not eat the boy, took him up in lier claws 
 and returned him to the place from whence she took 
 him. 1 liave passed near the mountain in a canoe, 
 and the Indians have said, "There is th(> nest of the 
 great bird that carried away the boy." Indeed, there 
 seemed to be a great nundjer of sticks put together like 
 a nest, on the top of the mountain. At another time 
 thev said, " There is the bird, hut lie is now as a bov 
 to a mant to what he was in former days." Th(> bird 
 which' we saw was a large and speckled one, like an 
 eagle, though somewhat larger.-)* 
 
 '■' \Vli;il('Vcr lilt' liiiliiiii.-< iiiiKlit have Iji'licvcil iiluiiit the ilcvil, mn' tiling is pretty 
 clfiii, timt mil' ciiptivf liml u'liMt lUitli in his nliihtics. (^iiite us cnsv n wiiv to hiivc 
 
 II iiiiti'd lof iiKiiisp tnicUtt nbiiiit their wiKHiiin, woiihl Imve lieiti to siijiliiist' that Ilmt 
 
 niiiiniil liii«ht hiive lieeii iittriicted liy the iiin'iHllli iinise dI' the |i(i«hciw t(i a]i|irunch 
 them for the dhjeet of iliseoverv. It is very eomtiion for wild anliiuUs to do so.— S. (i. 
 
 J>IIAKK. 
 
 fNot exaetly a (is// utoiii, Imt it is eertaiiily a hinl nlon/, ami although .Mr. (iyU-s has 
 
3 8 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 When from tho mountain tops, with hidoous cry 
 
 And clattering wings, the hungry h.irpies l!y, 
 
 They sniitclied * it * * 
 
 * * And whether gods or birds obscene tliey were, 
 
 Our vows tor pardon and for peace prefer. 
 
 Dryden's Viugii.. 
 
 The other notion is, that a young Indian in his iiunt- 
 ing, was belated, and losing his way, was on a sudden 
 introduced to a large wigwam full of dried eels, which 
 proved to be a beaver's house, in which he lived till' 
 the spring of the year, when he was turned out of the 
 house, and being set upon a beaver's dam, went home 
 and related the affair to his friends at large. 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 A DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL CREATURES COMMONLY TAKEN 
 BY THE INDIAi'IS ON ST. JOHN's RIVER. 
 
 I. Of the Beaver. — The beaver has a very thick, 
 strong neck ; his fore teeth, which are two in the upper 
 and two in the under jaw, are concave and sharp like 
 a carpenter's gouge. Their side teeth are like a sheep's, 
 for they chew the cud. Their legs are short, the claws 
 something longer than in other creatures. The nails 
 on the toes of their hind feet are flat like an ape's, but 
 joined together by a membrane, as those of the water- 
 fowl, their tails broad and flat like the broad end of a 
 paddle. Near their tails they have four bottles, two 
 
 fortified himsolf lichimi " lipliovcil by the Iinliiitis," yet I fear his reimtation for cre- 
 dulity will lie somewhat eiihaneed in the mind of the render. I think, however, it 
 mhoiild not deroKiite from his ehiiriKitor for veracity. — S. O. Drake. 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 39 
 
 of which contain oil, the others gum ; the necks of 
 these meet in one common orifice. The h\tter of tliese 
 bottles contain the proper castorum, and not the testi- 
 cles, as some have fancied, for they are distinct and 
 separate from them, in the males only ; whereas the 
 castorum and oil bottles are common to male and fe- 
 male. With this oil and gum they preen themselves, 
 so that when they come out of the water it runs off of 
 them as it does from a fowl. Thev have four teats, 
 which are on their breasts, so that they hug up their 
 young and suckle them as women do their infants. 
 They have generally two, and sometimes four in a 
 litter. 1 have seen seven or five in the matrix, but 
 the Indians think it a strange thing to find so many in 
 a litter ; and they assert that when it so happens, the 
 darn kills all but four. They are the most laborious 
 creatures that I have met with. I have known them 
 to build dams across a river thirty or forty perches 
 wid(^ with wood and mud, so as to flow many acres of 
 land. In the deepest part of a pond so raised, they build 
 their houses, round, in the figure of an Indian wigwam, 
 eight or ten feet high, and six or eight in diameter on 
 the floor, which is made descending to the water, the 
 parts near the centre about four, and near the circum- 
 ference, between ten and twenty inches above the 
 water. T^hese floors are covered with strippings of 
 wood, like shavings. On these they sleep with their 
 tails in the water;"' and if the freshets rise, they have 
 
 '■' I ri'eollpi't to Imvo seen a siinilnr stiitoniont by that singular nonius, Thomas Mor- 
 ton, of M.ire Mount, in his more singular hook, New English Canaan, aliout beavers 
 keeping their tails in the water. Morton, however, tells us the reason they do so, viz: 
 "wliieh else wouM overheat and rot ot!'."— S. ^^. Drakf. 
 
40 • Memoirs of Odd Adve?ttures^ 
 
 tlu.' udvaiita*!;e ot" risiiiy; on their floor to the hii^hest 
 part. They feed on the leaves and bark of trees, and 
 pond-lily roots. In the fall of the year they lay in 
 their provision for the approaching winter, entting 
 down trees y-reat and small. With one end in their 
 mouths they drag their branches near to their liouse, 
 and sink many cords of it. (They will cut [gnaw J 
 down trees of a fathom in circumference.) They ]iavr> 
 doors to go down to the wood under the ice. And in 
 case the fresliets rise, break down and carrv off their 
 store of wood, they often stance. They have a note 
 for conversing, calling, and warning each other when 
 at work or feeding; and while they are at labor they 
 keep out a guard, who, upon the first apjiroach of an 
 enemy, so strikes the water with his tail that he may 
 be heard half a mile. This so alarms the rest that 
 they are all silent, quit their labor, and are to be seen 
 no more for that time. If the male or female die, the 
 survivor seeks a mate and conducts him or her to their 
 house, and carry on affairs as above. 
 
