Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
a great sum, I knew not where it would be procured. Yet at a venture I
said "Twenty pounds," yet desired them to take less. But they would not
hear of that, but sent that message to Boston, that for twenty pounds I
should be redeemed. It was a Praying Indian that wrote their letter
for them. There was another Praying Indian, who told me, that he had
a brother, that would not eat horse; his conscience was so tender
and scrupulous (though as large as hell, for the destruction of poor
Christians). Then he said, he read that Scripture to him, "There was a
famine in Samaria, and behold they besieged it, until an ass's head was
sold for four-score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of
dove's dung for five pieces of silver" (2 Kings 6.25). He expounded this
place to his brother, and showed him that it was lawful to eat that in a
famine which is not at another time. And now, says he, he will eat horse
with any Indian of them all. There was another Praying Indian, who when
he had done all the mischief that he could, betrayed his own father into
the English hands, thereby to purchase his own life. Another Praying
Indian was at Sudbury fight, though, as he deserved, he was afterward
hanged for it. There was another Praying Indian, so wicked and cruel,
as to wear a string about his neck, strung with Christians' fingers.
Another Praying Indian, when they went to Sudbury fight, went with them,
and his squaw also with him, with her papoose at her back. Before they
went to that fight they got a company together to pow-wow. The manner
was as followeth: there was one that kneeled upon a deerskin, with the
company round him in a ring who kneeled, and striking upon the ground
with their hands, and with sticks, and muttering or humming with their
mouths. Besides him who kneeled in the ring, there also stood one with
a gun in his hand. Then he on the deerskin made a speech, and all
manifested assent to it; and so they did many times together. Then they
bade him with the gun go out of the ring, which he did. But when he was
out, they called him in again; but he seemed to make a stand; then they
called the more earnestly, till he returned again. Then they all sang.
Then they gave him two guns, in either hand one. And so he on the
deerskin began again; and at the end of every sentence in his speaking,
they all assented, humming or muttering with their mouths, and striking
upon the ground with their hands. Then they bade him with the two guns
go out of the ring again; which he did, a little way. Then they called
him in again, but he made a stand. So they called him with greater
earnestness; but he stood reeling and wavering as if he knew not whither
he should stand or fall, or which way to go. Then they called him with
exceeding great vehemency, all of them, one and another. After a little
while he turned in, staggering as he went, with his arms stretched out,
in either hand a gun. As soon as he came in they all sang and rejoiced
exceedingly a while. And then he upon the deerskin, made another speech
unto which they all assented in a rejoicing manner. And so they ended
their business, and forthwith went to Sudbury fight. To my thinking they
went without any scruple, but that they should prosper, and gain the
victory. And they went out not so rejoicing, but they came home with as
great a victory. For they said they had killed two captains and almost
an hundred men. One Englishman they brought along with them: and he
said, it was too true, for they had made sad work at Sudbury, as indeed
it proved. Yet they came home without that rejoicing and triumphing over
their victory which they were wont to show at other times; but rather
like dogs (as they say) which have lost their ears. Yet I could not
perceive that it was for their own loss of men. They said they had not
lost above five or six; and I missed none, except in one wigwam. When
they went, they acted as if the devil had told them that they should
gain the victory; and now they acted as if the devil had told them they
should have a fall. Whither it were so or no, I cannot tell, but so it
proved, for quickly they began to fall, and so held on that summer, till
they came to utter ruin. They came home on a Sabbath day, and the Powaw
that kneeled upon the deer-skin came home (I may say, without abuse) as
black as the devil. When my master came home, he came to me and bid me
make a shirt for his papoose, of a holland-laced pillowbere. About that
time there came an Indian to me and bid me come to his wigwam at night,
and he would give me some pork and ground nuts. Which I did, and as I
was eating, another Indian said to me, he seems to be your good friend,
but he killed two Englishmen at Sudbury, and there lie their clothes
behind you: I looked behind me, and there I saw bloody clothes, with
bullet-holes in them. Yet the Lord suffered not this wretch to do me
any hurt. Yea, instead of that, he many times refreshed me; five or six
times did he and his squaw refresh my feeble carcass. If I went to their
wigwam at any time, they would always give me something, and yet they
were strangers that I never saw before. Another squaw gave me a piece of
fresh pork, and a little salt with it, and lent me her pan to fry it in;
and I cannot but remember what a sweet, pleasant and delightful relish
that bit had to me, to this day. So little do we prize common mercies
when we have them to the full.
THE TWENTIETH REMOVE
It was their usual manner to remove, when they had done any mischief,
lest they should be found out; and so they did at this time. We went
about three or four miles, and there they built a great wigwam, big
enough to hold an hundred Indians, which they did in preparation to a
great day of dancing. They would say now amongst themselves, that the
governor would be so angry for his loss at Sudbury, that he would send
no more about the captives, which made me grieve and tremble. My sister
being not far from the place where we now were, and hearing that I was
here, desired her master to let her come and see me, and he was willing
to it, and would go with her; but she being ready before him, told him
she would go before, and was come within a mile or two of the place.
