The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-01-31
MEMOIR OF r.. ISLAND.
80 sspwac 6NsErr INDIANS.

,.;ned of the Narragansett Sachems ny
il was not the fruit of war and r
conquest. but of amicnble negotiation. q
We shalI not indulge in any conjectures, c
a, q the origin of the aboriginal inhabi- I
tauts. The utmost of our knowledge re-
spectiug that subject. is. that our fore
fathers found them here, the sovereigns
of the country. g. owners and possessors
Of the soil. We shall endeavor to de-
scribe the limits Of the country over
which the Narsagansett Sachems held
an hereditary and absolute sway. and in
whom the tide to all the lands was vest
ed. By those Sachems, grants Of land
were made to their immediate subjects,
for life or otherwise, the fee and rever-
sion remaining always in the Sovereigns.
Indian boundaries at this day are net
easy to be defined, where the tribes lay
contiguous to each other, without any
great natural boundary to separate them.
From the best knowledge we have on
the subject, the mouth fths Pawcatack
River was the South West bound; thence
their territories extended northerly near
" up to the Massachusetts line, thence
easterly to the Seakonk River. and
southerIy by that river to Providence riv-
or, thence by the east side Of the river
and Bay to the ocean, ,including all the Is
lands in the Bay as well az Block Island.
The proper tribe of the original Nara
gansetts, who with their Sachems were
the head ofthe whole Narragansett Con-
federacy or Empire. we believe occupied
all the lands which now constitute the
towns Of North Kingstown. South Kings
town, Exeter, Richmond and james
town. The Nianticks were of the Mar
sragansett Empire and were under local
Sachem named Ninnigret. and held the
lands, now Westerly, Charlestown and
Hopkinton. The Sachems Pomham,
and Soconico with their tribes occupied
what is now the County Of Kent and
part ofshs county of Providence. WON
Hswefo~omey, ,Sachem Of Acquidneck with
his tribe, occupied the Island, now Rhode
Island. The Indians of Block Island
were also vassals and tributaries Of the
a.
grants Of land made to the English by
Cannonnicus &, Miantannamo, (the chief
Sachems) the latter appear to have been
the paramount lords, not only Of all the
Indians within the above mentioned linn
its, but also had a direct interest and
ownership in the soil. The wandering
tribes of Nipmugs to the north Of the
Narragansetts were tributary'to them, Al
we'll ~ the Montauk Indians on the east
end Of Long Island. Massasoit, or O.
samiquin Sachem ofthe Pokonokets wal
another tributary aud dependant ofthe
Narragansetts, and subject to him were
all the Sachems and tribes in the colony
of Plymouth, and Massachusetts, az fa
east as the Merrimac River 30 that tn,
authority ofthe Narragansetts extended
. from Boston on the east to Pawcntucl
River on the west, and az late as April
1852, the Narragansetts had number o
these tributaries from Plymouth ant
Massachusests TO assist them in their wa
sgainst the Pequots.
Thus the Narragansen Sachems ant
tube.- together with the Sachems ant
tribes dependent on them. constituted
aha NARRAGANSETT EMPIRE
which was maintained in full splendo
until about the time the English settlet
in New England. BySthsir aid the de
pundant Sachems and tribes soon begs
TO throw of their subsection, Massasoi
Sachem ofthe Pokarokets by the aid Z
Plymouth setting the first example. Tn
Narragansetts were able TO bring 500
Sighting men into the field. This numbe
has been questioned by some. but whe
We consider the subsidiaries drawn fror
their various provinces il is by no mean
Improbable. At the time the Englis