 II. Of the Wolverene. [GvJo Luseus of L.] The 
 wolverene is a very fierce and mischievous creature, 
 about the bigness of a middling dog, having short legs, 
 broad feet, and very sharp claws, and in my opinion 
 may be reckoned a species of cat. They will climb 
 trees and wait for moose and other animals which feed 
 below, and when opportunity presents, jump upon and 
 strike their claws in them so fast that they will hang 
 on them till they have gnawed the main nerve in their 
 neck asunder, which causes their death. 1 have known 
 many moose killed thus. I was once traveling a little 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, • . 41 
 
 way behind severul Tiulians, and liearing tliein laiigli 
 merrily, when I came up I asked them tlie cause of 
 their laughter. They showed me the track of a moose, 
 and now a wolverene had climbed a tree, and where 
 he hiid jumped od" upon a. moose. Tt so happened, 
 that after the moose had taken several large leaps, it 
 came under the branch of a tree, which striking the 
 wolverene, broke his hold and tore him off; and by his 
 tracks in the snow it appeared he we.nt off another 
 way, with short steps, as if he had been stunned by 
 the blow that had broken his hold. The Indians im- 
 puted the accident to the cunning of the moose, and 
 were wonderfully pleased that it had thus outwitted 
 the mischievous wolverene. 
 
 These wolverenes go into wigwams which have been 
 left for a time, scatter the things abroad, and most 
 filthily pollute them with ordure. I have heard the 
 Indians say that this animal has sometimes pulled their 
 guns from under their heads while they were asleep, 
 and left them so defiled. An Indian told me that hav- 
 ing left his wigwam, with sundry things on the scaf- 
 fold, among which was a birchen liask containing sev- 
 eral pounds of powder, he found at his return, much to 
 his surprise and grief, that a wolverene had visited it, 
 mou'.;Led the scaffold, hove down bag and baggage. 
 The powder flask happening to fall into the fire, ex- 
 ploded, blowing up the wolverene, and scattering the 
 wigwam in all directions. At length he found the 
 creature, blind from the blast, wandering backward 
 and forward, and he had the satisfaction of kicking and 
 beating him about. This, in a great measure, made 
 6 
 
42 Memoirs of Odd Adventures ^ 
 
 up their Iosh, aiul tluiii tlicy t-ould coiiteiitetlly pick U[> 
 tlieir utensils and rig out their wiuwaiu. 
 
 IJI. Of the HedgeliO(i {Histrii: Dornafa\,()r Urchin 
 I LJrHoiif] Our lieclgehog, or urehin, is about tlio big- 
 ness of a hog six months old. His back, sides, and 
 tail are full of sharp quills, so that if any creature ap- 
 proach him, he will contract himself into a globular 
 form, and when touciied by his enemy, his (juills are 
 so sharp and loose in the skin they fix in the mouth of 
 the adversary. They will strike with great force with 
 their tails, so that whatever falls under the lash of them 
 are certainly tilled with their prickles ; but that they 
 shoot their quills, as some assert they do. is a great 
 mistake, as respects the American hedgehog, and 1 
 believe as to the African hedgehog or porcupine, also. 
 As to the former. T have taken them at all seasons ol" 
 the year. 
 
 IV. Of the Tortoise. it is needless to describ*' 1 1 if 
 fresh- water tortoise, whose form is so well known in all 
 parts ; but their manner of propagating their species is 
 not so universally known. I have observed that sort 
 of tortoise whose shell is about fourteen or sixteen 
 inches wide. In their coition they may be heard half 
 a mile, making a noise like a woman washinij her linen 
 with a batting stafF. They lay their eggs in the sand, 
 near some deep, still water, about a foot beneath tlu; 
 surface of the sand, with which they are very curious in 
 covering them ; so that there is not the least mixture of 
 it amongst them, nor the least rising of sand on the 
 beach where they are deposited. I have often searched 
 for them with the Indians, by thrusting a stick into the 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 43 
 
 00 
 
 aaiul at random, and brought up sonu' part ol' an og^ 
 (dinging to it : when uncovering the place, wo have found 
 near one hundred and iit'ty in one nest. Both their eggs 
 and flesh are good eating when boiled. I have observed 
 a difference as to the length of time in which they are 
 hatching, which is between twenty and tliirty days, 
 some sooner than others. Whether this difference 
 ought to be imputed to the various quality or site of 
 the sand in which they are laid (as to the degree of 
 cold or heat), I leave to the conjecture of the virtuosi. 
 As soon as they are hatched, the young tortoise breaks 
 through the sand and betake themselves to the water, 
 anil, as far as I could discover, without any further 
 care or help of the old ones. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OK THEIR FEASTING. 
 
 I . Hejorr tkei/ (jo to war. When the Indians de- 
 termine on war, or are entering on a particular expe- 
 dition, they kill a number of their dogs, burn oil' the 
 hair, and cut them to pieces, leaving only one dogs 
 head whole. The rest of the flesh they boil, and make 
 a fine feast of it. Then the dog's head that was left 
 whole is scorched ti)l the nose and lips have shrunk 
 from the teeth, leaving them bare and grinning. This 
 done, they fasten it 01; a stick, and the Indian who is 
 proposed to be chief in the expedition, takes the head 
 into his hand and sings a warlike song, in which he 
 mentions the town they design to attack, and the prin- 
 
44 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 cipal man in it, threatening tliat in a few days he will 
 carry that man's head and scalp in liis hand in the 
 same manner. When the chief has finished singing, 
 he so places the dog's liead as to grin at him who he 
 snpposes will go his second, who, if he accepts, tak(>s 
 the head in his hand and sings; l.tnt if he refuses to go 
 he turns the teeth to another ; and thus from one to 
 another till they have enlisted their company. 
 
 The Indians imagine that dog's flesh makes them 
 bold and courageous. I have seen an Indian split a 
 dog's head with a hatchet, take out the brains hot, and 
 eat them raw with the blood running down his jaws I 
 
 2. Wlien a relation dies. In a still evening, a squaw 
 will walk on the highest land near her abode, and with 
 a loud and mournful voice will exclaim, " Oh/ Jiaice, 
 haiue, haiue,'' with a long mournful tone to each kawe, 
 for a long time together. After the mourning season 
 is over, the relations of the deceased make a feast to 
 wipe off tears, and the bereaved may marry freely. If 
 the deceased was a squaw, the relations consult together 
 and choose a squaw (doubtless a widow), and send her 
 to the widower, and if he likes her he takes her to be 
 his wife, if not, he sends her back, and the relations 
 choose and send till they find one that he approves of. 
 