Then he overtook her, and began to rant as if he had been mad, and made
her go back again in the rain; so that I never saw her till I saw her
in Charlestown. But the Lord requited many of their ill doings, for this
Indian her master, was hanged afterward at Boston. The Indians now began
to come from all quarters, against their merry dancing day. Among some
of them came one goodwife Kettle. I told her my heart was so heavy that
it was ready to break. "So is mine too," said she, but yet said, "I hope
we shall hear some good news shortly." I could hear how earnestly my
sister desired to see me, and I as earnestly desired to see her; and yet
neither of us could get an opportunity. My daughter was also now about a
mile off, and I had not seen her in nine or ten weeks, as I had not seen
my sister since our first taking. I earnestly desired them to let me go
and see them: yea, I entreated, begged, and persuaded them, but to let
me see my daughter; and yet so hard-hearted were they, that they would
not suffer it. They made use of their tyrannical power whilst they
had it; but through the Lord's wonderful mercy, their time was now but
short.
On a Sabbath day, the sun being about an hour high in the afternoon,
came Mr. John Hoar (the council permitting him, and his own foreward
spirit inclining him), together with the two forementioned Indians,
Tom and Peter, with their third letter from the council. When they came
near, I was abroad. Though I saw them not, they presently called me in,
and bade me sit down and not stir. Then they catched up their guns, and
away they ran, as if an enemy had been at hand, and the guns went off
apace. I manifested some great trouble, and they asked me what was the
matter? I told them I thought they had killed the Englishman (for they
had in the meantime informed me that an Englishman was come). They said,
no. They shot over his horse and under and before his horse, and they
pushed him this way and that way, at their pleasure, showing what they
could do. Then they let them come to their wigwams. I begged of them to
let me see the Englishman, but they would not. But there was I fain
to sit their pleasure. When they had talked their fill with him, they
suffered me to go to him. We asked each other of our welfare, and how
my husband did, and all my friends? He told me they were all well, and
would be glad to see me. Amongst other things which my husband sent me,
there came a pound of tobacco, which I sold for nine shillings in money;
for many of the Indians for want of tobacco, smoked hemlock, and ground
ivy. It was a great mistake in any, who thought I sent for tobacco; for
through the favor of God, that desire was overcome. I now asked them
whether I should go home with Mr. Hoar? They answered no, one and
another of them, and it being night, we lay down with that answer. In
the morning Mr. Hoar invited the Sagamores to dinner; but when we went
to get it ready we found that they had stolen the greatest part of the
provision Mr. Hoar had brought, out of his bags, in the night. And we
may see the wonderful power of God, in that one passage, in that when
there was such a great number of the Indians together, and so greedy of
a little good food, and no English there but Mr. Hoar and myself, that
there they did not knock us in the head, and take what we had, there
being not only some provision, but also trading-cloth, a part of the
twenty pounds agreed upon. But instead of doing us any mischief, they
seemed to be ashamed of the fact, and said, it were some matchit Indian
that did it. Oh, that we could believe that there is nothing too hard
for God! God showed His power over the heathen in this, as He did over
the hungry lions when Daniel was cast into the den. Mr. Hoar called
them betime to dinner, but they ate very little, they being so busy
in dressing themselves, and getting ready for their dance, which was
carried on by eight of them, four men and four squaws. My master and
mistress being two. He was dressed in his holland shirt, with great
laces sewed at the tail of it; he had his silver buttons, his white
stockings, his garters were hung round with shillings, and he had
girdles of wampum upon his head and shoulders. She had a kersey coat,
and covered with girdles of wampum from the loins upward. Her arms from
her elbows to her hands were covered with bracelets; there were handfuls
of necklaces about her neck, and several sorts of jewels in her ears.
She had fine red stockings, and white shoes, her hair powdered and face
painted red, that was always before black. And all the dancers were
after the same manner. There were two others singing and knocking on a
kettle for their music. They kept hopping up and down one after another,
with a kettle of water in the midst, standing warm upon some embers,
to drink of when they were dry. They held on till it was almost night,
throwing out wampum to the standers by. At night I asked them again, if
I should go home? They all as one said no, except my husband would come
for me. When we were lain down, my master went out of the wigwam, and
by and by sent in an Indian called James the Printer, who told Mr. Hoar,
that my master would let me go home tomorrow, if he would let him have
one pint of liquors. Then Mr. Hoar called his own Indians, Tom and
Peter, and bid them go and see whether he would promise it before them
three; and if he would, he should have it; which he did, and he had it.
Then Philip smelling the business called me to him, and asked me what I
would give him, to tell me some good news, and speak a good word for