 If a young fellow determines to marry, his relations 
 and a Jesuit advise him to a girl. He goes into the 
 wigwam where she is, and looks on her. If he likes 
 her appearance, he tosses a stick or chip into her lap, 
 which she takes, and with a reserved, side look, views 
 the person who sent it, yet handles the chip with ad- 
 miration, as though she wondered from whence it came. 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 45 
 
 If she likes him she throws the chip to him with a 
 modest smile, and then nothing is wanting but a cere- 
 mony with the Jesuit to consummate the marriage. 
 But if fc:he dislikes her suitor, she, with a surly coun- 
 tenance, throws the chip aside, and he comes no more 
 there. 
 
 If parents have a daughter marriageable, they seek 
 a husband for her who is a good hunter. If she has 
 been educated to make monoodah (Indian bags), birch 
 dishes, to lace snow shoes, make Indian shoes, string 
 wampum belts, sew birch canoes, and boil the kettle, 
 she is esteemed a lady of fine accomplishments. If 
 the man sought out for her husband have a gun and 
 ammunition, a canoe, a spear, a hatchet, a monoodah, 
 a crooked knife, looking-glass and paint, a pipe, to- 
 bacco, and knot-bowl to toss a kind of dice in, he is 
 accounted a gentleman of a plentiful fortune. What- 
 ever the new married man procures the first year 
 belongs to his wife's parents. If the young pair have 
 a child within a year and nine months, they are thought 
 to be very forward and libidinous persons. 
 
 By their play with dice they lose much time, play- 
 ing whole days and nights together, sometimes stai^-ing 
 their whole effects, though this is accounted a great 
 vice by the old men. 
 
 A digression. — There is an old story told among the 
 Indians of a family who had a daughter that was ac- 
 counted a finished beauty, having been adorned with 
 the precious jewel, an Indian education I She was so 
 formed by nature and polished by art, that they could 
 not find for her a suitable consort. At length, while 
 
46 Memoirs of Odd Adventures, 
 
 this t'aiiiily were oriee residinij; upon tlio head of Penoh- 
 HL'ot river, under the White Hills, ealled Teddon, this 
 fine creature waH rnissing, and her parents could learn 
 no tidings of her. After raucii time and |)ain8 spent, 
 and tears showered in quest of her, they saw her divert- 
 ing herself with a beautiful youth, whose hair, like \\vy 
 own, flowed down below his waist, swimming, washing, 
 etc., in the water ; but they vanished on their approach. 
 This beautiful person, whom they imagined to be one 
 of those kind spirits who inhabit tiie Teddon, they 
 looked upon as their son-in-law ; and, according to 
 their custom, they called upon him for moose, bear, or 
 whatever creature thev desired, and if they diil but <io 
 to the water-side and signify their desire, the animal 
 would come swimming to them I 1 have lieard an 
 Indian say that lie lived by the river, at the foot of 
 the Teddon, the top of which he could see through the 
 hole of his wigwam left for the smoke to pass out. He 
 was tempted to travel to it, and accordingly set out on 
 a summer morning, and labored hard in ascending the 
 hill, all day, and the top seemed as distant from the 
 place where he lodged at night as from his wigwam, 
 where lie began his journey. Pie now coni;luded the 
 spirits were there, and never dared to make a second 
 attempt. 
 
 I have been credibly informed that sevei'al others 
 have failed in like attempts. Once three young men 
 climbed towards its summit three days and a half, at 
 the end of which time they became strangely disor- 
 dered with delirium, &c., and when their imagination 
 was clear, and they could recollect where they were, 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 47 
 
 they found thetnselves returned one day's joiu'iiey. 
 How they came to be thus transported they could not 
 eonjei'ture, unless the genii of the place had conveyed 
 thein. These Wiiite Hills, at the iiead of Penobscot 
 river, are, by tlie Indians, said to be much higher than 
 those! called Agiockocldiook, above Saco.''' 
 
 But to return to an Indian feast, of which you »nay 
 request a bill of fare before you go. If you dislike it, 
 stay at home. The ingredients are tish, flesh, or Indian 
 corn and beans boiled together; sometimes hastv pud- 
 ding made of pounded corn, whenever and as often as 
 these are plenty. An Indian boils four or live large 
 ketth^s full, and sends a messenger to each wigwam 
 door, who exclaims, '' Ka/i. menscoorebahr that is, " [ 
 come to conduct you to a feast." The man within 
 demands whether he must take a spoon or a knife in 
 his dish, which he always carries with him. They 
 appoint two or three young men to mess it out, to each 
 man his [)ortion, according to the number of his family 
 at home. This is done with the utmos;t exactness. 
 When they have done eating, a young fellow stands 
 without the door and cries aloud, ''Mcnseco»i7nook/" 
 ■' come and fetch I" Immediately each squaw goes to 
 her husband and takes what he has left, which she 
 carries home and eats with her children. For neither 
 married women, nor any youth under twenty, are 
 allowed to be present : but old widow squaws and 
 captive men may sit by the door. The Indian men 
 continue in the wigwam, some relating their warlike 
 
 '>Somi' ii(|<litii)n.i to tlio.-<(' (niditions will be found in the Book of the Iiidiuns, iii. 
 
 1.11— S. <;. DllARK. 
 
48 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 exploits, otliers sotiietliing comical, others narrating 
 t leir hunting exploits. The seniors gave mnxims of 
 prudence and grave counsf o the young men ; and 
 though every one's speech be agreeable to the run ol' 
 his ow"' fancy, yet thev contine themselves to rule, and 
 but on 3 speaks at a tmie. Alter every man has told 
 his story, one rises up, sings a feast song, and others 
 succeed alternately as the company sees fit. 
 
 Necessity is the mother of invention. If an Indian 
 loses his fire, he can presently take two sticks, one 
 harder than the otlier (the drier the better), and in the 
 softest one make a hollow or socket, in which one end 
 of the hardest stick being inserted, then holding the 
 softest piece firm between his knees, whirls it round 
 like a drill, and tire will kindle in a few minutes. 
 
 If they have lost or left their kettle, it is but putting 
 their victuals into a birch dish, leaving a vacancy in 
 the middle, filling it with water, and putting in hot 
 stones alternately ; they will thus thoroughly boil the 
 toughest neck of beef. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OF MY THREE YEARS CAPTIVITY WITH THE FRENCH. 
 
 When about six years of my doleful captivity had 
 passed, my second Indian master died, whose squaw 
 and my first Indian master disputed whose slave I 
 should be. Some malicious persons advised them to 
 end the quarrel by putting n period to my life ; but 
 honest father Simon, the priesi of the river, told them 
 
Strange Deliverances ^ etc, 49 
 
 that it Would Itc a lifiii()ii.>i (•I'ime, uiid udvistnl tlierii to 
 soil me to the Kiviifli. Tlici't' caiiir annually ouf or 
 two iiii'ii ot' war to siipply the tort, wliicli was on tlip 
 river about tliirtv-t'our leagues I'roiu the soa. The In- 
 dians having adviee of tiie arrival of a man of war at. 
 the mouth of the river, they, ahout thirty or forty in 
 numher, went on hoard : for the gentlemen from Kranee 
 made a |iresent to them every year, and set foi-th the 
 i-ich(>s and victories of their monarch, itc. .\t this 
 time they presented the Indians with a hag or two of 
 Hour with some prunes, us ingredients foi- a feast. I, 
 who was dressed up in an old greasy hlaid<et, without 
 i-ap, hat, oi- shirt (for I had had no shirt for the six 
 years except the one I hud on at the time I was made 
 prisoner), was invited into the great cahin. where 
 manv W(>ll-rigged gentlemen were sittiuii, who would 
 fain liave had a full view of me. I endeavored to 
 hide mysL'lf l»ehind the hangings, tor 1 was much 
 ashamed. thiid<ing how I had once worn clothes, an«l 
 of my living with peo|»le wiio could rig as well as the 
 hest of them. My master asked me whether I chose 
 to be sold to the people of the man of war. or to the 
 iidiabitants of the country. I replied, with tears, that 
 I should he glad if he would sell me t(» the English 
 from whom 1 was taken ; but that if 1 must be sold to 
 the French, I wished to be sold to the lowest inhabit- 
 ants on the river, or those nearest to the sea. who w(^re 
 about twentv-tive leai»;ues from the mouth ol' tlie river; 
 for 1 thought if I were sold to the gentlemen in the 
 ship, T shouKl never return to the Knglish. 
 
 This was the tirst time 1 had seen the sea during my 
 7 
 
50 Memoirs of' Odd Adventures^ 
 
 f'Mptivitv. Mini llic lii'si tiiiic tlinl I Icul t!l^t•■l| .smIi or 
 l.iva.l. ' 
 
 My iiiiif<(t'i' pft'sciitlv Went on shore. mimI ii tew ilnvs 
 affpr. nil the ItidiiUis went up the iMV<'r. WIk'h we 
 cnriic to a Iiomsp wliifli I liii<l spoken to my inastfr 
 about, lie vvf'iit on sliorc with nie and tarri»'<| all niirhl. 
 The master of the houHf spoUt- kindly to me in Indian, 
 tor I <-(»uld not then H|)eak one word ot'Krenrii. Mailam 
 nlmo looked pleasant on me, and gave nie some l)read. 
 The next day I was sent six leagues further up the 
 river to another French house. My master anti the 
 friar tarried with Monsieur l)eehouri"our. the irentlemnn 
 who had entertained us the nigdit hefore. Not long 
 after, father Simon came and saiil, " Now yon ai'e one 
 of UH. for voii are sold to that gentleman hy whom you 
 were entertained the other night. " I replied. '■ Sold I 
 to a Frenehman !"' I eould say no more, went into 
 the woods alone, and wept till I eould scarce see or 
 stand ! The woi-d Hold, and that to a pe()j)le of that 
 persuasion which my dear mother so nuu-h dete-sted, 
 and in her last words manifested so great fears of mv 
 falling into I These thoughts almost broke my heart. 
 
 When J had tlius given vent to my grief 1 wiped 
 mv eves, endeavoring to conceal its effects, but father 
 Himon, perceiving my eyes were swollen, called me 
 aside, and bidding me not to grieve, for the gentleman, 
 he isaid, to whom I was sold was of a good humor : 
 that he had formerly bought two ca[)tives, both of 
 whom had been sent to Bo.ston. This, in some mea- 
 sure, revived me ; but, he added, \w ilid not suppose I 
 would ever wish to go to the Fnglish, lor the h'rem-h 
 
Stf'dNge Deliverances^ etc\ 51 
 
 rt'liujiuM Uii- *ii liiucli lictt"'!'. lie Hfli«l. nlsd, lie -liolllil 
 |ia>s flint Wiiy ill iilioiit tell tlnys. iitnl if I diil imt lilxf 
 
 to li\T Witll liir I'Vrlirll ln'ltt'l' tllMII witll lilt' lll<liilI|S. 
 
 Iir would liiiy lilt' Mtiiiiii. On tlic tlay l'i>llt)\viiii;, tatlifr 
 SiiiioM aiitl iii\- liitliaii iiiasltT Wfiit ii|t tlif rivt-i' six 
 ami lliirly Ifaifiics, to tln.'ir rliid' villaiif. ami I went 
 • lowii tlif rivoi- six K'asiiit's witli two Kri'iit-lmit'ii to my 
 iH'W iiia>tt'r. lit' Uiiitlly roct'ivctl me. ami in a t'cw 
 iiav> maijaiii mailf nu' an oHiialniry; shirt ami Frcncli 
 (•a|), ami a foat out ol' laic of my masters ttltl coats. 
 Tlit'U I tlii-fW away my <>;i't'n.sy l>laiil<et ami Imliiin Hap, 
 
 aiitl looki'tl as smart as . Ami I iifxt-r intirc saw 
 
 tilt' tiltl iViar. till' Iiitlian villa^t.', or my liitliaii master, 
 till altoiit I'ourtet'u years after, when I saw my okl 
 Imliaii master at Port lloyal. whither I had heeii sent 
 hy the government with a Hag of truee for the ext-haiige 
 ot' prisoners : ami again, about twenty- four years sinee. 
 he fame to St. Johns, to fort George, to see me, where 
 i matle him very welcome. 
 
 Mv i'Vencli mast -r lieM a iireat trade with the Jn- 
 tliaiis. which suited iiie very well, I heing thoi'ough in 
 the languages of the trilies at C'a[)e Sahle and St. .lohns. 
 
 I had not lived lony; with this y;entleman before he 
 committed tt) me the l^eys of his store, ikv., ami my 
 whole emitlovment was tradinu' aiitl huntim'', in which 
 I at:!ted faithfullv for mv master, and never, knowinirlv. 
 wrony-ed him to the value of one farthinn. 
 
 1^hey spoke to me so much in Indian that it was 
 some time before I was perfect in the French tongue. 
 Monsieur generally had his goods from the men (^f war 
 which came tli(>re annuallv I'rom France. 
 
5 2 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 111 till' ycMi' hU>(>, two iiicii of war canip to tin* 
 mouth ot' tilt' river. In their way they had cuptured 
 the NV'\v|)ort. < 'a[»taiii Tuysoii. ami hroi^^ht him with 
 tfiem. They ma<le the fmliaiis some proseiits, ami 
 invited them to join in an exj)e<litioii to l*eTnma<|ui(l. 
 They iUM-epteil it. and soon utter arrived there. (!a|)- 
 tain (!hubh. who eommaiKh'd that [lost. delivered it up 
 without nuieh dispute, to Monsieur |)"Iherville. as I 
 heard the gentleman say. with whom I li\'ed. who was 
 there present .''• 
 
 Karlv in the spring I was sent with three Kreneh 
 men to the mouth ol" the river, tor provision, which 
 eanie trom I'ort Royal- We carried over land Irom 
 the river to a lar«»;e hay. whei-e we were driven on 
 an island hy a northeast storm, where we wei-e kt^pt 
 seven days, without any sustenance, lor we expectetl a 
 i|uick passage, and carried nothiiii!; with us. The wind 
 continuing hoistei'ous. we could not return hack, and 
 the ice prevented our going forward, .\fter seven 
 days the ice hroke up and we went torwartl, though 
 we were So Weak that we could scan-e hear each other 
 speak. The j)e()|)le at the month of the ri\er were 
 
 ■TliP Ki'ViM'i'iiil Mr. MiitlH'i- .fii.v wittily, ii^ hi' !'ii>> I'Miytliiiii.', " 'l'lii~ ehiilili limitil 
 <>|i|inrtiiiiit\, ill ii pvi'tty cliiiblii.'-li iii^iinii'i', to Kill tin' l':iiiiiiii< K<lu'*'i'''iii''l iiihI Miimi- 
 i|iii(l, II fiiiijilt' (if |irim'i|iiil linliiiiiK, mi ii LnrilV il;ij, tlic liiili ol' Kdirii.in, lii'.O. If 
 ttii'i'i' i- iiiiv Miifiiir i|<;iliiiu' in this iii'linii nl' Cliiilih. thiTr will hi' iiimtln'r h't'tiiiini-y. 
 nut fur nil', Hlniiill thi' iivciiLii'i- nf IiIihhI will ImUc s.ilJ-liiclJDii." -||i<l. N. V.. | M!ii.'ii!i- 
 li.i| H. vii. 7'.i. 
 
 Ml-. IMiithi'i' mill-. "Oil till' 4th 111' ."itli 111' .Aii^iiHt, Cliiidh. with .'in iiiiidiiiMiiili Imsi-- 
 iics.'*, iliit .•.iirii'iiili'r till' Imivi' Imt nt' I'i'iiiiiini|iiii| iiun ihci.' h.iiiiU." | Km' mm iiiinMMl. 
 iif till' HTPtrlii'il liiti" iit'Chllhli n« well iis thnt nt'tlii' wliiilf IriiiiMi.liuii. -^i-i' HnnU nf tlii- 
 linliiins. H. iii. I'.M, I.-.:.] 
 
 I'lithiiikiiin iiH'ii nil Mi't ill -irii|ili'> nitiUr. 
 
 Villi Miiliir iirr liiiil milv I'm' iiiiirliii'l"' -iikr. 
 
 lint I'V'll IllO lic-t lllr uniltv liV llli«l!lUi'. 
 
Strange Deliverances^ etc, 13 
 
 siu'pri^otl to si'c lis ali\>', aiul iulvisftl us to he cinitioiis 
 and altstt'iiiiotis in fatiiii<;. By iliin time 1 knew as 
 ii\iich ot" tasting as tlu-y, tui<l dieted 011 Urotli, and 
 recovered very well, as did one of tin- others, lait tlie 
 other two would not be advised, and 1 never saw any 
 persons in greater distress, till at length they hud action 
 ot" the l»owels. when tht>y ret-oveivd. 
 
 .\ friar, wiio lived in the family, invited nie, to con 
 fession, hut I e.xcusetl myself as well as I could at that, 
 time. One evening he took me into his apartment in 
 the dark and advised me to confess to liim wliat sins I 
 had committed. I toKl him 1 could not rememher a 
 thousandth part of them, they were so numerous. 
 Then ln' hid me rememher and relate as many as I 
 cuuld. and he would pardon them, signifying he had a 
 l»ag to put tiiem in. I told him 1 did not believe it 
 was in the power of any but (iod to pardon sin, He 
 asked me wiietiier I had read the Bible. 1 told him I 
 had when 1 was a little bov, but it was .so lotiii ajjo I 
 had forjiotten most of it. Then he told me he did not 
 pardon my sins, but when he knew them he prayed to 
 Cxod to pardon tliem : when, perhaps, I was at my 
 sports and plays, lie wished me well, and fioped 1 
 should be better advised, and said he siiould call for 
 me in a little time. Thus he dismissed me, nor did he 
 ever call me to confession afterwards. 
 
 The gentleman with whom I lived had a tine field 
 of wheat, in which great numbers of blackbirds con- 
 tinually collected and made great havoc in it. The 
 French said a -lesuit woaM come and banish them. 
 He did at length come, and liavingall things j)repared. 
 
54 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 lu' took a liMsiii ul' lioly water, w statf witli a little 
 brush, ami liavinu' on \\\> \\\\\\i' rol»<'. w<Mit into \\\v 
 field of wlu'Ht. I ask<;'<i several prisoners who had 
 lately hcen taken hy privateers, and hroiiL'lit in there, 
 viz: Mr. Woodbury, (Jocks j(!'ux?] and Moruan. whether 
 they would gu aiul see the eereniony, Mr. Woodbury 
 asked uie whether I desiuned to gii. ami I told him 
 yes. He tlien said I was as l»ad a.s a papist, and a 
 d — d tool. I told him I believed as little of" it as he 
 did. but I was inelineil to see the ceremony, tiiat I 
 might tx'll it to my friends. 
 
 With about thirty followiniz' in jM-ocession, the Jesuit 
 marehed througii the field of wheat, a yoimi>: lad goiiiL^ 
 before him beariuu" the holy water. Then the .Jesuit, 
 dipping his l»rusli into the holy water, sprinkled the 
 field on each side ol' him. a little bell jingling at the 
 same time, and all singing the words. (Jrn />/" unhix. 
 At the end of the field they wheeled to the left about, 
 and returned. Tlius they passed anil repassed the tiehl 
 of wheat, the blackbirds all the while rising before 
 them onlv to light behind. \\ their return I told a 
 French lad that the friar had done no service, and 
 recommended them t;o shoot the birds. The lad left 
 tne, as I thought, to see what the .).f«uil woidd say to 
 my observation, which turned out to be the ense, for 
 he told the lad that the sins of tic |jeople wen- so great 
 he could not prevail against tliose birds. The same 
 friar as vaiidv attemjited to l)anish the musketoes from 
 f^ignecto. but the sins of the people there were also too 
 great for him to prevail. l)Ut. on the other hand, it 
 seemed that more came, which caused the people to 
 
Strange Deliverances ^ etc* 55 
 
 .^uspef't tliiit soiiii' liJttl foiiir t"i)i- rlif sins of tlif .Ifsuit 
 also. 
 
 iSoiiic time after, (voloiH'l Hawthorne attempted the 
 raking of the French fort up tliis river. We lieard of 
 him some time before lie came up. by the L'uard which 
 (Tovernor Villebon had stationed at the river's mouth. 
 Monsieur, my master, had gone to France, and madam, 
 his wife, advised with m<'. She desired me to nail a 
 paper on the door of her house, which paper read as 
 follows : 
 
 ■' I entreat the general of the Fnglish not to burn 
 my house, or barn, nor destroy my cattle. I don't 
 supjtose that such an army comes here to destroy a few 
 inhabii:ant8. but to take the fort above us. I have 
 shown kindness to the Knglish captives, as we were 
 capacitated, and have liought two. oi" tla^ Indians, and 
 sent them to Boston. We have one now with us, and 
 lie shall go also when a convenient opportunitv pre- 
 sents, aiitl he (lesires it." 
 
 When I had done this, madam said to me, " Little 
 Fnglish." j which was the familiar name she used to 
 call me byi. " we havt- shown you kindness, and now 
 it lies in your |»ower to serve or di.>serve us, as you 
 know where our gooijs are hid in the woods, and that 
 uu)nsieur is not at home. I <'ould have sent you to the 
 fort and put you under continement, but my respect to 
 you and your assurance of love to us have disposed me 
 to confide in you. persuaded you will not hurt us or 
 our artairs. .\nd now, if you will not run away to the 
 English who are coming up the river, but serve our 
 interest. \ will acquaint monsieui- of it on his return 
 
56 Memoirs of Odd Adventures^ 
 
 from France, which will he very pleasing to hiiii ; \.\\\k\ 
 I now give my word you shull have lihtrty to go to 
 Boston on the tirst opportunity^ it you Je«iire it, or any 
 other favor in my power shall not hefJenieil you. 
 
 r replied : ' Madam, it is contrary to the nature of 
 the English to requite evil for good. I siiall endeavor 
 to serve you and your interest. T shall not run to the 
 English, but if I am taken by them T shall willingly 
 go with them, and yet endeavor not to disserve you, 
 either in your person or goods," 
 
 The place where we lived was called Hagimsack. 
 twenty-five leagues from the river's mouth, as I have 
 before stilted. 
 
 We now embarked and went in a large boat and 
 canoe two or three miles up an eastern branch of the 
 river that comes from a large pond, an<l on the follow- 
 ing evening sent down four iiands to make discovery. 
 And while they werr sitting in the house the Knglish 
 surrounded it and took one of the four. The other 
 three made their escape in thn dark and through the 
 English soldiers, and coming to us. gave a surprising 
 account of afiairs. Upon this news madam said to me, 
 " Little English, now you can go from us, but I hopt- 
 you will remember your word.' I said, " Madam, bf 
 not concerned. I will not leave you in this strait." 
 She said, " 1 know not w^hat to do with my two poor 
 little babes." 1 said, " Madam, the sooner we nmijarl^ 
 and go over the great pond the better." Accordingly 
 we embarked and went over the pond. The next day 
 we spoke with Indians, who were in a canoe, and they 
 gave us an account that 8ignecto town was taken and 
 
Strange Deliverances ^ etc, 57 
 
 l)iirnt. Soon at'tor we heard the great guns -at Gov. 
 V'iUebon's tort, whicli the EngHsh engaged several 
 ihiys. fhey killed one man, then drew off down the 
 river, tearing to continue longer lor fear of being trozen 
 in for the winter, which in truth thev would have been. 
 
 Hearing no report of cannon for several days, I, with 
 two others, went down to our house to make discovery. 
 We found our vouni>; hid who was taken bv the Eny;- 
 lish when they went up the river. The general had 
 sliown himself so honorable, that on reading the note 
 on our door, he ordered it not to be burnt, nor the barn. 
 Uur cattle and other things he preservetl, except one or 
 two. and the poultry for use. At their return they 
 ordered the young lad to be put on shore. Finding 
 things in this posture, we returned and gave madam 
 an account of it. 
 
 Siie acknowledged the many favors whicli the Eng- 
 lish had showed her, with gratitude, and treated me 
 with great civility. The next spring monsieur arrived 
 from France in the man of war. He thanked me for 
 my care of his affairs, and said he would endeavor to 
 fultill what madam had promised me. 
 
 Accordingly, in the year 1698, peace being pro- 
 claimed, a sloop came to the mouth of the river with 
 ransom for one Michael (.\)oms. I put monsieur in 
 mind of his word, telling him there was now an op[)or- 
 tunitv for me to ufo and see the Hnglish. He advised 
 me to continue with him ; said he would do for me as 
 for his own, i&c. I tluinkeil him for his kindness, but 
 rather chose to go to Boston, hoping to find some- of 
 my relations yet alive. Then he advised me to go up 
 8 
 
58 Memoirs of Odd Adventures y 
 
 to the fort and take my leave of tiu' governor, which I 
 did, and he spoke very kindly to nif, Sonir dayn 
 after, 1 took my leave of madam, and monsieur went 
 down to the mouth of the riv^r with mc to sue me 
 safely on board. ,He iwked the master. Mr. fStarkr-e, >i 
 Scotehman. whether I mu.st pay lur my passage, and if 
 BO, he would pay it himself rather than 1 should have 
 it to pay at my arrival in Boston. l»ut iie gave mt^ not 
 a penny. The master told him there was nothing to 
 pay, and that if the owner sliould make any demand, 
 he would pay it himself, rather than a po<»r ]»ris()ner 
 should suffer, for he was glad to see any Knglish i)erson 
 fome out of eaptivitv. 
 
 On the 13th of .lune. I took my leave of nionsieiu'. 
 and the sloop came to sail for Boston, where w^' arrived 
 on the 19th of the same, at night. In the morning 
 after my arrival, a youth came on boaid and_ asked 
 many questions relating to my captivity, and at length 
 gave me to understand that he was mv little brother 
 who was at play with some othei- <'hildren at l^-nnua 
 quid when \ was taken iraptive. and who escajted into 
 the fort at that perilous time. Pie told me my elder 
 brother, who made his escape from the farm, when it 
 was taken, and our two little sisters, were alive, but 
 that our mother had l»een dead some years. Then we 
 went on shore and saw our elder bi'other. 
 
 On the 2d of August, 1<)89, 1 was taken, and on the 
 I9th of June. 169H, I arrived at l»oston. so that 1 was 
 absent eight years, ten months, and seventeen <lays. 
 Tn all which time, though I undei'went extreme diffi 
 culties. vet I saw much of (Jod s uoodm'ss. .And iiiav 
 
Appendix, eg 
 
 the most powerful arul 1m.„. iicent Being accept of this 
 puKlK- testiM.ony of it. and hlens my experiences to 
 excite otiiers to cunHde ii. his ali-8ufficiencv, through 
 the infinite merits of Jksfs Ohiust. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 CONTAINIMG MINUTES OF THE EMPLOYMENTS, PUBLIC STA 
 
 TIONS, ETC., OF JOHN GYLES, ESQ.. COMMANDER OF 
 
 THE GARRISON ON .ST. GEORGE'S RIVER. 
 
 Aftkk my return out of captivity, June 28th. 1698. 
 I applied myself to the government for their fevor 
 Soon after. I was emph.verl by old father Mitchel of 
 Maiden, to go an his interpreter on trading account, to 
 ot. Joim s river. 
 
 October 14th. ](-;9S. 1 vva.s emploved bv the govern- 
 rm-nt. Lieutenant (Governor 8toughton comn,ander-in- 
 chiet. to go as interpreter, at three pounds per month 
 with Major C.nverse and old Captain Alden. to Penob- 
 scot to fetch captives. At our return to Boston I wa«. 
 dismissed: but within a few days the governor sent 
 for me to interpret a ronferen.-.- with Bomma/een. and 
 other Indians then in jail. 
 
 Some time after. I was again put in pav in order to 
 go interpreter with Col. Phillips and (Japt.kuthack in 
 the province galley, t.. ('asco Bay, to exchange said 
 Indians | Bommazeen and others |, for English captives 
 In December. 1698. we returned to Boston witl; 
 eral captives which we had liberated, and I 
 
 1 sev- 
 was 
 
rf . 
 
 60 Appendix, 
 
 dismissed the service, iind desired to uttfMid it in the 
 spring. I pleaded to be kept in [uiy tiiat I might have 
 wherewith to siipp(jrt myself at school. 1 wmt into 
 tlie country, to iiowley. where hoarding was cheap, to 
 pra('tise what little I had attaine(l at school. 
 
 March, 161)1). With the little of my wages that I 
 ct)uld reserve, I paid lor my schooling and hoard, and 
 attended the service u})on retpicst, and was again }tut 
 into pay, and went with Ool. I'hillips and ^Slaj. Con- 
 verse in a large brigantine, up Jvennebeck river tor 
 captives, and at our return to T^oston, the province gal- 
 ley being arrived from New York with my lord Belle- 
 mont, and the province truck put on board, 1 was 
 ordered on board the galley. We cruised on the east- 
 ern shore; and in November, I(i91), I was jait out of 
 })ay, though I pleaded to be continuetl in it, seeing I 
 imist attend the service in the spring, and be at consid- 
 erable expense in the winter for my schooling. 
 
 In the spring of 1700, T attended the service, and 
 was under })ay again. On August 27th, a fort was 
 ordered to be built at Casco Bay, which was finished 
 on the 6th of October following, and the province truck 
 landed, and I was ordered to reside there as interpreter, 
 with a captain, c^c. Not long after, Governor ])udley 
 sent me a lieutenant's commission, with a memorandum 
 on its back, "No further pay but as interpreter, at 
 three pounds per month." 
 
 August 10th, 1703. The French and Indiiins he- 
 sieged our fort for six days. (]\Iajor March was our 
 commander.) On the 16tli of the same month, Capt. 
 Boutliack arrived in the province galley, and in the 
 night following, the enemy withdrew. 
 
Appendix, 6 1 
 
 May lyth, 1704. I received a tow lines from his 
 excellency, directing me to leave my post, and accom- 
 pany (Colonel Churcli on un expedition round the bay 
 of Fundy.''' September following I returned to my 
 post, without any further wages or encouragement for 
 that service than the beforeiuentioned pay at the gar- 
 rison. 
 
 April. 17()(>. There was a change of the chief otft- 
 cer at our garrison. 1 chose to be dismissed with my 
 old of^cer, whicii was granted. The same year, his 
 excellency. Irovernor Dudley, presented me witii a 
 captain 8 commission, and ordered Colonel Saltonstall 
 to detach fifty elective luen to be delivered to me in 
 order for a march. 
 
 In May, 1707, I entered on an expetlition under 
 Colonel March, for Port Royal, at the termination of 
 which I was dismissed. 
 
 May 12th, 1708, F received orders from his excel- 
 lent'V to go to Port Royal with a flag of truce to ex- 
 change prisoners, and brought off all. At my return 
 1 was dismissed the service. 
 
 In 1709, 1 received a commission, and Colonel Noyes 
 had orders to detach forty men, whom he put under 
 me, with orders to join the forces for Canada. At Hull, 
 August 1st, 1709, r received orders from his excellencv 
 to leave my company with my lieutenants, and go to 
 Port Royal with a flag of truce to exchange prisoners. 
 I went in the slooj) Plannah and Ruth, Tiiomas Waters, 
 
 ■■' A lull iirc()iii\i of thiscx|)i'i|itiiiii: iiiidcr rnlotH-l Cliurcli, will lir roimd in (.'liun.-li'! 
 History of King Phillip's War, Ac, ed. liimo., Hoston, IH-.'T, byS. d. Drake. 
 
6 2 Appendix, 
 
 iiiiiHtcr, T liiid nine Froncli prisoiuTs, wliicli were itll 
 timt were in our governor's IiiukIh. Tlir.-ic he onk'rcil 
 me to deliver to (rovernor Siiperciiss, " ;uid to let him 
 know tliiit he jCtjloncl J^udley | expected him to deliver 
 all the KngliHh prisoners within his power, within six 
 days, which I was ordered to demantl and insist upon, 
 agreeably tt) his promise last year." 1 was ordered to 
 observe to him that (iovernor J)udley highly resent d 
 his breach of promise in not sending them early this 
 Hpring, according to his parole of honor, by myself, 
 when wo had returned him upwards of forty of his 
 people, and had made provision for bringing home ours ; 
 and to make particular inquiry after Caj)tain Myles, 
 and to demand his and his company's release also. 
 
 Accordingly, arriving at Port Koyal, 1 was kindly 
 entertained by (iovernor Supercass ; brought otl" one 
 hundred prisoners. Koon after my return our forces 
 were dismiss(>d, and 1 received no other consideration 
 for my services than pay as ca)»tain of my company. 
 
 August, 1715. I was desired, anil had great prom- 
 ises made me by the proprietors, and received orders 
 from his excellency, to build a fort at Pejcpscot [now 
 Brunswick, Me]. Soon after our arrival there the 
 Indians came in the night, and forbid our laying one 
 stone upon another. I told them 1 came with orders 
 from Governor Dudlev to build a fort, and if thev dis- 
 liked it, they might acquaint him with it; and that if 
 they came forcibly upon us, they or 1 should fall on 
 the spot. After such like hot words they left us, and 
 we went on with our building, and finished it Novem- 
 ber 25th, 1715, and our carpenters and masons left us. 
 
Appendix, 63 
 
 ^^y vva^os were very snuill, y*'t tlie goiitlojncii pro- 
 priotorn ordered iiie oidy tlvo pounds I'or my good Her- 
 viees, iV'c. 
 
 .lulv I2tli. 1722, 11 mindn'r of Indians engaged fort 
 (tcorge about two hours, killing one person, and then 
 drew (jir to killing catth,', etc. 
 
 A{)ril, 172'), i received orders from Ins honor, Lieut. 
 Governor i>)iimmer. to go ten days' march up Ammis- 
 coggin river, and in my al)seni;e the Indians kille(l two 
 men at otn- fort. 1 received no further pay for said 
 service, oidy the pay of the garrison. 
 
 December 12th, 1725, I was dismissed from fort 
 (leorge, and Capt. Woodside received at'onnni.ssion for 
 the command of that place. 
 
 December loth, 1725. I was commissioned for the 
 garrison at St. George's river. 
 
 September, 1726. I was detained some months 
 from my post by order of (lovernor Dummer, to inter- 
 pret for the Cape riable Indians, who were brought in 
 and found guilty.''' There was no other person in the 
 province that had their language. His honor, and the 
 honorable (council, presented me with ten pounds for 
 this service, which I gratefully received. 
 
 November 28th, 1728. I was commissioned for the 
 |)eace. 
 
 I have had the honor to serve this province under 
 eight connnanders-in-chief, governors, and lieutenant 
 
 '■'TlHMt' wcro fivf (irilicin lit'lip|ij»lii^ to llic St, Kraiicis tiilx-. Tlu-y hiid .x(>ized on u 
 VfsM'l at New Komnlluiid, ticloii<{iiiK to I'lytiioutli. Thi' iid liciiig (•oll^<ill<•I•Cil pinicy, 
 llicy weri' 111! uxuciitcil iil Ho.stoii.— S. U. Duake. (.M.S. Cliroiiiclc.x of the Iinliuu.f.) 
 
64 
 
 Appendi 
 
 IX, 
 
 ^uvcniois, tVuiii the yt'iir l(>9H to tlie yt'iir 17'^<>; 
 and liow iniich Iomi^cm' my scrvicoH may continue, I 
 sul>mit to tilt' ( lovcrnor ol' tlif worM, who ov(.'rruU'H 
 every circiimstancf ol" litr, wliidi relatfs fo our liaj»- 
 pinoHH and usel'ulncH.s, a.s in intinite wisdom he sees 
 meet.